Home › Forums › Explore Media › Acrylics › Can I ask this? Liquitex vs Golden?
- This topic has 42 replies, 29 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 7 months ago by Mike Sibley.
-
AuthorPosts
-
July 9, 2006 at 11:24 pm #985817
I’m a newbie, working on my third painting. “Pink Rose, Texas State Cemetery” on an earlier post was my second. When I decided to try acrylics I decided to jump right in to using artist grade and chose Liquitex I guess because they seemed to be most available. Today I had an acquaintance ask why I was using Liquitex rather than Golden. She says that the Liquitex doesn’t have nearly as much pigment load as Golden. I was fussing because my glazes thinned with glazing medium seemed a bit overly thin or weak. Is there a significant difference in pigment load between these two brands? What is YOUR experience?
By the way, my previous experience was drawing in silverpoint, pen and ink … so painting is very different to me. I chose acrylics because I didn’t want to work with the turpenoid or whatever it is that is mixed with oil paints and didn’t want to wait a long time for my paintings to dry.
My initial attempt at watercolors was a disaster, and I must say the acrylics are much better behaved!
But back to the question: Is there a significant difference between Liquitex and Golden artist grade acrylics.
Linda Wolff
Comments and suggestions always welcomeJuly 9, 2006 at 11:36 pm #1072750Mostly the pigment load. When I first started I bought Liquitex for economic reasons but since I have been changing out the Liquitex for W&N Finity and Golden. These paints are much better. A little bit can go a long way.
Carol
"Mercifully free of the ravages of intelligence" - Time Bandits[/color]
Moderator: Acrylic Forum
My websites: Discoveries With Colour Adventures in Photography[/B]July 9, 2006 at 11:42 pm #1072775I haven’t been around the art scene for too long, but here’s the principle that fits me and my budget–buy the best you can afford. If you later decide that acrylics just ain’t your thing, at least you won’t have a lot of pricey tubes laying around.
I began painting with Liquitex Basic student grade when I was just getting the feel of acrylics. I’m upgrading to artist’s quality now. The last time I priced Golden it was at least twice the price of Liquitex…on my budget, it’s a no brainer.
Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere. --G. K. Chesterton
July 10, 2006 at 1:55 am #1072755Personally, I’ve been using W/N Finity and Golden (I like them both). I’ve just ordered a couple of tubes of Maireri Brera acrylics to try them out, because they’re supposed to be a little thicker, with a similarly high pigment load (and they’re a bit less expensive as well). I’ll try to let you know how they work out for me.
Steve
Comments, critiques, honest opinions and friendly advice are always greatly appreciated.
My web site:www.stevenbgibson.com My Blog:http://stevenbgibson.blogspot.com/
July 10, 2006 at 4:57 am #1072744I use Liquitex (artist grade, not the basics) and Golden, tho much more Golden. There are a few colours in Liquitex that have a texture (a bit gummy/gel-y) I don’t like. The prices are about the same over here but my last order was actually from Dick Blick online because their prices on Golden are the best I can find (even with import duties).
Tina.
Abstract coast and geology art: www.tina-m.com | Art/Science gallery: www.grejczikgallery.com
July 10, 2006 at 7:50 am #1072761My choices are Maimeri’s and Golden’s. I do have a tube of Liquitex, but haven’t tried it yet. For me, I would rather buy a few tubes of really good, rather than lots of tubes of not so good! But then, I love mixing paints… Azure
July 10, 2006 at 11:40 am #1072754I have used Golden, Finity and Liquitex for over ten years and they are all about equal in pigment load and are all great paints. There is really very little difference besides the different pigments unique to each line.
In design school we studied the effect packaging had on consumers. The same exact soap in different packages would give people rashes and dry skin with one package and they would rave about how great the soap was in another. I think this effect is seen in the many people who swear by one brand of artists acrylics over another. In a blind test I think most would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a Liquitex Cobalt Blue and a Golden Cobalt Blue, besides the slight variation in hue of the pigment.
There is much marketing clouding the fact that almost all artists quality acrylics from the reputable manufacturers are about the same. Which is to say they are all equally very good. I have only noticed a definite lack of quality in student ranges and even Liquitex Basics and Winsor and Newton Galleria are still pretty good!
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."
-- Carl SaganBrian Firth
July 10, 2006 at 2:07 pm #1072776I use liqutex but am gona try goldens to see what there like, I tried grumbackers and that has garbage pigment in it, I hate that brand totally, but will stay with either liquitex or goldens
~Sam ~
to dream is great, to create the dream is better, to live your dream is best
my websiteJuly 10, 2006 at 8:16 pm #1072766I use mostly Golden, but I do have several tubes of Daniel Smith acrylics, liquitex and W&N and I like them all…okay…I like the Daniel Smiths a little more but they are moi pricey! My mom buys them for me for Yule every year (Yes, I’m almost 30 and my mommy still does up a stocking for me).
