We live in a three dimensional world and we perceive it that way thanks to the differences in light and dark. Everything you see has a tonal value on a scale from black to white.

At the moment I’m moving into my new studio. I thought it would be fun to share a bit about this.

Standard medium can be used to improve the flow of the paint or to make your paint more transparant. I will discuss effect mediums and gels another time.

With the following tonal value exercise, you can approach a complex subject in an easy way.

Brushes come in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and types. Which brushes are suitable for acrylic paint, and what are the possibilities?

You can mix pink with red and white. There are a lot of different red colors available, each one providing a typical kind of pink.

In acrylic paints, there are various types of black with distinct characteristics. These differences arise from variations in pigments used, additives, and the manufacturing process.

Join me in this step-by-step acrylic painting tutorial designed for absolute beginners and those battling procrastination! I’ll guide you through creating a mountain landscape with a rustic barn.

I’m excited to announce that I’ve just launched my Patreon page! For $5 per month, you can access all my YouTube videos without any of those annoying ads (VAT/sales tax may be added based on your country).

Canvas is the fabric that you paint on. It’s stretched around a wooden (or aluminium) frame. The frame is made out of stretcher bars. Bigger canvases often have extra crossbars as well, to prevent the main bars from warping.

A gray glass palette is very practical. It’s easy to clean and it’s much easier to judge colors/values than on a white palette.

Painting on paper has its advantages. Paper is cheaper than a canvas or panel and it takes up less space!

I often get asked why acrylic paint dries so fast on the palette—and why it seems to last longer on mine. One simple reason is that I typically use a bit more paint. When you put only a small amount on the palette, it dries up quickly. I understand that it’s tempting to use less paint to avoid waste and manage costs. But, in my experience, using just a little more can actually be more economical and efficient.

Gesso is a perfect ground for your acrylic paintings. It isolates your canvas, panel or paper and therefore lessens the absorption of paint. It will not only save you a lot of paint, it also provides a way better painting experience. The paint will adhere more easily and will flow the way you would expect it.

The primary colors are: primary yellow, primary cyan and primary magenta. With only these three colors you can mix all other colors.

A good judgement of tonal values is difficult, because our brain easily gets tricked. With the following tips, you can avoid the most common mistakes.

Painting folds with acrylics is easiest if you do some preparatory work on your palette first.

A mahlstick is a tool to provide support to the painting hand.

Stepping back to view your artwork from a distance while painting is important for several reasons.

Most of us are used to drawing and painting on white paper since our childhood. But that doesn’t mean white is a logical color to work on. I will discuss some great benefits of working on a colored or toned ground.

People often think color mixing is difficult. The real problem is usually not the mixing itself. Properly matching the colors being perceived is usually the biggest challenge.

If you don’t know what to paint next, don’t spend too much time searching for the right subject.

It’s very enjoyable and educational to paint using only black and white paint! I’ve chosen a photo that is quite challenging.