What is acrylic paint?

What is acrylic paint?

Acrylic paint is a fast-drying paint that is water-based and, once it dries, it becomes waterproof. It consists of pigments and an acrylic polymer emulsion (a type liquid plastic). What I like so much about acrylic paint is its versatility; it is affordable and works on almost any surface, which makes it a favorite for my own work.

A brief history of acrylic paint

Acrylic paint is relatively new. It was developed in the 20th century, and around 1954 it became available to artists through the brand Liquitex. Since then, it has become one of the most popular types of paint worldwide, mainly due to its flexibility and ease of use.

Where can you use acrylic paint on?

What I find so appealing about acrylic paint is its incredible versatility. You can use it on different surfaces, such as canvas, heavy paper (as long as it is), wood, or MDF boards, and even cardboard for collage. Want to try something completely different? Then you can also paint on stone or ceramic. If you want to paint on fabric, acrylic paint is also suitable for that.

Good preparation is important: make sure that the surface is clean, dry, and grease-free before you start. Working on a very absorbent surface such as wood or paper? Then it is a good idea to apply a layer of gesso first, so that the paint adheres better and doesn't sink in as quickly.

Properties of acrylic paint

What makes acrylic paint so appealing is its fast drying time – the paint is often dry within 10 to 30 minutes. This is great for impatient people like me. This makes it ideal for working in layers, without having to wait long. Its flexibility is another major advantage; the paint doesn't crack easily, even on surfaces that flex, such as canvas or wood. What's more, the smell is mild, making it pleasant to work with indoors, unlike, for example, oil paint.

On the packaging of acrylic paint, you'll find various symbols that tell you more about the properties of the pigments used. For example, you'll see squares on the packaging. A filled-in square indicates that the paint is opaque, while an open square indicates that the color is transparent.

In addition, it often states something about the lightfastness, usually indicated by plus signs. This refers to the stability of the color over time. Manufacturers do their best to optimize lightfastness, but some colors are still less resistant to fading than others.

If you look closely, you can also find the pigment code on the packaging, such as PY14, for example. There is a standardised system for pigment coding among different brands. This means you can see which pigment(s) a colour is made of, which is useful when you want to mix colours or learn more about the composition of the paint.

One important thing to keep in mind is that acrylic paint dries slightly darker than it looks when you apply it. Keep this in mind when mixing colours.

Acrylic paint in mixed media

Acrylic paint is ideal for mixed media work. It dries quickly, adheres well to different materials, and can be painted over. You can combine it perfectly with ink, chalk, collage, texturing pastes, and even natural materials such as sand or leaves. What I also like is that you can adjust the paint using mediums— for example, making it thicker, thinning it, making it more transparent, or adding gloss. It offers endless possibilities for variation in texture and appearance.

Different types of acrylic paint

Acrylic paint comes in all sorts of types and forms, which makes it so exciting to work with. There are different consistencies, depending on the effect you want to achieve. For thick, creamy paint that you can build up in layers, Heavy Body is ideal. It is perfect for using a palette knife and impasto techniques.

If you prefer a little more control, Soft Body paint is smoother and suitable for detailed work. Fluid Acrylics are more fluid, intensely pigmented, and perfect for pouring techniques or expressive splatter art. Then there are still High Flow acrylics, which feel almost like ink and are excellent for drawing, calligraphy, or airbrushing.

There are also acrylic markers and spray paint, ideal for graphic lines, accents, or quick coverage.

With mediums, you can adjust the properties of the paint. For example, you can change the gloss level with a gloss, matte, or satin medium, or make the paint thicker with gel medium without losing colour. Pouring medium is perfect for pouring techniques, and texture pastes and modeling pastes give you the opportunity to add relief and texture to your work.

Artist-quality vs. student-quality

You have acrylic paint in two quality levels: artist-quality and student-quality. The difference lies mainly in the amount of pigment. Artist-quality paint contains a lot of pigment, which results in more intense colours that stay beautiful for longer. This paint is more expensive, but perfect for professional work.

Student-grade paint contains less pigment, but is ideal for sketching, experimenting or if you just want to paint without worrying about material use. It is also much more affordable.

For my own work I often use both artist-grade and student-grade, depending on what I want to achieve.

Difference with oil paint

Oil paint stays wet longer (days to weeks), while acrylic paint dries quickly, which makes it easier to work in layers or correct quickly. Oil paint has a more natural gloss and smoothness, but you can replicate this effect with acrylic paint using the right mediums.

Popular acrylic paint brands

Artist-grade:

• Golden
• Liquitex Professional
• Winsor & Newton Professional
• Amsterdam Expert Series
• Schmincke Primacryl

Student-grade:

• Amsterdam Standard Series
• Liquitex Basics
• Winsor & Newton Galeria
• Reeves
• Art Creation (Talens)

Conclusion: the power of acrylic paint in mixed media

Acrylic paint is a fantastic choice for mixed media. Its fast drying time, strong adhesion and waterproof properties make it ideal for working with layers, collage, ink, pastel, modeling pastes and more. Whether you want to work with thick or fluid, matte or glossy, opaque or transparent — acrylic paint offers endless possibilities to bring your ideas to life.

For me, acrylic paint offers the freedom and versatility I need to experiment and develop my work. It is a medium that knows no limits and invites you to play with textures, colors, and techniques.