Avoid These 5 Mistakes: A Beginner’s Guide to Step-by-Step Acrylic Painting

When you’re just starting out with beginner acrylic painting, it can feel both exciting and intimidating. You’ve got your brushes, your paints, and a blank canvas that’s full of possibility. But as soon as you dip that brush into the paint, questions start flooding in. Am I using the right technique? Why does my paint dry so quickly? How do I blend colors without making mud?

The truth is, every artist goes through this learning curve. Acrylic paint is a wonderfully versatile medium, but it has its quirks. And while there’s no “wrong” way to make art, there are a few common pitfalls that can hold new painters back from enjoying the process or getting the results they want.

That’s why I’ve put together this guide: Avoid These 5 Mistakes: A Beginner’s Guide to Step-by-Step Acrylic Painting. Whether you’re completely new to painting or you’ve dabbled here and there, this step-by-step approach will help you steer clear of frustration and build confidence with your brush.

Why Choose Acrylics as a Beginner?

Before we dive into the mistakes, let’s talk about why acrylics are such a popular choice for beginners. Acrylic paint is fast-drying, easy to clean up with just water, and forgiving—you can paint over mistakes almost instantly. It’s more affordable than oils and doesn’t require special ventilation like some other mediums.

Because of its flexibility, acrylics are perfect for learning. You can try bold strokes, layering, blending, and experimenting without worrying too much about permanence. It’s a medium that lets you play, which is exactly what beginners need.

Still, that quick-drying nature and bold pigment can throw you off if you’re not prepared. That’s where the five common mistakes come in.

Mistake #1: Skipping the Basics of Materials

Many beginners think they need the most expensive paints, brushes, and canvases to get started. Others go the opposite route and grab the cheapest supplies they can find. Both approaches can backfire.

• Cheap paints often have weak pigmentation and chalky textures, making blending nearly impossible.

• Low-quality brushes shed bristles into your work or lose their shape after one wash.

• Poor canvas prep can cause paint to soak in unevenly.

Step-by-step fix:

1. Start with a set of student-grade acrylic paints from a reputable brand. These balance affordability with quality.

2. Choose a few versatile brushes—a flat, a round, and a detail brush are all you need to begin.

3. Use pre-stretched, pre-primed canvases or acrylic paper so your surface is ready to go.

By investing just a little thought into your supplies, your painting process will feel smoother, and you’ll spend less time fighting with your tools.

Mistake #2: Forgetting to Plan Your Composition

When excitement takes over, it’s tempting to start painting right away. But without a plan, your painting can quickly feel chaotic. Beginners often forget to sketch lightly or block in big shapes before diving into details.

The result? A painting that looks unbalanced, or where small mistakes snowball into big frustrations.

Step-by-step fix:

1. Spend 5–10 minutes sketching your idea lightly in pencil or chalk.

2. Identify the main shapes and where they’ll sit on your canvas.

3. Decide on a rough color palette before you begin.

Think of this stage as building a roadmap. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it gives your painting structure and direction.

Mistake #3: Overworking the Paint

Acrylics dry fast—that’s both a blessing and a challenge. Beginners often keep brushing and re-brushing an area, hoping to fix it, only to end up with muddy colors or streaky textures.

Overworking the paint can also damage your canvas and make the piece look heavy instead of fresh.

Step-by-step fix:

1. Lay down your brushstrokes with confidence, and then step back.

2. If something looks off, let it dry completely. Acrylics allow you to layer—so instead of fighting wet paint, you can paint over mistakes cleanly once it’s dry.

3. Use a misting spray bottle or a wet palette to extend drying time if you need more flexibility for blending.

Learning when to stop is just as important as learning what to do.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Color Mixing

One of the joys of acrylic painting is mixing vibrant colors. But beginners sometimes squeeze paint straight from the tube onto the canvas, leading to flat or unnatural-looking hues. Others mix too much, creating dull, muddy tones.

Step-by-step fix:

1. Learn the basics of the color wheel—primary, secondary, complementary, and analogous colors.

2. Mix small amounts on a palette before committing to the canvas.

3. Keep a scrap piece of paper nearby to test your colors first.

4. Start with a limited palette (for example, red, blue, yellow, white, and black) to understand how many colors you can create.

The more you practice mixing, the more control you’ll have over the mood and vibrancy of your painting.

Mistake #5: Comparing Yourself Too Soon

This might be the biggest trap of all. With social media full of polished art, it’s easy to look at your first few attempts and think, “I’m terrible at this.” But every skilled artist you admire started where you are now.

Comparison can rob you of the joy of learning. Acrylic painting, especially for beginners, is about experimenting, making mistakes, and gradually improving—not about perfection.

Step-by-step fix:

1. Keep your early paintings as a record of your progress.

2. Set small, achievable goals, like “practice blending skies” or “try a new brush technique.”

3. Celebrate small wins—like mixing a color you love or finishing a canvas.

Remember, art is a journey, not a race.

A Beginner-Friendly Step-by-Step Exercise

If you want to put these tips into practice right away, try this simple acrylic painting for beginners step by step project:

1. Sketch a simple horizon line. Divide your canvas into sky and land (or water).

2. Paint the background first. Use broad strokes to fill in the sky, blending two colors together (like blue and white for a soft gradient).

3. Block in the foreground. Use darker shades for land or water. Don’t worry about details yet.

4. Add midground shapes. Trees, hills, or distant objects. Keep them simple.

5. Layer details on top. Once everything is dry, add highlights, shadows, or focal points like a sun or flower.

This exercise teaches planning, layering, and blending—while keeping things approachable for beginners.

Final Thoughts

Avoiding these five mistakes doesn’t mean your paintings will always go perfectly—and that’s a good thing! Each painting teaches you something new. The important part is to enjoy the process and give yourself permission to grow.

If you’re ready to dive deeper, set aside time each week for your art. Join a local class or follow a structured tutorial to get real-time guidance. And most of all, remember: beginner acrylic painting is about exploration, creativity, and fun.

So grab your brushes, embrace the mess, and enjoy the colorful journey of acrylic painting for beginners step by step.