Acrylics are popular because they are so versatile. They can be applied in thin washes or
 thick layers and adding mediums will help achieve a lot of different effects and textures.

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 • Keep your paint workable: acrylic paint dry fast so only squeeze out the amount of
 paint you need and spray the paint with a fine mist of water every now and then.
 You can buy stay-wet' palettes to avoid having to do this.

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• Wipe off your paintbrushes: when changing colours, first remove as much paint as you can
 by wiping your brush on a cloth or kitchen paper, then rinse it in water and wipe again.
 This will prevent your colours from mixing. Change the water frequently too.

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• Thin and thick layers: you can create a watercolour effect by watering down the paint
 and applying in in thin layers. You can also apply it straight from the tube to obtain an
 opaque coverage. Once a layer is dry, you can paint on top without disturbing the bottom
 layers so if you don't like what you have done, you can start again!

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• Sharp edges: if you want to create very straight lines and sharp edges, you can use masking  tape. Do not apply it too thickly though or you will get jagged lines when lifting
 the tape.
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