Art journal

Acrylic painting mediums and how to use


Discover acrylic painting mediums and how to use them in easy and understandable ways to create fabulous effects on paintings and crafts.

Acrylic painting mediums expand the possibilities of acrylic painting. And, they provide artists with greater control over the consistency and handling of their artwork. Whether you prefer a thick, buttery texture or a smooth, liquid-like flow, there is an acrylic medium to help you. Plus, achieve the desired effect. So, experiment, explore, and have fun discovering the endless possibilities that acrylic mediums offer!


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Playing with acrylic mediums online lessons

What are acrylic mediums?

Acrylic mediums are substances that artists use to modify the characteristics of acrylic paints. They are useful for altering the texture, transparency, gloss, and drying time of the paint. Acrylic mediums provide a wide range of options for artists to experiment with. They allow them to achieve different effects and techniques in their artwork. Whether it’s adding texture or extending the drying time with a retarder, they offer flexibility to enhance creative expression.

Understand Acrylic Mediums via Creativebug

How to use acrylic mediums?

Acrylic mediums can alter the consistency, texture, and drying time of the paint by manipulating the texture and flow. They are designed to create unique effects and achieve different results. Some popular mediums include gel mediums, texture pastes, glazing mediums, and pouring mediums. Each medium offers its own set of characteristics that can be used to modify the consistency of acrylic paint.

Understand Acrylic Mediums via Creativebug

Furthermore, these mediums can be used to add gloss, matte, or iridescent finishes to the artwork. They also act as binding agents, improving the adhesion of paint to various surfaces. Overall, acrylic mediums serve as valuable tools for artists, allowing them to experiment and achieve different effects in their artworks.


Types of acrylic mediums

Gel mediums

Gel mediums can be mixed with paint to add texture. They increase their viscosity, making them thicker and more suitable for impasto techniques. Thus, we can create beautiful paintings with textured patterns and motifs.

Understand Acrylic Mediums via Creativebug

Texture pastes

Texture pastes add body and texture to the paint, allowing artists to create raised or textured surfaces.

Acrylic Mediums studies via Creativebug

Glazing mediums

Glazing mediums are used to extend the drying time of acrylics with a retarder. Thus, they make it easier to blend colors and create smooth, transparent layers or resin-like finishes. So, with glazes, we can add depth and dimension to our paintings.

Acrylic Mediums studies via Creativebug

Pouring mediums

Pouring mediums, as the name suggests, are specifically formulated for pouring techniques. With them, the paint flows and interacts with each other more fluidly. We can also create resin effects with pouring mediums.


Matte and gloss gel mediums

We can effectively utilize both matte and gloss gel mediums in our artistic endeavors. There are numerous applications and techniques for incorporating these versatile mediums into our creative process.

Acrylic Mediums studies via Creativebug

Sources of Inspiration

Ultimately, we can find inspiration on how to use acrylic mediums on social media like Pinterest and Instagram. And, we can study them by attending specialized lessons like the online class with artist Lisa Solomon via Creativebug. Thus, we will learn to use acrylic mediums skillfully, master transparency, translucency, and opacity, and maximize their potential. Learning about new materials has never been this fun or vibrant!




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joanna ARTbyJWP

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