Beginners really don’t need very much to paint with acrylic paints. Large, abstract acrylic artworks are an impressive sight on a canvas like those in the SOLO GOYA Stretched Canvas Basic Line. Beginners can first try out acrylic painting on paper like KREUL Paper Acrylic. In our guide to painting a simple, abstract artwork, we only need a few colours. If you prefer to have more colours on hand, click here to find our recommendation for basic equipment for getting started with acrylic painting.

How to start an abstract painting? The best way is layer by layer. This means you don’t need to worry about making mistakes, as you can simply paint over any slip-ups with the water-resistant acrylic paint again and again. Artists' acrylic paints with liquid consistency like SOLO GOYA Acrylic or SOLO GOYA Triton Acrylic are perfect for building up a painting in lots of layers. We prime large areas of canvas with a first layer of paint in primary blue. Thin enough for the white background to still shine through.

You can thin acrylic paint with water. This way, you get a first coat of paint that is very transparent and subtle – like a colour wash. The good thing about acrylic paint is that it dries in just a few minutes. Thinning it with water means the drying process takes a little longer. Once the paint has dried, you can paint another wash of colour over selected parts of the picture. The wash technique is easy way to start an abstract acrylic artwork. It creates an interesting background that remains visible here and there on the picture later.
 

The first layers of paint may have been a little tentative, but now it’s time to get some action into your artwork. We apply the luscious acrylic paint in primary blue and another colour shade like light turquoise blue. Your own mixes of blue and white can bring variety to the canvas. But your abstract acrylic artwork only turns into a real eyecatcher once you start experimenting with different painting tools.

We spread SOLO GOYA Acrylic generously with a palette knife. But anything goes so long as it's fun. What about applying the paints to the canvas with a paint roller, squeegee or even a window wiper? After all, abstract art means experimenting with paint. Here, the simplest ideas often have the biggest impact. The interplay between different tools, soft and hard paintbrushes and even a sponge creates tension. Acrylic painting beginners will quickly learn what they feel most comfortable using.

Paint experiments work best with a liquid acrylic paint like SOLO GOYA Acrylic. Here, we show you how multi-talented SOLO GOYA Acrylic really is.

Think that was dynamic art? Well, now let’s really rev things up ! To finish off, we add a final touch with splatters of colour! But first, the acrylic painting has to be completely dry, so that different parts of the painting don’t inadvertently mix with each other. Once everything is dry, try flinging paint straight out of the bottle onto the canvas. Gear up and energetically splatter colour accents in Genuine Red over the picture. Make sure to be bold so that the splatters of paint look spontaneous. SOLO GOYA Triton Acrylic S is really great for this splatter technique. The liquid acrylic paint dries glossy and doesn’t contract as much as matt acrylic paint.

We are wowed by the many different layers of paint as they are all so easy to apply. It is much more difficult to know when the painting is complete. When you are splattering, flinging and brushing paint onto canvas with such fervour, it isn’t easy to just stop. So when is the acrylic artwork finished? Try this trick: Step away from your artwork for a few minutes, leave the room and return with fresh eyes. You’ll see instantly if anything is missing. Otherwise we are simply proud of our masterpiece! 

Want to have a go at more painting experiments with artists‘ acrylic paints? Here, we present another easy but wow-effect 

painting idea with acrylic inks and acrylic markers