Acrylic is one of the most popular painting mediums due to its unique qualities. It can be mixed with many other colors, and you can add more liquid acrylic onto your paint job without it thinning out.
Acrylic paints are notorious for being extremely fluid and easy to work with, which makes them perfect for beginners trying to learn how to create paintings and sculptures.
However, like any art material, acrylics will not hold their shape well if exposed to air or water for too long of a time period.
Use a different container
For some people, using too much acrylic paint can result in it being slightly thinner. This is not because the painter ran out of material, but instead they used up all their containers!
If you are one of these artists that runoutofcontainerstoach your palette down, then try opening a new bottle of paint! That or use plastic bowls to mix in more liquid color.
Acrylic paint will thin when exposed to air, so make sure to always keep a lid on your pot until completely mixed.
Add water
In addition to mixing your colors, one of the most important steps in painting is adding liquid to your paint! Liquid adds texture and thickness to your paints.
There are two main types of liquids you will need to add to acrylics: alcohol-based and nonalcoholic. Nonalcoholic oils can be used for certain paintings where there is no strong smell or flavor of the oil. Many people use olive oil as the medium for their acrylics because it does not have any alcoholic content.
Alcohol-based liquids are usually ethanol (wine alcohol) or Isopropyl Alcohol. These work better for thicker coats of acrylic since they evaporate more slowly than plain old water.
Note: Do not mix equal amounts of both types of alcohol! That would not work well. Pick one type over the other depending on what effect you want your paint to have.
Use a different brand
Many brands contain additives that break down or dissolve the paint when mixed in with it. These additives are not necessary for the painting process, but some people may feel they enhance the look of your piece depending on how much you use them!
Some examples of these additives include alcohols such as ethanol and isopropanol, acetone, and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). People often mix several types of alcohol together in a ratio to create their own special drink that acts as a thinner for the acrylic.
This article will talk about MEK, which is usually just referred to as solvent in its thinning properties. Most artists agree that using pure water instead of MEK is the best way to make acrylic paints thicker.
Something to be careful of however, is overworking your canvas or pieces made from very soft materials like wood or cloth.
Use a gel-type paint
For those who are looking to create more depth in their acrylic painting, using a gel-style paint is your best bet! Glazing down or adding additional layers of gels in your paintings will result in alluring effects that draw attention.
There are many brands of gel paints available in art stores today. They all have something unique going for them, but most contain cornstarch as an additive to improve the consistency of the paint.
By mixing the right amount of this powder into your gel paint, the liquid will take longer to seep through the brush before being squeezed out. This allows you to make thicker coats of paint without having it run away!
General tips for working with gel paints
Make sure to mix the correct amount of gel paint with the appropriate amount of water so that it does not clog up the nozzle of the tool. Also, do not press the button too hard when applying the gel onto the surface of the canvas, just spread it across the length of the canvas.
Use a brush that is not new
The thickness of your paint can make a difference, depending on what you are trying to do! For example, if you want to cover large areas of canvas quickly, then using very thin layers is better than using thicker paints.
If you wanted to layer your painting, like in creating an abstract effect or texture, then use very thick coats to achieve this. The way to determine how much paint to add onto your surface depends on the length of time it takes to dry for each coat.
Acrylics will develop luster as they dry, so making several applications while the plasticizer in the liquid skin does its work makes painted textures more interesting to look at.
Use a different brand of thinner
Many brands contain gel additives that work as paint thinners, this is not good! These additives are typically cyclohexane or methylcyclodexrene which are both very volatile and flammable.
Having a few drops of these products can cause your painting to evaporate quickly, creating a thin layer of acrylic paint. This may look fine, but it does not last. It will also likely wash off in water, making it difficult to apply more layers of color later.
There are safer alternatives to using cyclohexane or methylcyclodextrine as a solvent.
Run the paint in the container for longer
In addition to mixing with water, you can also mix your paints together. When painting with acrylics, people usually start with a base color and then add more layers of different colors onto it.
One way to make your painted layer become thicker is to run each new color through a bottle or pot of already mixed paint. This process is called running the paint into another color. For example, if you wanted to create a red circle, you would take white acrylic paint and put some in a clear glass bottle, and then add some red paint to that liquid.
Running one color of paint into another helps achieve two things. First, it gives you extra time to work with the paint because you are not having to deal with thin layers right away. Second, it creates an interesting patterned effect where you see alternating layers of thick and thinner paint.
Let it settle for a while
Many artists first experiment with acrylic painting by adding color to already painted surfaces. By mixing your paint as you start, you can add more layers to your piece later!
One of the things many beginners get stuck on is making their paints blend into each other. That is, when you apply additional coats of paint, they do not mix properly and some lines are very thin.
The trick in achieving this is letting the paint dry for a few minutes before applying the next layer. This allows all of the surface colors to combine and set properly.
After experimenting with this tip, try trying different ratios of white, black, and other neutral shades to see which ones work best in our paintings!
General rules about using acrylics
If you ever need help creating backgrounds or figures for your art, investing in some quality acrylic brushes is an excellent way to begin.