Cover your work area with some paper. Squeeze a small amount of the paint onto a palette or old saucer. When painting porous surfaces you can add a little drop of water to the paint to thin it slightly.
I've gone for a very simple black and white theme. The key to acrylic paint is to allow each colour to dry before painting on another.
You can be as creative as you like with any pattern. Allow your finished item to dry overnight - if you want to varnish it then any transparent water based varnish is fine.
