CREATE A PAINTING

Step-by-step guide to Acrylic Painting

Materials Needed

• Canvas

• Paper (for composition sketch)

• Acrylic Paint

• Paintbrushes

• Palette

• Jar of water (for rinsing brushes)

• Paper towels (for drying brushes)

• Pencil (for sketching)

Instructions

1. Design you composition on paper.

2. Tonal Underpainting / Background (Optional)

   • Apply a light wash of color over the canvas to eliminate the bright white background. Let it dry completely.

3. Sketch Your Composition

   • Lightly outline your subject using a pencil. Keep lines minimal, focusing on main shapes and focal points rather than fine details.

4. Block in the Base Colours

   • Use a larger brush to fill in broad areas of background and base shapes.

   • Work from dark to light: start with shadow areas and base tones, saving bright highlights for later layers.

5. Build Depth and Texture

   • Once the base layer is dry, mix mid-tones and highlights to add depth.

   • Use smaller brushes for finer detail and varied brushstrokes to create textures.

6. Add Details and Highlights

   • Apply final accents, sharp edges, and bright highlights using pure white or vibrant colour touches.

7. Let Your Paining Dry

   • Acrylics dry quickly, usually within 20–30 minutes depending on thickness.