Acrylic mediums

How to use acrylic mediums?

All Schmincke acrylic colours are generally ready for use directly on supports prepared accordingly. However, the use of special acrylic mediums makes it possible to modify or optimise various characteristics of the paints for specific individual painting techniques. As a result, there are mediums to thin acrylic paints without loss of adhesion (50550) or to thicken them (50557). Other mediums can be used to increase or reduce gloss and/or transparency (50552, 50553, 50558). Special retarders (50556, 50559, 53025) are available to extend the drying time of acrylic colours. And acrylic special painting gel (50560) is used to give acrylic colours characteristics similar to oil colours!

We also stock a large selection of pastes and gels that can be used for work with acrylic colours in thick layers – with or without special effects. All acrylic mediums described in this section are ready to use, but can be thinned down as necessary using any proportion of water. Most of them dry like an acrylic colour and are waterinsoluble. The speed of drying very much depends strongly on ambient temperature and air humidity, on the absorbency of the support and the thickness of the coats of medium or the acrylic colours modified using the same. Only products used like additives, such as acrylic thickener (50557), acryl matting agent (50558) and the retarder (50556, 50559, 53025), have no binding agents of their own. For this reason, they may not be used on their own.

All products should only be used at temperatures above 10 °C and be protected against frost and temperatures above 40 °C. Suitable products for finishing treatment, e.g. finishing varnishes or finishing lacquers, are listed here.

Please note that the colour coat must have dried completely before any such treatment. This is normally possible after 3 days with thinly applied acrylic colours; it is better to wait one or two weeks before applying varnish or lacquer to colours applied with a more pastetype consistency.

You will find suitable products for cleaning paint brushes after using acrylic colours here. Those wishing to make their own acrylic colours will find detailed information on suitable binders (e.g. acrylic binder “ready-touse” (50840) or acrylic binder (50555)).