July 11, 2006 at 8:13 am #1072748I prefer Liquitex over Golden, mostly just because it’s consistency works more with how I paint. I buy the artist grade as well. I will buy Golden if the colour I need in Liquitex is out of stock. I buy tubes, not jars. A good friend of mine uses the Golden, in jars, and even for airbrushing, thinned right. I did use it when I did some work for him but I switched back to Liquitex as I love the buttery consistency of them. I think I do recall that Golden is considered a higher quality than Liquitex, but I could be remembering that wrong. I’ve used Liquitex since about 1983.
JocelynJuly 11, 2006 at 10:12 am #1072745Can I ask this? Liquitex vs Golden?
Yep, you certainly can.Mostly the pigment load. When I first started I bought Liquitex for economic reasons but since I have been changing out the Liquitex for W&N Finity and Golden. These paints are much better.
I agree, on the whole both are better IMO.
texana6, this may be partly due to the specific colours you’re using; some are inherently transparent, one or two even weak. Appropriate choice of pigments is one of the ways one gets more what one is hoping for/expecting in a given brand or range: if you bought two tubes of Golden to test for example and they happened to be Ultramarine Violet and Hansa Yellow Light you might also think that Golden’s tube colours weren’t up to much either
FWIW, particularly if you’re intending to thin heavily (as I nearly always do) the Soft-Body range from Liquitex tends to be a little better in my estimation. I wouldn’t rely on them exclusively if I had a choice but a few of them work out fine – the ones that are inherently opaque because of the nature of the pigment, and others that you want to be very transparent.
Personally, I’ve been using W/N Finity and Golden (I like them both). I’ve just ordered a couple of tubes of Maireri Brera acrylics to try them out, because they’re supposed to be a little thicker, with a similarly high pigment load…
They’re really quite good, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
(and they’re a bit less expensive as well)
That’s good, they can be a little more expensive than Finity from some places.
I have used Golden, Finity and Liquitex for over ten years and they are all about equal in pigment load and are all great paints.
That’s interesting; I’d certainly agree about Golden and Finity – often little to choose between then as regards pigmentation – but for a few colours Liquitex has had the lowest coverage or tinting strength of these three as far as I could judge.
In addition to questions of pigment load the finish of Golden (and also of Liquitex, although I’m not sure to what degree) varies a lot across the range, so some colours dry quite matt, some very glossy with others somewhere in between. Although this is deliberate on Golden’s part I consider it a failing and this is one reason I would preferentially recommend Finity over the other two most of the time.
In design school we studied the effect packaging had on consumers. The same exact soap in different packages would give people rashes and dry skin with one package and they would rave about how great the soap was in another.
Fair point, nobody can deny the placebo effect or a wrinkle of it. But believe me, I’m not being swayed by the packaging. If anything I’d be swayed towards Liquitex as it has the best, by a significant margin, of these three (it could easily be argued to be the best on the market).
There is much marketing clouding the fact that almost all artists quality acrylics from the reputable manufacturers are about the same.
I think that’s probably about right, with perhaps one or two exceptions (not common brands).
I have only noticed a definite lack of quality in student ranges and even Liquitex Basics and Winsor and Newton Galleria are still pretty good!
System 3 is slightly better
Einion
Do you know if your colour is off in hue, value, chroma... or all three?
Colour Theory & Mixing forum WetCanvas Glossary Search Tips Advanced Search Acrylics forum Acrylics - Information Kiosk
July 12, 2006 at 8:42 am #1072760My oh my! A lot of different opinions but all very interesting. Now that I’m working with my Liquitex colors I’m learning how different the colors are in regard to being transparent or opaque. I was using Hooker’s Green, French Ultramarine Blue, and Acra Magenta and they are all very transparent.
Since I started this study I’ve gone to more opaque color then glazed on top of that … MUCH better. Since I haven’t had any instruction I’m learning from trial and error, and from what I am reading on this list. So much to learn but so much help here too! Thank you!
Linda Wolff
Comments and suggestions always welcomeSeptember 14, 2006 at 5:07 pm #1072783Overall, I think Liquitex is a the best line for the price- but I honestly prefer Golden if I’m feeling spendy. Although I may have been wasting my money- I had no idea the Acra Liquitex were the same as Quinacridone Golden …and I’ve always preferred working with the Acras. (But if you are looking for gels or glaze effects (GAC 100).. Golden is excellent in my humble opinion!)
September 15, 2006 at 10:57 am #1072777After throwing away hundreds of dollars of dried up paint, over and over again, because I can never get the Golden lids back on QUITE right, I am finished with Golden. I have talked to many people who have had this problem. I don’t care how good their paint is at this point.
September 15, 2006 at 5:15 pm #1072767Hmmmm….I have no experience with either, having only used Blick Artist, and cheapo decorative paints before. Though after a recent email from Jerry Yarnell I’ll be trying his paint of choice…. Liquitex heavy body.
~ dragonshade ~
-
AuthorPosts
- The topic ‘Can I ask this? Liquitex vs Golden?’ is closed to new replies.
Register For This Site
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Search