Acrylic paint dries fast and is semi translucent, that makes it the perfect medium for layering techniques. See how you can use layering to paint flowers with acrylics on this step by step tutorial.

You might also be interested in: Painting mixed media Flowers from your imagination: Greenery

how to paint flowers with acrylics step by step, using a layering technique

Here are some of the steps you can take to make this painting:

Starting with a flat colored underpainting has many advantages:

• It will unify the colors of the painting by adding a bit of the same underpainting color everywhere
• You don’t start with a scary blank canvas
• Some of that underpainting color will show in places throughput the painting.

Red, orange and blue are commonly chosen colors for underpaintings.

Let this first layer dry completely.

Then draw an outline of the flower you want to paint with a pencil, on top of the dried red acrylic.

Then, once you are satisfied with your drawing, you can go over these outlines with a thin brush and white acrylic, so your drawing is more visible for the next steps.

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One of my favorite techniques to layer acrylic is to start painting opposite colors, for example the areas painted here in white are going to be the darkest areas in the final painting

Here I did paint blue where I was seeing orange on my reference picture.

Keep adding contrasting colors until you painted over most of the canvas.

When all the contrasting colors layers are dry, I start painting with the local colors as I see them on my reference picture. Here I did pant red where I was seeing red on my picture.

In the same manner, I am painting yellow and orange where I see them.

Keep adding layers of the local color. Now the painting is too dark, time to add a bit of light.

Apply a white glaze ( white acrylic mixed with medium) where you want the colors to be lighter.

Keep adding layers until you are satisfied with the colors and the contrast in your painting.

The finished painting: Hens and Chicks, Acrylic on canvas.
Original is sold, prints are available here