Brass doorknob with a whole hallway bent across itOcher, umber, cream, black, white. Paint the reflections as warped flat shapes before any highlight.
Calm harbor at dawn with every mast doubledPeach, gray blue, umber, white. Add a retarder so the water blends wet, then pull the reflections down.
Colored glass bottles lined up in a noon windowGreen, amber, cobalt, white. Underpaint in gray, glaze each bottle its color, then add one hard highlight.
Jar of rinse water with brushes standing in itGray, blue gray, ocher, white. Paint what shows through the jar slightly darker and shifted.
Magnifying glass on a newspaper, the print swollen under itCream, gray, black, pale blue. Paint the lines of text larger and curved inside the lens.
Marbles on a sunlit table, a bright dot beside eachBlue, green, amber, white, gray. Glaze each color thinly over a gray underpainting, then place the highlights.
Nested steel mixing bowls, each rim mirroring the nextGray, white, black, pale blue. Paint the reflections as curved dark and light bands, then one hard highlight per rim.
Rippled pond breaking the reflections of reedsOlive, teal, cream, umber. Break each reflection into short level dashes that widen toward you.
Shop window at dusk, display inside and street on the glassNavy, yellow, gray, rose. Paint the interior first, then scumble the reflected street thinly over it.
Sidewalk puddle mirroring storefronts, darker than the realGray, umber, sky blue, cream. Paint the reflection darker than the thing itself and drag a dry brush across it.
Teaspoon in a tumbler, bent where it enters the waterGray, white, pale blue, tan. Shift the spoon sideways below the waterline and darken the surface edge.
Wet cobbles at night under three colored shop signsBlack, red, teal, yellow. Glaze each sign's color down the stones in broken vertical strokes.
Skin, portraits and hands 12
Back view of a head, hair twisted into a loose knotUmber, ocher, black, white. Paint the hair as one mass, then pull out a few light strands last.
Bare feet in sandals on sunlit flagstonesOcher, sienna, gray, white. Glaze a warm bounce of ocher under the arches.
Child's profile against a sunlit curtainPeach, ocher, white, lilac. Keep the edge of the face soft where the light wraps around it.
Clay-coated fingers shaping a bowl at a potter's wheelSienna, gray, ocher, white. Dry-brush pale clay over the dry skin tones on the fingers.
Ear painted from three angles on one canvasSienna, rose, ocher, white. Paint the darkest hollow first and work out to the rim.
Elbow and forearm leaning on a windowsill, in three planesOcher, sienna, white, gray. Block the upper arm, the forearm and the hand as flat planes first.
Grandparent's creased hands wrapped around a teacupSienna, ocher, violet, white. Scumble pale color over dry darker paint for thin, creased skin.
Grisaille head glazed afterward with thin flesh colorBlack, white, sienna, ocher, rose. Let the gray layer dry fully, then glaze color over it.
Head study in grisaille, grays onlyBlack, white, five grays. Paint the whole head in grays to settle the values before any color.
Laughing face, eyes creased and teeth showingOcher, sienna, rose, white, umber. Paint the teeth as one pale gray shape, never pure white.
Mirror self-portrait in three premixed skin tonesBurnt sienna, ocher, white, ultramarine. Mix a light, a middle and a shadow tone first and keep them apart.
Sitter beside one window, half the face in shadeSienna, ocher, white, umber, blue. Glaze the shadow side in thin layers over a dry gray underpainting.
Backlight, night and candlelight 12
Backlit leaves with every vein showingYellow green, lemon, dark green, white. Glaze thin yellow over a dry pale underpainting so the leaf glows.
Campfire circle, faces lit from underneathBlack, orange, red, yellow, umber. Light the undersides of chins and noses, the reverse of daylight.
Cat on a sill with the sun behind its furBlack, umber, white, gold. Dry-brush a thin gold halo along the edge of the dark shape.
Deserted avenue after midnight, orange pools on the asphaltBlack, orange, umber, navy. Glaze thin orange pools on the dry road beneath each lamp.
Face lit by a single candle, the room blackBlack, umber, orange, yellow, white. Underpaint dark, then glaze orange outward from the flame.
Figure against a bright window with a rim of lightBlack, umber, white, pale yellow. Paint the figure dark and add a thin rim of light down one side.
House at night from the yard, one warm rectangle of windowNavy, black, yellow, orange. Keep the window the only warm, light shape on the canvas.
Lantern on a table lighting three plain objectsUmber, yellow, orange, black. Aim every shadow directly away from the lantern.
Moonlit garden in blues and grays, no black at allPrussian blue, gray, white, green. Mix the darks from blue and green and keep the lights cool.
Night panorama from a ridge, districts glowing under dotsBlack, navy, yellow, white, orange. Scumble a faint glow over each district before dotting the lights.
Tree line at dusk, sky still bright behind itPeach, lilac, black, dark green. Soften the top edge of the trees where the light eats into them.
Unlit corridor cut by a wedge of yellow from one ajar doorBlack, gray, pale yellow. Paint the wedge of light on the floor with a hard near edge and a soft far one.
Depth, haze and crowds 12
Coastline curving away in three headlandsBlue gray, green, white, ocher. Cool and lighten each headland in turn.
Deep woodland, glazed air between each rank of trunksUmber, green, gray, white. Paint the farthest trunks first and glaze the air between layers.
Plane trees in two rows, each paler and smaller than beforeGreen, yellow green, gray, umber. Shrink and pale each tree by the same step.
Rail terminal hall, pale beams scumbled across commutersGray, umber, pale yellow, white. Scumble the shafts thinly over the dry crowd.
Receding ridgelines, five of them, fading toward the skyBlue gray, white, violet, umber. Add white and a little blue to each ridge as it goes back.
