I have taken traditional classes in both watercolor painting and oil painting (to name just a couple), but I had never taken any class in acrylic painting until I attended my first “paint and sip” party. If you’ve never been to one, I highly recommend checking one out. The idea is, you show up at the paint studio at the designated time ready to paint. They provide everything- from the canvas and paints to the instructor who walks everyone step-by-step through the process of creating a whimsical acrylic painting. The only thing you need to bring is a positive attitude and your drink of choice (which, I’ve found, can do wonders to improve your attitude!) It’s not a traditional art lesson, because there isn’t a lot of focus on technique. It’s really more about the social experience, and everyone leaves with a painting and a big smile. It’s also a fun alternative to the standard, tired, date night/girls night out venues and it’s a great way to get your feet wet with acrylic painting. If you’re ready to take the next step and try this at home you’ll need a few basic supplies.
For this portrait painting project, all my supplies were purchased from Blick Art Supplies.
- 12″ x 16″ stretched cotton canvas (I typically use the standard 3/4″ profile)
Blickrylic acrylic paints (their student-grade line) in the following colors:
- Block Out White
- Burnt Sienna
- Raw Umber
- Deep Yellow
- Mars Black
- Cobalt Blue
- Magenta
These colors are my favorites and can be used to mix just about any other color (you may want to add primary yellow to complete the set). The black, white and blue have the best coverage and the others are more transparent, but still offer decent results for the price.
The red and green brushes I used were part of the Langnickel Big Kids’ Choice Lil’ Grippers Flat/Round Brush Set (also available through Blick). I love these brushes because they are comfortable and easy to clean and endure a lot of abuse. Because they have acrylic handles you can leave them sitting in water until you are ready to clean them (wooden handles can sometimes swell and crack when left in water too long).
I also downloaded the free version of the iPhone application Grid # to get the grid on my photo.
Check out the video and give it a shot. Or if this is a little too advanced, you can always start with my How to Paint a Minion video– I suppose that’s an acrylic portrait painting too!