by Mary Beougher

Created on: August 31, 2010

Acrylics are one of the easiest and most versatile mediums for painters. They offer a variety of colors, easy clean up, and the ability to mimic other mediums like watercolors and oils. Someone can easily pick up a tube of acrylic paint, squeeze some on their palette and start merrily painting away, but they are not as likely to be happy with their results as someone who uses acrylic mediums with their paint. Acrylic paint mediums are used for a variety of reasons, from lengthening drying time to special effects, and anyone planning on doing a lot of painting will appreciate the dependable results gained with using these mediums.

Basic Acrylic Paint Mediums

There are three acrylic mediums that are considered essential to every painter’s supply box: Acrylic Gesso, Retarder, and Acrylic Flow Release or Acrylic Flow Enhancer. It is likely that every painting you create with acrylics will use these mediums. Acrylic gesso is essentially a primer. Many painters use several coats, sanding between each coat, to prepare surfaces from raw canvas to masonite. Acrylic gesso also comes in either white or black and which you use will depend on the underpainting effect you want for your work. Retarder lengthens drying time, making acrylic paints act more like oils, in that they will stay wet during the duration of your painting. Usually only one or two drops are needed to produce the desired effect. Acrylic flow release or acrylic flow enhancer helps the paint move more fluidly on the canvas. Certain colors will require more of this acrylic medium than other colors.

Finishing Acrylic Paint Mediums

Once a painting is completed, a final clear coat will be applied both to enhance and seal the work. Your first choice is a gloss medium varnish. Like its name implies, this will give a glossy seal to the painting. Or you could choose to go with a matte varnish. This leaves a satin finish that at the same time enhances the color of the paint. It also can help cut down glare, which might appear as the paint dries.

Special Effects Acrylic Paint Mediums

A fun part of using acrylic paint mediums are the ones that create texture or other special effects. Extra coarse pumice gel is used to create a sand-like texture while clear tar gel can be used to create a string-like effect in the underpainting or when mixed with the paint. Molding paste can be used in conjunction with the palette knife painting to build up the painting surface and create textures. A glazing medium can be used to create transparent colors if you want to practice the technique of glazing. Pearl Ex Pigments, even though they are technically not a medium, can be mixed with the paint to create iridescent effects.

Many more acrylic mediums are out there and it is important to know what each one is good for before spending the money, since mediums are often more expensive than the paint itself and with good reason. They are used to make acrylics easier to work with and fun for even the most novice painter.

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