Pampas plumes in a floor vase, each one a dry upward dragUmber, ocher, cream, slate blue. Dry a dark wall, then pull each plume upward with a nearly dry brush of cream.
Gold leaves stuck to a wet black roadBlack, gray, yellow ocher, orange. Dry the road, then paint each leaf over it, with a little white in the yellow.
Pearl necklace on black velvet, each pearl a pale dabBlack, navy, cream, white. Dry the velvet, then dab each pearl in cream and touch one white glint on it.
Carousel at night, bulbs dotted along a dark canopyNavy, maroon, yellow, white. Paint the whole ride dark, let it dry, then dot every bulb with a cotton swab.
Fishing nets hung to dry across a finished dark shedBlack-brown, navy, cream, pale green. Paint the whole shed first; when it is dry, loop the pale nets over it.
Gold leaves stuck to a wet black roadBlack, gray, yellow ocher, orange. Dry the road, then paint each leaf over it, with a little white in the yellow.
Hopscotch grid chalked on dark asphaltCharcoal gray, black, white, pale pink. Dry the asphalt, then rule the squares in opaque white and pink.
Lace curtain across a dark window, its pattern dotted in whiteNavy, black, white, cream. Dry the dark window first, then dot the lace pattern on with a small round brush.
Night train on a viaduct, its windows a row of yellow dashesNavy, black, gray, yellow. Paint the train and arches dark, dry them, then lay each window in one yellow dash.
Pearl necklace on black velvet, each pearl a pale dabBlack, navy, cream, white. Dry the velvet, then dab each pearl in cream and touch one white glint on it.
Powdered sugar on a dark chocolate cakeDark brown, black, white, cream. Dry the cake, then tap the sugar across the top with a stiff, upright brush.
Snow falling across a finished red barnBarn red, gray, dark green, white. Paint the barn completely; once it is dry, dot the snow straight over it.
Sparks flying from a blacksmith's anvil in a dark forgeBlack, umber, orange, yellow, white. Dry the dark forge, then pull each spark as a short yellow line.
Tea lights floating on a dark garden pondBlack-green, navy, orange, cream. Dry the dark water, then set each flame down in cream over orange.
White laundry on a line against a dark hedgeDeep green, black, white, pale blue. Finish the hedge and let it dry, then paint each sheet over it in white.
Dry brush dragged over a dry layer 12
Ball of jute twine, strands dragged around the curveRaw sienna, umber, cream, slate gray. Block the ball in dark, dry it, then drag cream strands around it.
Barn door with red paint worn back to gray woodGray, umber, barn red. Paint the gray boards and dry them; drag red over, leaving gaps of bare wood.
Burlap sack of potatoes, weave dragged two waysRaw umber, ocher, cream. Dry a brown base; drag ocher across, then cream downward, for the weave.
Driftwood log on a pebble beach, grain in bone whiteGray, umber, bone white, slate. Paint the log mid gray, dry it, then drag bone white along the grain.
Dry-stone wall with lichen dragged on in gray-greenSlate gray, umber, gray-green, cream. Dry the stones; drag lichen color over their tops with a dry brush.
Dune grass leaning in the wind above pale sandSand, ocher, olive, cream. Dry the sand; wipe the brush nearly clean and pull each blade upward.
Pampas plumes in a floor vase, each one a dry upward dragUmber, ocher, cream, slate blue. Dry a dark wall, then pull each plume upward with a nearly dry brush of cream.
Spray thrown off a breakwater in dry whitePayne's gray, teal, white. Dry the dark sea and wall, then scrub white upward with a dry, stiff brush.
Straw broom leaning in a doorwayOcher, umber, cream, slate blue. Paint the bristles dark, dry them, then drag cream down in broken strokes.
Sun-bleached boardwalk planks, grain dragged in pale grayUmber, gray, bone white. Paint the planks dark and dry them; drag pale gray along each with a nearly dry brush.
Terracotta pots with a chalky bloom on their rimsBurnt sienna, orange, white, gray. Dry the pots, then drag thin white over the rims and shoulders.
Wispy high clouds dragged thin across a deep blue skyCobalt blue, white. Dry the flat blue, then sweep a nearly dry brush of white across it in long curves.
Thick paint that keeps the stroke 12
Artichoke, each leaf one thick upward strokeOlive, sap green, violet, cream. Work from the base up, one loaded stroke a leaf, tips touched violet.
Barnacles on a pier post, each one a thick pale ringUmber, slate gray, cream, white. Dry the dark post, then turn a thick ring of cream for every barnacle.
