Advanced Acrylic Painting Techniques

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Overview:

• Before you start
• 10 advanced acrylic painting techniques
• Dry brushing
• Acrylic pouring
• Glazing
• Alla prima (wet on wet)
• Sgraffito
• Scumbling
• Smudging
• Sponging
• Palette knife
• Stippling

If you’re looking to enhance the quality of your paintings beyond basic acrylic paint techniques, you’ve come to the right place! With our list of 10 advanced acrylic painting techniques, you will be able to transform your paintings from beginner to professional. Read on to get inspired today. 

Before you start

Before you start exploring these advanced painting techniques, you will need some supplies (if you don’t have them already). This will also depend on what techniques you choose to try out. 

• Acrylic paint
• Acrylic paint brushes, palette knives and sponges
• Primed canvas, board or painting paper
• Acrylic mediums (for creating a textured effect)
• Easel

10 advanced acrylic painting techniques (with steps)

1. Dry brushing

If you’re looking to create unique textures and effects, then dry brushing might be the perfect technique for you! You can either use a dry brush on a wet canvas to add depth or a dry canvas for an extremely dry looking texture - the choice is yours.

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How to do it:

• Start by wetting your canvas with a damp cloth or a spray bottle.
• Top your brush with paint and remove the majority of it using a paper towel, so it’s almost dry.
• Brush your paint onto the canvas in short strokes. Although, be careful to not press too hard as this will create a nice raised effect. 
• Allow your paint to completely dry before adding any extra layers or details. 
• If you’re looking to complete the dry brush on dry canvas technique, skip wetting your canvas and you will get your desired effect. 

2. Acrylic pouring

Although acrylic pouring may seem difficult, it is super easy to create professional-looking artworks using this technique. All the process requires you to do is pour your desired colours, tilt the canvas until your colours have mixed and you’re done! There are a variety of different ways you can use this technique, by using a limited or wide colour palette and making your pour paintings as simple or complex as you like. 

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How to do it:

• Decide on your colour scheme before you start pouring.
• Make sure your surface is clean and free of any dust before you start pouring. 
• Mix your individual colours with pouring medium in plastic cups. 
• Pour your colours onto the canvas, starting from the lightest colour and pour the rest as you desire.
• Tilt and turn your canvas to mix all the paints together and create a unique pattern. 
• Allow your artwork to fully dry. You can also apply a coat of acrylic varnish to keep it protected from yellowing and dust. 

3. Glazing

Glazing is the process of layering transparent colours on top of one another to create a colour intensity, depth, illuminance and drama to any of your paintings. This is a popular transparent acrylic painting technique for portraits as it helps to create colour vibrancy and ‘glowing’ skin. 

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How to do it:

• Begin by mixing your paint with a small amount of water and some acrylic medium until you have a thin and runny consistency.
• Use a brush or a sponge to apply the glave over your dry painting. Make sure to add a small amount of paint to each section and gradually add more. 
• Just remember to work with thin layers and allow your layers to completely dry before adding more layers. 
• Apply more layers if needed and wait for it to dry before adding some acrylic varnish.

4. Alla prima (wet on wet)

Alla prima, also known as the wet on wet technique is when you apply layers of paint on top of wet layers. This is a fun and fast technique to create unique gestural and textural effects. 

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How to do it:

• Start by mixing your acrylic paint with a slow drying medium, as acrylic is quite fast-drying without it. 
• Next, create a sketch of what you would like to paint so you have a guide to follow.
• Apply thick layers of paint onto your canvas with a paint brush and add more until you get your desired results.
• You can also use a palette knife to wipe away any mistakes along the way. 
• Leave your painting to dry entirely and coat with varnish. 

5. Sgraffito

Sgraffito is a technique where the wet paint on a canvas is scratched to reveal the colours from underneath the layers. This creative, yet unusual acrylic painting technique is an ideal way to add some texture into your paintings and create interesting patterns. Sgraffito is also popular technique used in portraiture as it’s great for revealing highlights in hair, skin and clothing. 

