Alot of people have the experience of returning from a museum and suddenly realizing that they want to learn oil painting. They see the good classics and think about one day being able to do just such a thing. Although this is a noble dream, don't rush out and by oil paints! Acrylic paintings are a much easier place to begin. Acrylic painting method is easier, because the paints are easier to use. They dry faster, they are less fussy, and they blend more easily. Don't get the wrong idea– oil is still great. For a master painter, oil paintings are the end all and be all in average. Nevertheless, acrylic painting can hold its own. Some of the best works I have ever witnessed were done in acrylics. One of the biggest asumptions that people make with acrylic paints is to think that they can just do it on by themselves. After all, this is basicly true with water color painting, so why not with acrylics? In reality, although you can learn acrylic painting all by yourself, I don't recommend it. At the very least, you should use a video on how to paint. You see, acrylic paint techniques are much more complicated than anything you have ever done before. Not only do you have to worry about mixing paint colors, but you also have to get the paint to the right consistency. Acrylic painting supplies are not cheap, so unless you wants to buy the cheap, no good stuff, you should try to conserve them as best you can. That is why a great art class is almost a must. Once you become familiar with acrylic paints, you will realize how much things you can do with them that you could never do before. Acrylic painting not only allows you to give additional depth to your picture, but it opens whole new options of textures. The style of strokes you use, the paint composition you employ, and all the rest of it go in to making your acrylic painting what it's meant to be. To be able to do this stuff correctly, however, you have to study. Alot of folks don't realize it, but most of art is in the planning. By the time you get to the execution, you have already sketched out the layout for your whole portrait. In your acrylic paint class, not only will you learn how to use brushes, but you will also learn how to imagine a picture before beginning it. For an artist, this is the most important technique.