What is an acrylic painting medium and how to use it
An acrylic painting medium is a product used to improve the consistency and properties of the paint. It can be used to thin paint, to increase transparency or brightness, to reduce drying time or to increase viscosity. There are different types of mediums for acrylic paint on the market, each with their own properties and uses.
To use a medium for acrylic paint, simply add it to the paint and mix. It is important to respect the proportions recommended by the manufacturer to avoid altering the properties of the paint.
How to use mediums to increase the fluidity and transparency of acrylic paint
To increase the fluidity of acrylic paint, it is possible to use a thinning medium. This type of medium makes it possible to reduce the viscosity of the paint, which facilitates its application and its distribution on the support. It is recommended to use a thinning medium in small quantities to avoid thinning the paint too much and compromising its coverage.
The most used and most useful medium in acrylic paint is simply water! This will make it possible to obtain a more fluid paint, but also more transparent, less covering. You must therefore be careful with the quantities used and add it to the paint little by little in order to avoid ending up with completely diluted colors on your canvas.
How to use mediums to create glazing and layering effects
To create glazing effects with acrylic paint, it is possible to use a glazing medium. This type of medium makes it possible to reduce the viscosity of the paint, which facilitates the superposition of thin and transparent layers. It is recommended to use a glazing medium in small amounts to avoid over thinning the paint. Again, mixing water with acrylic paint may be sufficient in creating glazes. But the use of a commercial medium can help to obtain very precise renderings.
How to Use Mediums to Control the Drying of Acrylic Paint
Some mediums act as a retarder in the drying of the paint. If it is a property that interests you, you will find what you are looking for in art stores and online supply stores.
How to use mediums to create special effects such as textures or material effects
You can go back to the article I did on this subject regarding my favorite craft techniques for creating texture on a canvas.
To create texture effects with acrylic paint, it is possible to use a texture medium. This type of medium makes it possible to add solid particles to the paint to create relief and material effects on the canvas, which will solidify as they dry. These mediums are commercially available in paste or gel form. They can contain sand, marble powder or mica to provide a more or less fine textured appearance to the paint, a bit like rendering plaster for a wall.
It is possible to use a lot of materials to create a textured canvas, it is not necessarily necessary to use a special medium for the canvases, although the advantage of these products is that they are generally thought for a better paint durability.
Exemple de toile texturée