What Kind Of Paint Does Paint Night Use?

What is Paint Night?

Paint night, also known as paint and sip, refers to a recreational group activity where participants gather at bars, restaurants, art studios, or other venues to recreate a painting step-by-step along with an instructor. An artist provides guidance to attendees, usually while they enjoy food and drinks. The instructor walks participants through recreating a featured painting over the course of a 2-3 hour workshop.

Paint and sip events have grown rapidly in popularity across North America, especially among women, offering a fun night out to get creative and socialize. According to industry analysis, the paint and sip industry has expanded at an annual rate of 4.5% since 2016, now generating over $115 million in revenue as of 2021. Its growth reflects the rising consumer demand for creative experiences and unique social outings beyond just dining and drinking.

Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paint is the most commonly used paint type for paint nights. Acrylic paint dries quickly, typically within a few minutes or up to an hour at most. This allows painting to be completed in a single session without worrying about smearing wet paint. Acrylics are also highly versatile – they can be blended smoothly or used to create textures, and thin washes or thick impasto effects. The fast drying time can be extended by adding a retarder medium. Acrylics are water-soluble when wet but become water resistant when dry. Cleanup is easy with just soap and water. Acrylic’s blendability, fast drying, and flexibility make it the ideal choice for recreational paint nights.

Quality and Brands

For an event like paint night, having high quality paint is key to achieving good results and enjoying the process. Low quality paints can be prone to cracking, have poor coverage, and may not blend well. Given paint night is focused on learning techniques and creating artwork in a limited time, you’ll want paint that has vibrant colors and a smooth consistency to work with.

Some popular quality brands used for paint nights include:
Liquitex,
Winsor & Newton,
Holbein, and
Golden. These professional-grade acrylic paints provide rich pigments, a balanced viscosity, and reliable performance. They also come in a wide range of colors to choose from. While more costly than student quality paints, they are worth investing in for an enjoyable and successful paint night experience.

Cost Considerations

Paint nights are able to keep costs down by buying paint and supplies in bulk. According to sources like https://www.artbyalysia.com/pricing—paint-parties.html, the average cost per person ranges from $35-45. This covers the cost of materials and instruction.

The bulk supplies a paint night needs to purchase include:

– Canvas: approximately $3-5 each when bought in bulk quantities (https://www.artbyalysia.com/pricing—paint-parties.html).

– Acrylic paint: $2-3 per 2oz tube when bought in sets of 10 or more (Blick Art Supplies).

– Brushes: $1-2 per brush when bought in bulk lots (Dick Blick).

When totaled up, the estimated materials cost per person is around $10-15. The additional fees go towards the venue, instructor wages, advertising and profit.

Preparation

Before a paint night begins, the paint is prepped by the host or instructor to ensure the class runs smoothly. The acrylic paint is usually premixed into color palettes for each participant. This makes it easy for attendees to quickly get started painting without having to mix their own colors. According to this DIY paint night guide, the host will premix the necessary paint colors for the specific painting design into plastic palettes – around 5 colors per palette. The palettes allow participants to easily access the pre-mixed paint colors throughout the painting session.

Premixing the paint ahead of time allows the host to have color consistency across all the palettes. It also saves time during the class so participants can jump right into painting rather than mixing. The premixed color palettes are a key part of preparation for any successful paint night.

Cleanup

One of the benefits of using acrylic paint for paint nights is that it can be cleaned up with water while it’s still wet. This makes cleanup at the end of the night relatively easy. According to This Old House, acrylic paint that has spilled can be cleaned with a bucket of clean water and a rag.

At the end of a paint night, it’s important to thoroughly clean all paint brushes, palettes, and other supplies before the acrylic paint has a chance to dry. The paint can be rinsed out with water. To get brushes fully clean, it’s recommended to wash them again with a mild soap or detergent after the initial rinse. Any paper palettes or other disposable supplies can simply be thrown away. The floor should also be checked for any spilled paint and cleaned up promptly. With the quick cleanup process for acrylics, supplies and surfaces can easily be washed so there’s no sign a paint party ever happened!

Environmental Factors

Paint night events typically use acrylic paint, which has less fumes and odor than oil paints. This makes acrylics a good choice for painting in enclosed spaces like restaurants or bars where paint night events are often held. According to Is watercolor compatible with the environment?, oil paint requires toxic solvents for cleanup while acrylic paint is water-based.

However, Acrylic Painting, Microplastics, and the Environment points out that acrylic paint often contains plastic polymers and can still release microplastics into wastewater when cleaned up. So ventilation is still recommended for acrylic painting events to allow fumes and odors to dissipate.

Venues should make sure there is adequate air circulation and ventilation. Open windows or doors when possible. Using fans to improve air flow can also help keep fumes from building up. While less ventilation is needed compared to oil painting, providing some fresh flowing air helps create a more comfortable environment for participants.

Types of Paintings

Paint and sip studios offer a wide variety of painting themes and subjects to appeal to different tastes and skill levels. Some of the most common themes include:

• Landscapes – Paintings of serene nature scenes like mountains, forests, beaches, and sunsets are hugely popular. These allow creativity in colors while providing a simple structure to follow.
• Animals – Cute paintings of animals like dogs, cats, owls, and elephants are fun, upbeat options. The familiar subjects make painting accessible for beginners.
• Abstract – Bold abstract designs with shapes and colors offer lots of room for creativity. No specific skills are required.
• Pop Culture – Trendy pop culture themes like painting portraits of musicians, TV shows, or movies appeal to fans. They offer a complex challenge for advanced painters.

Studios aim to provide broad appeal with options ranging from easy to difficult. Landscapes and animals tend to be the most popular for their familiarity and creativity. Abstract designs are great for beginners. Pop culture attracts niche audiences who enjoy painting subjects related to their fandoms.

Source: https://www.yaymaker.com/painting-options/

Art Instruction

Teachers at paint night events guide participants in recreating a sample painting, often made by the instructor. As explained on the So Workshop blog, “Teach the painting, not how to be an artist. Your job is to break the painting down into simple, easy to follow steps so that students of all levels can recreate that painting.” https://soworkshop.com/teach-art/how-to-teach-paint-and-sip-class/

At the same time, instructors balance providing guidance with allowing for individual creative expression. As noted in an EmptyEasel article, “Make it clear that your sample is just a starting point—participants can change up the colors, leave out details, or add their own flair once they’ve got the basics down.” This allows participants to make the painting their own while still learning techniques and receiving instruction. https://emptyeasel.com/2019/03/13/how-to-teach-a-paint-sip-art-class-without-losing-your-soul-or-your-mind/

Conclusion

Paint night is a fun and creative way for beginners to get a taste of acrylic painting. With a little guidance from an instructor, anyone can produce a beautiful work of art, even with no prior painting experience. The acrylic paints used are high-quality and non-toxic, though the paint can be challenging to wash off completely. Focusing on enjoying the creative process with others, rather than perfectly recreating the sample painting, leads to the most satisfying experience.

With a relaxed, no-pressure atmosphere and step-by-step instruction, paint night offers an artsy night out that builds confidence. Going to paint night is all about playing with color, trying something new, and connecting over a shared activity. The ability to take home a finished painting makes it an unforgettable evening. With the right expectations and attitude, anyone can have fun at paint night.