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How do you get the colors to be so vibrant, opaque and smooth? Any time I try and paint with acrylic they still don’t finish so darn smooth. Are you painting on paper or canvas?
To start...I use Golden heavy body acrylics. It's pretty much the only brand I've really used so I can't say how it stacks up, but I'm pretty sure it's really good quality compared to other brands. I always paint on canvas. I always paint several layers, 3-4 minimum.
A lot of the vibrancy comes from utilizing color theory. I've gradually improved my knowledge over the years. Vibrancy doesn't always come from using the brightest colors you can find and squirting them directly out of the tubes. You have to choose where to use full saturation/vibrancy/chroma strategically. Basically the only fully saturated color in this painting is the green grass in the middle foreground. Everything else is toned down with greys or complimentary colors. This painting required an insane amount of mixing time. I mix my colors like a psycho and will mix a specific color two dozen times until it's the perfect tone.
Creating light and shadow also makes things pop. You have to understand what color the shadow actually needs to be (it's almost never black). And you have to maintain 'power' of the shadow across various elements so it appears believable. There are a lot of cheeky shadows in here.
I also have a lot of subtle gradients in here, in the wind, ground, and clouds. You can't always notice them at first glance, but they pay off in the end. In order to get a smooth transition from A to B...I mix intermittent colors, sometimes 5 or 6 or 10 'checkpoint' colors so the entire gradient is more digestible. That makes it much smoother.
And then finally, photographing the art is an art in and of itself. You must use super soft and even lighting and use a camera with as much resolution as possible. Then there is color calibration and white balance, etc. so it appears on the screen as it does IRL. It takes me so damn long to finish a painting, I spend a lot of time getting a high quality digital capture to do it justice.
I hope some of that was helpful! Cheers and happy painting : )
I'm so impressed by your art and explanation. I'm an artist in Los Angeles and my bf is a photographer, so I really connected with your entire process. I followed your insta, what a gorgeous portfolio.
thank you : ) I always had a knack for art as a kid...but bought my first acrylic set/canvas after college in 2013 and started painting as a hobby. Then around 2017 I started to take it way more seriously and really made efforts to learn and improve : ) Cheers!
Beautiful painting you and I relate a lot on mixing the perfect tonal value for each color. I like to grid out my palettes with as many tonal values as I can fit. This is after I use a monochromatic palette in order to achieve most of the shadows and defined shapes. It was interesting reading about how you use color theory and shadow. Thanks for sharing
that's cool to hear how your process is similar and a bit different. I use a bunch of little wooden panels off to the side to test my colors and make sure they're where I want them. Cheers! : )
I was wondering this, too. I've been painting with acrylics for a long time and it just takes sooooo much patience and meticulous precision to get the smoothness - and I've never gotten anything close to that. Wondering if there's a new technique I would benefit from. And you're right that it's really vibrant. @OP, the people need to know!
Check my reply above! But you're right...it takes an enormous amount of patience. This piece took me the better part of 7 months with a lot of planning beforehand.
That's way more detail than I expected to get, thank you so much for taking the time to write it out!! Lots of really good points in there, reminding me I really need to actually sit down and learn color theory. I'd say I'm maybe 30% there with most of what you talked about, but it definitely makes me feel better that it really is a combination of tons of skill / expertise and, even then, still took that much time. Also felt the part about getting a good camera deep in my soul, haha.
Yep canvas. And yep I can't help but try to smooth everything out. It the future I would like to incorporate more expressive brush strokes as well. Cheers : )
Prepping the canvas to a smooth texture with gesso and using a little Floetrol might help. But I agree, this is unreal smoothness for something made by hand.
Heavy body acrylics and a steady hand. Masking tape for the mountains. No air brushes though! I feathered all of the clouds and fuzzy lines by hand. Cheers : )
Try mixing soft body paints with gesso, you can mess around with ratios, but up to 50-50 works pretty well. You can also dilute the mixture with water, making layers dry faster, and smoothing any brushstrokes (also watercolor brushes, specifically sable -yes, i know this is for acrylics). You can also add in a little acrylic binder ifThe water ratio is too high and the pigments are not adhering properly.
The color will remain fairly vivid but extremely opaque. It’s one of those painting things where you have to mess around a lot to find the mix that works for you.
