Unveiling Acrylic Paint Secrets

Acrylic paint is used when you want the brilliance of watercolors which adds transparency and density of the oil paint which in turn adds pigmented strokes with a shine to your artwork. Moreover, they are not affected by heat or other weather changes as oil paints do. Unlike oil paints, they do not have fumes which can be unhealthy on inhaling. This makes them a number one choice for artists who are concerned about the health risks posed by oil paints. They have been very popular from the 1960s because of their impressive characteristics. Many popular 20th century IT artists like Bridget Riley, Ellsworth Kelly and Barnett Newman are using acrylic paint. Here are a few characteristics of the acrylic paint which you should be looking forward to:

• Choices in Qualities

We all know that acrylic paint is a bit expensive. Practicing to master the skill of creating acrylic art is also very important. Therefore, there are two qualities available in the market. One of them is student quality and the other is professional quality. The professional quality is more pigmented as it is derived from ground pigment. They are more bendable as they have a smooth consistency. On the other hand, student quality is not pigmented enough and contains fillers resulting in weakened color strength. Though, they are very good for practicing on budget.

• Color

There are only ten colors used which are primarily used for creating new colors. Mostly they come in a complete set. Buying a separate tube is being extravagant since lighter colors are cheaper than the darker colors. You can make a value purchase by buying a set.

• Lightfastness

It refers to the resistance acrylic paint on canvas has from fading when exposed to light. It is measured through ASTM permanent standard. They have a higher permanence level than oil paints and watercolors. ASTM I paints have excellent lightfastness,  ASTM II paints have moderate lightfastness and ASTM III paints are basically figurative colors which are basically C quality acrylic paint. This rating has been developed on 20 years observations.

The Final Verdict

Evaluating acrylic paints, we can conclude that they are the best choice for painting since they are cheaper. Their life is longer than any other paint. However, finding the right acrylic paint can be very difficult. There are thousands of brands offering ten different types of acrylic paints. It is almost impossible to pick a paint which matches your need and budget. Research well to fix this jigsaw puzzle.