How to Blend Acrylic Paints The Easy Way, by Studio Wildlife on YouTube. 9 min 31 s.
- Video length
- 9 min 31 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Lay out your colours on the palette and keep them separate. Add a small drop of slow-drying medium to each colour and mix it in with your brush.
Paint the first colour onto the canvas in the area where it should be strongest. Work it in with a flat brush using light pressure.
While the paint is still wet, load the second colour on a clean brush and place it next to the first. Do not let the first layer dry.
Mist the canvas lightly with water if the paint starts to set. One or two sprays is enough to keep the surface workable.
Drag the second colour into the first with long, light strokes. Move the brush back and forth across the seam rather than scrubbing in one spot.
Wipe the brush on a rag when it picks up too much of one colour. A dirty brush muddies the blend.
Repeat the back-and-forth strokes until the seam disappears. Step back from the canvas to check the transition from a distance.
Add a third colour at the edge of the blend the same way. Keep every layer wet until the whole gradient looks smooth.
Let the painting dry flat and untouched. Acrylics skin over quickly, so avoid pressing or wiping the surface while it sets.
Tips and common mistakes
Work in small sections, because acrylics dry fast and a large area will set before you finish blending.
Keep a spray bottle handy but do not soak the canvas, as too much water thins the paint and breaks the blend.
Clean your brush between colours or the blend turns muddy and grey.
Use a slow-drying medium rather than water alone for longer open time on warm days.
Questions
Why do my acrylic blends look patchy?
The paint is probably drying before you finish. Add a slow-drying medium, mist the canvas lightly and blend smaller areas at a time.
Can I blend acrylics without a medium?
Yes, but you need to work fast and keep the surface damp. A spray bottle of water helps, though the open time is much shorter.
Can I blend over a dried layer?
Not with wet blending. You can soften a dried edge by glazing a thin, translucent layer over it, but the wet method only works while both colours are still wet.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
