What’s the Difference Among All Those Acrylic Mediums?
Walking down the medium aisle in your favorite art supply
store or browsing through a catalogue at all those choices can get confusing so
here’s a basic primer, on just a few of the mediums you might choose. Mediums are used to thin the paint for glazing
(creating transparent or translucent paint) Remember that every brand may be
slightly different so buy a small bottle to see what suits your style the best.
Gloss
Medium is shiny and dries clear. It may be thick or thin depending
on the brand
Matte
Medium is flat or dull and dries slightly less clear. It too can be thick or thin.
Semi-gloss
Medium is halfway between gloss and matte.
Heavy Body
Mediums are thicker and may dry clear or slightly cloudy.
Gel Mediums are
thicker and can be used to glue down collage as well as create Impasto or thick
paint applications
Molding or Modeling Paste is a chalky super thick paste that can be sculpted but remains pliant after it dries -- for use in creating heavy texture.
