![]() ![]() Pro tip: Some manufacturers recommend you don’t dilute Acrylics with more than 40 – 50% water due to diluting some of the acrylics adhesive qualities (as you are diluting the amount of acrylic ‘binder’ in the mix). If you’re just starting with the technique using standard Acrylics will work fine. You can add a touch of water into it and it will still hold the acrylic bond really nicely. This has already been mixed in the factory to a thin consistency and has a good level of acrylic binder in the paint and a really nice strong saturation of colour. As I use this technique on most of my paintings I use a fluid acrylic from Golden paints. Heavy body paint will need more water than a soft body paint. It depends on the brand of paint you’re using. ![]() Pro tip: Have a look at the video half way down this article to see the effects of simultaneous contrast How much do I dilute my Acrylics? (and do I just use water?) With an untrained artistic eye, it’s really hard to judge colours and tones accurately because of the effects of ‘Simultaneous contrast.’ For example, if you paint a light grey onto your white canvas it will look black. When you have a white canvas any colour you paint onto it looks drastically different because of the optical effects and tricks colour plays on you.Īs a beginner, this can be disconcerting. How does a coloured ground help me?īought canvases and boards are nearly always white. The coloured ground is doing all the work for you. If you have the same scratchy watery paint on an opaque ground colour your painting will look rocking! If you combine scratchy, watery paint onto a white canvas your painting will look amateurish. Watercolour is based on diluting, Acrylic is based on adding. If you’re coming to Acrylics or Oils from Watercolour you will naturally use too little paint. Are your watercolour techniques ruining your acrylics? Pro Tip:If you try using the Yellow ochre straight from the tube but still find it a little too strong in intensity for your taste just add some Titanium white to the mix to mute it down – it will give you a colour close to Naples yellow. Using Yellow Ochre can cause some hesitation if you are first starting painting as the yellow can seem too strong, but you just need to have a little faith!įor example, if you are painting a blue seascape the warm undertone of the yellow can balance perfectly to the cool blues in the scene, adding the feeling of the sun hitting parts of your painting. It’s also brighter than you think so is good at taking you out of your comfort zone. It’s usually included in most beginner sets and can be used diluted with a little water. Usually either Burnt Umber + white, Raw Umber + white or Yellow Ochre.įor the absolute beginner, I recommend using Yellow Ochre. My preferred choice for landscapes, still life’s or portraits nearly always stem from one of the Earth colours. You’re trying to imagine what’s underneath the painting and then build opaque layers of colour ontop of this. It depends on the mood and feel you’re after in your painting. What colours do you use for the toned ground? Pro tip: It is applied after priming a canvas with gessoif you’re working on a raw canvas. You can apply a toned ground (also called a coloured ground) opaquely or as a transparent stain (called an Imprimatura)įor our initial purpose an opaque finish is best as it stops the acrylic painting looking too ‘watercolour’ When faced with a scene he would look through his pre-painted watercolour sheets and select the most appropriate colour.įor example, a warm brown for an Autumnal tree scene. Turner used pre-coloured sheets of watercolour paper with different hues (colours) of browns, blues and greys. ![]() It can transform your paintings by making them look more professional, increase the speed in creating your paintings and give you a fool-proof method of creating a tonal mood in your work… Different artists throughout the ages have used toned grounds in their work, from Turner to Jack Vettriano. Using a coloured ground does a number of fantastic things that are not to be underestimated when starting to learn how to paint. It can be called a ‘toned ground’ or ‘coloured ground’ as it can be used in drawing and painting. This is short for ‘toned background’ and is No. The first technique I always teach in painting (and a technique I use on 99% of my work) is to cover the white canvas with one solid paint colour which is called a ‘ toned ground’. The number two mistake is leaving the canvas white when they start painting. The number one mistake all beginners make is buying a pre-stretched canvas or canvas board from a discount bookstore and not unwrapping the cellophane from it. ![]()
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