How to paint beetles in acrylics

Equipment

Hardboard (30x30cm)

Sennelier Abstract Acrylics

Glaze medium

Large flat brush

Fine detail brush

Let everything a Studio with Painters Online membership has to offer take you even further on your painting journey

DISCOVER STUDIO HERE

Colours

Titanium or zinc white

Ultramarine

Primary blue

Primary red

Cadmium red

Primary yellow

Lemon yellow

Acrylic glazing techniques

Beetle Mania, acrylic on hardboard, (30x30cm)

Discover acrylic glazing techniques as you paint iridescent beetles with Jackie Garner.

‘Glazing is when we apply a layer, or multiple layers, of transparent colour over an existing part of a painting,’ says Jackie.

‘The initial marks remain visible, but the colour is modified. The effect is similar to thin washes of colour in watercolour, but the colour is usually stronger with acrylic.

‘Glazing relates to velatura, which means a translucent layer or layers of paint. The underlying layer must be completely dry before applying the glaze so each layer retains its own colour. This is known as optical mixing, as the two colours are not physically mixed together. The result is rich, luminous colours that each contribute to the whole.

‘Paint is usually applied with a soft, wide brush. I often use an old nylon flat brush, about an inch wide.’

Uses for glazing techniques

Glazing is a useful technique in several different ways:

Start with a monochrome image and use glazes to add colour.
Glaze over an existing colour to adjust or correct it.
Create a rich, intense background for a portrait or still life.

Glaze medium

You can glaze by diluting a colour with water, but this carries a risk of underbinding, whereby the paint separates as the emulsion becomes too weak to support the pigment.

A better alternative is to use glaze medium, which makes the paint film stronger and increases gloss and transparency.

How to use glaze medium

Simply put a small dollop of medium on your palette and mix a little with the colour. The resulting mixture will be thick enough to retain some brushmarks. As you add more glaze medium, the colour becomes thinner and more transparent.

Other options include diluting the mix by adding more glaze medium, adding a little water (not more than 25 per cent), or using a more fluid form of acrylic colour.

Like many other acrylic mediums, glaze medium looks milky when wet, but dries clear.

If you want to glaze with a secondary or tertiary colour, mix the desired colour first then add glaze medium. It’s more difficult to judge the colour if you’ve added the milky-looking medium from the outset.

A glaze may be removed while it is still wet. Use a clean rag, kitchen roll or brush to dab or brush away unwanted excess. Once dry, the glaze cannot be removed.

Mixing the glaze with a little retarding medium keeps the colour workable for longer.

ORDER GLAZE MEDIUM HERE

Glazing techniques - Exercise one

Begin by making a grid with pencil and ruler, with squares the width of your brush and a little space between each square.

Take each colour in turn and paint a line across the grid.

I’ve used my three primaries from the Sennelier Abstract range, alternating a cool and a warm version of each.

READ DAVID WISEMAN'S REVIEW OF SENNELIER ABSTRACT ACRYLICS

Fortunately for this exercise, each primary is transparent, except for cadmium red. Check your tube or a paint chart to see if a colour is transparent or opaque.

Once the initial layer is dry, repeat the exercise with stripes perpendicular to the first.

You will create a range of luminous colours that vary slightly within each square.

Glazing techniques - Exercise two

This time try three secondary colours: purple, orange and green.

Have fun building a mini abstract by repeated overlapping glazes.

Notice how you can build rich darks by layering colours, with each contributing to the final result.

Demonstration: Beetle Mania

Beetle Mania, acrylic on hardboard, (30x30cm)

This demonstration is inspired by the glossy iridescence of beetles, beginning with a line drawing and adding colour with successive glazes.

Top tips

If you don’t have glaze medium, you can dilute your paint with water, but the effect won’t be quite as transparent or luminous.
You will gradually build up the image, without making strong statements too early on.
The painting evolves gradually so it’s a good exercise in creative decision-making and self-discipline.
Be sure to constantly evaluate which areas to glaze and which have sufficient colour.
For my reference material I’ve used a selection of images: sketchbook drawings, historic watercolours and an Egyptian scarab hieroglyph.
You can make the image your own with other insects or different reference material.

