Using Acrylics on watercolor paper

It is possible to use acrylic paint to paint on watercolor paper. Most of the time artists dilute acrylics with water and literally use them as watercolors. However it is possible to use them like oils straight out of the tube. Why? Well, watercolor paper offers a very archivable yet cheap support. A 9X12 page of Arches paper is about a $1. A decent quality canvas of that size is anywhere from $8-$40 and that's not even top quality. That is an increase in cost for both artists and their fans.

I did some experimenting at first and found that applying acrylics out of the tube directly to the paper dries the paint very fast and often doesn't leave you any time to spread the paint around. When I painted this painting of the sunset woods, I used acrylic gesso to cover the paper and let it dry. I still suggest stretching the paper to prevent buckling or using a block. One coat of gesso seems to be enough o seal the paper in order to create a very pleasant rough surface.

"Winter sunset"

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Playing with Acrylics

So I decided to chat on pastels for a change and got a set of Liquitex Acrylic paints. I have used oils before and always wanted to give acrylics a try so I went out and got them. I am surprised how quickly they dry, its almost like using watercolors :) The heavy buttery consistency of Liquitex was nice however with both brushes and knives. Here is my first acrylic landscape.

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