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Unlock Bold Colour: Top Tips for Using Acrylic Paints
In the world of art, the tools and surfaces you choose can transform the way you create. Acrylic paints are one of the most versatile mediums available to artists, students and hobbyists alike. Pair them with the right sketchbooks, pads and canvases, and they become a powerful way to explore bold colour, texture and mixed media. In this article, we’ll walk through top tips for using acrylic paints with confidence, and show how the right Artgecko surfaces help you get the very best from every brushstroke.
Start With the Right Surface
Before you open a single tube of paint, your surface matters. Acrylics need paper and boards that can handle moisture and layering without buckling.
Artgecko sketchbooks and pads come in a range of paper stocks that work beautifully with acrylics. Choose smooth multi media pages for crisp details, or pick heavier textures for thicker paint and mixed media. It's also worth knowing that good quality, acid‑free paper resists yellowing over time and lets colours stay vibrant. This means your work looks as fresh as the day you created it.
We recommend the following products for acrylic specific use -
This sketch pad includes 20 sheets of 240gsm acid free textured acrylic paper, available in A4 and A3, gluebound at the top for easy removal, with a soft touch matt laminated cover featuring artwork by fine artist Natasha Clarke painted on the same paper inside.
Splashy Gecko Watercolour Sketchbook
Don't let the "watercolour" name fool you – this paper works brilliantly with acrylics, especially if you prefer clean, precise results with minimal layering. Available from A2 to A5 in portrait and landscape, each Splashy Gecko Sketchbook offers 20 sheets of 300gsm watercolour paper, twin-wire bound with a black soft-touch matt cover, textured green protective sheet, and gecko footprint stamp.
PRO Gecko Watercolour Sketch Pad
This uses the exact same 300gsm watercolour paper as the Splashy Gecko Sketchbook, but in convenient sketch pad format – available in A4, A3, mini A6 postcard packs, and square 148x148mm. Like the Acrylic Pad, it's gluebound at the top for easy page removal, with a cover featuring artwork by @karitasart
You can also get this paper in individual sheet packs, size A1 and A2, 25 loose sheets per pack.
Shady Gecko Toned Card Sketchbooks
Shady Gecko Sketchbooks feature 200gsm smooth toned card in black, tan, and grey, giving your acrylics an instant midtone base to build highlights and shadows from. Black excels for dramatic white paint pops and tonal depth; each A4/A3 portrait & landscape or 300mm square book has 40 black sheets (35 for tan/grey A4), with a 4-tone A4 mix pack option (40 sheets total). All sport black soft touch matt covers, twin-wire binding, green textured protector sheet, and gecko footprint stamp.
PRO Toned Pads bring the Shady Range's black, tan, and grey 200gsm toned cards into convenient pad format – available in A4 and A3. Black offers 40 sheets, tan and grey have 30 sheets each, all gluebound at the top for easy removal, with striking front cover artwork by Paul Wilson.
A sturdy A4 or A3 pad is ideal for practice, studies and sketching out ideas in paint, while casebound books and twin wire options are perfect for ongoing acrylic journals and visual diaries.
Smooth vs Textured, which paper type to choose from?
