Acrylic Painting Techniques - Layering
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Do you want to create depth, texture, and visual interest in your acrylic paintings? Luckily for you we have compiled all our favourite techniques to achieve just that! Master the art of layering as we explore glazing, scumbling, wet-on-wet, dry brushing, and impasto techniques using acrylic paint. To inspire your next project, we’ve put together some acrylic painting techniques for layering for you to try at home!
Overview:
- Before you start
- 4 acrylic painting techniques
- Impasto
- Dry brush
- Wet-on-wet
- Glazing
Before you start
Before you start working through some of these acrylic painting techniques for layering, you will need the following art supplies. You can purchase all these from Art to Art online or in-store.
- Palette knife and acrylic paint brush
- Acrylic medium
- Canvas or art paper
- A paint palette
- Art pencil
4 acrylic painting techniques
1. Impasto
As one of the most well known layering techniques for acrylic painting, impasto involves applying thick layers of paint with a brush or palette knife to produce both textured and three-dimensional effects. This layered painting technique easily allows artists to add a sense of depth and visual interest to their artworks. So if you’re looking to create some bold and captivating details in your artworks, follow along for the instructions below.
How to do it:
- Start by planning out your next artwork. You may want to use a graphite pencil to trace the outline of your object onto the canvas. This will help you know where you need to paint.
- Next, choose the range of colours you want to work with. To create the most visual interest and dimension we recommend choosing a wide range of colours.
- To thicken the paint for easy layering, you will need to mix some gel medium in with the paint. Simply place each separate paint colour into a paint palette or individual cups and add some medium to the paint until it has reached a buttery consistency.
- You may want to apply a base layer of paint to your canvas so it can work as a background for the other colours.
- With your impasto medium ready, grab a paint brush or a palette knife and begin applying your paint in deliberate strokes to create depth and dimension. Explore with different angles and directions to create your desired effect.
- Make sure to allow each layer to fully dry before applying more layers, this will help to prevent smudging and the unintentional mixing of colours.
- Continue adding more layers until you are happy with the final result.
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2. Dry brush
The dry brushing technique is ideal for adding highlights, details and detailed textures on an artwork. Using an almost dry paint brush with minimal paint, artists can add depth and dimension with precise control, whilst also maintaining the visual interest of the underlying layers. This is also a popular technique for those who prefer to work with oil paint.
How to do it:
- Start by painting the background of your canvas.
- Next, choose the colours you want to work with. We recommend working with lighter colours first, then gradually adding darker colours.
- Dip the tip of your brush into your desired paint colour and remove most of it onto a paper towel so you can achieve the dry brush effect.
- Before using the brush directly onto the canvas, test out the technique on a piece of art paper first.
- Using the dry brush, lightly drag it across the surface of the canvas. Make sure you are only applying a light amount of paint, so the layers underneath leak through. You can emphasise specific areas, such as textures, edges, or focal points, by applying lighter or contrasting colours with a dry brush.
- Wait for each layer to dry, then gradually layer the colours on top of each other, working the darker colours in to add some more dimension.
- Make sure to experiment with plenty of different brush sizes, pressure, and angles to achieve unique textures and visual effects in your artwork.
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3. Wet-on-wet
The wet-on-wet advanced acrylic painting technique focuses on applying wet paint to an already wet painting surface. This allows the colours to blend and mix together, creating unique textures and dimensions within your work of art. Artists can choose to use a sponge or paint brush to apply the layers of paint. So if you’re looking to achieve smooth transitions and soft edges in your pieces, follow on to learn how with these step by step instructions below.
How to do it:
- Choose the acrylic colours you want to work with and lay them all out onto your paint palette.
- You may want to spray your canvas with a spray bottle and some water to keep the surface wet for a longer period of time.
- Start by applying a base colour to your canvas. This will act as a starting point for your other colours.
- Using your brush or sponge, apply your desired colours onto the wet base. You can explore different brush strokes and blending acrylic paint techniques for this step.
- You will need to work quickly before the paint dries out. You can keep your brushes wet by frequently running them under some water.
- Continue adding more layers until you are happy with the final result.
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4. Glazing
If you want to enhance your artworks, glazing is the perfect way to achieve a luminous and transparent effect. Using a soft brush, artists can gently glaze over the top of the artwork to allow the underlying layers to shine through. This technique is perfect for creating depth, richness, and complexity in a painting.
How to do it:
- You will want to start by painting the background of your canvas. You can choose to paint a plain colour, an object or a particular pattern.
- Next, you will want to choose the colours that you want to work with. Add these into individual cups and mix them with a glazing medium to achieve the desired transparency.
- Dip your paint brush into the glaze mixture and apply in thin, even layers over your dried background. This mixture should be fairly transparent once applied to the canvas.
- Allow each layer of glaze to dry completely before adding anymore. Gradually begin building up the layers, adjusting the colour and intensity as desired.
- Continue adding more layers and experimenting with colour variations until you have achieved your desired effect.
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Now that you know how to complete these 4 acrylic painting techniques for layering, there is no better time to unleash your creativity and take your art to the next level. You can find all of the required art supplies online at Art to Art. We stock everything you need, from acrylic paint sets and paint brush sets to paint accessories and so much more! Get free shipping when you spend over $100 online and receive same-day dispatch Australia-wide for orders placed before 11am.
