Can You Paint Clay With Acrylic Paint?

Sometimes you don’t have time to get another fire done in your kiln. Especially when those clay projects are just taking up so much space in your art classroom. While we love glazing ceramic projects with kids, we also like the freedom of using acrylic paint on clay.

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Can kids use acrylic paint on clay?

Yes, we let even the youngest children use acrylic paint on sculptures. Acrylic paint is the best option for clay items if you are not planning on using glaze. This type of paint will not chip off like washable tempera paint. We love adding some sort of gloss varnish to seal the artwork. If you do not seal it then it will have a matte finish. 

What kind of paint can you use on clay?

You can use watercolor, tempera or acrylic paint. When painting with children, you don’t always have to use high-quality paints. Scholarly paints will work.

What is the best acrylic paint for kids?

Crayola Portfolio Series or Sax Tru Flow Heavied Bodied are suitable paint types for kids because of the price and quality. You can also use regular acrylic craft paints like this variety pack.

Biggest Cons To Using Acrylic Paint With Children

• It will stain clothes.
• Brushes need to be washed in a timely manner.
• If brushes sit covered in paint for a long time, they will be ruined. If painting with young kids the easiest way to avoid this is to soak the paint brushes in a bucket until you can get to it.
• You will not get the same glassy effect as regular ceramic glazes.
• Acrylic paint is unlike some glazes that can be food-safe. You would only want to paint ceramic pieces that are for decorative purposes.

Pros Of Using Acrylic Paint

• They can mix their own different colors.
• You won’t need a lot of paint.
• Not limited to different types of glaze colors available.
• More economical if using a scholar type of acrylic paint and not an artist brand.
• They have more control over the finished project because they know what the color actually looks like.
• Details may be easier to paint using a variety of brushes.
• They can paint the whole surface of the clay slab or sculpture including the bottom of the clay projects (unlike when we glaze with a whole class).
• If using regular clay, one less extra fire in the kiln as a bisque fire is only needed.
• Doesn’t matter the type of clay. You can use acrylic paint on air-dry clay projects.

Can you water down acrylic paints?

Also known as thin paint. For clay, it can be a good idea to water down acrylic to use a wash (especially great for getting in the grooves of the clay details).

Now this project below was done by a high school student, but it really illustrates how you can layer watered-down acrylic paint on clay to help showcase the textures and details.

How to create a shiny look when painting clay?

Depending on the kids applying the paint will depend on the sheen. If they water down the acrylic paint to create a wash, it will not have a glossy finish. Naturally, acrylic paint has some gloss to it. For best results, we do recommend sealing your clay projects. 

However, if you want your ceramic pieces to have more shine like normal glaze consider coating them with spray gloss Mod Podge, glitter Mod Podge or a variety of acrylic gloss mediums. You could also consider doing an epoxy resin on your painted clay projects.

What is one of our favorite gloss mediums for 3-d kid art projects?

The spray Mod Podge is super convenient and found it is the best way to seal other types of sculptures.  We will even use it to spray down model magic sculptures.

One of the clay fish in the image below was painted with watercolor paint and generously sprayed with the sealer. The other is just regular low-fire glazes.

Kids will love the shiny look and you save yourself the hassle of running a whole other kiln fire.

Gloss Medium Idea

If you really want to create a unique look on top of your acrylic paint, use an Iridescent Medium on top of your projects.  Sometimes the Liquitex one is hard to find, but that is the fun brand of glossy varnish we have the most experience with.

How To Use Acrylic Paint On Clay Flower

You can read the step-by-step instructions on how to build the clay flower here.

Step 1: Mix the base coat of the flower petals.

Step 2: Paint the flower petals of the flower. Add some lighter tints (color mix with white) to add extra texture.

Step 3: Add a slightly darker shade of color by dry brushing.

Step 4: Mix the color of the middle of your flower. Add highlights.

Step 5: Let fully dry. If using thin layers you will be surprised at how fast acrylic paint can dry on clay.

Step 6: Optional: Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge, acrylic sealer or iridescent gloss medium.

Step 7: Let dry and possibly add a second coat of sealer if the appearance is too matte.

Other Ways To Add Color To Clay

• Oil pastels with a resist technique on clay tiles– It is a super fun technique and kids will be in awe when they have to rinse their projects.
• Glazing Tips For Elementary Art Classrooms
• How To Glaze Greenware Pottery

Creating ceramic projects with kids is such a special memory and an important part of their arts and crafts journey.

Follow us on Pinterest for more free art and craft ideas!

We love that there are other non-glazing options, like using acrylic paint for their clay projects.

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