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How to do it:

• Start by painting on your design using some acrylic paint and modelling paste, so it holds its shape when you scratch the surface. 
• Let the first layer dry and continue to add more layers of paint. 
• Use a palette knife or any object with a sharp edge to scratch the paint, revealing the paint colour underneath. 

6. Scumbling

The scumbling technique is where layers of broken up colours are layered onto each other to create a textured and mottled effect. This is a popular textured acrylic painting technique for creating clouds. Scumbling is very similar to the dry brush technique where you dip your brush into paint and wipe most of it off to create texture. However, with this technique you will dab your brush onto the painting instead of using strokes. 

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How to do it:

• Once you have the background of your painting completed you can start the scumbling technique. 
• We recommend using a stiff bristle brush in a rounded shape.
• Grab either two or three warm or cool colours.
• Start by dipping your brush into your first colour and wipe off the majority of the paint using a paper towel.
• Scumble your paint onto the surface by using a dipping motion and make sure it has completely dried before applying more layers.
• Add more layers as you desire. 

7. Smudging

The smudging technique is used to create soft and diffused textures, patterns and colour gradients in your paintings. This technique may seem easy, however, the smudging effect can be challenging as it requires planning, experience and a good eye for colour matching. 

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How to do it:

• Choose three or four colours that work closely together before placing any paint on your canvas.
• Next, you will need to dip your brush or palette knife into your paint and use a very light touch when applying it onto the surface. Then, continue to build up your piece using all the colours. 
• Just make sure to work in smaller sections and use long sweeping strokes whilst adding your different colours. 
• To make things slightly easier, you can also use a sponge or rag to apply the paint. 
• You should end up with a unique texture or gradient. 

8. Sponging

Sponging is when an artist uses a sponge to apply paint to a surface, creating a unique texture. Acrylic paint is your best choice as it dries quickly and covers the surface area perfectly. While sponging is a popular technique among more advanced painters, this is also a great technique for beginners, as it’s super easy to learn and can be used to create a variety of different effects! 

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How to do it:

• Start by dipping your sponge into some acrylic paint and then dab this onto your surface to create a unique dot pattern. 
• You can also squeeze your sponge to create different lines of paint, great for stripes and different patterns. 
• You can also try applying two different coloured paints to each side of your sponge, and once pressed on the surface they will create an impressive gradient. 

9. Palette knife

Your palette knife is not just a tool to mix paint, it’s also a great way to easily add some texture and dimension to your artworks. You can even create a range of unique effects that aren’t possible when using a paint brush. This is also a popular technique for painting landscapes. 

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How to do it:

• Grab some heavy-bodied acrylic paints in colours of your choice.
• Simply apply your colours onto your surface using the palette knife and begin thinning it out to create your design.
• Make sure not to thin the paint out too much as you still want to create the desired 3D effect. 
• You can also mix different colours together and add them to your canvas using the palette knife to create a layering effect. 

10. Stippling

The stippling technique is when a series of dots and dashes are added onto a surface to create a textured effect. This advanced technique can be completed using a range of different tools, however the most popular way is to use a stipple brush. Stippling is a popular technique used for landscape and still life paintings. 

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How to do it:

• Start by dipping your stipple brush into your paint and then begin tapping it onto your surface. Use up and down motions to create the tiny dots. 
• Allow your surface to dry completely before adding more colour. 
• To create more texture, continue to tap your brush onto the surface to cover the unpainted areas with the same colour or a different colour. 
• You can also control the final look of your painting by varying the pressure, the amount of times you tap and the kind of brush you use. 

So there you have it! 10 advanced acrylic painting techniques for everyone who wants to level up their acrylic painting. Don’t forget, you can get all your supplies from Art to Art online or in store. If you shop online, enjoy free shipping when you spend $100 and same-day delivery Australia-wide before 11am.

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