Acrylic

A contemporary artist's colour

Created in America at the beginning of the 20th century, acrylic is the most modern artist colour. It followed the introduction of acrylic paints for industrial and household use. Fluid acrylics for design and contemporary art exploded in the 1950's in the USA - Liquitex being the pathfinder, and appeared in Europe in the 1960s - 'Cryla' from Daler-Rowney being the first and of high viscosity. Classical artists and traditionalists, preferring their oils and watercolours are sometimes dismissive of this new medium, however acrylics are really a choice alternative and represent a still growing artistic technique to get into.

 A fascinating texture 

Like all paints acrylics are made up of two main components: pigments - which determine the colour, intensity, light resistance, transparency and covering power; and binders - which determine viscosity, drying times, and the final surface texture of the finished work. Acrylics differ from oils and watercolours in that the binder is an emulsion mix of acrylic resin and water; oils and watercolours are made with a pigment plus an oil or gum Arabic base - very little water is used in their production. This difference gives the acrylic colours a supple and flexible texture - and an effect even approaching that of an oil paint in the more viscous versions - and when dry forms a satin film with a homogenous elastic texture.

 A great drying time

Another way that acrylics differ from other paints is their shorter drying time, which is great for some but can be problematic for others. In fact this property of the paint allows colours to be superimposed over each other and second coats to be applied easily - being careful of course not to over moisten the other coat. The other slight drawback of acrylics is, some claim, to be more wasteful with acrylic than any other colour as the paint soon dries on the palette whilst you are working - to avoid this try not to be too ambitious and use smaller quantities from the tube, and moisten the paint regularly with a good brushful of water - but not too much as this will dilute the colour! If you are using acrylic for the first time you may be surprised at the luminosity of the colours, how easily they mix together, and the rich colours remaining after the paint has dried. Acrylics have great resistance to the passage of time and do not yellow. Add in the fact that acrylics have a neutral pleasant smell and you really have a paint that can be enjoyed by all.

 The fundamental choice for flexibility

The flexibility of each coat means that canvases can soon be rolled up after drying without risking damage to the work. If applied in very dilute coats amazing glaze effects can be created. If applied in a thick coat with a wide bristle brush or painting knife, you can create effects similar to that of an oil paint. In the ranges we offer, acrylic is available in thick, creamy, or fluid consistencies - your choice depends on what you require from your paint. Flexible bottles are great for busy classrooms, murals, or large area work and usually contain fluid acrylics. Tubes for the individual artist perhaps working on a smaller scale, usually contain thicker acrylics and are rather like the typical packaging of an oil colour. These are ideal for relief and structure work. Pots usually contain creamy acrylic, sometimes called heavy body acrylic, and these can be applied with a knife as well as brush. These elements of flexibility of application in use have produced masterpieces from famous artists such as David Hockney, Brendan Neiland, Bridget Riley and of course Andy Warhol in the 20th Century.

Application

 A myriad of possibilites

The majority of artists apply their acrylic in thick coats, but explore a bit by further diluting with water and see the resemblance with watercolour appear. It has even been suggested that water colourists starting out should practice their washes with acrylics! The idea is to dilute the colour enough so that you can see the last wash through the current one, and yet not dilute so far that the new wash is hard to make out. Make sure that the last wash is dry before applying the next though! Use clean water for each dilution and use a flat or synthetic brush for the washes. Round and smaller brushes are ideal for detail.

 A matter of effect

Highlighted by the oil works of Van Gogh in the 19th century, thick effect styles offer a completely new dimension to a work of art. As mentioned earlier thick acrylic can be applied with a flat brush, knife, or colour shaper, just as an oil paint and the lines and marks of the brush/knife are left in the acrylic as it dries. Create amazing effects such as waves, ripples, landscapes, trees and even foliage. Thinner acrylics need not be thrown away if you adopt this technique - simply mix them with one of the many thickening mediums on the market.

 Captivating Realism

As well as all of these amazing properties and effects, acrylic has one more trick up its sleeve and that is the amazing lifelike ability it has to recreate the real world - as demonstrated in the picture by the Austrian artist Karen Hollaender. Her work - entirely in acrylic - has been described as photo quality genius and her style - somewhere between Edward Hopper and Salvador Dali is widely admired.

 Alkyds - somewhere between an oil paint and an acrylic

Developed as an oil paint with an acrylic's drying time, alkyd colours are made up of oil, alcohol, and acidic bases. Drying time is about 24hrs dependant on ambient conditions, and work can be continued for many hours before the drying process begins in earnest. Alkyd is really a fast drying oil colour and is best known in the 'Griffin' range from Winsor & Newton, which was developed in 1976 to respond to the needs of artists who needed their oils to dry quicker.