Join me every Tuesday and Thursday on my Instagram account where I post free acrylic painting tutorials and inspiration. Last month, I shared the following information to everyone:

Abstract Artist holding wood panels with gesso applied.

I really like the feel of my paint brush on top of a beautifully prepped wood panel. Purchasing the panels “unprepared” can not only save you some money, but if you prep the panels yourself, you will always know that the panels are prepped just the way you like them. (Prepped does not mean the same across all manufacturers…I’ve been burned before!)

For years I have been using GAC100 to prep my wood, but one of my readers alerted me to the fact that a couple of years ago, Golden changed their recommendation to use gloss medium instead. Take a look at this video and you might even get more information out of the comments if you are looking to paint on a wood panel.

Artist holding acrylic mediums glazing liquid and airbrush medium at home.

Shopping for acrylic mediums can be confusing! Acrylic Glazing Liquid and Golden Airbrush Medium look the same at a glance, but they both perform very different functions. The acrylic glazing liquid dries slowly and allows the artist to thin and blend out very light, sheer veils of color (I think this is a studio must have!) and when acrylic paint is mixed with airbrush medium, you can turn any of your pigments into very high viscosity paints- they stretch REALLY far. This is the video demonstration I made for this topic.

A demonstration of which brown pigments to use in color mixing acrylics.

It was interesting to hear which brown pigments the commenters on my Instagram feed were using the most. In this free video, I showed a few of my favorites. Check out the comments and see what you think!

An artist favorite the silicone scraper and how to use it for texture and pattern.

These silicone scrapers are in frequent use in my art practice. I recently purchased this set from Amazon to replace an out of stock set that I have used before and the substitutes held up to my standards. Check out these three ways that I use them to create pattern and texture in my abstract paintings. Click here for the free video.

Don’t forget to find me on Tuesday and Thursday’s on Instagram! There, you can watch and save the videos in on your phone to use whenever inspiration strikes.

As always, if you need help locating a supply that you see me using or are curious to know my must have art supplies click here to see my supply list.

Last Month's Free Tutorial Recap