The black lines were painted on the background to indicate transparency. On the left side, I applied a thick application the right has a thin application. When dry, a layer of phthalo turquoise was mixed with soft gel gloss and spread with a knife over the surface. Gloss: The background color is Liquitex bright aqua green. Right: Matte gel and semi-gloss gel over dry paint.Īcrylic paints tend to be glossy when dry, but you can take control of the sheen by adding acrylic paint mediums like semi-gloss or matte gel to the paint. Center: Semi-gloss gel in thin and thick applications. Left: Altering sheen with soft gel gloss. As a result, I achieved an almost marbled effect with the yellow rather than a solid mass. Notice that I didn’t thoroughly mix the paint into the gel. While the gel mixture was still wet, I drew on the surface with a knife tip, revealing the underlying color. When dry, I scraped a layer of heavy gel gloss mixed with diarylide yellow over the surface using a palette knife. In the above image, I painted the background with pyrrole red. Sgraffito is a fun way to add broken color to your surface. This technique also extends the paint’s volume. To create high peaks, mix heavy gel with your paint. I then applied some of the mixture in thin layers and some in thick layers and left other areas unpainted to allow the violet background to show through. I mixed a small amount of quinacridone red into soft gel semi-gloss and used a knife to spread the mixture. In the example above, I painted the background violet and let dry. Or, mix color into the gel and spread it over a background color to create layers of color. This method creates wonderful visual depth. Let the layer dry before adding additional layers. To create a transparent layer without much texture, use a palette knife to spread a layer of soft gel gloss. You can create soft folds or high rigid peaks with your acrylic paint depending on the viscosity of the gel. Right: Try a sgraffito technique.Ĭreate texture. Gels can cause acrylic paint to shrink test for this, and consider a high-solid gel product to avoid shrinkage. When choosing a viscosity, remember that the higher the viscosity, the higher the peaks. There are also sheen options including matte, semi-gloss and gloss. Gels are available in a variety of viscosities (the product’s thickness), such as soft, regular, heavy, and extra-heavy body. For the best results, I recommend starting with artist’s grade acrylic paint, even if you’re just getting started with acrylics. Each product has qualities that enable acrylic painters to achieve a multitude of special effects and textures. In this article, I’m unraveling the mysteries of acrylic paint mediums, gels, and pastes. When you walk into the art supply store, are you befuddled by the rows of acrylic products and acrylic paint mediums that all look the same? You’re not alone. The gloss gel resists the paste, and the numbers show up.” When that was dry, I used a palette knife to drag the light molding paste over the top portion of the painting. “I initially used a gloss gel through a stencil to protect the colorful background. “I love to use light molding paste to veil areas,” Wilson says. Mix It Up (acrylic on panel, 14×14) by Sandra Duran Wilson.
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