The acrylic advantage
     lets you concentrate on painting without worrying about mixing the right amount of oil, turpentine, or varnish. In addition, you can paint right over it. Acrylics can be used thickly, like painting with oils, or in fine transparent glazes. Because acrylics dry so quickly, glazes can be applied immediately, rather than waiting weeks as you would with oils. Also, previous layers won't lift as they can in watercolour. Just remember that if you want to blend the paints, do it quickly. Use the short dying time of acrylics to become a decisive painter.

     Graded washes
Begin graded washes at the top of the paper with a brushload of pre-mixed colour. Work the colour down the sheet using horizontal strokes. Let the dampness of the pre-wetted paper and the decreasing amount of color in the brush do the work.

     Wet-In-Washes
Use this wet-in-wet technique on cold-pressed paper to create a soft, atmospheric effect which is great for landscapes. After pre-wetting the paper, the background can be washed in with a 1" flat brush. While the paper is still wet, the foreground, as well as other fine details can be suggested with a bristle fan brush. The key to working wet-in-wet with acrylics is working quickly.

     Combination Painting
Acrylics allow you to render the background first, then paint the foreground right over it. After the background is completed, trace the outline of your foreground image onto the panel. To bring out highlights, glaze areas with a mixture of white and other light, opaque colours before rendering the details.

     Direct Painting
The versatility of acrylics allow you to paint directly as the Impressionists did, with the added bonus of being able to paint over anything you don't like. The only challenge is to blend the paint before it dries. To facilitate this, apply the paint quickly, then blend one area into another right away with whatever brush you have in hand. There's not always time to switch to a fan blender.

Tips for Acrylic Brushes
     Flat brushes are good for large washes.
     Use stiff bristle brushes.
     Use synthetics, as dried paint can ruin a brush.
     Round brushes are great for shaping, highlights and detailed areas.
     Liner brushes are good for fine detail and delicate highlights.
     Use a palette knife for impasto effects and colour mixing.
     Gel medium can be added to acrylics making them thicker and stiffer.