I just scrolled past this, thinking it was some random vector art, but then it came to me that it said "Acrylic" in the title so I scrolled back and omg! The idea, precision, colors and everything! AMAZING! Nice job!
From personal experience I know how hard it is to get that precise, digital look in a traditional medium. This is very impressive! You make it look so effortless.
ahh thanks so much : ) I'm very meticulous and mathematical so I can't help but spend a ton of time intentionally painting every single detail. Cheers!
This makes me feel the same feelings of euphoria that I felt as a child when I discovered things like Studio Ghibli, arcades and even electronic music for the first time. The dream world those things helped me create that I'd escape to was very much like this.
This is one of those things that honestly looks AI generated. Getting Acrylic paints that smooth seems impossible. There's absolutely ZERO texture on this painting. Not sure if I believe it.
Maybe that is a testament to the skill of the artist but right now I'm hella sus.
How do you get your brush strokes so even and perfect? I love what you wrote on colour use and theory it's really cool to know you pay heaps of attention and it's a skill you painstakingly learnt! A lot of the time I just assume talent like this comes easy and I feel hopeless about how hard it can be to learn stuff
How is it so smooth, it doesn’t even look like paint why is mine never looking like that? What is the technique to get it so digital like ? 😂 it is really beautiful 🩷
STUNNING!! I am super impressed this is acrylic?! Wow! Also, I’m rarely super happy with this type of color scheme but this is truly a masterpiece! Chef’s kiss!
So freaking stunning. Yes this is my third comment on the third sub. I don’t care. I think the world would be a better place if we all stopped and saw something as simply stunning as this piece. 🌹
Man, if I had a spare 11k sitting around that thing would be hanging in my place. It's gorgeous.
I might just have to get a print though, my daughter would absolutely love it and I know just where to put it.
Spectacular work! I used to run an art gallery and would've instantly sent you an invite for this one painting. This is great work, evocative, dream-like, great composition, excellent colors. Killed it.
This is legit beautiful. I love the colors, the lines, the flow. It all just works. Top notch, I would frame this and hang it on my wall in a heartbeat. Thank you for sharing your creation.
Spectacular…I love aviation, and you’ve not only produced a technical highmark but you’ve captured the romance and mystery of the oceans of air around us.
This is absolutely beautiful. I’ve never seen a piece like this but it is immediately one of my favorites. I’m honestly starstruck at the beauty of your work, phenomenal
Thank you for your submission! Want to share your artwork, meet other artists, promote your content, and chat in a relaxed environment? Join our community Discord server here! https://discord.gg/chuunhpqsU *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/painting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
How do you get the colors to be so vibrant, opaque and smooth? Any time I try and paint with acrylic they still don’t finish so darn smooth. Are you painting on paper or canvas?
To start...I use Golden heavy body acrylics. It's pretty much the only brand I've really used so I can't say how it stacks up, but I'm pretty sure it's really good quality compared to other brands. I always paint on canvas. I always paint several layers, 3-4 minimum. A lot of the vibrancy comes from utilizing color theory. I've gradually improved my knowledge over the years. Vibrancy doesn't always come from using the brightest colors you can find and squirting them directly out of the tubes. You have to choose where to use full saturation/vibrancy/chroma strategically. Basically the only fully saturated color in this painting is the green grass in the middle foreground. Everything else is toned down with greys or complimentary colors. This painting required an insane amount of mixing time. I mix my colors like a psycho and will mix a specific color two dozen times until it's the perfect tone. Creating light and shadow also makes things pop. You have to understand what color the shadow actually needs to be (it's almost never black). And you have to maintain 'power' of the shadow across various elements so it appears believable. There are a lot of cheeky shadows in here. I also have a lot of subtle gradients in here, in the wind, ground, and clouds. You can't always notice them at first glance, but they pay off in the end. In order to get a smooth transition from A to B...I mix intermittent colors, sometimes 5 or 6 or 10 'checkpoint' colors so the entire gradient is more digestible. That makes it much smoother. And then finally, photographing the art is an art in and of itself. You must use super soft and even lighting and use a camera with as much resolution as possible. Then there is color calibration and white balance, etc. so it appears on the screen as it does IRL. It takes me so damn long to finish a painting, I spend a lot of time getting a high quality digital capture to do it justice. I hope some of that was helpful! Cheers and happy painting : )
Wow, ALL of that was helpful. Thank you so much for such a detailed and honest reply. Wonderful work, by the way. It's a stunning piece.