Smooth 300gsm and textured 240gsm papers as well as smooth toned 200gsm cards work well for acrylics, but their differences affect control, finish and techniques. Here's a breakdown and comparison to help:
| Feature | Smooth Watercolour 300gsm Paper | Textured Acrylic 240gsm Paper | 200gsm Black Toned Card | 200gsm Tan Toned Card | 200gsm Grey Toned Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paint Adhesion | Sits on top. Excellent for glazes and even coverage. | Grabs paint in texture. Stronger grip for impasto and layering. | Exceptional grip. Highlights pop dramatically against black. | Good absorption. Warm base enhances earth tones. | Balanced hold. Neutral base unifies cool/warm mixes. |
| Detail Work | Superior. Fine lines, crisp edges, precise brushwork. | Good but softer edges. Texture breaks up tiny details. | Challenging for fine lines. Best for bold contrasts. | Medium detail possible. Warm base softens edges naturally. | Good for clean detail. Grey provides natural midtones. |
| Brush Feel | Glides smoothly for fast, fluid painting. | Drag and resistance. Slower but more tactile control. | Velvety drag. Paint "sticks" immediately. | Moderate drag. Smooth enough for blending. | Predictable resistance. Consistent brush response. |
| Colour Evenness | Flatter, uniform fields ideal for gradients. | Livelier but uneven, shows brush direction vividly. | High contrast only. Midtones need layering. | Warm bias affects all colours. Creates harmony. | Neutral base. True colour representation. |
| Drying Time | Slightly faster surface dry, less absorption. | Slower as paint sinks into texture. | Very fast surface dry. Less paper absorption. | Moderate drying. Tan absorbs some moisture. | Consistent drying speed across layers. |
| Mixed Media | Perfect for pens, fine liners, pencils over/under paint. | Markers skip rough texture. Best with brushes, thick pencils. | White gel pens/chalk perfect. Coloured pencils glow. | Good for pencils, pastels. Warm base enhances. | Excellent for all markers/pens. No skipping. |
| Visual Finish | Clean, graphic, modern, less "handmade" look. | Organic, painterly, emphasizes texture and depth. | High-drama, luminous highlights, moody. | Warm, earthy, vintage painterly glow. | Professional, balanced, contemporary neutrality. |
| Weight/Stability | Heaviest (300gsm). Zero buckling, holds watercolour too. | Lighter (240gsm). Sturdy but may warp if soaked. | Lightest (200gsm). Stable for dry media, thin washes. | Light (200gsm). Good for drybrush, minimal water. | Light (200gsm). Handles moderate wet work well. |
| Best For | Illustration, portraits, flat design, glazing. | Landscapes, abstracts, expressive strokes, alla prima. | Night scenes, portraits, metallic effects, drama. | Rustic landscapes, figures, warm abstracts. | Urban scenes, product design, balanced compositions. |
| Scanning/Photos | Cleanest, shadow-free reproductions. | Characterful but shows texture in raking light. | Stunning contrast but needs even lighting. | Warmth translates beautifully to digital. | Most accurate colour reproduction. |
Quick Guide:
- Smooth 300gsm: Precision perfectionists, graphic artists
- Textured 240gsm: Expressive painters, texture lovers
- Black 200gsm: Drama seekers, highlight fanatics
- Tan 200gsm: Warmth lovers, earthy artists
- Grey 200gsm: Balanced professionals, colour truth seekers
Understand How Acrylics Behave
Acrylic paint has its own personality. It dries quickly, grips firmly to the page and doesn’t reactivate with water once dry. That means you can layer without disturbing what’s underneath, but you also need to think a little ahead.
Because many acrylic colours dry slightly darker than they appear when wet, it’s helpful to test small swatches on the edge of a page or on a spare sheet from your pad. Over time you’ll learn how your favourite colours shift as they dry and you’ll mix more confidently. This testing habit also makes your sketchbook a useful colour reference library.
Set Up a Simple, Stress Free Workspace
You don’t need a full studio to get great results with acrylics, just a few smart habits.
Keep two water pots to hand: one for rinsing your brush and one for clean water. Use a palette (or even a tear‑off palette pad) so you can mix colours freely without ruining your sketchbook pages. Put out small blobs of paint at a time; acrylic dries quickly in the air, so smaller amounts help you avoid waste. A simple cloth or paper towel nearby is invaluable for wiping off excess paint and keeping brushes in good condition. Once you’ve got this setup, it’s easy to open your book, flip to a fresh page and start painting without any fuss.
Work in Layers, From Thin to Thick
Acrylics are brilliant for building up layers, from thin washes to bold, opaque strokes. Starting with thinner paint and gradually building thickness helps your artwork develop depth and structure.
Begin with light, thinned down layers to block in shapes and values. You can think of this stage as a painted underdrawing. As you become more confident with your composition, move to thicker, more opaque paint for mid tones, accents and highlights. This “thin to thick” approach works beautifully across A3 pages, giving you plenty of room to build up complex scenes, big abstracts or detailed studies.
Experiment With Brushwork and Texture
One of the joys of acrylics is how many different marks they can make. Instead of reaching straight for the tiniest brush you own, try using slightly larger synthetic brushes for most of the work. Bigger brushes help you stay loose, cover larger areas quickly and avoid overworking small sections.
