Welcome to Acrylic Academy.  Painting in acrylic is freeing and fun.  It can be an opaque or transparent medium.  Once dry, it is permanent (does not lift like watercolor) and can be painted over in layers.  It cleans up with water.  It does not use harsh solvents which are hard on human health.  Instead of saving the white of the paper as we do in watercolor, white paint can be used or added to tint a color.  Acrylic is a very versitile medium with many tricks and techniques that only acrylic can do.