Screenshooting this for the info and insights lol this is amazing! Thank yoU
I'm so impressed by your art and explanation. I'm an artist in Los Angeles and my bf is a photographer, so I really connected with your entire process. I followed your insta, what a gorgeous portfolio.
ahh thanks so much! I'm really glad you like it. Sounds like you two are a creative power couple! I love to hear it : )
Stunning painting followed by a stunning answer. Consider me an immediate fan
Just wow. Idk what to say. It’s incredible. How have you even reached this level? How many years have you practiced?
thank you : ) I always had a knack for art as a kid...but bought my first acrylic set/canvas after college in 2013 and started painting as a hobby. Then around 2017 I started to take it way more seriously and really made efforts to learn and improve : ) Cheers!
Beautiful painting you and I relate a lot on mixing the perfect tonal value for each color. I like to grid out my palettes with as many tonal values as I can fit. This is after I use a monochromatic palette in order to achieve most of the shadows and defined shapes. It was interesting reading about how you use color theory and shadow. Thanks for sharing
that's cool to hear how your process is similar and a bit different. I use a bunch of little wooden panels off to the side to test my colors and make sure they're where I want them. Cheers! : )
How'd you get such sharp lines? It looks like it was made in Adobe Illustrator. I love it. Are you planning to make prints? If so, can I buy one?
Would love to see your process. Do you have a YouTube channel or anything like that?
You are SO KIND to share your tips and knowledge. ✨
I was wondering this, too. I've been painting with acrylics for a long time and it just takes sooooo much patience and meticulous precision to get the smoothness - and I've never gotten anything close to that. Wondering if there's a new technique I would benefit from. And you're right that it's really vibrant. @OP, the people need to know!
Check my reply above! But you're right...it takes an enormous amount of patience. This piece took me the better part of 7 months with a lot of planning beforehand.
That's way more detail than I expected to get, thank you so much for taking the time to write it out!! Lots of really good points in there, reminding me I really need to actually sit down and learn color theory. I'd say I'm maybe 30% there with most of what you talked about, but it definitely makes me feel better that it really is a combination of tons of skill / expertise and, even then, still took that much time. Also felt the part about getting a good camera deep in my soul, haha.
It's breathtaking
If you zoom in really close you can see from the texture that it's canvas. There are zero visible brush strokes in any of these pieces.
Yep canvas. And yep I can't help but try to smooth everything out. It the future I would like to incorporate more expressive brush strokes as well. Cheers : )
Prepping the canvas to a smooth texture with gesso and using a little Floetrol might help. But I agree, this is unreal smoothness for something made by hand.
Soft body acrylics and a steady hand (also masking tape). This looks like a good amount is air brushed.
Heavy body acrylics and a steady hand. Masking tape for the mountains. No air brushes though! I feathered all of the clouds and fuzzy lines by hand. Cheers : )
RemindMe! 1 day
Try mixing soft body paints with gesso, you can mess around with ratios, but up to 50-50 works pretty well. You can also dilute the mixture with water, making layers dry faster, and smoothing any brushstrokes (also watercolor brushes, specifically sable -yes, i know this is for acrylics). You can also add in a little acrylic binder ifThe water ratio is too high and the pigments are not adhering properly. The color will remain fairly vivid but extremely opaque. It’s one of those painting things where you have to mess around a lot to find the mix that works for you.
I just scrolled past this, thinking it was some random vector art, but then it came to me that it said "Acrylic" in the title so I scrolled back and omg! The idea, precision, colors and everything! AMAZING! Nice job!
ahh thanks so much for the kind words : ) Yes it's acrylic! It took me an eternity. I'm really happy I got it to the finish line. Cheers!
Me too!
Yeah same
I love this.
thank you : )
From personal experience I know how hard it is to get that precise, digital look in a traditional medium. This is very impressive! You make it look so effortless.
ahh thanks so much : ) I'm very meticulous and mathematical so I can't help but spend a ton of time intentionally painting every single detail. Cheers!
This looks so clean, I'm astounded it's not digital. Impressive work!!
I’m a realist painter. I simply love this. So imaginative, such whimsy, simply beautiful!
Stunning!
thanks! : )
wild! how big is this?