From there, play with different techniques:
- Dry brushing for scratchy, textured edges
- Soft blending for smooth gradients in skies, portraits and backgrounds
- Dabbing or stippling for foliage, fur or textured surfaces
- Palette knife work for thick, expressive strokes and layered colour
Your sketchbook or pad could be a safe place to test these ideas. Fill a page with swatches of different brushstrokes, make notes around the tests and build a catalogue of mark making to flick back to when needed.
Control Water and Mediums
A little water goes a long way with acrylics. Use it to make the paint more fluid for thin layers, soft backgrounds and gentle shadows. However, if you want very transparent glazes or ultra‑smooth blends, dedicated acrylic medium gels are your best friend. They keep the paint strong while letting you adjust transparency and texture. This is especially useful on larger A3 pages where you might be layering washes of colour over big areas. By combining water, medium and paint, you can build rich, deep in colour, opaque pieces.
Make the Most of Colour and Contrast
Acrylics are renowned for their bold colour, and your paper choice helps those hues really sing. Working on a slightly toned page or background can make highlights and bright colours pop even more.
Your could try:
- Warm underpaintings beneath cool skies
- Dark grounds underneath bright florals
- Neutral bases for portraits and figures
Because Artgecko books come in different paper tones and finishes, you can choose the look that supports your style. Over time, you’ll discover which combinations of paper, undercolour and acrylic palette bring your ideas to life most vividly.
Fixing Mistakes and Embracing Experiments
One of the greatest things about acrylics is that mistakes are so easy to cover. If an area isn’t working, simply let it dry and paint over it with fresh colour. Thick acrylic layers can completely hide earlier attempts, which makes your sketchbook an ideal place for experimentation.
Feeling a little worried about starting your piece? Remember to use your Acrylic pad as a space where you’re free to try new techniques, colour palettes and subject matter. Sketch pad or sketchbook pages don’t have to become finished pieces. Use the space as a stepping stone, or for colour tests, and half‑finished ideas that later grow into full artworks on separate boards or canvases. Equally, if you create a piece that you find could be used for a final piece in your PRO Pad, simply remove the page and frame your masterpiece!
Caring for Your Brushes and Pages
Good brush care ensures smoother painting sessions and longer lasting tools. Don’t let acrylic paint dry in your brushes because once paint sets, it becomes tough to remove.
Rinse brushes regularly while you paint, then wash them gently with mild soap and water when you’re finished. Reshape the bristles and let them dry flat or upright. Your sketchbooks will thank you too! Clean brushes mean cleaner pages, sharper lines and less unwanted streaking.
Acrylics, Sketchbooks and Mixed Media
Acrylics really come into their own when you start combining them with other materials. On the right paper, you can layer:
- Pencil and coloured pencil underdrawings
- Pen and ink linework on top of dry paint
- Pastel, collage and textured mediums
A3 pages are particularly exciting here because the larger size allows you to build complex, mixed media spreads that have real impact. Whether you’re creating bold poster style pieces, expressive abstracts or detailed illustrations, the combination of strong paper and flexible paint gives you endless possibilities.
A Smart Investment in Colourful Creativity
Investing in a good quality sketchbook or pad for acrylics is more than a purchase, it’s a commitment to your creative growth. The right surface gives your paint room to move, your ideas space to breathe and your confidence a place to grow.
With great value options across the Artgecko range, you can choose the size, binding and paper type that works best for you, from portable A4 books to expansive A3 pads ready for bold acrylic experiments. If you need a smaller surface, pages can even be cut or taped down to create new formats and layouts for specific projects.
Ready to Paint?
In the realm of colour and texture, acrylic paints are a powerful ally. Paired with good quality paper and thoughtful surfaces, they become an essential medium for anyone wanting to explore expressive, vibrant art.
Why wait? Explore our Artgecko sketchbooks and pads, choose the perfect partner for your acrylic adventures, add your favourites to the basket and click pay, we’ll handle the rest. Once your order arrives, open your book, squeeze out a little paint and start discovering what acrylics can do for you.
Need any further help our guidance? Send us an email of pop us a DM via social media. We are always on hand to help!