Art techniques explained: oil, acrylic, watercolour, gouache, pastel, ink, mixed media and spray
From oil and acrylic to watercolour, gouache, pastel, ink, mixed media and spray paint, each art technique gives a completely different look, texture and feel. This guide explains the main painting and wall-art techniques in plain language — so you can read a work, talk to an artist with confidence, and choose an original piece that truly fits your space.
Whether you collect art or you're learning to paint yourself, knowing the techniques is the fastest way to understand what makes a piece special — and what it's worth.
Oil painting: depth and richness
Oil paint dries slowly, which lets artists blend colours and build luminous layers and glazes. It's the technique of the old masters and is prized for its depth, texture and longevity — ideal for rich, detailed works that become a room's focal point.
Acrylic: versatile and modern
Acrylic dries fast and is incredibly versatile — from thick, sculptural impasto to flat, graphic colour. It's the workhorse of contemporary and abstract painting, durable and vivid, which is why so much modern wall art is painted in acrylic.
Watercolour: lightness and transparency
Watercolour is transparent and luminous, built from washes of pigment and water. It excels at light, atmosphere and spontaneity — delicate landscapes and botanicals that bring softness and calm to a bedroom or a quiet corner.
Gouache: opaque, matte colour
Gouache is watercolour's opaque cousin: water-based, but dense and matte. It gives flat, vibrant blocks of colour and is a favourite for illustration and graphic, poster-like works — bold pieces that read clearly from across a room.
Drawing techniques: charcoal, pastel and graphite
Not every original is a painting. Charcoal gives deep, smoky blacks; soft pastel offers powdery, painterly colour; graphite delivers fine detail. These drawing techniques produce intimate, expressive works — often more affordable entry points into collecting original art.
Ink and mixed media: line and layering
Ink delivers crisp line, contrast and energy — from calligraphic brushwork to fine pen detail. Mixed media combines several techniques in one work (acrylic plus collage, ink over paint, paint plus spray), layering textures that pure single-medium works can't reach. It's where much of today's contemporary art lives.
Acrylic pouring and fluid art
Acrylic pouring (fluid art) mixes paint with a pouring medium so colours flow, marble and create organic cells. The result is abstract, modern and hypnotic — a popular technique for large statement pieces that feel completely contemporary.
Spray paint and street art techniques
Spray paint, stencils and markers built the visual language of street art and muralism — bold colour, fast gesture and graphic impact at any scale. Many of L'Original's represented artists come from this lineage, which is why aerosol works translate so well from the wall to the canvas.
Which technique should you choose?
Choose by the feeling you want, not by ranking. Oil and acrylic suit bold focal pieces; watercolour, gouache and pastel bring softness; ink and mixed media add edge; pouring and spray feel resolutely modern. If you're starting to paint yourself, acrylic is the most forgiving; if you're collecting, let the technique guide the mood of the room.
