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Acrylic Painting Tutorials

The Free Acrylic Painting Course That Fixes Your Foundation Problems

This free acrylic painting course builds your foundation the right way. From supplies and color mixing to brushwork, values, and a final project—you’ll learn the fundamentals every beginner needs to paint with confidence.

Robert Joyner | Garage Studio Artist & Art Educator

Robert Joyner | Garage Studio Artist & Art Educator

— 4 min read
Free acrylic painting course or beginners, the Garage Studio Artist is giving back

Why Most Beginners Struggle with Acrylics

Most free acrylic courses skip the stuff that actually matters. And that’s why people quit. Take my busted lawnmower tire, for example.

Every Saturday, same ritual: I roll out my old Deere mower, and sure enough—the front tire is flat again. Slow leak, been going on for a year. I drag out this cheap plastic pump and wrestle with the valve for ten minutes, twisting it this way and that until I find the one sweet spot where it works. And yeah—it’s still not fixed.

👉 Want the full set of Acrylic Tutorials? Visit the Acrylic Hub

That’s what it feels like when you try painting without fundamentals. You get by, but it’s a fight. Muddy colors. Stiff brushstrokes. Paint sliding around like a flat tire that won’t hold air. Frustrating as hell.

Why This Free Course Actually Works

This course is built different.

No gimmicks. No shortcuts. No skipped steps. Just the foundation you actually need to make acrylics behave.

Here’s what you’ll walk away with:

  • Acrylic supplies that keep it simple → the exact brushes, paints, and surfaces I use (without wasting money).
  • Color mixing that stays clean → no more mud, just vibrant hues you can control.
  • Brushwork techniques → from smooth blends to choppy strokes, so you can paint loose or tight at will.
  • High & low chroma studies → learn how to push and pull saturation.
  • Value design → control light and dark with high-key and low-key painting.
  • Positive & negative space techniques → the method that changed my art forever.
  • Final project → a simple still life that pulls it all together.

My approach is simple: construct to deconstruct. Build the basics until they’re second nature, then break the rules and paint however the hell you want.

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Acrylic Supplies That Keep It Simple

Spoiler: you don’t need a truckload of gear.

I’ll show you the handful of paints, brushes, and surfaces that cover 95% of what you’ll ever need. A limited palette beats a cluttered toolbox every time. I you want my complete acrylic toolbox, then you can scroll to the bottom and check it out.

Demo for how to mix acrylic paint
Demo for how to mix acrylic paint

How to Mix Acrylic Paint (Without the Mud)

We’ll mix using a six-primary palette—the only way to nail clean secondaries and tertiaries.

You’ll learn:

  • High vs. low chroma → how to push or mute saturation.
  • Tinting & shading → lighten or darken without killing vibrancy.
  • Cool vs. warm dominance → a light-bulb moment for controlling temperature.
Acrylic brushwork techniques side by side showing blended gradation, non-blended gradation, and blended vs. non-blended dots using blue, green, and yellow paints.
Brushwork techniques from blended to blended dots

Acrylic Brushwork Techniques

Your brush shouldn’t fight you—it should work with you.

I’ll walk you through:

  • Blended vs. non-blended strokes
  • Smooth gradations vs. rough, choppy marks
  • Dot and dab techniques for texture

Experiment with them all so you never feel boxed in.

Acrylic painting demos showing value and color exercises: high vs low chroma on basic shapes, gray mixing and value scales, and high-key vs low-key studies.
Value scales, color theory and chroma demos or beginners

The Power of Values

Values are the secret to depth and realism.

We’ll cover:

  • Value hierarchy → how to plan lightest lights and darkest darks.
  • High-key vs. low-key designs → control mood and style.
  • Form building → turn flat shapes into 3D objects using grayscale and then color.
  • Positive & negative space painting → a complete game changer.
Acrylic painting demos showing final block project, cool vs warm palette studies, high and low chroma forms, and tint/shade hue exercises for beginners.
Color theory, Warm and cool palettes, tints and shades and more....

Putting It All Together – Final Project

We’ll finish with a simple still life using painted wood blocks.

First in grayscale, then in color—you’ll apply everything: supplies, mixing, brushwork, values. By the end, you’ll have proof you can paint with confidence.

Conclusion – From Foundation to Freedom

This course isn’t about painting like me—it’s about giving you the foundation so you can paint like you.

Learn the fundamentals the right way. Then loosen up, go bold, and paint however the hell you want.

Learn & Improve Your Acrylic Skills

Affiliate Disclosure: Some links are affiliates, and I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend materials I use regularly, often from Blick Art Materials. Your support keeps my tutorials free and ad-free—thank you!

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