Acrylic Mediums

Now that I've shared my favorite acrylic, as well as my wish list items, let's chat about acrylic mediums. Some I've played with while others are simply information I've obtained by reading online, many, many books, and reviews.

Slow-Dri Blending
Is pretty much just as the name implies. Available in a gel or a fluid. Both with similar properties, yet different, why else would they make them? :) The gel formula allows for greater blending when thicker layers are used; while the fluids are best used when one desires a free-flowing surface blending. Both slow the dry time down making blending for the perfect color achievable.

Glazing Mediums
Glazing mediums are extremely useful for creating depth and translucence within one's artwork; it dries to a high gloss --- although different finishes are available.

Gloss & Varnish Mediums
Wow! Do these ever increase color intensity, transparency, gloss, flow of paint, and the flexibility of acrylics. Definately a must have for variations within one's artwork!

Matte Mediums
Matte Mediums are for mixing with color or the gloss & varnish mediums mentioned previously to provide a variety of sheens within an object or painting. Imagine an apple with a shiny spot; you'll get the picture. Great for creating highlights and other cool effects.

Fabric Mediums
OH, another wish list item! Perfect for making acrylics just right for fabric work. Requires heat setting.

Gel Mediums
One of my favs! Gels increase viscosity and texture of acrylics as well as extending the dry time which equals more blending properties to one's work.

Flow-Aid
Flow-Aid increase flow and absorption, works well for blending as it decreases one's brushstrokes.

Extender
Well, it does just that; extends the acrylics paints without diluting the brillancy of color!

Retarders
Retarders decrease the dry time of acrylics; making it perfect for completing fine details within a piece of artwork.

Gesso
Gesso seals absorbant surfaces like canvas and paper; helps provide tooth; something for acrylics to grab onto, especially on slick surfaces; great for pastel and charcoal work over an underpainting technique.

Modeling Pastes
Modeling pastes are used to build texture. It may be mixed with acrylic for color and with gel mediums. Perfect for flexible surfaces such as canvas and paper.

Gels
Gels are available in a variety of textures from soft gel to heavy gels; extra heavy and yes, even high solids. Each have unique properties that create amazing results. Soft gels offer slight peaks of texture; great glue for collage, ideal for glazes and glazing as it increase transparency of acrylics. Regular gels extend acrylic paints and creates moderate peaks of texture. Heavy gels are perfect for acrylic color blending to increase the body of a piece of artwork. It will hold it's peak and tends to dry translucent. Extra heavy gels hold high peaks, higher than the heavy gel. High solid gel will shrink less due to less water content of the gel itself; perfect for use when an acrylic is meant to resemble oil paint properties.

Course pumice, Clear granular, and Course Garnet Gels
Perfect for collage works on canvas! and adding to acrylic paints for additional textures.

Clear Tar Gel
Wow! yeilds acrylics to a putty-like property with a tar-like feel. It is extemely resinous with a stringy consistancy that is useful for fine detailed lines like dripping over surfaces. This stuff will flow off of palette knives and I absolutely love to use it with Fluid acrylics for more dazzling effects.

Varnishes
Varnishes offer protective properties to all one's hard work in artwork. It is flexible, dust resistant to many surfaces.

Gessos & Grounds
Acrylic Paste Grounds will turn any paper on canvas into an ideal surface for pastel work. Asorbant Grounds are used over gesso'ed surfaces, in altered books think book boards, to make almost anything behave like you're painting on paper. It is wonderful to use to create watercolor effects on non-traditional non-watercolor surfaces ---- opening a whole new world of possibilities!

Retarders
Retarders increase the dry time and are perfect for wet-on-wet techniques.

Flow Release
Flow release decrease the surface tension and increase the flow of paint. Great for achieving a rich stain on a porous surface.

Glazing Liquid
Designed for interior applications on walls and on furnishing. Mixed with acrylic it decreases dry time which makes it perfect for faux finishes. How does one you use in mixed media artwork? Think wood items, boxes, containers, shrines.......... OH, My!

Polymer Medium
Polymer creates glazes that extend color, enhances gloss, translucency, and increase the film integrity.

GAC-900
Another wish list item! This is an acrylic polymer that was designed for clothing artists for fabric painting! Oh, I'd love to decorate my artist's apron, my clothes! Great for use in air brushing and screen painting. Does require heat setting but permanent thereafter!

Well, there you have it........ a list of some of my favorite products and supplies. As well as many on my wish list. Stay tuned as I update my blog with more fun info, artwork, and techniques for many paper art projects........