Acrylic Painting

Inspiration & Exploration

Acrylics are one of the most popular painting mediums in the world — fast-drying, water-soluble, and forgiving enough to paint over mistakes. Start by watching the YouTube channel Acrylic Painting with Lisa Clague for a friendly overview of what's possible. Explore Google Arts & Culture to look at acrylic masters like David Hockney and Jenny Saville. Visit a local gallery — the Phillips Gallery in Salt Lake City often features Utah painters working in acrylics. Notice how different artists handle edges: some crisp, some blended. Flip through the book "Acrylic Revolution" by Nancy Reyner at your library. You're ready for the next step when you can name two different acrylic styles (like realistic versus textured) and one artist who works in each.

Tools & Techniques

Acrylic painting requires just a few tools to get started. You'll need a canvas or canvas pad, a basic brush set (flat, round, and fan), acrylic paints in primary colors plus black and white, a plastic palette or disposable palette paper, and a jar of water nearby. Watch Will Kemp Art School on YouTube — his "beginner's guide to acrylic painting" covers color mixing, brush loading, and canvas prep in plain language. Learn about the difference between heavy body acrylics (thick like butter) and fluid acrylics (pourable). Try mixing a color you've never seen straight from the tube. You're ready for the next step when you can mix a secondary color from two primaries and get close to your target on the first try.

First Creations

Paint your first real subject: something simple, like a single piece of fruit, a coffee mug, or the view out your window. Don't worry about perfection — focus on blocking in big shapes with color before adding detail. Work light to dark, and let each layer dry before adding the next (a hair dryer speeds this up). Watch "Painting for Absolute Beginners" on the Painting with Jane YouTube channel. Take a photo of your subject and paint from the photo so your reference doesn't move. Photograph your finished piece. You're ready for the next step when you've completed one painting from start to finish and can point to one area where you successfully mixed a color to match your reference.

Style Development

Now explore different acrylic techniques to find what fits your style. Try at least two of these: wet-on-wet blending (work quickly while the paint is still wet), dry brushing (almost no paint on the brush for a textured, scratchy effect), impasto (thick paint applied with a palette knife), or glazing (thin transparent layers over dried paint). The YouTube channel Clive5Art is excellent for technique deep-dives. Utah's high altitude and dry climate can make acrylics dry even faster than usual — keep a spray bottle of water nearby. You're ready for the next step when you've tried two distinct techniques and can describe how each one changes the look of your painting.

Refine Your Craft

Push your skills by studying color theory and composition more deeply. Read the free PDF "Color Theory for Painters" available on the Artists Network website, or pick up "Color and Light" by James Gurney. Practice painting the same simple object three times using different color palettes: realistic, warm-toned, and cool-toned. Experiment with gesso to create textured grounds before painting. Join the r/AcrylicPainting subreddit to post your work and get specific feedback. Check out classes at the Salt Lake Community College continuing education program or Finch Lane Gallery workshops if you want in-person instruction. You're ready for the next step when you can look at a painting and deliberately adjust its mood by shifting the color temperature.

Portfolio Piece

Create your strongest acrylic painting yet — a deliberate, planned piece that shows everything you've learned. Choose a subject that matters to you: a Utah landscape, a person you love, or something from your imagination. Sketch it lightly in pencil on your canvas first, then build up layers with intention. Write a short process journal — three sentences about what you planned, what changed, and what you learned. Photograph the final piece in natural light near a window. Share it on SLCTrips or submit to the Utah Arts Festival open call as an emerging artist. You're ready for the next step when you have a finished painting and a written reflection you could share with another beginner to help them learn.