On Painting with Acrylics – Plus, six types of acrylic mediums that can lengthen drying time, make it thicker, or change the texture.
By Don Bishop
I started out painting with oil — and still do for many of my works — but switched to using acrylic at some of the plein air competitions I participate in. Acrylics dry super fast, which allows me to build up multiple layers in my paintings — something I can’t do with oil on location. The medium’s quick-drying nature can be a blessing and a curse, though, as I have to work fast because the paint sets up quickly.
In the summer, they can dry almost instantly. To keep the paint workable long enough to finish a layer, I use a large spray bottle to finely mist the canvas as I go. It took me some time to figure out how to work with this medium, but I have it to where my paintings are fairly consistent now.
Although I have traditional collectors who will always prefer my oil paintings for their rich paint quality and historical connection, I also have a large collector base who are buying my more contemporary pieces. For them, other paint styles are the norm so the medium used is not an issue.
There are just so many looks you can achieve in terms of paint quality and flavor with acrylics, and there are endless mediums, and combinations of mediums, to try with them. Each medium yields a different result, from super heavy impasto to transparent glazing. I think artists should always branch out and try new approaches — this is what keeps us fresh, and that quality will show in our work.
Painting with Acrylics: Mediums Make a Difference
By Kelly Kane
Adding a medium to acrylic paint can lengthen its drying time, make it thicker, or change the texture.
• Surface mediums are for priming and prepping canvases, paper, board, and other surfaces for paint application.
• Fluid mediums can change the transparency and viscosity of the paints.
• Gel mediums (used in place of water) come in two consistencies: liquid, which increases fluidity and transparency, and heavy body, which thickens the paint and makes brushstrokes more visible.
• Texture medium changes the composition of the paint in a dramatic way with the addition of sand gel, beads gel, pumice, or glass. Modeling gel (or paste) builds 3D textures.
• Flow medium changes the consistency of the paint while making it easier to adhere to the canvas, perfect for staining or pouring techniques.
• Retarding medium keeps fast-drying acrylics wetter longer.
Related: Learn how to paint with acrylics with any of these art video workshops from PaintTube.tv!
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Connect with Don Bishop at donbishopstudio.com.
