Amy Evans

As a retired teacher who ran community acrylic classes, I tell returning painters to start with student grade from an art line rather than bargain craft paint. Student lines cost less because they contain a bit more binder and fewer single pigments and but good ones still have decent color strength and are easier to learn with. Professional grade has the highest pigment load and the best lightfastness, which is wonderful once your hand is steady again, though not essential for practice pieces and gifts for family. Look for wording that says soft body or medium viscosity if you enjoy blending and smoother strokes. Heavy body is thicker and holds brush marks well, which is great for impasto but can feel stiff at first. If colors feel too thick, thin with a little water, but switch to an acrylic medium if you are adding more than a small splash so the paint film stays strong. If fast drying frustrated you in the past, pick up a slow dry or retarding medium or try a slow drying acrylic line. They give you more time to blend petals and skies. A limited palette keeps things simple and teaches mixing. Two yellows, two reds, two blues, plus white and a couple of earths will cover flowers and landscapes with bright, clean mixes. Get a larger tube of white because you will use it constantly. Synthetic brushes labeled for acrylic are perfect. A couple of flats and rounds in mid sizes with one small round for details will do most jobs. Rinse often while you work and never let paint dry in the ferrule. Cleanup is plain water and a bit of mild soap at the sink. For surfaces, pre primed canvas panels are easy and affordable. Stretched canvas works too, as does heavy acrylic paper if you prefer something that stores flat. Acrylic is forgiving. Let a mistake dry and paint over it. To ease the pace and reduce mess, mist your palette now and then, and consider a simple stay wet palette made from a shallow tray with a damp paper towel topped by baking parchment. It keeps colors open longer and saves paint. If you care about long term brightness, check for lightfast ratings of excellent or very good and choose non toxic labeling. With that, you will have bright color, easy cleanup, and enough working time to enjoy quiet afternoons of painting again.