Having good quality supplies is super important when learning to paint. Our creative events are all about having fun, so the last thing we want is to use materials that make the experience more difficult for you!
Striking a balance between price and quality is something we are constantly assessing. After conducting a thorough review of all our acrylic painting supplies, we thought we would share what we learnt.
Good quality paint matters
All our events are held in bars, pubs, restaurants or even outdoors. Taking this into account, it is important to use paints that are easy to use, are vibrant and heavily pigmented, and most importantly won't fade. You don't want to hang your painting on the wall, and in one month think - where did my painting go?
After testing a variety of acrylic paints, we found the one we have been using since we began in 2017 is still the best. Here's why Global Colours Fine Art Student Acrylic Impasto Artist Paint rocks:
- Global Colours paint is water-based, so it can be applied undiluted or thinned with water for washes to create an effective watercolour look.
- It is water-resistant once dry, fast-drying and completely flexible in light and heavy impasto applications.
- Global Colours have good coverage, meaning they are easy to apply to your canvas. They are easy to blend, and not too transparent - so we can layer up the paint! Some of the cheaper options we tested were inconsistent in texture, resulting in an uneven application and a less polished finish.
- Global Colours use high quality pigments and ingredients. They have been formulated with an environmental conscience, with recyclable packaging, and are non-toxic.
- Each acrylic paint is fully compatible and blends beautifully with the rest of the range. Some of the paint we tested did not blend too well. One brand even made brown when mixing red and blue - eeek! Global colours retain their vibrancy when mixed, which makes learning to paint and experimenting with colour mixing a breeze!
- Global Colours is Australian owned and their paints are manufactured in the heart of Sydney.
A good easel is your best friend
While it is possible to paint with your canvas on a table, using an easel is much more comfortable! We use aluminium easels for our acrylic painting classes, which are good for your posture, and make it easier to see what you are painting. The easels we use are lightweight, so they won't break our artists backs when carrying around the gear! The other great thing about them is they don't absorb moisture like wooden ones do, so there is no chance you will get a mouldy easel.
They are also the perfect size for our 12" x 16" canvases, and have a top flap for portrait artwork. We have had so many requests to purchase easels at our events, that we ordered a few extra so you can purchase your own from our website!
The tools of the trade
Get your creative juices flowing and your brush strokes going! We use NAS Series 1 Taklon brushes. Taklon is a synthetic fiber that mimics the qualities of animal hair brushes. Taklon is vegan friendly, easy to clean and therefore more hygienic. These brushes are perfect for acrylic painting, as they hold more paint in them that lower quality alternatives.
Our high quality canvases are primed and stretched over a wooden frame, ready for display. In our sessions you can paint the edges for a clean finish, or leave them unpainted for a fresh vibe.
We use sugarcane or paper plates as a paint palette, depending on availability. Both are biodegradable, and reduce the amount of water that would need to be used for washing plastic plates. Everyone is provided with a water cup - which we rinse and reuse, and a paper towel.
Painting can be messy - especially when you're enjoying a glass (or two!) of your favourite tipple. We want to protect your clothes from any wayward paint, so each person gets to wear a premium Paintvine apron. Not only are our aprons practical .... they also make you look awesome.
We're here for fun!
Our painting sessions are designed for absolute beginners - no artistic experience necessary! Which is why we invest in quality supplies, to make your painting experience as easy as possible. So grab a drink in one hand, a brush in the other, and let's paint a masterpiece together!
