Durability, flexibility and longevity are traits of this more contemporary medium. My acrylic portraits and paintings were completed using professional artist grade heavy body pigments, preferably Liquitex brand, on cotton duck primed canvas or primed hardboard.
Working with a more natural earth tone colour based palette, staying away from the more synthetic, man made sort of colours, helps me create more traditional looking paintings and portraits with acrylic. It has always been my adage to work With the medium and its natural quick drying tendencies, then to try to extend the pigments with slow dry mediums. I use small amounts of water and some blending fluid, for glazing when needed, as a vehicle, as well as work in a dry brushing, scumbling or circular rubbing motion method with mainly just the damp paint. Paper towels are always handy right by my palette for ridding the brush of excess pigment first.