Can I use the wet on wet technique with acrylic paints?

It’s a question that I’ve seen on the internet hundreds of times and yet no one has really explained their answer fully. I’ve seen plenty of no’s without any hope for a maybe. So just hold on to your horses and don’t give up quite yet.

Before I get into my discoveries on this matter I want to say that these are my personal findings after painting a lot of paintings. They have been found by trial and error. I paint daily about eight hours and often paint several paintings a day. I use both mediums, acrylics and oils and often times mix them. Yes the oils are over the acrylics after they have fully dried. I use acrylics for backgrounds cutting down on the toxicity levels not only in the brush cleaners but heavy metals such as cadmium, onyx oxide and cobalt among others in oil paints. So take this for what it’s worth. Read it all and then decide if you want to tackle this.

Using a wet canvas as with wet on wet oil painting where liquid white or liquid clear is used, there is nothing with acrylics to slow down the drying process in the same manner except for something like Liquitex Slo-Dri Blending Medium which is a retardant. But, it doesn’t quite  work the same way as the liquid/magic white or the liquid/magic clear. Trying to do the same technique as with oils is definitely a challenge.

Okay you made it this far, good for you! Keep going, don’t give up yet!

Perhaps if we changed the question slightly to “can we use an alternate method to wet on wet with acrylics?” then the answer would be yes. Let me explain a bit further. I think that the first thing to take a look at is why Bill Alexander re-introduce an old oil painting method and renamed it? His idea was to be able to finish a painting in one sitting as with acrylics, in many a case and be able to come back to it and make a few adjustments the next day if necessary. In traditional oil painting, before adding layers one needs to allow the paint to dry otherwise as Bob Ross states many a time, you will become a mud mixer. Bob Ross simply took it to another level and made it possible for the non artist to learn to paint without studying half your life.

When I first started painting I was using acrylics, painting abstracts. I got bored with it and wanted to do landscapes. I found Bill Alexander’s videos on You Tube and felt that this was the way to go. I didn’t feel comfortable with purchasing expensive oil paints, new brushes, easel and toxic brush cleaners so I wanted to stick to acrylic paints. So my challenge became, how was I going to adapt this method to acrylic paints? I wasn’t an artist, I was a professional jazz musician and a remodeler so challenges weren’t new to me. Whenever someone tells me that I can’t do something a certain way, it becomes a challenge and in most cases I find a way or an alternative with same or similar results.

Once I understood the properties of the oil paints and acrylics and how they work, I realized that instead of trying to keep my canvas wet, allowing them to dry before applying a new layer was the answer. Sometimes the drying process took too long so I helped it along using a blow dryer. I learned that using large brushes anywhere from one inch to four was still possible as with the wet on wet technique. I can paint the canvas or canvas board black or any other color I want to get a nice overall effect. As long as I use a transparent paint over the first coating, the color shows through. With transparent colors, I can add white to it as with wet on wet for a cool effect, but I have to be very quick as I have only about thirty seconds or less before it starts drying.

The problem with opaque acrylic paints in trying to add layers before they dry is, you become a mud mixer. The paints aren’t thick enough, even if you buy the professional ones that state heavy body. My solution to that was to add a thickening agent with the  paint such as a molding paste medium or similar to create texture. Acrylic paints dry flat and don’t show the brush marks as in oils, so in highlighted areas, I wanted to have texture which was done by adding a lot of medium to it, making the paint very thick. In this case instead of thinking that thin paint sticks to thick as with oils, the opposite became true using acrylics, as long as the paint underneath was dry.

There was only a little texture in this and brush strokes still didn’t show through. At least I can see the bumps created by the thicker paint which stick out adding a little depth. I could have tried just using the white molding paste first dabbing it with a small brush or knife, letting it dry and then adding my color to it, but I felt that it was just too much work involved and wasn‘t part of my experiment in using large brushes. You can try this yourself if you like.

