When I looked at this little guy (54mm), my first try at acrylics, I was very happy with my progress. Of course, the camera doesn't lie, so I see spots here and there that need touching up and correction.
I've got the look I wanted, a grubby pirate robber, but somehow my painting (in my photos) looks a mess! I found this much more difficult to do compared with oils.
If I'm doing something wrong by all means don't hesitate to say so, I'm here to learn.
Mary

Mary,
I'm a oilpainter and what i see in your figure is that you haven't much deluted the acrylic.
When i see acrylicpainters do a demo at my club, the can't say it enough: dilute, dilute.

Marc

Marc, thank you...I think I am keeping the paint a bit too thick instead of building layers...

He looks good Mary. As Marc says the trick with acrylics is using lots of diluted layers, I think most new comers to acrylics find this one of the hardest things to get right (I certainly did). I leave my base coats quite a thick mix maybe 1 part paint to 1 part water and then to do highlights and shadows my ratio changes to around 1 part paint to 6, 7 or 8 parts water. Wipe most of the paint off the brush onto paper towel and the more layers you do the better the blending will be. Using a hairdryer to dry in between layers helps other wise you'll end up waiting more than painting.

Thanks, Andrew. I know the ratio was wrong. Most of my acrylics (W&N) are in tubes so I'm having a hard time adding the right amount of water.

i use plastic candy molds for bon bons 25 depressions. 2.00 and it allows me to maintain lots of washes. candyland has them. after the 4th wash the acrylic color starts to lay down quite well

Hi Mary I think that if you find using oils easier than acrylics,stick with them you gets lots more time to blend them.I have tried acrylics with mixed results and I admire anyone that has mastered them, but always go back to my trusty oils.

Cheers David