2 Ways to Blend in Acrylic with Mark Mehaffey
Acrylics dry fast. This can be a pro and a con as an artist. But it can be especially frustrating for one particular skill: Blending.
Whether you're trying to create smooth skies, subtle transitions in skin tones, or a gentle fall-off in light, blending acrylics can feel like a race against the clock.
Mark Mehaffey (Ep.5) says, don’t worry, you’ve got good options for blending in acrylics.
Two Types of Blending in Acrylic
Mehaffey breaks it down into two main approaches: physical blending and optical blending. Both can help you create soft edges, but each one works a little differently.
Option 1: Physical Blending: Soft Edges with the Brush
Physical blending is what most people think of when they hear the word “blend.” It’s the act of physically mixing two wet colors on the canvas or paper.
Let’s say you lay down a shape of yellow and a shape of blue. While both are still wet, you use a clean, slightly damp or even dry brush to gently blend the two where they meet. If done well, this blending will create green—a soft transition from one color to the next.
This method gives a smooth, airbrushed look. But here's the challenge: acrylic dries fast. Often too fast. If you hesitate even a little, the paint begins to set and won’t blend smoothly anymore. You'll end up dragging partially dried paint, which causes patchiness instead of softness.
That’s why working in small sections and using a slow-drying medium (or misting the surface lightly with water) can help. But it’s still a technique that takes practice—and speed.
Option 2: Optical Blending: Let the Eye Do the Work
If you find physical blending too stressful or want more control, try optical blending. This approach is a favorite of Mehaffey’s because it plays with how our eyes interpret color. Instead of physically mixing two paints together, you place small, visible strokes of two different colors side by side.
So in our yellow and blue example, you’d place short strokes or dots of blue right next to yellow. Stand back, and your eye blends them into a green. This method is inspired by Impressionist painters and pointillists like Georges Seurat, and it works beautifully in acrylic because you don’t need to worry about drying time—the colors stay separate!
Optical blending also brings a painterly, dynamic quality to your work. The closer the viewer gets, the more they see the individual strokes. The farther back they step, the more the colors visually fuse. It’s a powerful tool that creates vibrancy and motion without any actual mixing.
Put it to Practice
Blending can be tricky. Which makes it a great technique to first try outside of a finished painting. Here’s how to practice blending.
First, choose two colors that mix well together—blue and yellow, red and white, or blue and white are all good choices.
Next, Divide your paper or canvas into two sections. Label one side “Physical Blending” and the other “Optical Blending.”
On the Physical Blending side:
Paint one color on the left and the other on the right.
While both are still wet, use a clean, damp brush to gently blend them in the center. Aim for a smooth gradient.
On the Optical Blending side:
Use short strokes, dots, or dashes of each color, side by side, in the same area.
Step back and notice how your eyes interpret the two colors as blending into a third.
Which technique felt easier? Which effect do you prefer? Could one of these blending styles help you solve a problem you’re facing in a current painting?
Blending doesn’t have to be a battle against the clock. Whether you blend with your brush or your eyes, both techniques are valuable tools in your acrylic painting toolkit. Try them out, experiment, and find what works best for your style.