I ended up painting about sixty acrylic paintings using large brushes before switching to oils. I also use numbers 2,4,8 fan brushes, 8,12 filberts, a number 0 liner brush and a plastic and metal paint knives. Some came out quite well while some didn’t. People loved them and asked to have them. I was flattered that someone would actually be proud to hang my artwork in their living or family room. Some have them in their bedrooms and hall ways. After switching over to oils to see how they work out, I find the wet on wet technique much easier and less challenging than with acrylics. With acrylics, you have to think and plan each move before applying the next layer although it is much easier fixing a mistake or a happy accident than it is with oils. The look of acrylic paintings isn’t the same as with oils and can be spotted easily enough as it has a lot to do with the brush stroke visibility in oils.

I still enjoy painting, using the large brushes with acrylics and every so often come back to them just for the challenge. I learned quite a bit learning the process with acrylics before getting involved with oils. I feel that it was a stepping stone to what I paint today and that includes portraits, birds, animals and still my favorite landscapes. Painting with acrylics especially using large brushes, takes much longer to finish than with oils. I painted a 9”x12” landscape the other day, which took me all day and started an 18”x24” landscape yesterday and just finished it today, late afternoon. Normally, I would have completed both of these paintings in about an hour using oils.

I would suggest giving large brushes a chance with acrylic painting for an alternative to the wet on wet. Just remember that each layer must dry completely before adding a new one otherwise you will become a mud mixer. Using large brushes in the same manner as with wet on wet is a bit more challenging and perhaps even frustrating for some in the beginning. I find it a thinking game and have fun just trying to figure out how to adapt a certain stroke used in wet on wet to acrylics. There’s no one out there to show me how to make it easier so it’s up to me to figure out the solution. The feeling is much greater after finishing a painting with acrylics than with oils because I had to figure out each step by myself. No copying here.

Here are a few of my earlier acrylic paintings using large brushes.

winter scene

hidden stream

learning from Bill Alexander

Black River

Black River

water falls at dawn

If you are still adamant and want to use the wet on wet technique using acrylics, you may want to try the Atelier interactive paints. Atelier Interactive is the only brand that can be used for controlled wet blending as well as standard techniques. Here's a link for their website http://atelieracrylic.com/products/atelier-interactive/ there are a few videos there as well,

8 essential things I’ve learned about the wet on wet technique no one tells you about.

I paint seven to eight hours a day, seven days a week and have been doing this for several months now. I am totally hooked on painting and like I was as musician, now I eat sleep and shit art.  Art can be even more expensive, as it already is, especially if you listen to other people’s advice who really haven‘t tried it themselves. It’s always easy to give advice but another to live by it.

As I muddle through this learning process in the art world, I’m finding out that many of the so called artists have no clue as to what they are talking about especially when it comes to the wet on wet technique or non toxic brush cleaning..  I’m retired and don’t have money to burn on expensive supplies suggested by someone who is just yapping at the mouth to sound important. Prices on painting supplies are inflated so that the sellers can play games with so called sales. Take a good look at some of these web sites selling art supplies and compare them with a few others. Have you noticed that the msrp (manufacturer suggested retail price) for the exact same thing varies from one site to the next? If those are actual suggested prices by the same manufacturer, then why are they all so different from each other? Those are all inflated prices making you think that the price they are offering is a good deal. Don’t believe it. It’s probably not even close to being what the item(s) are really worth or the actual msrp.

As for me, I’m going to find the least expensive route to enjoy painting. I’m not looking to make this thing my future nor am I going to go to school to major in art. I probably don’t have many years left of life so I’m going to enjoy the time what I have left thru art.

So, what have I learned after 125+ wet on wet paintings within ten months?

1. Don’t let anyone tell you what to paint or how to paint. Art is art no matter if it’s done with a sprayer, finger, knife, little brush or a big brush. Whether you paint cartoons, real life, portraits, animals, plants etc. makes no difference. You are the artist and as one have the license to paint whatever you want and whatever way you see fit on that piece of canvas.