Blackberries on a cane, each bead a thick dabViolet, black, crimson, green. Dab the beads close together with a loaded round brush; add one pale dot to each.
Cobbled lane after rain, each stone one thick rounded dabSlate gray, umber, pale blue, white. Dab each cobble thick with a round brush; touch one wet glint on top.
Lava crust, thick black broken over a glowing orange layerOrange, yellow, red, black. Dry the bright layer; knife thick black across it, leaving cracks of orange.
Scallop shell, each rib one thick stroke out from the hingeCream, peach, burnt sienna, white. Pull every rib from the hinge in one loaded stroke and leave the grooves.
Snowdrift piled against a garden gateWhite, pale blue, violet, umber. Lay the drift on thick with a knife, so the ridges cast shadows of their own.
Three cupcakes, frosting laid on in thick spiralsPink, mint, cream, brown. Load a round brush with heavy body paint and turn one spiral on each cake.
Three paint tubes, a thick blob of color at each mouthGray, white, red, yellow, blue. Paint the tubes flat; the blobs go on last, thick, with a knife tip.
Tulip farm from the air, each row one thick stripeRed, yellow, pink, green. Pull each row in one loaded stroke and leave the ridge between rows.
Whitewashed wall with one blue shutter, plaster left roughWhite, cream, cobalt blue, gray. Spread the wall on with a knife, strokes showing; paint the shutter flat.
Zinnia head, petals laid ring by ring in thick strokesMagenta, crimson, orange, white. Start at the rim; press one loaded stroke for each petal, ring inside ring.
Thin glazes over dry paint 12
Evening tree shadows glazed long across a finished lawnYellow-green, sap green, blue-violet. Paint the sunlit lawn and dry it; glaze each shadow in thin blue-violet.
Five lollipops against a window, each disc one clear colorRed, orange, green, violet, white. Paint each disc white; when dry, glaze one thin color over each.
Garden seen through a sheer curtainSap green, pink, sky blue, white. Paint the garden, dry it, then veil it in thin white, thicker along the folds.
Glass cup of tea, amber deepening in three thin layersYellow ocher, burnt sienna, white, gray. Glaze the tea three times, drying between; each layer covers less.
Greenhouse panes, plants blurred behind pale green glassSap green, olive, white, gray. Paint loose plants and dry them; glaze pale green over each pane between the bars.
Jar of pickles, the brine glazed green over finished cucumbersOlive, sap green, cream, gray. Paint the cucumbers and the jar first; glaze thin green over all of it.
Rowboat painted in grays, then tinted like a hand-colored photoBlack, white, green, sienna. Finish the picture in grays, dry it, then glaze thin color over each part.
Stream-bed pebbles seen through green-tinted waterGray, ocher, umber, sap green. Paint every pebble, dry them, then glaze the water in thin green.
Sunglasses on a striped towel, stripes tinted through each lensRed, white, yellow, brown. Paint the towel fully; when it is dry, glaze each lens with thin brown.
Swimming pool tiles wavering under turquoise waterWhite, pale blue, navy, turquoise. Paint the wobbling tile lines; when dry, glaze the pool in turquoise.
Tissue-paper squares in a window, colors deepening where they overlapWhite, red, yellow, blue. Paint the window white; glaze three thin squares that overlap, drying between.
Window-frame shadow falling across finished floorboardsOcher, sienna, blue-gray. Paint the boards and dry them; glaze the shadow shape in thin blue-gray.
Taped edges and flat color 12
Bookshelf of flat-color spines, every edge tapedRust, teal, mustard, navy, cream. Tape the sides of each spine on a dry dark shelf and fill it flat.
Concrete stairs in hard sun, each step a light and a dark bandPale gray, mid gray, charcoal. Tape every tread edge; fill the treads pale and the risers dark, both flat.
Crosswalk stripes from above with one red leafCharcoal gray, white, red. Dry the asphalt, tape the bars and fill them white; paint the leaf freehand.
Desert highway to the horizon, edges and center line tapedSand, rust, charcoal, yellow, sky blue. Tape the road's two edges to one point; tape the center dashes last.
Glass office tower in taped bands reflecting a pink skyPink, peach, slate blue, navy. Blend the sky, dry it, tape level bands and fill every other one slate.
Origami crane in flat facets on a plain groundRed, pink, dark red, cream. Tape one facet at a time over dry paint and fill each in a single tone.
Piano keys running corner to cornerWhite, black, gray. On dry white, tape each side of the thin gaps and fill them gray; tape the black keys as bars.
