Acrylic paints are very useful for painting the weekend crafts that you and your kids create in your wood shop over the weekends. In dealing with acrylic paints, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your experience in dealing with them.

The nice thing about acrylic paints is that, unlike oil based paints, they are fast drying. This means that you can paint your bird house, knick knack, or other craft in the morning and by afternoon it is dry and ready to be used. Of course, since the paint is fast drying, it means that you should work with it quickly. Once you open the tube, work with it as quickly as you can to avoid having it dry out before you can cover your target piece.

Acrylic paints are among the more versatile of paints in that they can mimic the other two major styles of paints - water and oil based. For instance, by diluting it with water or other substances, you can give the color a slightly washed out look that closely resembles water color. By adding acrylic gel or media, you can mimic the look of an oil painting.

Those who are tight on funds and have never used acrylic paints before, may want to start with a lower grade paint. Some manufacturers sell what is known as student grade acrylic paints. These paints have a lower pigment concentration and a few other differences that make them less expensive and more affordable for those who can't quite afford the premium paints. And then, as you become more comfortable using acrylics, you can make a seamless transition to the more expensive grades.

If the paint has been previously opened, you may find that some of the moisture has evaporated making the paint thick and hard to handle. In this case you need to thin it out. The easiest way to do this is by adding plain water to it. When the paint dries, it will still provide a water resistant paint layer to the piece you have painted.

A part of acrylic paint maintenance is caring for the paints that you use. When you are finished painting, clean the caps on your acrylic paint tubes. Clean threads as well. If you don't, you may find it difficult or impossible to reopen it the next time that you are ready to use it.