Painting on large surfaces with acrylic paints requires quick, decisive work.
Acrylic paints can be used in a wide variety of projects from painting a bedroom wall to creating an impressive canvas image. In either case, acrylics have many upsides, such as their ability to be diluted and their ability to be layered multiple times in the same project. Acrylics are also ideal for large projects because of their versatility. Creating large paintings with artistic acrylics requires some careful preparation and attention to detail before the project can begin.
Instructions
1. Prepare the surface on which to create the large painting. Many artists use canvas, but acrylics can also be used on wood or water color paper. Preparing the surface will help retain the painting's quality for a long time and will be most helpful when working on canvas. Using a large 2-inch brush to cover the entire canvas in a layer of Gesso using vertical strokes. Allow this to dry completely for about 30 minutes. Paint a second layer, this time using horizontal strokes, once again allowing the Gesso to dry for about 30 minutes. You may add a third or fourth layer, but you may also choose to paint just one layer, depending on the texture you want underneath the painting.
2. Sketch the design or scene you want to apply to the large surface first. Because it will be difficult to erase on the canvas or surface, it is best to get an idea of how you want the large surface to be used before you begin. Think about the colors and textures you will use for each element in the painting in your sketch before applying paint to the larger surface.
3. Experiment with artistic acrylics on scrap newspaper before applying to the large surface to get a feel for the weight and texture of the paint.
4. Work quickly and decisively for more blended work on the painting surface. Because acrylics dry quickly, a large surface will require quick action for blending. If you are not concerned with blending the colors, then acrylics can be layered many times because they dry so quickly.
5. Work from light to dark, or dark to light. Start the painting with a base tone; this may be light or dark depending on the painting you have in mind. Once you have set the tone for the large painting, build out from there, adding layers, highlights and low lights as you build upon the initial layer.
6. Use a variety of brushes in larger sizes. For a large painting that requires quick work, use larger brushes to cover more area and to match the size of the project. You can use smaller brushes to add details after the larger elements have been developed.
