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Acrylic Materials and Equipment
Support
Means the surface which you paint
Linen, cotton and synthetic fibres are the 3 basic kinds of canvas used for acrylic painting.
Linen
Most expensive due to its superior strength and durability.
Cotton
At lower cost. A wel -made medium weight cotton duck is perfectly adequate.
Synthetic fibres
Polyester is easily found in local market. Cheapest among the other two.
You can buy canvas ready-stretched and primed on a wooden stretcher frame, or, more economical y, by the meters from the rol so that you can stretch yourself.
You can buy wooden stretcher bars in a variety of lengths and assemble them into the dimension you like, whereas pre-stretched canvases come in a limited range.
Texture
Canvas texture varied from very smooth to very rough, the heavier the weight, the rougher the
texture.
The weight and texture of canvas should compliment your style of painting.
Smooth canvas
More suitable for detail painting style.
Rougher canvas
More suitable for painting style that needs to build thick layers of paint. The grainy tooth al ows
the paint adhere to the canvas.
Priming
For permanence in acrylic painting, al supports should be primed with ground before use.
The ground seals the canvas surface so acrylic is not excessively absorbed by it.
The ground also makes it easier for paint to adhere or stick.
The most commonly used ground is acrylic gesso
Acrylic gesso
Provides a fast and easy way to apply ground. It wil adhere without difficulty to any surface
that is dirt and oil free.
Board
Canvas Panel/Blockboard/Plywood/Chipbaord/Hardboard/Museum board
Relatively inexpensive compare to frame ready stretched with canvas.
More permanent and durable compare to regular canvas.
May warp when size bigger.
Al except canvas panel should be primed with ground before use.
Very suitable for doing smal study of composition or practice, or for painting trips, when space is a consideration.
Acrylic sketching Paper
Available in loose sheets or pads.
Big advantage is that you can easily adjust its proportions to fit a particular composition.
Watercolor Paper
There are 3 types of watercolor paper according to production.
They are handmade, mould-made and machine-made paper.
Handmade paper - the most natural texture that preferred by many artists
Machine-made paper - a more mechanical look paper, more suitable for graphic art or
il ustration.
Texture
Watercolor paper is available in 3 basic surfaces
Hot-pressed paper - relatively smooth surface, more suitable for fine detailed
painting.
Cold-pressed paper/Not paper-medium rough or textured surface which is suitable
for general needs.
Rough-heavily textured surface with pronounced “tooth” for impressionistic painting
that gives ragged strokes to the strokes because the paint sticks only to the top of
the paper’s tooth.
Content
Paper is made of cotton (sometimes cal ed rag) or cottonwood pulp combination.
100% cotton made paper is the best to be used due to its resistance and versatility to
wash and corrections.
PH
A neutral pH is a necessity for watercolor paper; or else it will have yel ow stain that
grows over time
Weight
The weight of paper is calculated in pounds per ream or gram per square meter
The heaviest paper is usual y the thickest
Watercolor paper weight range from 90 to 300 pounds (185-640g)
Lighter papers less than 300gsm/140lb tend to buckle and wrinkle when washes are
applied. To avoid this, stretch paper before start working on it.
Absorbency and size
Watercolor paper are given a coating of glue or size during paper pulp period or after
pressing, so that its surface wil retain moisture and keep the color from penetrating
deep into the paper. It helps produces a more luminous wash and keep the color
intensity
Components
Acrylic paints are obtained by mixing pigment with binding medium like acrylic polymerAcrylic paints dry on painting surface-by evaporation of water and form a film which is water resistant There are three forms of acrylic paints available in market; tubes, bottle Tubes
Most commonly used. Size varies from 20 ml to 270ml.
bottle
Comparatively bigger portion compare to tubes. Suitable for those artists who do large scale
paintings.
Grade of paints
There are two grades of oil paints available in market; artist grade and student grade.
Artist grade
Categorized from series one to seven, prices from low to high, better in stability and
permanence, better in quality and density of the pigments. Brands available in market include
Winsor and Newton,Talens and Daler Rowney.
Student grade
Consistent in prices. To maintain the cost, substitution pigments is used when indicated as
“hue”. Brands available in market include “Galerie” of Winsor and Newton, “System 3” of Daler
Rowney, and “Amsterdam” of Talens.
Permanence
Refers to the resistance of pigments to the sunlight. Some color may fade under sunlight. Indicate with * Transparence
Transparent pigments
French ultramarine, Cobalt blue, Hooker’s green, Alizarin crimson, Viridian, Prussian blue.
