Gesso
Gesso prepares (or "primes") the surface for painting, making the surfaces lightly textured and ready to accept acrylic paint.
You don't always need to use it, but sometimes the paint needs a little help. Shiny surfaces, for example, aren't always suitable for acrylics, the paint needs a surface to grip or else it can easily be peeled off.
Acrylic Paint
There are many different types and brands of paint. Acrylic paint is a fast-drying paint made of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints are water soluble, but become water-resistant when dry..
Some acrylic paints are Satin or Gloss and have a built-in sealer, so then you won't have to add anything on top. If there is no built-in finish, I would use a clear acrylic spray or brush-on sealer so that the surface doesn't easily scratch. Read the can/bottle before you buy it as it comes in variable gloss levels and some are only for specific types of media.
Paint Brushes
Paint brushes come in many shapes and sizes and are used for different effects. Get a few of each type so you can expiriment with how it works.
Synthetic bristle brushes are more suitable for acrylic paint, but there are many different brands and some can be very expensive. The more expensive brushes are less likely to lose bristles on your sculpture. I would suggest buying a package that has several different sizes and shapes. Using different types of brushes will give you different results but basically large brushes should be used for large spaces. I would suggest buying several different types and experimenting to find out which works best for you.
