How to complete your first acrylic painting
When creating a landscape, work from background to foreground or, generally, top to bottom.
Start at the top with your sky and work your way down the canvas a little more than halfway using the large brush and a little blue mixed with white.
Next mix a darker blue and with the same large brush, and paint the water. Keep your brush strokes horizontal, leaving some streaks of lighter blue in the water.
Cover the canvas all the way to the bottom.
Next use the smaller flat brush and some black paint and block in the shape of the hills where the water and sky meet.
Take the liner brush and add details for the trees.
By now the water you painted should be dry; using a piece of chalk, draw the basic shape of the dory.
Fill this shape with white and let it dry.
Once the white is dry, use the smaller flat brush and fill with desired colour. You can paint right over the chalk if needed.
Use the liner brush to add details (shadows and highlights) and to add paddles and rope.
Add the ripples in the water and shadows under the boat with the same brush. Tweak as needed and your painting is complete.
Tips: use a hair dryer to speed up drying time; wait for one layer to dry before adding more layers to prevent your painting from becoming muddy; wait until your painting is completely dry and use a damp paper towel to wipe off any excess chalk; know when to stop. Sometimes less is more.