Is Acrylic Paint Suitable for Beginner Artists?
Acrylic Paint For Beginners.
Every artist has to start out somewhere, and we usually all begin with the easiest paints. Few artists will start off using harder materials, as it is best to start with the simplest stuff and get into the harder stuff when your skills and style have grown.
It is much like anything. However, when we think of all the artistic materials there are, it is hard to know which is the best for beginners. We know that we often get used to watercolor paints as kids, and these are not a bad choice.
Yet, acrylic paints are by far one of the best options for beginner painters. Why? Well, their opacity and soft body means that they can cover up any previous layers, making them ideal for beginners. They are more forgiving.
With acrylic paints, if you make a mistake, or a dollop of paint gets in an area it shouldn’t have, you can cover it up, even if it is a darker color. Just let it dry, and then cover it with enough layers.
Painting with acrylics can be much easier and much more forgiving than using other materials. Especially when compared to paints such as oils, which are much less forgiving, and less compatible with the potential mistakes beginner artists might make.
As we start out as artists, we usually think back to art we did as children, the materials we used, and consider revisiting those. Typically, the materials you used as a child would have been pens, pencils, acrylic paint, crayons, watercolor paints, and chalk.
All of the above materials are ideal for beginners, you can revisit the childhood materials, and advance your skills using them. That is not to say that these materials are strictly for beginners, as plenty of famous paintings were done with acrylic paints.
Being a beginner is about finding out your style and what works for you. So, grab yourself some acrylic paint and some professional acrylic paint brushes, and get painting!
The Difference Between Acrylic, Watercolor, And Oil.
Before we sell you too hard on why acrylic paint is so good for a beginner like yourself, let’s discuss the real differences between the three main paint types, and what each of them can give you.
Acrylic paint is different from oil paint in one very specific way. Instead of it being made of a color pigment suspended in oils, it is suspended in a polymer emulsion. This gives the different properties.
Acrylic paint dries faster than oil paint, and it is also more resistant to water, so moisture is less likely to damage the paint. Its only real downside is that it is less versatile when it comes to combining colors.
Oil paints have been used throughout history, and it is the primary choice for most projects, especially in the renaissance. The Mona Lisa is an oil painting. It is an ideal paint choice if you are dealing with bright and vibrant colors, or if you require depth.
Oil mixes easier as well, so you get a larger palette, however, it does take ages to dry, sometimes weeks!
Watercolor is the cheapest of the paints. It is pigment suspended in water, and it can dry super quick! However, it is so delicate when you apply the water. Its delicacy makes it the least resistant choice. However, it can create super unique images, unlike what you might find with oils or acrylics.
Watercolor art has a unique quality, something you cannot find elsewhere.
Why Acrylic Is So Good.
There are so many upsides to acrylic, okay, it doesn’t give you the texture and vibrancy that you could expect from oils, but it does have plenty of upsides that oil simply lacks.
Acrylic paints have a shorter drying time than oils, although modern acrylic paints can have extended drying times, meaning that the paint can be left on a sealed palette and still be workable for several days.
Modern acrylics also reactivate, if you pour a dab of water into dry paint, it can be reactivated, or even lifted off.
Fascinatingly, modern acrylic paints are also known as being more flexible and durable than oil paints. Its versatility is a major selling point for many artists. This versatility also makes acrylic an ideal choice for painters who are trying to find their artistic identity. The ability to use a versatile paint means that they can play around with techniques, styles, and still have a durable paint that does what they need it to.
