How to Fix Acrylic Paints When They Dry

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Things You'll Need

  • Denatured alcohol

  • Paper towels

  • Titanium white paint

  • Light-grit sandpaper

  • Damp cloth

Fix acrylic paint mistakes with a tab of titanium white.

Even the most experienced and cautious artists make mistakes from time to time. If you're working with acrylic paints and notice a mistake after the paint has dried, there is a technique you can use to mask and repair the mistake without having to start your painting over again. This technique will essentially "white out" your mistake so you can fix the acrylic paints and save yourself the time and energy of starting the artwork over again.

Advertisement

Step 1

Wipe the area of the painting you want to fix with a small amount of denatured alcohol to reduce the buildup of acrylic paint. Use a clean, dry paper towel to remove as much of the paint buildup as possible.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Sand down the painted area softly to remove any unwanted texture from the painting. If you like the texture, you can skip this step.

Step 3

Wipe the dust off the painting with a slightly damp cloth.

Step 4

Paint the titanium white paint over the dry acrylic paints you want to cover and allow it to dry. Repeat this step if you need to achieve a higher level of coverage.

Step 5

Paint over the titanium white with your acrylic paints to repair the painting you are working on.

Tip

If the canvas you're painting isn't pure white, add a dab of color to your titanium white to mask the error more thoroughly.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

references