Discovering Creativity in Acrylic Painting: A Beginner’s Guide
Summer is in full swing, and what better way to enjoy the season than by adding a little art to our lives! In this guide, we will explore creative painting ideas specifically designed for beginners. No professional experience or skill is required. All you need is some enthusiasm and a willingness to experiment with lush colors and bold color mixing. Let’s dive in!
Acrylic Painting Ideas for Beginners
Brighten Your Summer with Acrylics
Join artist Chris Cozen in his guide to acrylic painting ideas for beginners! With a guide titled 'Acrylic Artist Favorite Things for Summer,' you can enhance your art projects for the season ahead. The collection is built around Cozen's infectious enthusiasm for art and acrylics, making it a powerful inspiration for new painters. Get ready to start creating with colorful and bold expressions!
Exploring Color Wheels
When you lay down your brushes and dip into colors, don’t forget to create a color wheel. I often find myself making dozens of color wheels, each a marvel to me. From exploring various pigment combinations to understanding the infinite malleability and adjustability of acrylic color, each wheel opens a new chapter in creative expression.
Building Your Color Journal
Take your color exploration to the next level with a color journal. Until now, I had never really considered keeping a color journal, but I realized it encourages deeper color explorations and pushes me to experiment more. Find a bound journal with 140 lb. watercolor paper to record your discoveries without bleed-through. A solid color journal will enhance your understanding of color mixing techniques, holding up to various forms of coloring, collage glazing, and the addition of markers.
Understanding Your Paints
Although I always use Golden Artist Colors, I encourage you to branch out and explore other acrylic products. Artist-quality paints offer the most pigment per ounce, making them highly cost-effective in the long run. For beginners, consider using 'student grade' paint which has significantly better pigment strength than craft paints. It's essential to get to know your pigments, as some are good mixers and others are not. Adding titanium white to any color creates a tint, while the transparent qualities of some pigments change when mixed with white, shifting them to opaque or semi-transparent states. These exercises are great additions to your color journal.
Living the Color Experience
With the change in seasons, immerse yourself in capturing the vibrant greens of nature. I live in the Northeast, far from California, and was thrilled by the variety of greens during the spring. Run to your nearest nature spot and capture every shade from gray green to chartreuse lime blue-green. This kind of color exploration will significantly improve your color-capturing skills.
The Three-Color Challenge
Engage in a fun challenge by choosing three colors you don’t usually use but already own. Experiment with combining each color with white and black to create tints and shades. Then mix two of the colors, then two more, and finally the last two. These secondary colors will have their own tints and shades. You can add collaged images as prompts to further explore color. Feel free to draw on the top surface of your color pages for a fun twist. Let your creativity lead the way!
Enjoy the Journey
Remember, the journey of learning and experimenting with acrylics is as valuable as the final result. Embrace every mix, every shade, and every tint. There is no wrong way to discover and express your creativity. Enjoy the process and let your fun lead the way! Happy painting!
Resources:
- Acrylic Art Mediums: 'The Visual Thrill of Color' by Courtney Jordan
Explore the world of creative painting with these tips and techniques; let your imagination and curiosity guide your painting journey this summer. Happy painting!