How to do Loose Acrylic Painting (Beginner Tutorial)

Loose acrylic painting is fast, quick drying paint in layers, creating depth and contrast in colors.

Back during the last week of September 2024, I picked up a new favorite hobby of loose acrylic painting!

I'm going to walk you through the basic steps of loose acrylic painting as a reference or guide, but as always, if you are excited about loose acrylic painting, sign up for a class or a course. 

(More info below)

WHAT IS LOOSE ACRYLIC PAINTING?

Loose acrylic painting is a painterly style that focuses on a few key elements and ditches all the details.

It's brushy loose style and bold strokes gives it the painterly style.

 It's not typically blended...leaving the blending up to the eyes of the viewer or optical blending.

It's fast. I love it because I can finish an entire painting in 1-2 hours painting sessions instead of letting it sit on my easel for weeks.

Acrylic paint dries quickly, so it can be layered and layered pretty quickly.

WHAT KIND OF AN INVESTMENT IS PAINTING?

There's an old quote "it's not the paint, it's the painter".

I have learned that it's actually also the paint.

If you are interested in painting and want it to be a ongoing pursuit, then invest in good materials and practice practice practice.

If you just want to show up for a night of painting and not put down a large investment, then going to a paint night class is the right choice for you.

I invested in high quality materials and can tell that the vibrancy of the paint, the amount of color pigment in the paint, the shape of the paint brush and the wood panels all elevate my paintings.
It was well worth the investment for me.

I'll walk you through what I did and you can decide if it's right for you. 

Even if you can't invest in the high quality paints right now, learn the technique and let it influence your art as you paint.

(here's my desk view most of the time while I am painting)

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If you are interested in learning more about loose acrylic painting, check out Ali Kay Studio.

She is offering a free mini class January 13th-17th and has her Fresh Paint course open for sign ups on January 15th.

I signed up for a year, and will probably be a lifer, it is so much fun! (I'm not an affiliate, I just am letting you know about this amazing course!)

CAN I JUST USE STRETCHED CANVAS AND CRAFT PAINT?

Yes!

In short, yes, absolutely you can use craft paints and stretched canvas for loose acrylic painting!

Use inexpensive Plaid craft paints while you learn or decide if loose acrylic painting is your next passion.

Acrylic craft paints have very little pigment in them, so instead of mixing from 9 colors, like I do with the Golden Fluid Paints, get a craft paint in every shade you need for optimal pigmentation.

I used inexpensive craft paints during Paint Week with Ali Kay in September and a canvas board...they definitely have an amateur feel to them, but they work.

Work with what you have to start!

This  featured piece is a solo piece I did with a bouquet of roses.

I arranged the flower bouquet, took the photograph, cropped it and decided to paint.

I used 34 different colors, all mixed from the 9 Golden Fluid Acrylic color palette, and it took me 2 hours total to complete down to the little detail.

It was super fun to paint on smooth gessoed 12x12 wood panel, the colors are much more vibrant than the craft paint.

I definitely prefer using wood panels instead of textured canvas and I love the vibrant Golden paint.

Next to my palette is my ipad set up with the reference photo so I can zoom in on the shapes and details while I paint.

Supplies Needed for Loose Acrylic Painting:

affiliate links:

• Golden Fluid Acrylics (these 9 colors are pricy but make all the difference...and you only need these 9 colors)
• Titanium White
• Pyrrole Red
• Quinacridone Magenta
• Burnt Umber Light
• Hansa Yellow Opaque
• Pthalo Blue (Green Shade)
• Pthalo Green (Blue Shade)
• Paynes Gray
• Alizarin Crimson
• Gesso (One Gallon or 16 ounces)
• Wood Cradled Panels (12x12, 11x14, 8x10, 8x8, 6x6 and 4x4)
• Paint Brushes (This is a pack of 60 brushes, this is an investment, but these large brushes are fabulous, and easy to replace when they start to split)
• Easel (People love H-Frames, but I'm happy with my travel easel)
• Plastic Palettes
• Sandpaper
• Carbon Paper
• Pencil
• Tape
• Pattern or Template (can be taken from a photograph)
• Acrylic Paint Marker in Lilac (I'm using Tooli-Art but Posca will let you buy it individually)
• Varathane Satin Finish (or water based polyurethane)
• Flat Paddle Paint Brush 2" and 3"
• Squeeze Bottle Cap Lids (optional but very nice)
• Eye Screws
• Hanging Wire
• Rolling 3-Tier Cart

Step 1: Canvas or Panel Prep

(sorry no step by step pictures)

The first step is to prepare your wood panels.

Paint them with a paddle brush to apply the gesso in a smooth, thin layer, then set it aside to dry.

After it is dry, use a light grit sandpaper to gently sand the gesso.

Wipe off the canvas to remove any dust and apply another layer of gesso.

Repeat one or 2 more times, so there are 3-4 layers of gesso with a sanding between each one.

Sand it one last time, so the top surface is nice and smooth.

**NOTE: Using 140 lb. Watercolor Paper is also an option, just tape off the paper and apply a thin layer of gesso, gently sand and repeat the gesso. Great option if you don't want a bunch of finished wood pieces.

Step 2: Print of Draw Template

(sorry not exact project pictures)

The next step is to trace the outlines on the prepped gessoed board.

If you are using a photograph, use a photo editor to change the image into a sketch and print it out the size of your canvas.

There are resizer programs if you are making something larger than 8x10.

I use photoshop and adjust the size manually.

You can also pay an inexpensive subscription to Rapid Resizer. 

Gizmoa is a free website for sizing pictures and Poster Printing is a free app.