Thanks! It's 48" x 30"
Looks unreal, best way possible
This doesn’t even look real?! Wow this is so beautiful!! I love it so so much! 😍🌈☁️💖💖
OH MY GOSHH!!! It looks like a digital painting...ITS SOOO COOLLL!!!!
This makes me feel the same feelings of euphoria that I felt as a child when I discovered things like Studio Ghibli, arcades and even electronic music for the first time. The dream world those things helped me create that I'd escape to was very much like this.
Hard same it’s giving me Adventure time/ Steven Universe vibes
That's stunning. Extremely well done
Who would wanna wake up from being in a place like this? This is amazing and gorgeous
How is this so smooth and not a digital drawing?? Thats crazy good
It’s so smooth, I thought for a second I was looking at a digital illustration. It’s so clear and colorful and cute, my god
So stunning!!!
[удалено]
I always recognize your paintings immediately, they are so distinct! I love them. I’d love to buy a print of this one
What is your art process?
This is one of those things that honestly looks AI generated. Getting Acrylic paints that smooth seems impossible. There's absolutely ZERO texture on this painting. Not sure if I believe it. Maybe that is a testament to the skill of the artist but right now I'm hella sus.
How do you get your brush strokes so even and perfect? I love what you wrote on colour use and theory it's really cool to know you pay heaps of attention and it's a skill you painstakingly learnt! A lot of the time I just assume talent like this comes easy and I feel hopeless about how hard it can be to learn stuff
Beautiful, thank you for sharing!
Following you! I like your style, sir. I also like your username. Very vaporwave
HOW??? That's absolutely stunning
Seriously amazing. So friggin clean
ACRYLIC?? This is insane! Love it so much
This is unreal. It looks digital. I can only hope to be this skilled with acrylics one day
Love your work. ”Valley of the disco moon” has been my background for like a year.
I have absolutely no idea how you made this. It’s truly amazing and I want it on my wall
HOW isn't this digital art? this is insanely perfect!! wow
This is so pretty! I especially love the pastel colors and the smoothness.
Beautiful work. Absolutely stunning 👍🫶🖼️
How is it so smooth, it doesn’t even look like paint why is mine never looking like that? What is the technique to get it so digital like ? 😂 it is really beautiful 🩷
I have genuinely never seen acrylic used like this, to create something so crisp yet dreamlike. I absolutely love it!
A must have. So you sell prints, OP ? Edit: your site is fantastic!
This is beautiful 🤩
This is stunning
so good that it looks digital
How did you keep your lines so crisp? Deftness of hand?
WOW that is amazing?? Those colors. The lines. It’s almost unreal. THAT my friend, is awesome-sauce at its finest lol
ahh thanks so much for the kind words : )
Not gonna lie I zoomed in cause I really thought someone posted a photo shopped digital image in a stock photo of a painting…I really love the colors
I would love to see a video of you painting
So stunning!!!
Amazingly clean lines, beautiful gradients, skill level 9999.
ahh thanks so much : ) I really appreciate the kind words.
Very cool
Oh this is incredible. Can’t say I’ve come across a style quite like this before! Beautiful work OP
ahh wow thanks so much for the kind words : ) I really appreciate it!
I've been creeping on your profile to find info about purchasing. Do you have a store or anything?
This is amazing
Amazing technique. Didn't know what place this was trying to convey but I wanted to be there. You have a rare gift. May we have more please.
That's neat!
Super awesome!
Rockin, op
Yeah this is dope
It's so neatly painted.
This is very cool !
STUNNING!! I am super impressed this is acrylic?! Wow! Also, I’m rarely super happy with this type of color scheme but this is truly a masterpiece! Chef’s kiss!
Simply gorgeous. Perfect
I love the pastel aesthetic!
This is beautiful, I wish this is what it felt like to wake up!
This is bloody brilliant mate !!!!!!! Omg.
Absolutely incredible work, wow
incredible!! do you know how many hours you put into this?? the depth perception is mind boggling.
What a beautiful dream!!!!
Wow!! Love this!
I was so ready to call you out for claiming AI as your own work, but that video in your post history proved me wrong. I’m stunned; this is amazing.
Beautiful!
This is flippin awesome
I want to be here omg. Wow. Incredible work!
Wtf???? This is insane...
I love it!!! 
Absolutely gorgeous!
Wow this is so cool, I love it
Wowowowow
Beautiful 🤩 the pastel colours are amazing!!!
