Modern Acrylic Painting: Explore On-Trend Techniques

Explore how acrylics dry fast and stay water resistant when dry, offering versatile textures, an opaque color quality, and modern graphic layering with easy cleanup using soap and water.

Select acrylic paints using primary colors plus white to build a versatile palette, including metallics, and learn about fluid versus heavy body paints, brushes, and basic supplies.

Explore mixing acrylics with primary colors plus white and black to expand your palette, learn to make black from complementary colors, and enhance opacity and tonal range with color blending.

Master brush control with angular, thick, and round detail brushes; practice fine lines, textures, and varied strokes using water and a palette knife.

Learn three flooded background techniques for acrylics: smooth blends, gradients, and thick abstract washes. Use tape borders, direct paint application, and varied palettes to create textured, vibrant backgrounds.

Create an ombré turquoise to green background with white highlights using a flat acrylic brush and long linear strokes, then blend a red-to-yellow sunset for depth.

Explore textured acrylic backgrounds with chunky, thick brushstrokes and rich gradients, blending Prussian blue, gold, dark green, turquoise, and metallics while preserving visible brush textures.

paint a doughnut using modern acrylics with layering and flat tones to build a bold, graphic form. develop texture and detail with icing, bite marks, and sprinkles.

Paint a modern color-blocked tropical leaf using a simplified shape and neon-to-natural greens on craft cardboard. Focus on brush control, crisp edges, and cohesive color blocking.

Learn to create three abstract geometric patterns with masking tape, producing negative space and a bold herringbone on white paper, then explore washes and color blocking with gold accents.

Create a geometric gold veining pattern on a wash backdrop using masking tape, thick gold paint, and a mix of smooth blending and crisp edges for a modern acrylic look.

Explore geometric color blocking in modern acrylic painting by creating abstract shapes on a gold textured background with masking tape, bold greens, blues, reds, and whites, and metallic lines.

Transform a gradient into a galaxy painting inside a masked triangle, three layers—stars and moon, red-green evergreens, and a golden accent highlight—creating a modern, starry finale.