PAINTING WITH ACRYLICS 

 

Palettes


You can use wooden or plastic palettes for mixing your acrylics, but it's difficult to get all the dried paint off. Disposable palettes - pads of paper where you tear off the topp sheet and throw it away - solve this problem. But that is an extra expense you might not wish to incur.

I find that recycling margarine lids for this purpose works really well.  Some lids also have indentations around the circumference and you can use these as wells for different colours.  When you have finished you either wash it off immediately and re-use it or recycle another lid.  I always have a few saved up for this purpose.

Because acrylics dry so fast, squeeze only a little paint out of a tube. If you're using a plastic palette, invest in a spray bottle so you can regularly spray a fine mist over the paint to keep it moist.

You can also buy a palette designed to keep the paint wet - the paint sits on a sheet of wax paper pplace on top of a damp piece of watercolour paper.

 

What kind of brushes?

Acrylic paint can be used in thin washes or applied thickly.

Use soft-bristled (sable) brushes or the cheaper synthetic alternatives for watercolour effect or for washes where you don't want brush marks to show.

For thick acrylic paint you’ll need stiff-bristled brushes (polyester) designed specifically for acrylics for thicker paint. Try brushes with both long and short handles and different head shapes to see which you prefer.
 

 

You’ll be faced with an array of sizes and shapes (round, flat, pointed), and you also get different length handles. If you’re on a tight budget, start with a small and a medium-sized flat, pointed brush (filbert). If you use just the tip you get a narrow brush mark, and if you push down you get a broad one. Try it.  You will be quite amazed at the different effects created. 

Tip: When buying very wide brushes, save money by buying good-quality household decorating ones. Look for brushes that aren’t too thick, or cut off half the hairs.

Modern synthetic brushes can be of excellent quality, so don’t restrict your selection to only those brushes made from natural hairs such as sable. Look for brushes where the hairs quickly spring back up when you bend them. With brushes, you tend to get what you pay for, so the cheaper it is the more likely the hairs are to fall out. Be meticulous about cleaning your brushes.  Do so as soon as possible whenever you finish painting (even for a short break) as whenever acrylic paint dries in a brush, it can be extremely difficult to get it out. If you take good care of your brushes, they will last you a very long time.

 

Caring for your Brushes

Take great care of your brushes - they are an investment.  If you care for them properly they will last much longer.

Clean them thoroughly and properly as soon as you have finished painting.  The time you spend cleaning them is time well spent.

You Need:

 

Start off by wiping any excess paint using a cloth or soft tissue.

Rinse the brush in lukewarm water if you've been using a water-based medium (if you've been using oils, use turpentine).  Never use hot water as it can expand the ferrule, causing the hairs to fall out.

Wipe once more on the cloth to remove any remaining paint.

Using a little bit of mild soap (preferably not dishwashing), dab the brush gently onto a piece of soap and work up a lather in the palm of your hand.

Rinse and keep repeating until there's no trace of colour left - it might take some time and patience but it is well worth the effort.

Finally rinse in clean lukewarm water to remove any traces of soap left. Shake off the water.

Gently re-shape the brush hairs into the correct shape using your fingers (without pulling).

Wrap the bristles in toilet paper while the brush is still wet.  When the tissue paper dries it will contract and pull the bristles back into shape.

Leave the brush to dry at room temperature, making sure it is not resting on its head as this will misshapen the hairs.

If you're worried about the toxicity of the paint you're working with, wear gloves while painting and cleaning your brushes. Also make sure that you do so if you find the paint is drying out, cracking or staining your skin.

Tips:

                                                                             

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