Part 2 In the second of his six-part series, Tim Fisher demonstrates the painting of rain, puddles and reflections in acrylic

Acrylics

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

■ Tips and techniques for painting with acrylics

■ How to paint reflections in puddles

■ The value of underpainting in acrylics

Rain on the Strand , acrylic on canvas board, 24x18in. (61x46cm). This is quite a large painting with a big area of sky to cover and there was a risk the edges would dry before blending could be finished. I therefore gently misted the surface with a water atomiser, which kept the paint mobile long enough to work on it. Drying extenders can be added to the acrylic paint mix, although it’s difficult to judge how much drying time can be gained so I much prefer the atomiser method.

The erratic British weather provides a whole range of different themes and ideas for the artist. This month I will be looking at wet weather, puddles and reflections. What is often an unwelcome event like rain can have a big influence on how we portray finished artwork. It can be exciting to capture that moment on a walk as the sun breaks through and illuminates trees or buildings against a dark grey and overcast sky. Street scenes can take on a whole new dimension by changing the theme to a rainy day, adding reflections and puddles, buildings with the lights on and figures huddled against the elements.