How to Avoid Brush Strokes With Acrylic

If I wanted to paint solid, flat, even areas of color without visible brushstrokes I would:

1. Start with a pre-gessoed smooth panel, or apply your own gesso and wet sand between coats.
2. Use a soft brush, like a synthetic squirrel tail. (Hint: You’ll need to use thinner paint with a softer brush)
3. Soft brush still too brushy? Don’t use a brush. Try a spray, roller, squeegee. No? Try pouring the paint or apply cut outs for flat shapes.
4. Try Golden fluid acrylics instead of heavy body paints.
5. Choose colors that are opaque, not transparent.
6. Practice your brush strokes so you land the brush softly, and lift just as smoothly, as if you were landing and taking off in plane. Hard stops and starts leave a lot of brush stroke marks.
7. Add a medium that improves the flow of the paint, like Golden Acrylic Flow Release.
8. Try an acrylic paint extender (slows drying time) and a paint leveler (smooths itself out) like Golden’s Self Leveling Gel.
9. Try using house paints instead of artist paints (less pigment power, but can be very “flat”)
10. Apply the paint in several light layers, instead of one thick one.
11. Lightly sand between coats
12. Alternate brush stroke directions
13. Didn’t solve the problem? Consider switching to enamels, or dang it all and paint on a computer.

Image above: Paul Reed, Barcelona 1969

You’re reading a V. Note, written by Ruthie V, the director of the Seattle Artist League. The League is an art school for the busy nurse, tech geek, and mom with a long lost art degree. We offer engaging online classes in drawing and painting. Join us! Find your class: https://www.seattleartistleague.com/product-category/d-online-classes/