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Numerous acrylic accessories have been developed to bring out the best in acrylics. Play with consistencies, effects, intensities, and drying times to your heart's content. |
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Mixed directly with the colour to increase its fluidity, make it more transparent, or glossier, these fluid products based on acrylic resins offer many possibilities.
With these a matt, glossy, or satin finish can be obtained as can subtle glazes and striking washes.
These mediums and gels are typically mixed 10 to 50% with the colour dependant on the brand and desired effect.
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| Due to the quick drying nature of acrylics some artists feel rushed to get on with their work, so retarders were developed to slow down the drying process by a few minutes to a few hours dependant on brand and quantity used. Retarders are especially popular with open-air painters who when working outdoors in windy and warm conditions find that their drying times become much shorter. Retarders should be carefully measured when adding as surpluses change the colour values of some paints. The maximum quantity to use varies from brand to brand but is generally 10 to 30%. |
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This popular medium, sometimes called structure paste, is very popular among acrylic painters as it thickens the paint and allows the artist to create effects such as clouds, ripples, and rivers. Originality can be further developed by adding sand, wood, metals, crystals etc into the paste. The weak colorant in the paste hardly dilutes your colours either; in fact all it alters is the thickness. For really thick applications we recommend several coats. Up to 50% proportions can be mixed into colours. |
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| A fascinating set of mediums that can be used as primers, coats on their own, or mixed with colours. Texture gels extend the plasticity of an acrylic giving them volume and originality. Normally these gels incorporate elements in suspension such as sand, marble dust, beads, black lava, and quartz crystal flakes as well as glitter and sequins. Chosen carefully and applied in different areas throughout your work these gels bring completely different effects and impact. |
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This piece was made from Schmincke Primacryl Titanium White, Ivory White, Yellow Ochre, and Raw Umber, Gerstaecker Light Modelling Paste, and sand.
The modelling paste was applied to the support with a knife,
Sprinkled with sand, and remixed with the knife. It was then left to dry.
When dry the washes were prepared - diluting a drop of each colour with good quantities of water.
Colours were then applied with a brush as desired. |
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Technical Note.
Acrylic is an amalgam of pigments and acrylic resin combined in suspension in water. The evaporation of the water allows the resin and pigment molecules to join. The polymerisation of the resin takes place during drying and molecules join to form hexagonal shapes. These shapes give the paint its stability and durability. Adding too much water risks altering the solidity of this polymerisation and hence the dried paint's properties.
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