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Mediums for acrylic paint

Acrylic paint GaleriaAcrylic paint is an incredibly fine medium. It provides a flexible and very strong paint layer. The colorfastness is excellent. The paint is available in different qualities and many colors.

Additives GaleriaHowever, acrylic paint has a significant difference from oil paint: it dries very quickly. Additionally, the paint normally dries slightly glossy and very smooth, with the brush strokes hardly visible. Although the paint can be used well without extra additives, many additives have been developed to change the appearance of the paint. A complete overview is almost impossible to make, but the most commonly used ones are listed in this article. These can be roughly divided into five categories:
Winton and Newton1. Mediums or additives that slow down drying.
The drying time of acrylic paint is very short. This sometimes makes it difficult to paint smooth color transitions, especially on large surfaces. Various manufacturers have developed drying retarders to extend the drying time.
  • Acrylic retarder (Talens)
  • Gel trocknungsverzogerer (Liquitex)
  • Flussiger trocknungsverzogerer (Liquitex)
  • Retarder (Winsor & Newton)
Talens2. Mediums that thin or make the paint more fluid, often combined with a gloss level.
Some brands of acrylic paint are very pasty. This can be challenging, especially when depicting small details. It is also easier to work in layers with more fluid paint. The paint naturally dries slightly glossy, which not everyone likes. Special mediums have been developed to improve flow and adjust the gloss level.

  • Acrylic medium, matte or glossy (Talens); to thin the paint.
  • Gloss or Matte Gel Medium (Liquitex)
  • Flow improver (Winsor & Newton); to improve flow. Must be diluted with water before use.
  • Acrylic medium, matte or glossy (Winsor & Newton)
Adding textureAdding texture3. To add texture to your painting or make the brush stroke more visible.
Acrylic paint dries very smooth and tight. If you want some relief in your work or want the brush stroke to be visible, you can use texture mediums, possibly combined with various materials. These mediums can be further divided into two categories. Specially suitable for materials that have already been added or can be added such as beads, sand, stones, wood, and paper:

  • Gel medium (Talens); used to thin the paint while retaining the same viscosity, but the color becomes less intense.
  • Gloss Gel Medium (Liquitex)
  • Gloss Heavy Gel Medium (Liquitex)
  • Sand texture gel (Winsor & Newton)
  • Glass bead gel (Winsor & Newton)
  • Galeria Acrylic Binder (Winsor & Newton)
Mediums Booklet with tipsTexture mediums make the brush stroke very visible. Often, there is a choice for more or less relief. These are mixed with the paint to work very pasty. Most art supply stores have a free booklet from Talens explaining how to work with the various structure mediums.

  • Heavy gel medium (Talens)
  • Volume-increasing Gel Medium (Liquitex)
  • Modelling Paste (Winsor & Newton)
  • Impasto Medium (Winsor & Newton)
  • Galeria (heavy) structure gel (Winsor & Newton)
 Varnish4. Varnishes.
To give your painting extra protection or to even out differences in gloss levels, you can finish it with special acrylic varnish.

  • Acrylic varnish, matte or glossy (Talens); a final varnish that provides an even gloss level to the painting. This can also be used for oil paint.
  • Matte or High-gloss varnish (Liquitex)
  • Acrylic varnish water-based, glossy or matte (Winsor & Newton); removable
 Acrylic remover5. Miscellaneous.
This includes all products not directly used for the painting but specifically developed for working with acrylic paint.

  • Acrylic remover (Talens); used to remove dried acrylic paint from brushes or a palette.
  • Hand cleaner (Talens); safely cleans your hands.
  • Acrylic varnish remover (Winsor & Newton)