Acrylic Mediums

Add new levels to your acrylic painting with acrylic mediums!

Acrylic paint is a combination of pigments and acrylic resin suspended in water. When the water evaporates it solidifies the pigments and the acrylic resin molecules. If you add too much water to the paint, you may damage the solidity of this polymerization. This is why acrylic mediums are based on the same acrylic emulsion as the colours, in order to have the best conditions for mixing.

Mediums and gels

These can be mixed directly with the paint to make it more fluid, brighter or to increase the transparency. You will also be able to obtain a matt, glossy or satin finish, depending on your preference, and to create subtle glazes and wash tints. Gels and mediums can be mixed in a proportion of 10 to 50% of the colour, according to the effect you wish to obtain.

Modelling paste

This essential material thickens the paint’s structure and allows the artist to create material effects and three dimensional reliefs. It can also bring a touch of originality to your work if you incorporate sand, wood, metal pieces, glass crystals or gravel into the paste mixture. The paste will offer a generous texture to your colours and introduces you to the pleasure of impastos.

Besides, the low opacity of the modelling paste does not hide the shades you mix it with. This product will only influence the texture, not the shade, due to its neutral colour. For a very dense application, we recommend you apply several layers over time. The proportion of mixed paste can reach up to 50% of the paint.

Body gel

Body gel is an interesting material that can be applied as a first layer on the background of an acrylic painting or coloured with the paint. The body gel brings out the plastic beauty of acrylic by bringing it volume and originality. You can purchase body gels that include elements such as sand, glass, black lava, quartz, or flakes which will bring another dimension to the impasto technique. Liquitex provide an extensive range of gels that are guaranteed to spark your creativity!

Retarder

Because acrylic dries quickly in comparison to other paints such as Oil, artists who wish to allow for a few reflection breaks can rapidly find themselves disconcerted. Painting outdoors can also increase this already fast drying time. In order to overcome this obstacle, retarders were developed to be added to the paint.

By increasing the dampness of the colours they allow the artist a few minutes, or even hours, rework shades and structures. You will need to remember to use this medium sparingly or else the colour will be spoiled. The maximum quantity recommended by the fabricants is between 10 and 30%.

Discover our catalogue available online and in-store.

The supplies featured in this post:

• Mediums and Gels
• Modelling pastes
• Body gels
• Retarders

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