Dueling Brushes: Mastering Acrylic Paint with Andrea Matus & Michael deMeng
One medium. Two artists. Infinite possibilities.
Acrylic paint is one of the most versatile and dynamic materials in an artist’s toolkit, and how you use it changes everything. But what happens when two artists with completely different styles go head-to-head to explore its secrets?
Welcome to Dueling Brushes, an in-depth online masterclass where painter and collage artist Andrea "the Geek" Matus and assemblage artist Michael "the Dementor" deMeng battle it out in a brush-to-brush face-off—showing how they each use acrylics in wildly different ways.
With over 8.5 hours of expert instruction, this course is more than just a technique class—it’s a comprehensive deep dive into the world of acrylic paint, from color theory and pigment history to hands-on applications in painting, mixed media, and sculpture.
What you’ll Learn:
✔ The Science & History of Paint – What makes this paint so magical? We break down pigments, binders, drying times, and how acrylic behaves on different surfaces.
✔ Color Theory & Mixing – The secret to bold, vibrant palettes (or eerie, moody ones if that’s your thing).
✔ Andrea’s 2D Techniques – Layering, glazing, blending, and mixed media magic for collage, painting, and portrait work.
✔ Michael’s 3D Methods – Dry brushing, washes, distressing, and aging tricks for sculpture and found objects.
✔ Acrylics as a Versatile Medium – Opaque and bold? Transparent and ethereal? Master how to make acrylics do what you want.
This course isn’t just about learning techniques—it’s about understanding acrylics at a professional level so you can push the medium further. Perfect for painters, sculptors, mixed media artists, and students looking for a deep and practical foundation in acrylic paint.
Instant access – download and learn at your own pace, on your schedule.
Two artists. Two approaches. One transformative class. Let the brush-off begin.
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Introduction
Chapter 1: Pigments of Olden Days - Michael take you on a brief journey back in time to explore the history of some of the world's grooviest colors.
Chapter 2: Big Fancy Words on a Tube of Paint - You ever wonder what all that stuff on a paint tube label means? You might be surprised how some of that info might be worth knowing. Also the who, what, where and why of Heavy Body, Fluid Acrylics, High Flow Acrylics, and OPEN paints.
Chapter 3: Brush with Greatness - Learn what makes a brush great, how to choose them and how to use them. Explore some of Andrea's alternative tools for applying paint to your two-dimensional surfaces.
Chapter 4: Alternate Brushes - Painting 3d surfaces as well as exploring interesting brush alternatives.
Chapter 5: On the Surface: - This chapter will explore a variety of ways to prep a 2d and 3d surface for painting.
Chapter 6: Color Wheel Keeps on Turning - Its not just a pretty circular rainbow, there is actually a lot of information housed in this device if you know how to use it. Learn how to make some and then use the ins and outs of this handy dandy art tool.
Chapter 7: Those Colours Run Hot and Cold - Let's take an in depth look at warm and cool colors. While we are at it let's take a look a cool colors that run warm and warm colors that run cool.
Chapter 8: A Happy Medium - Mediums, gels, and pastes, oh my! What they are and when you'll want to use them.
Chapter 9: Touchy Feely - This chapter will focus on a variety of textures that can be created with various mediums to really get the most of you 3d surface.
Chapter 10: The Andrea Files - Andrea shares her methods of painting, mixing and blending along with a plethora of her secret paint recipes.
Chapter 11: The Michael Files - Michael explores his methods of painting, in particular on 3d surfaces, as well as sharing a variety of texturally rich enhanced color combos.
Chapter 12: Weathering Heights - Let's explore patinas, in particular rust, verdigris and antique bronze a la Andrea.
Chapter 13: Battered and Briney - So let's do some more patina-ing...this time... with a Michael twist.
Chapter 14: Andrea Ages - Wanna make your painting look nice and antiqued. Andrea shares her favorite methods and recipes.
Chapter 15: Michael Ages More - Learn the deMengian methods and recipes for adding a bit of the past to your 3d pieces.
Chapter 16: Heavy Metal - Creating Metallic effects that are a bit crustier and heavier.
Chapter 17: Gentle Metal - Faux gold, interference, iridescents and and playing and combining majestic metallics.
Chapter 18: It's a Wrap - Thats All Folks.
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How much does it cost? $165.00
How long can I access the videos? Forever and ever. You will have to ability to download the videos right to your computer.
How does it differ from a live class? There isn't the one-on-one component and the possiblity for immediate feedback that you have in a live class, but you have the advantage of being able to get into much more in-depth explanations of technique. Also, the advantage of being to replay any section that you need a refresher on.
Will there be video? Yes. There will be roughly about 240 minutes of protected video that only students will be able to access.
How many videos will there be? There are over 60+ videos.
Is the class segmented or do I get everything at once? I have designed the class so you will have access the information at once and can play with it as you like, at your own speed. Q and A videos have been added each week for the the first 6 weeks.
Is there anyway to connect and share with other students enrolled? Yes. A Facebook Group will be set up specifically for this workshop. Students will be able to share experiments, projects and ask questions from the group.
What kind of site is being used to host this class? We are using a protected website as well as a protected video host.
How will I access the website? We will send out passwords to all the students in a welcome email as soon as you purchase the class.
Is this for Beginners or Advanced students? It's for everyone. We've made it so it is information that can be used by all levels.
Will it be entertaining? Geez, We hope so. We have done our best to make it very un-dry and fun, but in all fairness it is a lot of information so we can’t promise a laugh a minute.
What will happen after I sign up? We will send out an email with everything you need. A link and password for the class, a link for the Dueling Brushes Facebook Group as well as a link to the supply list to get you rolling.
What will I need to be able to watch the videos? If you can read this the information on this website and have the ability to watch videos on vimeo.com then you've got everything you need to be able to watch our videos.
Do I have to buy all the supplies you are going to demonstrate? Absolutely not. We'll be showing you a multitude of techniques and introducing you to a lot of product, in part so that you can make informed decisions when choosing which you will want to use in your work and which you won't.