Any links for acrylic painting beginners?

[flamingdem]

Hello, wondering if anyone here has seen links or video/s for acrylic painting, especially the first steps and painting exercises like gradients. Thanks

[dlwickham]

1. not but I can suggest a few exercises

if you're interested

[flamingdem]

2. Thanks, that would be great

I attempted a gradient, but wasn't very good at figuring out techniques.

[dlwickham]

3. technique will vary with the kind of paint you're using

As far as exercises, you need to figure out how the materials that you're using work before you do anything.

Cheaper paint like Liquidtex basic will need multiple coats because the paint is of lesser quality than say a paint like Windsor and Newton Artist grade.

The better the quality of the paint, the more you can do with it but since you're just beginning, I'd go with a lower quality. I use the Windsor and Newton because it's the best I've found and it works really well for the way I paint. It's a thick paint and it covers well even if you thin it out.

To establish your pallet, I'd say get crimson, cerulean blue, cadmium yellow medium, titanium white, ivory or mars black.

with those 5 colors, you can pretty much mix any color you want

My advice is always paint what you see not what you think you see. That comes with practice. I'd say get some canvas boards to practice on. They're cheap and hold paint pretty well but not as well as a stretched canvas. A painting on a canvas board won't last as long simply because it's canvas over paper or cellulose.

I really don't think that anyone can really teach technique. It comes with practice. What works for you won't always work for someone else. My painting instructor had us do a version of gradients as our very first assignment.

We used a yellow hue, red hue, blue hue, white and black. We did 3 shades and 3 tints of each. For the black and white, we started at a pure white at the far left hand side of the board and worked our way to pure black. The middle block was grey. The next block to the right was a darker; the next one was darker still, and the last one was pure black. The first block to the left of the middle block was lighter, the second block was lighter, and the last block was pure white. Do that with the yellow, red, and blue-you'll have pure color in the middle block and the darkest shade to the far right and the lightest to the far left.

I would however suggest taking a painting class at your local college if one is offered. You'll be with other people and you can watch them and adapt what they do to fit your needs. You'll probably have critique sessions where the instructor and other students offer their opinions.

I love painting. It frustrates the living hell out of me most of the time but I love it. I enjoy playing with colors and seeing what works and what doesn't.

Invest in good brushes-you can skimp on the paint but not on the brushes. They're your tools.

If you live someplace with a good art supply store, go there and I'm sure they can give you some good advice. If not, use dickblick.com to buy supplies. It's really a great place to buy and research materials.

[flamingdem]

4. Thanks, I went to a class

and have to decide whether to keep it or drop it - and want to see if I can get my head wrapped around some of the technique. We were told to avoid Liquitex basic and were given a series of exercises to make gradients, I think the problem was that it was hard to remember what was done and my notes didn't make that much sense.

There was dry brush technique but now I think that I realize it's not supposed to be scratchy dry just without water. Then wet on wet, still have to figure that out and two more. My tests look really bad so I don't get how to control the paint, or pick the brush, or how much water to use. I think my brush is too big too. It's probably what you said that I have to play with it and practice and it's hard to explain.

If it was just a gradient that might have been doable, it was a gradient but with dry brush, etc. that was confusing. I think that I'll stick with it, now that I bought the supplies!

[dlwickham]

5. dry brush is pulling a dry brush

which is a brush without any paint on it through or over top wet paint

it gives the paint a texture. I use the technique a lot just because I have a tendency to be really heavy handed with paint and if I didn't use it, I'd have paint clumps everywhere

There's no right way to hold a brush. It varies with what you're doing. I hold the brush like a pencil if I'm doing work which requires a more steady hand. If I'm making big strokes, I'll hold the brush by the bottom of the handle.

You need more than one brush. Brushes run from a size 0 to a 20. Unless you're doing some really delicate detail work, you won't need anything smaller than a 8. Unless you're doing some huge strokes, you won't need anything bigger than maybe a 12. My instructor recommends that we have a 4, 8, 10, and 12 flat or bright. I prefer bright because the bristles are shorter and it's easier for me to control. She also suggests that we have a 3 and a 6 round. Those are brushes that come to a point. Most people use them to paint a thin line. I've found using the edge of a bright to be easier.

What kind of pallet are you using? You can buy paper pallets which are nothing more than sheets of paper that are treated so the paint doesn't bleed through. I like them and you can get a pad fairly cheap.

I'm confused about the dry brush gradient though. If you're doing a gradient, the color is the most important thing, not the brush stroke. Granted you want nice clean strokes but you really shouldn't be worrying about strokes right now if you're doing gradients. It doesn't make sense that your instructor is focusing on both right now. I'd do one or the other.

[flamingdem]

6. I am using a butcher palatte

that has a wet paper towel and vellum over it that serves as the surface for paint.

That keeps it moist apparently while in storage.

The teacher wanted us to gesso a square so that it had texture - with white - and then do this "dry brush" technique over it as a gradient - with values of black. I guess the idea was to figure out how to produce a gradient with 4 conditions.

In class the demo was working from a photograph by laying in a textured layer of white gesso with black over it. Then the idea was to "paint with light" and layer values of grey slowly up to the brightest whites and highlights.

It's not intuitive to me but I am sure it is meant to teach something important. I wish it was simpler because two things at once make it hard to understand the aim - even if verbalized it leaves me with a ?

[dlwickham]

7. paint with light?

what the hell does that mean LOL

sounds like that hack Thomas Kincaid

I'd sit your instructor down and have him/her show you exactly what they want

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

10. I sometimes use a paper plate

for a palette. I'm new to painting with acrylic and wonder do I need a medium to help the paint flow? I just did a painting and something seemed odd about how the paint came off the brush...........

[geretogo]

8. painting videos

I have a very good site for you . You will like it . Google this --- ( Creative Catalyst Productions )
I live in Oregon where these DVDS are produced . They have every kind of painting instruction you can think of
from nature to abstract . I own 3 DVDS from them and they are very instructive and very well produced .
They cover every level from beginner to master . Give them a try I think they will help you learn acrylic
painting . A good beginning painting book would be a good accent to the DVD .