Acrylic paint mediums

Talens supplies Gel medium, Heavy gel medium and Extra heavy gel medium, each in both glossy and matt. These Gel mediums can be added to achieve 3D effects/ textured effects.

Acrylic mediums do not affect the color of the paint, but they may affectits opacity. If you add a large amount of an acrylic medium to your paint, thepigments will be divided over a larger amount of acrylic binder. This meansyour color will become more transparent when you add more of the medium.

Acrylic retarder may be added to the paint up to a maximum of 5% and extends the drying time by up to 20%. If it is desirable to add more retarder, it is better to use Amsterdam Slow drying medium.

The binder of both acrylic paint and acrylic mediums consists of a dispersion (distribution) of acrylic resin particles in water. As long as the binder contains water, the binder is white. If after drying all the water has evaporated, the acrylic resin particles present in the binder form a contiguous colourless transparent film, the white disappears. This explains why acrylic paint colours darken during drying. When mixed with a medium, the wet paint will therefore also lighten slightly, after drying the colour will be the same as pure dried paint.

All Royal Talens gels, pure or mixed with paint, are eminently suitable for working materials such as sand, sawdust, paper, wood, stone, etc. into the paint due to their great adhesive strength.

For glazing with acrylic paint the best results are achieved with Glossy medium or Amsterdam Glazing medium. When thinned with water, there will be less binder and the colour becomes more matt. When thinned with a glossy medium, we add binder, the colour becomes shinier and thus the colour impression stronger. If extreme thinning is desired, it is always advisable to use glazing medium instead of water, because adding a lot of water can loosen the pigment in the paint from the binder; the pigment then lies unprotected on the painting and can run off.

Acrylic medium, pouring medium, glazing medium, slow drying medium and the gel mediums can be added to your paint in any quantity. The only medium you need to be careful with is the acrylic retarder. You can only add a maximum of 5% of this medium to your paint.

For more texture and visible 3D effects, Talens supplies Gel medium, Heavy gel medium and Extra heavy gel medium, each in both glossy and matt. Adding Gel medium to the paint enables a clearer brush stroke/structure. Heavy gel medium allows even more brush stroke. Using Extra Heavy gel medium, very sharp structures and extremely thick layers can be applied. Furthermore, all gels, pure or mixed with paint, are ideally suited for incorporating materials such as sand, sawdust, paper, wood, stone, etc. into the paint due to their great adhesive strength.

Due to the high adhesive strength of the binder, acrylic paint and the various gel mediums are ideally suited for working with different materials. A prerequisite for good adhesion is that the surfaces of the materials to be glued are grease-free and somewhat absorbent. The most durable result is achieved if the materials are completely encapsulated by the paint or gel, especially in connection with adhesion when it concerns less porous materials such as sand, pebbles, glass, etc., but also more porous materials such as paper and cardboard are then protected against harmful external influences. If the natural colour of the material must remain visible, use one of the gel mediums.