Do You Wet The Brush Before Using Acrylic Paint? How To Prepare Your Brush Right
Do you wet the brush before using acrylic paint? Or do you use dry brush?
Would you like to know how you should go about acrylic painting properly?
You don’t have to wet brush to start acrylic painting, but a wet brush makes a smoother stroke and uniform coverage. Do not soak acrylic paint brushes.
Usually, if I see that the paint doesn’t flow well, I quickly dip my paintbrush in water, and that’s enough.
But amount of water depends and is not necessary at all for some techniques.
This article contains affiliate links. It means no extra cost for you but a little commission for me to support my hobby and blog. Thank you!
Do you wet the brush before using acrylic paint?
Dry brush on the left and wet brush on the right
It is not mandatory to wet the brush for acrylic paint.
There are different acrylic painting techniques, some require completely dry brush, but some call for slightly or generously wet brush.
Good rule is to slightly wet the brush before painting with acrylics and dab off the excess water on the rim of water jar or with a paper towel.
Do not paint with a brush if the water is dripping unless you want a watercolor-like acrylic washes.
Why we use water with acrylic paint and brushes on canvas?
If we use professional heavybody acrylic paint, it comes out of the tube pretty thick, opaque and doesn’t flow freely on canvas.
We use water as a cheap and always accessible way to thin the paint and it helps the paint spread on paper or canvas.
The general rule is to add up to 30% water to acrylic paint for smooth application maintaining the opacity and color intensity.For glazing or washes you can add 50% to 80% water to your paint.
How water affect the application and color transparency
Please only add 80% water to a very good acrylics. Water breaks down pigment-binder connection and the cheap paint already has fewer and lower quality pigments.
This brush is too wet as the water is dripping. You will get washes.
Cheap paint diluted too much can crack while drying or even peel off, or let the paint sticky.
If you doing a textured or impasto painting, it is great to use a dry brush.
But when you need to blend, cover large area or have even smooth brush strokes, you wet your brush a little bit.
We should also use a wet brush for:
smoother application. Water or mediums give more control over acrylic paints.
more economical use of paint – with a wet brush the same amount of paint goes longer
for easier blending
painting on canvas surface, especially raw canvas surface, as it is rough, and paint will not flow smoothly without water.
undiluted paint dries faster, so we add water to slightly slow the drying
to reduce the effort, as a dry brush doesn’t spread the paint easily.
for interesting effects: dripping paint, or drops of water over the wet paint create patterns in your art.
However, I should say that while it is ok to use water with acrylic paint to smooth the application, it is much better for the paint quality sake to use a flower improver or acrylic paint extender like GAC100.
They allow you to increase the flow and coverage, reduce the use of paint without sacrificing its composition or opacity. It is a more professional way to thin acrylics.
When we use water with acrylic paint, we usually have 2 jars – one for washing the colors off (for dirty water) and one with clean water to only wet the paint brush.
A dry brush makes an expressive but uneven strokes. It doesn’t cover well the surface but leaves texture.
A big advantage of using a dry brush is that this is how you get the most opaque and vibrant colors right out of the tube.
You will also use a dry brush for stumbling, adding highlights and painting fur or details that don’t need even coverage.
Yet, as I said, you can use GAC100 and then you get smoother application but the same color intensity. As a side-effect it makes acrylics dry a bit slower.
Otherwise, a wet brush is easier to paint with for beginners.
Note: excessive use of a dry brush or extreme rubbing will ultimately damage the paintbrush.
Most importantly, make sure you have all your brushes clean. Do not ever let acrylics dry on the brush.
It is a natural process for a brush to shed and, with time, it has to be replaced. So the physical check comes first:
To check the brush before painting, make sure it still can keep its shape, flexible when you bend it lightly, doesn’t shed much (with no reason) and the ferrule is tightly connected and not loose.
If the brushes are in mint condition, select ones you are going to use for this painting.
If there are some lose bristles, remove them before painting.
Some new brushes may be covered in some solution and may seem stiff. Wash them with sopa or brush conditioner first and let them dry.
I normally recommend to have a go-to set for beginners consistent of 2 round brushes and 1 flat brush.
Finally, prepare 2 jars with water but do not put brushes into water.
