If you paint on paper, unstretched canvas, or a wooden panel, you will need something to prop up your surface as you paint, and then place that on an easel. Ampersand boards are museum-quality and built to last. However, if you want to make sure the painting will last for centuries, you should use a wooden fine art board such as Ampersand Gessobord, which is already coated in gesso. If you are not too concerned about longevity (that is, the painting lasting for hundreds of years), then you can take any piece of wood, apply a few layers of gesso, and then paint on it. Wood is another excellent surface for painting with acrylics. These sheets of canvas, which are unstretched and packaged as a pad, are usually not archival quality, but they are very economical and convenient for beginning artists. To learn more about gesso, read my page that describes what gesso is and how to use it.Īnother option is to paint on canvas sheets that come in canvas pads. It can also increase the vibrancy of your painting to a degree. Gesso basically adds more "tooth" to the surface of the canvas, making it easier for the paint to glide onto the canvas and stick. However, I usually find that it is a good idea to add another layer or two of gesso on my own. Most canvases are sold "pre-primed" which means the factory has already applied one or more layers of gesso to the canvas. While you probably will not be able to find 300lb fine art paper at Walmart, you will usually be able to find artist canvas there which is suitable for beginners. ![]() Painting with acrylics on canvas is always a sure bet. Finally, because canvas and wood are stronger than paper, they can easily handle far more layers of acrylics than paper can. Plus you can achieve greater brightness and vividness of colors when you paint with acrylics on canvas or wood. Acrylics are hard to blend in the first place, but when they soak into the paper, they will be even harder to blend. While you can achieve some nice effects by painting with acrylics on paper, the reason I wouldn't really recommend it for beginners is because the acrylics will soak into the paper. ![]() Those little bumps could get in the way when painting with acrylics. The Rough Grain paper will have a rough, bumpy texture, and the Cold Press will be a little bumpy but not as much as the Rough Grain. ![]() Hot Press paper will be the smoothest, so that is the one I would recommend for painting with acrylics. You can also buy paper with different textures: Hot Press, Cold Press, and Rough Grain. For instance, if you look at these fine art papers by Arches, you'll see that there are "weights" ranging from 90lb right up to 555lb. I would recommend using a fine art paper that is 300lb. You can use other types of paper, like watercolor paper, but you'll need to use a very thick paper, otherwise the acrylics will bleed through to the other side and/or the paper will buckle and warp. You can buy paper designed for use with acrylics, like Strathmore 400 Series Acrylic Paper, which is heavyweight and provides enough tooth for acrylic paint. Your purchase helps support this site and keeps it free of ads. ![]() I'm a member of Blick's affiliate program, which means if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, I'll receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). I've provided links below to the relevant products so that you can easily find them on Blick Art Materials, my favorite online art supplier.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |