Acrylics have become an extremely popular painting medium over the past near-century since their creation in the 1930’s. This medium has been thoroughly explored by many artists, and allows more people to participate in painting practices as the paints do not require special solvents for cleaning, and also do not emit the same toxic fumes that exist in traditional oils. However, this painting practice is still considered extremely new, which leads all artists to question what products will work effectively for specific methods. There is more to acrylic painting than just the pigmented paint itself; there are pigment-less paints called “mediums'' that are used to give different effects to your paintings, and can be used in a variety of ways. There is a vast sea of different mediums that exist, and from the outside of the bottles and jars, most of them look extremely similar. Because of this, many artists will question what products should be used in their practice, and how do they differ if they all look the same? I hope to be a bridge for many artists to help demystify acrylic mediums, and give knowledge on some of the different mediums that are currently on the market.

A common question asked by many artists is: “What medium can I use as a protective varnish for my acrylic painting?”. The term “varnish” refers to a layer of protective paint film that can be removed after a certain amount of time during a conservational cleaning. Varnishes are specific to traditional oil painting, and are not something that can be used on top of acrylic paints. This is because traditional oil varnishes dry to become extremely hard and brittle, and do not allow the acrylic to flex with environmental changes, so the chances of oil varnishes cracking on top of acrylics after a period of time is high. What the artist is most likely looking for is an acrylic finish or top coat, which is a product that dries to become completely permanent, and cannot be removed after any amount of time. The word “permanent” may sound scary, but for acrylic painting it is not something to be afraid of! Because of the resins used in acrylic paints, they dry much faster and have a more impenetrable film, unlike oil varnishes. Oil varnishes must be removed after a period of time, because dust can easily become trapped in the varnish and cause the painting to appear more dull; whereas with acrylics, dust cannot settle into an already dried painting and cause a dulling affect. Acrylics also remain very flexible, and are more stable over time than oils; meaning that acrylic paintings will not be susceptible to cracking and peeling. As mentioned above, acrylics will dry to be permanent, and thus do not need to have another layer of protection added on top, even if the painting may be touched by bare hands.

So now that we have figured out that the artist needs an acrylic finish or top coat, how does one choose which medium to use? The answer to that is as broad as the question, and also leads to more necessary questions to be asked: does the artist want a textured or smooth finish? Do they want a thick, resin-like finish, or something extremely thin? Do they want a specific luster? By asking oneself these questions, we can begin to see what kind of product would work best. All in all, you can use any acrylic medium as a finish or top coat to your painting. Professional quality acrylic paint made from 100% acrylic polymer emulsion will not yellow, and also will not be dramatically affected by UV light (to be sure this will not happen, please read the side of every tube of paint you purchase. The label will tell you how lightfast the paint is; the more lightfast, the less likely your paint will fade over time). The following products are what I normally recommend for artists who are looking for a thin, paint on finish that come in a variety of lusters. I find these are typically a good starting point for most artists, and lead them to either really enjoy the suggested product, or lead them in a good direction to find another product they prefer.