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Acrylic paints are a relative new comer as they were developed in the 1940's. Their easy clean up, faster drying time, permanency, non-yellowing properties, as well as their ability to be used on a wide variety of surfaces, make them extremely popular. The pigments in acrylic paints are suspended in a polymer emulsion. The thickness (viscosity) ranges from fluid (low viscosity) to
heavy-bodied (high viscosity).
As with other paints, acrylics have grades: artist and student. What's the difference? The amount of fillers and quality of pigments! Artist-quality acrylics have both genuine as well as synthetic pigments - the highest quality; whereas student-quality acrylics have more filler and lower quality pigments - produced for economy not quality.
Acrylics are so versatile they can be used in murals (both interior and exterior), standard canvas or board painting, in an airbrush (thinned), in stenciling, silk screening, and in marbleizing. Acrylics can be used as a tonal base under oil paintings as well. |
