Dipping my toes (my brush) into Acrylic Painting

February 05, 2025

I've never been much good at visual art—painting, in particular—like, ever. It’s just not my cup of tea. Or so I told myself. Ironically, if childhood interests are any indication of our true callings, I’m more of a musical soul, proven by the stash of singing competition prizes I collected back in my primary and secondary school days. But those glory days were, well, donkey years ago.

Recently, though, as I wandered through the land of "What should I do next?" after an intentional career slowdown/hiatus, a few close friends started raving about their painting journeys. And wouldn’t you know it—a little spark of curiosity ignited in me. Alright then, I thought, maybe I’ll give it a whirl. You never know until you try, right?

So, like any good beginner in the 21st century, I dove headfirst into research mode. Countless YouTube tutorials? Check. Blogs with impossibly beautiful masterpieces? Check. An existential crisis over choosing a medium? Double check. Watercolor? Oil? Acrylic? Gouache? Sketching, maybe?

Oh, and did you know ink is a thing too? Because I sure didn’t—until now.

Paint on paper? Thick paper? Canvas? Fabric? Cardboard? It’s an overwhelming, colorful, and slightly intimidating world out there.

So… where do I even begin? 🤔

After a fair bit of procrastination and a bout of inertia (and almost drowning in self-doubts, so to speak), I finally took the plunge into acrylic painting -- because hey, who doesn't love a riot of colors? Naturally, that meant hoarding ahem acquiring art supplies -- the full suite of them oops -- acrylic paint, gesso/acrylic retarder/flow medium (yes, I went art nerd here I know), various types of brushes (you name it I have it), canvas boards, and of course, an easel to make things official.

And just like that, my toe-dip turned into a full-on splash!