What is Acrylic Paint?

Acrylic paint is made up of pigment, suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. In other words, the colour is hanging in a  mixture of multiple chemicals that create a thick paste.  Acrylic paint is fast drying, making it great for the artists that like to paint quickly. Acrylic paint is thicker than any other paints.

Acrylic paint is available in tubes and in small plastic pots. If you need to buy a lot of paint, they it is available in plastic jugs. This paint is ideal for students to use because it does not require any strong smelling chemicals.

Acrylic paint can be made thick, allowing the artist to get oil- painting like effects. Using different additives, it can be made thinner allowing the artist to get an appearance of watercolour effects. Several  additives are available to change the properties of acrylic. These additives have the ability to make the acrylic paint thicker, thinner, or slower drying.  Water can also be added to make the paint softer. But adding too much of water is not a good idea. This can make the paint unusable. There are also many additives to give you many different effects, including: a matte finish, a glossy finish, a pearl finish, glitter, and an additive that will make the paint almost as thick as clay.

Other than canvas painting, acrylic paint can also be used in pottery and glass. Speciality acrylic are also available for fabric, to decorate clothes. Acrylic can be painted on virtually anything. You can use paper, canvas, cardboard, and just about anything else that comes to minds. As an artist you should embrace your creativity and explore the seemingly limitless options that acrylic paints provide to you.

There is a dark side to acrylics. If acrylics dry on a brush, you will probably need to replace the brush, as it will be almost impossible to remove the dried paint. It's best to use synthetic brushes with acrylics. Acrylics will adhere more strongly to natural fibers, making natural fiber brushes harder to clean.

So give acrylics a try. I'm sure you'll love their ease of use, versatility and broad palette of colors.