Acrylic Techniques – Using Watered-Down Paint
If you are an abstract artist you can achieve some really beautiful results using watered-down acrylic paint. This is a techniques that I have been using for a number of years and I have sold many paintings using this painting technique.
The result depends upon how liquid you make the paint and of course your choice of colours but it can resemble ‘marbled’ paintings as well as swirling seas and sands.
So first of all you need to decide which colors you wish to use. You can check another of my articles on basic color theory if you wish to know which colours go best together.
Once you have decided this you need some empty plastic bottles in which to mix the paint. Make up at least 5 different colors to give the painting some variety. It is a good idea to test the colors first on a spare canvas to check that they go well together. Have a good variety of contrasting depths of colour.
Water down the paint in an approximate 1 part paint to 1 part water mixture. You will really need to test this out to see what gives the best results. If you make the paint too dilute then it will just run into the centre of the canvas. If you make it too thick it will not mix well with the other colors.
When you have mixed the paint, pour it onto the canvas in an approximate pattern of how you want it to look. Once you have put all of the colours on the canvas, use a spatula or something similar to make sure all of the paint joins and that no canvas shows through. You can then slightly tilt the canvas to get some patterns into the paint. Keep tilting in various directions until you have a pattern you are happy with.
If you have used too much paint and it is all pooling in the middle, you have a couple of options. First you can pour the paint off one corner of the canvas. This can give some interesting results so it is not like you are wasting the painting. You can keep the paint for another time. The other is to use a syringe to take off some of the paint. Leave the painting to dry at least overnight before varnishing it and edging it.
This is a great way to make beautiful abstract paintings especially if you make a great choice of colors.