I 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.

I 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.

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. 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!

I 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).

Can 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

Overall, 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!)

Hmmmm….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 ~