Opaque pigments
Al cadmium, Yel ow ochre, Burnt umber, Cerulean blue, Lemon yel ow
Transparent pigments are more suitable for glazing technique; which layer of darker color to be
applied on top of ful y dries under paint.
Tinting strength
A strong tinting strength color means the color wil easy overdo other colors when mix with it.
Strong tints
Alizarin crimson, Cadmium red, Phthaloyanine blue, Burnt sienna.
Low-strength tints
Yel ow ochre, cerulean blue.
Medium
Use to dilute, change effects of acrylic paints or protect acrylic paintings.
Gel/Glazing medium
Reducing the consistency of paint, increasing flow and fading brush-strokes. Increases transparency and drying time.
available in glossy or matt finish Retarder
slow down paint drying time
Impasto Gel
Increase the body of paints without fading the colors
Texture Paste
create highly textured surface
Available in different substances like pumice, sand and etc.
Picture Varnish
Gives paintings a protection from dust
Available in glossy or matt finish
Hair types
Hog bristle
Is harder enough to spreads medium to thick paints smoothly and evenly.
Is a far less expensive alternative to good-quality softer hairs.
Badger Hair
Is thickest at the point, and relatively thin at the root, so it has a distinctive "bushy" appearance.
Suitable for blending paint on canvas.
Kolinsky Sable
Softer than hog bristle.
More suitable for fine detail painting.
Holds a very fine point or edge.
Very Expensive, up to few hundreds.
Red Sable
A good alternative to the more expensive Kolinsky.
Less expensive in price compare to kolinsky hair.
Synthetic fibres
Are man-made of either nylon or polyester filaments.
Harder and resistant compare to natural soft hair.
Can point very sharp.
Hold less point combine to natural hair.
They are easier to keep clean than animal hair brushes because the filaments don't have
animal scale structures to trap paint.
They are better suited for painting with acrylics because a synthetic filament wil withstand the
caustic nature of acrylic paints with less damage.
Round
For fine detailing, fine lines, spotting, and retouching.
Flat
Provides lots of color capacity and easy maneuverability.
Use for bold, sweeping strokes, or on edge for fine lines.
Use heavier fil ing for heavier paint.
Bright
Useful for short, control ed strokes, and with thick or heavy color.
Filbert
With its soft rounded edges, the filbert is suitable for blending and figurative work.
Fan blender
Useful for smoothing and blending.
Rigger
Very long and thin hair.
Suitable for line works.
"Spalters" (large flat brushes)
General y used for applying varnish, for priming grounds (canvas, for example) and for painting
large surfaces.
Brush’s handle
Handles are available in different length.
Long handle-more suitable for free and spontaneous strokes.
Short handle-more suitable for control and delicate strokes for detail painting style.
How to clean Brushes
Wipe off any excess paint using a cloth or soft tissue.
Gently squeezing the bristles from the ferrule edge outwards with your fingers, or with a cloth, wil help
remove paint from the brush. But be careful to avoid pul ing on the bristles.
Rinse the brush in lukewarm water . Never use hot water as it can expand the ferrule, causing the hairs
to fal out.
Wipe it on the cloth again to remove the last of the excess paint.
Wash gently using a little bit of mild soap or dish washing liquid. Dab the brush gently onto the piece of soap, then work up a lather in the palm of your hand.
Rinse and repeat until there's no trace of any color coming out. Over time a brush may become stained, but don't stop rinsing until you're sure there's no paint left. Rinse once more in clean, lukewarm water to remove any traces of soap. Shake off the water. Use your fingers to gently shape the brush head into its correct shape. If necessary, wrap the bristles in a piece of tissue or toilet paper while the brush is stil wet. When the paper dries it'll contract, pul ing the bristles into shape. Leave brush to dry at room temperature. Ensure it's not resting on its head as it wil then dry misshapen. Standing it on the back of the handle works wel . Accessory
Palettes
Materials
Plastic, paper or glass is commonly used material.
Disposable paper palette is time saving for cleaning.
Thumbhole
Some palettes have thumbhole for ease of holding.
Oblong and kidney-shaped are most commonly used.
Kidney-shaped-designed to suit body and arm contour when being hold by arm.
Palette knife
For mixing, and cleaning up paints on palette.
Available in metal or plastic.
Painting knife
Dipper is for holding mediums.
They are available in single cup or double cups, with or without caps.
The bottom of these cups has a clip, which slides over the edge of a flat color palette.
There are metal or plastic dippers available.
Cotton rag/paper towel/newspaper cuts
They are used for cleanup brushes,color stains on hands/body/dress

Source: http://myartspace.com.sg/files/Acrylic_Materials_and_Equipment.pdf