5 essential tools for wildlife paintings

When I create my acrylic paintings there are essential materials I love to use time and time again. For a comprehensive list of my essential art supplies check out my amazon storefront below. These are materials I have tried and continue to use within my artwork. Please note (at no extra cost to yourself) I receive a small commission on items you purchase with my link on amazon.

1) Acrylic paint

I currently use Golden heavy body acrylic paint. This is a premium brand as it has one of the purest pigments you can get. For a more affordable option, I also recommend Windsor and Newton galeria acrylic.

2) Sta-wet palette

This is a new addition to my painting practise and it’s a game changer! This palette keeps your paints wet for weeks thanks to the sponge insert and permeable palette paper. The airtight lid preserves your paints so you can continue to work on projects after taking breaks.

3) Brushes

My favourite brushes to use are synthetic (cruelty free), size 0 and below are great for fine details. Filbert size 4 is also a handy type to have to hand. For blending acrylic paint using a dry brush technique, it’s useful to have a number of mop brushes (large, fluffy brushes). Paint quality and technique of paint application should take priority over brush quality.

4) Isolation coat

Prior to varnishing an acrylic painting it is important to add an isolation coat. This acts as a transparent barrier between the varnish and your finished painting so if the varnish needs to be removed In the future it will be easy to remove. I like to use Golden’s pre-mixed isolation coat.

5) Varnish

Varnish is the final step that protects the painting against dust and dirt. It can also enhance the finished look of your piece - I like to experiment with using both matt and gloss varnish on individual pieces depending on the effect I would like to achieve.

Thank you for reading this blog post - I hope you found it interesting. Please comment below to share your favourite tools when creating coloured pencil portraits.

I look forward to hearing from you!