I remember as a little boy in first grade, the teacher told us that we couldn’t listen to jazz. It wasn’t real music. I turned out to be a professional jazz musician for five decades.

2. Art is very personal and you are going to always have critics no matter how well or what style you paint. I’ve known other artists criticizing others in their style or the subject matter. Just like above with jazz, many will tell you that the wet on wet technique isn’t real art. The hell with them. It’s quite obvious to me that they do this to compensate for their own inadequacies in art. It’s an ego thing.

3. One does not need Bill Alexander or Bob Ross brushes to do the paintings.
There are 2 that I can’t do without and that is the no.6 Bob Ross fan brush. I haven’t been able to find anything comparable to it yet. Same goes for the script liner brush. All of the other brushes; round, filbert, 1”,2” and 21/2”, I’ve been able to find elsewhere and have no problems with them. The 1”,2” and 21/2” are bought from the local home improvement store’s paint department. They are simply stain and varnish sash/trim brushes and a hell of a lot less costly.

It has also been said that one can’t use synthetic brushes for this type of painting. Bull crap, I use polyester brushes along with my China bristle blend brushes successfully using non toxic cleaners.

4. When purchasing pre stretched canvases, why do I need double or triple primed ones or the intermediate level ones which cost two to three times more? If I’m just practicing the art form for the sake of learning and improving my strokes etc, it doesn’t make sense to spend all of that money on something that may be thrown out or burned later. Canvas panels work just fine even for the wet on wet technique. I make my own hard board paint panels for a little over a buck off a 24"x48" panel which costs about $3.79. And no let me repeat that...NO liquid white or liquid clear will not soak up into the cardboard. I've done a few tests and found both to be wet even after 72 hrs.

5. One does not need to paint the stretched canvas or hard-boards black using black gesso. If you are practicing the wet on wet technique why spend a lot of money on gesso when black acrylic paint will do the job. One 8 oz/236ml bottle of Apple Barrel black matte acrylic paint cost me $2.50 and the same size bottle of black gesso cost me about $12.50. In the earlier days of Bob Ross he used acrylic paint. You can also use acrylic white and gray paints for the background. I’ve never had a problem with liquid white or liquid clear drying up during a session.

I started using colored acrylic paints for some of my backgrounds, sky, hills, trees etc and use the oils for the fore ground and special effects minimizing some of the hazards. It works fine, just allow the acrylic paint to dry fully.Here a link to better understand about acrylics under oils: http://www.winsornewton.com/na/discover/tips-and-techniques/acrylic-colour/acrylics-as-underpainting-layers-us. I use a hair drier to speed up the process. Sometimes I’ll use liquid clear and sometimes nothing but transparent paint over the acrylics followed by liquid white to bring out the color. Remember that wet on wet is simply layering paints.

I first learned of the wet on wet concept using acrylic paints. In painting with acrylics it is much the same except you allow the paint to dry first. It’s okay. You can still get similar results. They won’t be identical because it’s a different medium but you can still use large brushes as with oils. Sometimes I mixed Slo-Dri blending medium into my acrylic paints to keep it wet and then placing another layer on top. It’s all about the brushes, knives and layers.

6. They will tell you that once you do wet on wet painting that you can’t improve yourself as an artist. FALSE! The wet on wet got me interested in painting and today I paint animals, birds and do portraits in addition to the wet on wet technique. I’ll even add animals and birds to my wet on wet paintings. I’ve never had a lesson.

7, Toxic brush cleaners such as odorless paint thinners, odorless mineral spirits, Turpenoid etc, has the potential of killing you or at the least creating some serious health issues. If it says to use in a well ventilated area, it’s toxic!

After about four months of painting and washing my brushes in odorless Turpenoid, daily, I began having some serious health problems not only respiratory but neurological ones. Currently I’m going through a detox program and my lungs are clearing up. I’m still having some neurological issues and I hope that will resolve itself in time.

