Acrylic & Spray Paint: Creative Breakthrough or Just Chaos?

Acrylic painting with Rose Gold spray paint on it.

When I first heard about using spray paint in art, my reaction was, Yikes—this is going to be smelly and messy! But after watching a few videos, I felt inspired to give it a try. A friend brought over a can of metallic rose gold spray paint, and we jumped into experimenting.

She used a layered technique, spraying into a cup over acrylic paint. I took a different route and sprayed directly onto a wet acrylic painting on canvas. To my surprise, I loved the effect! The spray paint added movement, shine, and unexpected shapes that really brought the piece to life. I played with distance—spraying close for bold lines and farther away for softer touches.

In the end, I created two pieces I’m proud of! 

How to try it on your own

Important: Spray paint fumes are intense, so be sure to wear a respirator or paint mask or work outside with good ventilation.

Supplies:

• Ventilation: I recommend doing this outside with or without a Paint Respirator or mask (Available on Amazon and other places)

• Any Size Canvas

• Acrylic pouring paint

• Puppy pads or tarp to keep paint off the ground. I also sometimes use a deep plastic tote.

Get Started:

1. Setup ventilation, open windows, open garage doors, go outside, put on paint respirator or mask. Ect. (Do everything you need to do to make sure you aren’t inhaling fumes).

2. Apply acrylic pouring paint onto the canvas as desired. 

3. Shake up spray paint

4. Take the lid off spray paint (be careful the can can spray when you pull the lid off). 

5. Hold the can 12 inches away from the canvas

6. Start with short bursts from the can to see if you like the effect, then explore by holding it closer to your canvas.  

7. Put it in a safe ventilated place to dry.  These paintings can take a few days to dry.  Always test them for dryness before bringing them into the house.