My starter's guide in acrylics

After being overwhelmed by the amount of positive feedback I have received on my recent painting, I have decided that I want to keep track of my progress and ideas for future creations. I won't disclose my exact study due to privacy reasons, but I can give away that I have had the opportunity to widen my horizon in arts during my internship at an art school. I believe making art should be accessible to everyone, so I've decided to share some of my basic knowledge that helped me get started.



The medium

One of the mediums I have always furiously hated was acrylic. It dried fast, was streaky and I couldn't seem to get things the way I wanted. I am surprised to say that, right now, it is my favorite medium to use. They say that the quality of your medium should not hold you back from making art, but getting the right picks does make it easier. Though I do not spend hundreds on my paints, I have found that using AMSTERDAM acrylics have helped me improve the quality, and therefore my enjoyment. Something I have learned on my internship is the use of primary colors, so.. color theory! My wallet is very thankful because the only basic colors that I purchased are;

- 105 Titaanwit

- 268 Azogeel Licht

- 396 Naftolrood Middel

- 504 Ultramarijn



The canvas

Another thing that to me is as equally important as the colors I'm using, is building up my art on a canvas. Though the word canvas is misleading, because the use of those only evokes fear for me. I typically use 250grams paper in the size of A3 and cut it down to the size I want to use. Something I have learned is that starting with just a white sheet can seem intimidating. This is why I always use watered down brown paint and fill my entire page with just that color. This way I have already started my painting and it does make a pretty good base for the underpainting I am about to set up. My underpainting exists out of the same shade of brown and differ between different values by watering the paint down. WATER IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!! It gives me a base to start and there is plenty of room for mistakes, since you won't see the underpainting in the finished result.



My inspiration

My inspiration comes from various places. Like no exception I do enjoy my occasional pinterest scrolls and pin everything that inspires me. This could contain paintings, photography, sketches, colors, quotes etc. It gives me the urge to create. To feed that urge, I only try to work on pieces that line up with my current feelings and life. I have experienced that it brings me comfort and it is a perfect way for me to express how I feel without having to use words.



You

I hope my words have given you the itch to create. Remember that this is MY starting guide to acrylics and your journey can look completely different and will still be valid. There is no right and wrongs in art. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on my homepage. Thank you for reading <3