There are a few ways you can blend your acrylic paints. You can try a dark to light gradient, use transitional colours or by using a few handy mediums. Here, we’ll be showing you four blending acrylic paint techniques. 

A dark to light gradient
1. Start with the lightest colour of your transition first, like a white. 
2. Add your darker colour above or below this (like a black) and blend into the lightest colour. Handy hint: this works best when both colours are still wet.
3. Keep blending the tones together, moving the brush from side to side, until you have your desired transition.
4. You can add more of the lightest shade or the darkest to blend until you’re happy. 
5. You should now have a dark to light gradient. 

Transitional colours
You can use transitional colours to create a smooth blend too. Try to stick to the same colour family for this, like red, orange and yellow or green, blue to purple. 

1. Start by layering your colours onto the canvas.
2. Apply the colours in horizontal strokes until they start to touch.
3. Clean your brush between colours and blend each other into the next. Handy hint: Keep paper towel or a rag beside you and wipe your brush in between colours, for a cleaner transition. 

Using acrylic retarder
You can also use mediums to help blend your colours together. An acrylic retarder can be mixed into any colour, here’s how to do it: 

1. Apply the acrylic retarder to your colours and apply both colours to the canvas before you begin blending. This will keep the paint wet and blendable for longer.
2. Use a dense brush to blend the colours together. Scumbling can help or by using a fan brush. 
3. You can finish blending by using a fan brush to get those tricky areas and to soften the blend. 

Acrylic gloss mediums
Struggling to blend your colours in time before they dry? An acrylic gloss medium helps keep paint wet and blendable.  
1. Mix the paint with the medium and apply your first colour. Keep painting until you run out of paint on the canvas. 
2. Apply the second colour and blend into the first.

Now it’s your turn! Have a go at these blending acrylic paint techniques and see what you come up with! 

Looking for more how-tos? Learn how to glaze to create optical blends, or check out more of our how-tos here.