Keep brushes on a rag or paper towel or just beside you, do not leave them in water.
Once you set up your palette and colors, you can dip the brush in clean water jar, dab the excess paint onto the rim or the towel and then dip it into paint from both sides.
It is better to use shallow jars or not to fill them to the rim. We need to protect the wooden handle, especially if it has laquer finish.
With too much exposure to the water, the wood may get damaged or lacquer will peel off. Some ferrules can also rust.
You are good to begin painting 🙂
Do not forget to clean, dry and store the brushes immediately after you finished painting.
How Do You Keep Acrylic Paint From Drying Out The Brush?
Acrylic paint is very fast-drying – acrylic paint dries in about 5 to 30 min, and once it’s dry it stick to brush synthetic bristles and you will need to scrub it off.
Which is not great for acrylic brushes.
To make sure paint is not drying out and hardens on the brush, after using each color, wash your brush in you dirty-water jar, dab excess water until the water comes clean and set the brush on the towel.
Another approach is to actually use an acrylic medium (slow drying, gloss medium or GAC100) that will extend drying time and will keep the paint wet.
Wetting Acrylic Paint Brush FAQ
How Do You Clean The Brushes?
To clean acrylic paint brushes, rinse them thoroughly with warm water to remove as much paint as possible. Then, I use a mild soap or brush cleaner to wash the bristles, working the soap through the bristles with your fingers. Rinse the brush again with warm water until the water runs clear, and gently reshape the bristles with your fingers. Finally, blot the brush with a clean towel and let it air dry completely before using it again. Do not clean paintbrushes in hot water as it can damage the bristles.
Some people recommend using coconut oil or olive oil for cleaning acrylic paint brushes – do not do it and in general never use any kind of oils with acrylic paint supplies.
How Do I Get A Smooth Finish With Acrylic Paints?
There are 3 key elements for smooth finish with acrylics: smooth gessoed canvas with acrylic gesso, wet good quality brush and using flow-improver or GAC100 to increase the flow without losing color vibrancy.
Should I wet my canvas before acrylic painting?
You don’t have to wet thecanvas before painting with acrylics but some painters mist it with water for better paint application and smoother brushstrokes. Do not spray too much water on the canvass the paint will be too runny.
Is it better to use a wet brush or dry brush for acrylic paint?
There is no must in painting, you don’t have to use a wet brush with acrylics but it does help with better coverage, smoother application and drying time.
Can you dry brush with acrylic paint?
Yes, absolutely. Dry brush technique is one of the basic acrylic painting techniques and it makes visible textured brushstrokes and details. But at the same time, the coverage won’t be perfect.
Do you dip acrylic brushes in water?
Well, you can dip your acrylic brushes in water, but it’s not mandatory. Tiny bit of water allows to paint smoothly, but too much can actually harm the bristles and affect the performance of the brush. If you need to thin out the paint, add a little water or acrylic medium instead. Your brushes will thank you for it. Also, instead of dipping and wetting the brush you can wet the canvas surface with a spray bottle.
How much water can I add to acrylic paint?
The amount of water you can add to acrylic paint depends on the specific needs of your project and the consistency of the paint. As a general rule, you can add up to 30% water to acrylic paint without affecting its binding and adhesive properties. This will create a more fluid consistency. For glazing or washes you can mix water with acrylic paint in equal parts.
Can you dry brush with a wet brush?
Dry brushing needs a perfectly dry brush and cannot be done with even slightly damp brush.
Can you leave acrylic paint brushes in water?
No, never leave acrylic paint brushes in water for an extended period of time. Leaving acrylic paint brushes in water for too long can cause the bristles to become misshapen and can damage the ferrule (the metal part that holds the bristles).
If you want to clean your brushes, don’t soak them, just gently wash, reshape the bristles with your fingers and blot the brush with a clean towel. Then, let the brush air dry completely before storing it.
Wrap Up
In a nutshell, wetting your brush before using acrylic paint can be a lifesaver when dealing with dry or thick paint.
It can also prevent your brush from turning into a paint popsicle.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that wetting the brush can also thin the paint and affect the color and opacity.
So, experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you.
And don’t forget to give your brushes a good cleaning after each use to keep them performing like champs.
