If you consider yourself “ARTISTICALLY INCLINED”, then this article can help you out a lot. A beginner can perform various kinds of experiments using acrylic paints due to some qualities they possess. However, most beginners are surprised when they discover that painting is much easier than drawing.
What are acrylic paints?
They are water-based paints, which are composed of pigmented particles scattered in a synthetic resin emulsion. In painting, acrylic paints are considered to be beginner-friendly. Oil paints are high-maintenance paints with additional solvents for cleanup, which makes them more expensive. These paints comprises of three main components which are;
- PIGMENT (organic, inorganic, natural and synthetic granular solids are used for pigmentation)
- BINDER (the acrylic polymer is used as a binder) and;
- VEHICLE (water is used as a vehicle and can be modified with acrylic gel or paste)
Now, having some knowledge about acrylic paint, let’s discuss 3 reasons why we prefer them over oil paint.
Suggested Read: Acrylic Paint: Origin And Making
Reasons of choosing acrylic paints over oil paints
Usage of simpler apparatuses:
As oil-based paints are known as “high-maintenance” paints. The apparatuses to begin oil painting are expensive and complex to adapt in your first go. On the other hand, in this painting type, you will need four simple and easy to find tools for you to get started with painting: the paint itself, a brush, water poured in a cup, and a clean surface.
Grip on its viscosity and texture:
The malleability aspect is an essential element in this type of paint. Mixing this paint type with water changes its thickness. To make it thick less water is added and to make it thin more water is used.
Elimination of hurdles
As compared to acrylic paints, oil paints have a strong scent. To use oil paints, you need to make sure that the room or the space is ventilated. These paints use chemicals like turpentine and mineral spirits, and if a room has no proper ventilation, it could sometimes get suffocated.
Acrylic paints are not harmful as they are “Water-Based”. They are easy to use and come in handy. If we look at the cost of both the paints, acrylics are much cheaper.
Factors to keep in mind before buying acrylic paints
To have better quality paint, you need to know the following things before selecting the brand or product which are mentioned below.
Quality
A beginner can choose between two types. One is student quality and second is artistic quality professional paint. The main difference between both of them is the use of pigment ratio as artistic paint colors are more vibrant than student quality paint. Out of both of them, Student quality is cheaper than artistic quality paint.
Color
There are a huge number of colors available in the market for acrylics. For a beginner a suitable option is to choose a basic acrylic paint palette which will not only be an economical choice but also you will have basic colors to start your painting practice with. Usually a set of 12 acrylic colors is suitable for beginners to use.
Also Read: Five Basic Watercolour Painting Methods For Beginners
Viscosity
Speaking of the thickness, there are two types of consistency. First is heavy-body acrylic paint that has a buttery thickness which makes mixing of colors easier and blends perfectly. Second is the fluid acrylics which are relatively thinner and are more suited for detailed working. For starters, heavy-body paint is a good option because it can be made thin or thick by adding water.
Jar or tube
For a beginner, acrylic paint in a tube is more convenient. The reason is that they are lightweight and easy to carry around. Mostly the paint in a jar is thick and can be made applicable only when it is spread on a paint tray but tube paint is already in a paste form and easily applicable on the surface.
Final thoughts
Do you want to learn painting and facing problems in choosing which paint type to go with? This article makes your life easy as it states three interesting reasons why acrylic paints are easier to use than any other type of paint. These paints are beginner-friendly as they are water-based. To have a good painting experience with these paints, some characteristics are mentioned in the end.
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