Watercolor or Acrylic? What to Start Painting With
Watercolor or Acrylic? With ArtMoment
What to start painting with when you last held a brush at school.
The differences: watercolor vs. acrylic
- Surface – watercolor: special heavy paper; acrylic: canvas, board, paper, wood – almost anything.
- Coverage and corrections – watercolor is translucent and mistakes are hard to fix; acrylic is opaque – you can paint over anything, even once it's dry.
- Drying – watercolor bleeds as long as the paper is wet; acrylic dries in minutes, so you can build up layers quickly.
- Technique – watercolor = working with water, glazes and planning the highlights; acrylic = thick, impasto strokes with a brush or palette knife, and it's very forgiving.
- Result – watercolor: light, airy paintings; acrylic: rich colors, a painting that goes straight on the wall without framing under glass.
- Equipment – both are cheap; acrylic also doesn't need special paper – a canvas and a few tubes are enough.
Why we recommend acrylic for beginners
Acrylic is forgiving: whatever doesn't work out, you can paint over in a few minutes. It covers well, dries quickly, holds on canvas, and the finished painting looks complete without a frame. Watercolor is beautiful but unforgiving – you have to plan the light areas in advance, and mistakes stay. That's why all our painting experience classes are built on acrylic on canvas: in three hours, truly everyone leaves with a finished painting.
Acrylic paintingWhere to try acrylic with an instructor
At an ArtMoment painting class: 3 hours, a template, an instructor taking you step by step, with the canvas, paints and a welcome drink included, from 1 690 Kč, in more than 20 Czech cities every week. Want something freer than a template? In the ArtLab studio (Prague, Brno) you can try pouring, splashing or pendulum painting with acrylic, from 499 Kč/hour + canvas and paints. And if a “watery” technique appeals to you, take a look at ArtInk – abstract paintings with alcohol ink.
Choose a date
When it makes sense to start with watercolor
- You want to paint outdoors and carry only a sketchbook and a small box of paints.
- You enjoy drawing – watercolor complements pencil and pen drawings perfectly.
- You have the patience to learn to plan highlights and work with water.
- Tip: you'll find the basics of drawing at our drawing and painting class.
Most popular formats
Abstract creating – pendulum painting and other unusual techniques. from 499 Kč/hour + canvas and paints
More about ArtLab
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WATERCOLOR VS. ACRYLIC
For most beginners, acrylic: it covers well, dries quickly, you can paint over mistakes and a painting on canvas looks finished without a frame. Watercolor requires planning and is less forgiving.
No – a basic set of tubes, a few brushes and a canvas cost a few hundred crowns. At an ArtMoment class all materials are included, so you can try the technique before buying anything.
Not at the moment – our painting experience classes use acrylic on canvas (in more than 20 cities), plus the ArtLab studio and ArtInk alcohol ink. Keep an eye on the All experiences page.
You'll finish your first painting in a single 3-hour evening with an instructor and a template; every further class or painting session at home adds confidence in mixing colors and composition.
Yes – diluted acrylic can be used as a glaze much like watercolor, and it's water-resistant once dry; on the other hand, acrylic can be layered over watercolor, but not the other way round.
Join thousands of happy guests
More than 40,000 guests in more than 20 cities have discovered with ArtMoment that anyone can create. Join them – just pick a date and we'll take care of everything else.
Choose a date