They say that the paints aren’t toxic but some contain hazardous materials such as cadmium, cobalt,zinc oxide etc.which if touched by bare skin can go directly into your blood stream as in my case. I now wear vinyl gloves while painting. As the paints dry, they emit a strong odor which for me also helped create these serious health issues. I now place my wet completed art piece into a separate room for a few days to harden.

Many an artist, won’t have any issues using toxic brush cleaners/mediums and paints but there are many of us that will. Do what’s necessary so you won’t have similar issues I’m going through. They have been rough times which also have had an impact on my mental health. I’m thinking about changing my oils to the water mixable ones or walnut based instead of linseed oil but I first need to compare the overall costs. The other possibility is to use more acrylic paints and use oils for special effects and only for the fore front. We’ll see what transpires once I’m fully detoxed. In the mean time I’m back to using acrylics for now getting the paintings ready for oils since I already have plenty of heavy body acrylic paints.

8. Don't believe half of the advice given on the internet. Most of it is unfounded lacking credibility. There is plenty of advice out there for cleaning brushes using non toxic methods. I’ve tried several. Apparently those who gives this advice have never tried them or perhaps use them on small brushes. It’s easy just to throw out some b.s advice without testing it first. A buddy of mine, not an artist suggested I use canola oil.

The viscous oils I’ve tried do not work well with large brushes used for the wet on wet technique. I found myself spending a lot more time cleaning brushes than painting. There was one which used; one part vegetable oil, one part dish washing detergent and two parts of water/ shake well. Worked fine for small brushes, not for large especially where one uses a lot of paint and fills the brush fully as in wet on wet. This method also ruined my expensive Bob Ross brushes rendering them useless. I had some one and two inch BR brushes which I received in a kit for last Christmas.

Walnut oil worked very well, is oil paint friendly and can be used as a medium, but a small 16oz bottle can be pretty costly even from the supermarket. It‘s a bit too viscous. I find that the paint is mostly suspended up at the top of my cleaning bucket and is good for only a few paintings. It is reusable after the muck settles to the bottom after several days of non use. In the meantime, a new clean batch is needed. I will have to try to tweak this idea a bit more in the future.

I tried mineral oil, the stuff baby oil is made from. I picked up a 16oz bottle for only $1.88 at Walmart in the drug department. It’s used as a laxative. Once again it works fine for small brushes but not for large. Making sure that all of the oil is removed from the brushes is critical since mineral oil does not dry leaving your canvas tacky.

Next, I tried olive oil, which did a real nice job cleaning the brushes. I purchased a 16oz bottle at Aldi’s for a little over $3 but olive oil won’t dry either and you need to remove any trace of it off the brushes with soap and water.

Someone had mentioned Murphy’s Oil soap. It was inexpensive enough, non toxic and about $3 for 16oz. It’s fairly viscous and needs to be cut with water so I used two to one ratio, meaning two parts of water to one part of oil soap. Worked great for small brushes. It worked okay for larger brushes but not quite there yet. I had an idea to try the olive oil first followed by a bath in Murphy’s Oil soap and a final wash in clear warm water to remove any residue from both. I even dried my brushes on a paper towel after beating it dry on my brush beater. It worked just as well as the Turpenoid without the toxicity or the cost, but with just a few extra washes. For just a brush cleaner, I like it. Yeah I know, you’re thinking, why doesn’t he try Turpenoid Natural, right? The cost of the stuff is outrages, overpriced and inflated, no way in hell. Besides you still have to wash your brushes in water and it won’t go that far hence you are making Weber rich.

Safflower oil needs to be mixed half and half with linseed oil for it to work well. But the non boiled linseed oil is way too expensive. The boiled linseed oil will yellow your painting after a while if there is any residue.

Sunflower oil is also a possibility which I haven’t tried yet. The cost is up there with walnut oil. I may give it a try in the near future and will post my findings after I do.

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