Rush-hour crossing under a hundred umbrellasGray, black, red, yellow, blue. Overlap the umbrellas and shrink them toward the far curb.
Stadium stand full of people as dots of colorSix bright colors, gray, white. Group the dots into bands of light and shadow first.
Street market from overhead, heads sharp near, blurred farUmber, red, blue, cream, ocher. Paint heads and shoulders as dabs, sharp in front and blurred behind.
Trawlers near, middle and far, contrast dropping each timeBlue, white, red, gray. Paint the far boats with less contrast and no detail.
Valley mist with one sharp fence post in frontGray, white, olive, umber. Scumble thin white over everything but the post.
Wet road at dusk, headlights blurring toward youGray, white, yellow, black. Add a retarder and soften every far edge while the paint is wet.
Wheat field running back to a far farmhouseOcher, straw, sky blue, white. Paint the near stalks singly and the far field as one flat tone.
Fur, feathers, cloth and rust 12
Barred owl feathers, each overlapping the nextUmber, cream, gray, black. Paint the dark pattern first, then dry-brush the pale edges over it.
Chunky knitted scarf, every stitch a small VCream, tan, gray. Paint rows of small Vs and shade the lower half of each row.
Corroded copper pipe, green crust over brownCopper, turquoise, umber, white. Dab turquoise thinly over the dry brown so it sits in the pits.
Crimson velvet curtain in deep foldsCrimson, black, rose. Keep the lights on velvet soft and broad and the darks nearly black.
Dog's muzzle close up, the fur changing directionUmber, ocher, white, black. Follow the growth of the fur with short strokes over a dry dark base.
Folded denim jeans on a stool, seams and creases worn paleIndigo, blue gray, white, ocher. Dry-brush pale blue along every seam and crease.
Peacock plume tip, its eye spot ringed in goldTeal, cobalt, gold, green, black. Glaze thin blue and green over a dry gold base for the sheen.
Rooster's neck hackles in full sunlightOrange, gold, red, black, green. Pull each feather with one stroke and glaze green over the darkest hackles.
Rusted padlock hanging on a painted gateRust, orange, teal, umber. Sponge three rust colors over each other, darkest first.
Tabby cat curled asleep, stripes soft-edgedGray, umber, cream, black. Paint the stripes into a wet middle tone so their edges stay soft.
White satin ribbon tied in a loose knotWhite, gray, pale blue, black. Place the highlights as sharp bands right beside the darkest folds.
Worn leather club chair, arms rubbed pale with useSienna, umber, ocher, black. Scumble ocher over the worn places where the dark has rubbed off.
Realism from one object 12
Brass and steel door keys fanned out, edges catching lightGray, ocher, black, white. Paint each key's flat face and its thin bright edge separately.
Clear light bulb, reflections first, filament secondGray, white, black, pale yellow. Paint the reflections on the glass before the filament inside.
Conch shell lying on its side, opening turned toward youCream, pink, tan, gray, white. Glaze thin pink inside the opening and keep the outer shell matte.
Garlic head with its papery skin half peeled backCream, violet gray, ocher, white. Scumble thin white over dry gray for the skin.
Gold pocket watch lying open, chain coiled beside itGold, ocher, umber, white, black. Underpaint in umber, glaze gold, and pick out the numerals last.
One lemon, its cut face turned toward youLemon, ocher, white, gray violet. Paint the shadow in gray violet, the opposite of yellow.
Orange with its rind unwound, light glowing in the pithOrange, cream, white, umber. Glaze thin orange over the pale pith where light passes through.
Single brown egg modeled in five tones on white chinaSienna, ocher, white, gray. Turn the form with five steps of tone and one soft reflected light.
Three beads of rain on glass, each with one glintGray, pale blue, white, charcoal. Paint each drop darker at the top, lighter at the bottom, with one white point.
Two slices of bread on a wooden boardOcher, tan, cream, umber. Stipple the crumb with a stiff brush and keep the crust smooth.
Used paintbrush resting on a stained ragTan, gray, silver gray, umber. Paint the metal band with one dark, one middle tone and one sharp light.
Walnut cracked open, ridged shell beside the pale kernelTan, umber, cream. Paint each ridge of the shell as a light edge beside a dark groove.
How it works
Acrylic dries fast, which makes soft blends and thin skin tones harder than they are in oil. Each canvas here is built around one such problem and names the technique for it: a glaze, a scumble, an underpainting.
Read the full guide
Intermediate acrylic painting ideas and harder ones
Level, under More filters, splits the list in two. Intermediate canvases set one problem on a simple subject, such as One lemon, its cut face turned toward you. Advanced ones stack two, such as Shop window at dusk, display inside and street on the glass: an interior with a reflection laid over it.
The techniques the list leans on
A glaze is a thin transparent layer that changes the color beneath it. A scumble is thin but opaque, good for fog and haze. An underpainting, often in gray, settles the lights and darks first. A retarder slows the drying so a blend stays wet longer.
Grisaille is painting in grays only. Two heads here use it: one left gray, one glazed with color afterward.
Questions and answers
What makes these advanced painting ideas?
Each one sets a problem that flat color cannot solve: a reflection, skin in shadow, light coming from behind, air between near and far, fur or rust, or one object painted as it really looks.
Are there realistic acrylic painting on canvas ideas here?
Yes. Realism from one object holds 12: a cut lemon, a seashell, an egg, house keys, beads of rain on glass. Each is one small subject under one light.
How do you blend acrylic before it dries?
Work in small areas and add a retarder, an additive that slows the drying and gives more time for blending. Calm harbor at dawn with every mast doubled uses one for the water.
What is glazing in acrylic painting?
Glazing is brushing a thin transparent layer over dry paint so the color beneath shows through, changed. Colored glass bottles lined up in a noon window glazes each bottle its color over a gray underpainting.