Row of colored pencils, barrels taped straightRed, yellow, green, blue, cream. Tape the sides of each barrel and fill it flat; paint the points freehand.
School lockers in a row, each door one flat colorTeal, mustard, rust, navy, cream, gray. Tape each door on a dry gray wall and fill it with one flat color.
Signal flags strung on a line, each flag two flat colorsNavy, red, yellow, white, sky blue. Tape the square of each flag on a dry sky and fill it flat.
Striped cafe awning over a doorwayCream, red, dark green, gray. Dry the cream awning, tape even stripes and fill them red.
Sunset seen through half-open blindsOrange, magenta, yellow, charcoal. Blend the sunset, dry it, then tape the slats and fill them charcoal.
A toned ground showing through 12
Crate of oranges on a blue ground, a blue line left around each fruitUltramarine, orange, yellow, umber. Tone the canvas blue; stop each orange just short of its neighbor.
Fishing harbor on an orange ground, orange left along every edgeOrange, cobalt, white, navy. Tone the canvas orange; paint boats and water in blues that never quite meet.
Gray sea under low cloud on a burnt sienna groundBurnt sienna, Payne's gray, white. Tone the canvas sienna; drag grays over it so warm specks stay in the waves.
Maple crowns in orange on a turquoise ground, sky holes left openTurquoise, orange, red, umber. Tone the canvas turquoise; dab the leaves and leave gaps of it as sky.
Olive grove on a violet ground, silver leaves in loose dabsViolet, gray-green, olive, cream. Tone the canvas violet and let it show under the trees as shade.
Pine wood interior on a magenta groundMagenta, dark green, umber, ocher. Tone the canvas magenta; leave it bare between trunks as low evening light.
Rooftops at noon on a yellow ground, gaps left as sunlightYellow, terracotta, white, blue-gray. Tone the canvas yellow; leave a thin yellow line on each sunlit ridge.
Sandstone arch on a cobalt ground, the sky inside it left bareCobalt, rust, ocher, cream. Tone the canvas cobalt; paint only the rock, so the ground is the sky.
Snowy lane on a pink ground, the pink warming every shadowPink, white, pale blue, violet. Tone the canvas pink; lay the snow in broken white so pink shows in the ruts.
Summer pasture on a red ground, red flickering between the greensRed, sap green, yellow-green, sky blue. Stain the canvas red, dry it, and leave slivers between strokes.
Vineyard rows on a terracotta ground, earth left between the vinesTerracotta, sap green, olive, violet. Tone the canvas terracotta; paint only the vines and the far hills.
White sneakers on a mid-gray groundMid gray, white, charcoal, pale blue. Tone the canvas gray; add only the lights and the darks, and leave the rest.
How it works
Acrylic dries fast and is water-resistant once dry, so a finished layer stays put under the next. These canvases are sorted by what that allows: pale over dark, dry brush, glazes, tape, a toned ground, and strokes left thick.
Read the full guide
What acrylic paint does well
Acrylic is opaque where watercolor is translucent, so in White laundry on a line against a dark hedge the sheets go on last, over a dry hedge. Thinned with water or a medium it turns see-through: Window-frame shadow falling across finished floorboards is one thin blue-gray layer over painted boards. Heavy body paint holds a brush or knife stroke, so the ridges in Snowdrift piled against a garden gate stay put.
Acrylic paint ideas that start from a dry layer
Dry brush is a brush wiped nearly dry, so the stroke breaks up and looks scratchy, as the bristles do in Straw broom leaning in a doorway. Masking tape covers what should stay unpainted. A toned ground is a first stain of color left showing between later strokes.
Wash brushes with soap and water as soon as you stop: dried acrylic does not dissolve in water again.
Questions and answers
What are some cool acrylic painting ideas?
Sparks flying from a blacksmith's anvil in a dark forge is yellow lines over dry black. Swimming pool tiles wavering under turquoise water is one glaze over finished tiles, and Sunset seen through half-open blinds is a blend behind taped bars.
Can you paint over acrylic paint once it is dry?
Yes, and most of this list depends on it. In Snow falling across a finished red barn the snow goes on after the barn is dry, and every glaze here goes over dry paint in the same way.
How do you make acrylic paint thicker or thinner?
A gel medium thickens it, and heavy body acrylics are the thick kind. Water or acrylic medium thins it: water leaves a matte, watercolor-like layer, medium a richer and glossier one.
Why is acrylic paint hard to blend?
It dries fast, which discourages blending and wet-in-wet work; oils allow more time. Only two canvases here blend a sky, and both finish it before the tape goes on. A retarder slows the drying, though too much can stop the paint drying properly.