This template process is amazing, you don't have to be able to draw or sketch at all to be able to create amazing paintings. 

It saves time and assures that perspective and shapes are translated correctly, although, don't copy every last line and all the precise details. 

Look for where the value of colors change, important lines and large shapes.

It's not cheating, it's using tools to do a better job, like a drill or table saw.

Step 3: Trace Outlines

Once you have a printout, place a piece of carbon paper on the canvas with the carbon surface touching the gesso surface.

Place the printout or drawing on top of the carbon paper and trace the lines with a pencil.

Once the lines are traced, go over all the carbon lines with the acrylic paint marker.

This seals in the graphite and assures that pencil lines will not show in the final product.

Step 4: Value Study

Begin with painting a value study by mixing some Alizarin Crimson and Payne's Gray with water to create a watery purple. (number 1 in the color chart)

This process adds dark paint where the painting is dark...think of the reference as a black and white painting.

The darker values get painted in this wash.

Then add a little more of the Alizarin Crimson and Payne's Gray to make the color wash a little darker.

Go into the painting and paint the parts that are the darkest in value.

Step 5: Complimentary Color Washes

Now we completely paint the entire painting in complimentary colors to the final product.

So in the background I knew I wanted to do blue...so I painted the background with Quinacridone Magenta and water.

(You could also do an orange wash, as that is actually the complimentary color, but you can play a little bit on color if the value is the same.)

Then the complimentary color of the roses, since they are all mostly red and pink, I used just a little dab of Pthalo Green (blue shade) and water and covered the roses, except the yellow rose.

The yellow rose got a light wash of Pthalo Blue (green shade) and water.

This completes the underpaintings, which elevates the painting so much to have little peeks of the underpainting show through.

Step 6: Local Color

Now take the time to add the local color or actual color to the painting.

Typically I start from the darkest shades and work my way up to the lightest and brightest shades of color.

The dark green and darkest reds.

All the colors are mixed with just 9 colors of paint!

The green is made with Pthalo Green (bs), Burnt Umber Light and Hansa Yellow Opaque.

Then go to the next shade up of green and layer it on or around the first layer of green.

Be conscious to leave some of the underpainting showing through...it has to be intentional, or it will all get covered up with all the layers of paint, and honestly, it's the best part!

Color mixing takes a little bit of getting used to, if you haven't done much of it in before.

Getting the colors right is a skill that gets better as you do it.

If you are using craft paint, just pick another bottle of paint that is the shade you are looking for, no mixing needed.

You can see that as we add these darker duller colors, the painting begins to look like a bit of a mess.

Trust the process, you are on the right track.

Then when you begin to add in brighter colors, they will look a little shocking and maybe too bright, but again, just trust the process.

It will all work out, it's all part of the loose painting style.

GET LOOSE:

Remember, this is loose acrylics, so keep your brush strokes intentional and loose...don't zoom in and overwork small parts of the painting.

Use the largest brush possible for your painting, the larger brushes will help you stay loose and give it the painterly effect, so reach for the wider brushes.

Keep the brushstrokes long, bold strokes and moving in the direction of the object.

Paint shapes, not "things"...like, paint a V shape, not a rose petal.

Paint what you see in the reference photo and use a little less control.

Adding in the next level or value of color can make the dull tones really stand out. 

This is what is affectionately called the "messy middle".

It's like Junior High for paintings...good thing it's all part of the acrylic painting technique!

When painting in the brighter colors, remember to paint the shapes of the petals and don't become robotic painting what you think a petal should look like.

These simple techniques are what makes the loose acrylic style.

A good rule of thumb is to only work on your painting for about 30 minutes at a time and then take a break and a step back.

Coming back to a painting gives fresh eyes and helps you know what to add next.

I love seeing the bold brush marks, this is iconic for impressionistic painterly style.

Finally adding in some bright pops of color is what finishes off the perfect painting.

Adding in a few highlights, where you see them in the reference photo only, is a great way to bring it all together.

Some bright whites make a huge difference!

Then just a few more more pops of color in the reflecting glass vase!

After a few paintings, it's easy to get used to the loose acrylic painting system and get the hang of what colors to push towards.

Step 7: FINISHING TOUCHES

Now to finish off the painting:

Let the painting dry completely.

Then use the 3 inch paddle brush and waterbased polyurethane and give the painting one coat of satin finish varnish.

Let it dry completely.

Then use craft paint or house paint in a bold color, like navy blue, or pull a color from the painting and paint all the edges of the canvas.

Use a baby wipe to wipe off any house paint that overlaps onto the front of the varnished canvas.

Then drill 2 small holes in the back of the panel, about 3 inches down from the top, then screw in an eye screw in both holes and wrap a piece of hanging wire onto the eye screws.

Now it is ready to hang, gift or sell!

Once you get the handle on acrylic painting, you can try a little mixed media art too!

Try some different ways to add different effects to your paintings:

Use a palette knife to apply thick paint.

Use a round brush and stencil to apply interesting textures.

That's it!

Hopefully this crash course on Loose Acrylic Painting gives you confidence to try it out!

Make loose painterly style paintings of beloved pets, flowers, landscapes and even portraits using this fun technique.

It's all in those layers of value study and underpaintings...with the big brush strokes and bright pops of color!

Again, if you are interested in learning more about loose acrylic painting, check out Ali Kay Studio.

She is offering a free mini class January 13th-17th and has her Fresh Paint course open for sign ups on January 15th, and if you miss the date, get on the waiting list.

I signed up for a year, and will probably be a lifer, it is so much fun! (I'm not an affiliate, I just am letting you know about this amazing course!)

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