Artist Acrylics

Artist acrylics for every style, from thick, sculptural colour to smooth fluid layers. Featuring Tri-Art paints made in Kingston for canvas, paper, and mixed media.

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About Artist Acrylics

Our Artist Acrylics collection brings together professional and developing artist paints so you can match the texture, pigment load, and price point to how you actually work. You will find Tri-Art acrylics made in Kingston, Ontario, in a range of viscosities from buttery heavy body to lotion like fluids and inky low viscosity colours.

The professional lines, including High Viscosity, Liquid Acrylics, and Low Viscosity, all share the same finely milled pigments and high solids content for rich colour and excellent coverage, whether you prefer brushy impasto marks or smooth, layered glazes. Developing artist options like Rheotech and Art Noise acrylic gouache offer more budget friendly choices that still use the same pigment grind, making them ideal for students, classrooms, and large projects.

Use these artist acrylics on canvas, panels, paper, or mixed media surfaces, and customize them further with mediums for glazing, pouring, texture, or extended open time. Because the paints are made locally by Tri-Art, you get consistent batches and lightfast colours formulated by a dedicated paint manufacturer based in Kingston.

Whether you are building your first primary palette, topping up studio favourites, or trying new textures, this collection is designed to keep your acrylic shelf flexible and inspiring.

Artist Acrylics FAQ

What are artist acrylics and how are they different from student or craft acrylics?

Artist acrylics are higher quality acrylic paints made with more concentrated pigments and carefully balanced binders for better colour strength, mixing and permanence than most student or craft paints. In the Artist Acrylics collection at Art Noise you will find Tri-Art High Viscosity heavy body colours and Tri-Art Liquid Acrylics that are made in Kingston for professional results on canvas, panels and paper. If you prefer a more budget friendly option for practice or classroom work, you can also explore our broader Acrylic Paint collection and our in house Art Noise Acrylic Paint.

Should I choose heavy body or liquid artist acrylics for my style of painting?

Heavy body acrylics hold brush and knife marks for bold, textural work, while liquid acrylics flow more easily for glazing, pouring and fine detail. The Artist Acrylics collection brings both options together, with thick, buttery colour in our High Viscosity Acrylics and smooth, pourable colour in Liquid Acrylics. Many artists like to mix and match, using heavy body paints for impasto passages and liquids for underpaintings, glazes and detailed layers over the top.

What surfaces work best with artist acrylics?

Artist acrylics are very versatile and can be used on primed canvas, wood panels, and suitably heavy papers. For supports, you can choose stretched canvases, birch and bamboo panels and other grounds in our Substrates collection, or work on mixed media and acrylic friendly papers from Paper and Pads. Once you have a good surface, any of the colours in the Artist Acrylics collection will give strong, flexible films that stand up well to layering, glazing and mixed media techniques.

Are the artist acrylics at Art Noise suitable for beginners as well as experienced painters?

Yes, the paints in the Artist Acrylics collection are designed for artists who care about rich colour and reliable performance, but they are also an excellent choice for beginners who want to learn with professional quality materials. Tri-Art’s High Viscosity and Liquid Acrylics made in Kingston are easy to mix, layer and correct, and they pair well with more accessible options like Art Noise Acrylic Paint and sets in our acrylic paint sets. If you are just starting out, you can build a small basic palette and expand as your skills grow.

How can I change the thickness, sheen or drying time of artist acrylics?

You can customize artist acrylics by mixing them with different gels, mediums and additives rather than just adding water. In our Acrylic Mediums collection you will find glazing mediums, gels, flow modifiers and finishing products that are designed to work with colours in the Artist Acrylics collection, including Tri-Art High Viscosity and Liquid Acrylics. Use gels to build transparent texture, glazing mediums for smooth layers of colour, and self leveling products for high gloss or enamel like finishes, then seal and protect your work with clear coats from our Acrylic Finishes collection if desired.

Can I mix different brands and types of acrylics together in the same painting?

Most water based acrylic paints are compatible, so you can safely mix many brands and viscosities as long as you work within the acrylic family and build from thinner, leaner layers to thicker, more flexible ones. Colours from the Artist Acrylics collection can be combined with other acrylics from our Acrylic Paint collection, including Art Noise Acrylic Paint, and adjusted with products in Acrylic Mediums. If you add other media such as oils or drawing materials, keep them on top of your driest acrylic layers and test first on a small sample.

What brushes and tools work best with artist acrylics?

Artist acrylics respond well to high quality synthetic brushes that can handle repeated washing and slightly abrasive pigments. You can pair heavy body paints from the Artist Acrylics collection with firm filberts, flats and palette knives for texture, and use softer brushes for blending and detail when working with Liquid Acrylics. Browse our dedicated Acrylic Brushes collection and complementary tools in Painting Accessories to build a kit that matches your style.

How do I get started building a palette with artist acrylics at Art Noise?

A great way to start is with a small, versatile palette that includes a warm and cool version of each primary colour, plus white, a dark neutral and perhaps a favourite accent. You can choose individual Tri-Art colours in the Artist Acrylics collection or pick up starter sets from our acrylic paint sets, then combine them with surfaces from Substrates and papers in Paper and Pads. If you would like more guidance on choosing colours and mediums, you can also explore articles in the Art Noise Handbook or visit us in store in downtown Kingston for one-on-one advice.