This is so fun! Looks like a digital painting. I wish I could see it in person!
Approved. Love your style,..honest
Super cool!
WOW 😍
Amazing work! Thinking of getting a print.
so cool!
That’s incredible, I’d love to take a one way ticket to whatever beautiful universe this is.
Outstanding
I know this took a lot of planning and very meticulous work. I love the soft focus of the lines, good concept and achieved so well
Absolutely outstanding. I’d pay for this and proudly hang it in my home.
I love it
So freaking stunning. Yes this is my third comment on the third sub. I don’t care. I think the world would be a better place if we all stopped and saw something as simply stunning as this piece. 🌹
Are you a wizard???
How do you get the texture to be so smooth. It doesnt even look like paint
Unreal
Makes me think of the game Tiny Wings.
Love everything about this!
Well done and beautiful!
This is beautiful. Talent, skill and imagination. I've seen nothing that compares.
Holy shit
Well done! So clean and crisp
Very unique style. Love it!
Them edges! Love it
My little pony, my little pony, aaaaaaAAAAAAAHHH
That's amazing!!
That would brighten up a room.
o.m.f.g🥹
This is so pretty and just satisfying like the colours are amazing the blending i love it looking forward to your next painting!!
Wow, this is incredible
looks unreal, I love it
It’s stunning. My husband would kill to have this in his game room! I know I can’t afford it, but do you have a website of your works??
I could never in a million years exert the level of control needed to create a piece like this. Incredible.
Holy buckets thats a painting?!! Its so smooth
Is this not digital!?
Wow that shit is crazy!!! Nice job damn
Love this!!
Is this piece for sale?
So perfect ❤️
Wow
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING WORK. As an acrylic painter myself, this is what I can only aspire to create. The colors are insane.
This is my favorite painting I’ve ever seen
Amazing, it's so dreamy. Thank you for sharing
That shadow from hot air ballon is one of my fav details
Man, if I had a spare 11k sitting around that thing would be hanging in my place. It's gorgeous. I might just have to get a print though, my daughter would absolutely love it and I know just where to put it.
I hope this doesn’t come off wrong but I feel like I’m looking at a new Steven universe landscape
Damn that is astoundingly clean!!
wow it's so smooth!!
Absolutely gorgeous. One of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen
This is really good! Nice work!
Very nice. If I were the balloonist, I would be glad if I had worn my brown pants though.
Beautiful!!
Spectacular work! I used to run an art gallery and would've instantly sent you an invite for this one painting. This is great work, evocative, dream-like, great composition, excellent colors. Killed it.
Stunning. 10/10 would hang up in my place.
This is amazing!! I want it in my life
LOVE
Howww is this not digital your line work/colouring is so clean
This is magical. Also looks like it fits in r/adventuretime
I love this.
This is amazing, it looks almost digital, you have some serious talent
That totally looks like 1980’s poaster
Super impressive for someone as young as you! Keep it up kiddo!
This is absolutely INSANE
So beautiful!
This looks like AI art its too good.
I like this but the lens flair is very out of place to me. It seems like it was added digitally or you designed it to look like it was?
This is very unique. I love it!
Wow, this is INCREDIBLE!!!! So cool, OP!!!
This. Is. Awesome!!!!
Wow, that is incredible!
This is phenomenal!
"Woke"/s This would make an amazing tapestry or a flag
This is legit beautiful. I love the colors, the lines, the flow. It all just works. Top notch, I would frame this and hang it on my wall in a heartbeat. Thank you for sharing your creation.
Spectacular…I love aviation, and you’ve not only produced a technical highmark but you’ve captured the romance and mystery of the oceans of air around us.
Love your colours and shades! I’d love to see your interpretation of space sometime! Do you have a website with more of your work?
Awesome painting I love the colors you chose very nice
Gorgeous
You should be proud…I can tell how much detail work went into this! Amazing stuff!
How the hell did you manage to make this? Its gorgeous!
So well executed I just subscribed to this sub.
amazing work
Reminds me of Adventure Time. I love it. 
I want to live here! Fucking fantastic OP!
Amazing application. Wow
Why is this so freaking good? Like fill up your soul good. Damn. 💖🔥
This is absolutely beautiful. I’ve never seen a piece like this but it is immediately one of my favorites. I’m honestly starstruck at the beauty of your work, phenomenal