Jackie’s reference sketch for the finished painting, taken from a variety of sources

Draw your beetles on your support in pencil. Choose a pleasing composition, allowing some beetles to overlap or be bisected by the edge of the support. Make a mental note of which dominant colour you want each beetle to be.
With a fine brush, outline your beetles in the dark colour mixed from any three primaries. Try not to create an even line – the effect of wobbles, broken lines and varying thicknesses will all enhance the final image.
With the same colour, add a little tone. Have fun with mark making here; you don’t want to be too precise. Remember that most marks will still be seen in the finished image so if you are unhappy with any marks at this stage, overpaint them with titanium white.

Content continues after advertisements

Mix a light colour from a little red, yellow and white. Add a dollop of glaze medium and thin with water, if necessary.
Once you have a pool of fluid paint, spread it loosely over your support, leaving some areas of the support unpainted. Don’t worry if your dark marks are lightened. You can always strengthen them later if necessary.
While the paint is still wet, take a damp piece of kitchen roll or rag and dab away some of the colour from the background and where you’ll want the brightest colours on your beetles. Don’t be too careful to keep within the lines.

Top Tip

Being transparent, zinc white is best for this so use that if you can, but titanium white will suffice.

To make a purple shadow colour make two glazes, one of blue and one of red. Begin with ultramarine, taking some colour and adding a little glaze medium. Add a little water if necessary to make a fluid colour.
With a wide brush, apply the colour freely over any area – beetle or background – that needs to be dark.
Don’t use too much colour on your brush – broken brushmarks add interest and you can always add another glaze later. Lift out colour while wet if it’s too strong or in the wrong place. Aim to create a balance throughout the image.
Once the blue is dry, repeat the process with primary red (see below). The two colours won’t exactly overlap, but slight variation will give interest to the image.

Top Tip

I used a 1in. brush so I wasn’t tempted to fiddle or try to keep within the lines.

Next, apply lemon yellow wherever you want bright jewel-like green and anywhere you’d like a pop of bright yellow.

Top Tip

Remember to retain the white areas, as those will suggest bright highlights on a glossy surface.

Next, use primary blue, which will give a bright green where it overlaps with yellow and will strengthen the darks where it overlaps with red.

Top Tip

Be careful not to overdo the blue. It’s a strong colour so better to add more later than too much now.

At this stage I felt that my background was too light in contrast to the beetles so I added another glaze of primary red.

I took the red over some of the beetles, giving them a more overall purple appearance.

To finish the painting, I added a final glaze of primary blue, both on some of the beetles and to darken the background, particularly at the sides of the image.
I also added a little more yellow to the top and bottom left-hand sides of the beetles and a little on the middle of the largest beetle.
Finally, I used a fine brush to add details of feet and antennae.

The finished painting

Beetle Mania, acrylic on hardboard, (30x30cm)

The final image shows how optical mixing creates rich, dark overlaps, with each layer contributing to the whole. Thin, clear layers of one or two primaries, contrasting with areas of unpainted support and some strong darks, suggests dark glossy surfaces glowing with iridescence.

Find out more about Jackie and her work by visiting www.jackiegarner.co.uk

SEE MORE ACRYLIC PAINTING DEMONSTRATIONS FROM JACKIE

Sometimes we may include links to online retailers, from which we might receive a commission if you make a purchase. Affiliate links do not influence editorial coverage and will only be used when covering relevant products.

This demonstration is taken from the September 2021 issue of Leisure Painter

SUBSCRIBE TO LEISURE PAINTER

How to paint beetles in acrylics

Equipment

Colours

Acrylic glazing techniques

Uses for glazing techniques

Glaze medium

How to use glaze medium

Glazing techniques - Exercise one

Glazing techniques - Exercise two

Demonstration: Beetle Mania

Top tips

Top Tip

Top Tip

Top Tip

Top Tip

The finished painting

Associated Articles and Videos

How to paint a still life with ceramic figurines

How to paint realistic seascapes in acrylic

How to paint blossom in oils and acrylics

How to paint seascapes with swimmers

How to paint bluebells in acrylics

How to paint a retro-style travel poster in acrylic

Explore glazing and texture with acrylic mediums

How to paint a wildflower meadow with butterflies

Capturing the essence of a subject from a photograph

How to paint seabirds in acrylics

Comments