Dilute acrylic paint with water or paint medium.
Artists who enjoy painting often use acrylic paints for a variety of different painting techniques. Acrylic paints are suitable for painting on paper and adding paint to other surfaces as well. While you can apply acrylic paints to surfaces without adding anything to the paints, you can also dilute acrylic paints before you apply them. If you dilute acrylic paint with water, the result will be a thinner paint with a lighter color that resembles watercolor. If you dilute acrylic paint with a special paint medium, the result will be a thinner paint without a color change.
Instructions
Dilute Acrylic Paints with Water
1. Place a small amount of acrylic paint onto the paint palette.
2. Add a few drops of water to the paint on the paint palette. Start with only one or two drops. Add more water, only if necessary.
3. Stir the acrylic paint and water with a craft stick to incorporate the two materials completely. As you add water to the acrylic paint, you make it both thinner in consistency and lighter in color.
4. Add more water if you are not satisfied with the consistency and color of the acrylic paint. Continue adding more water (one or two drops at a time) until the paint has the consistency and color you desire. Adding enough water to acrylic paint will eventually make it similar in consistency to watercolor paint.
5. Use the paintbrush to apply the diluted acrylic paint to the surface you are painting.
Dilute Acrylic Paints with Medium
6. Place some acrylic paint onto the paint palette.
7. Add paint medium to the acrylic paint. Start with a small amount of medium. Add more as you need it.
8. Stir the acrylic paint and the medium together with a craft stick to mix the two ingredients. The medium will thin the acrylic paint and make it a runnier consistency, but it will not change the color of the paint in the same way as water.
9. Add more medium if you want the acrylic paint thinner. You can add as much medium as you wish without concern about the adherence of the acrylic paint to your surface.
10. Apply the acrylic paint to the surface with a paintbrush when you are satisfied with the consistency of the paint.
