2/9/11 Product Info's Tip of the Week: Acrylic Paint Viscosity

[Blick Art Materials]

Acrylic Paint Viscosity
The term viscosityis commonly thrown around when describing paint. The viscosity of paint refers to the body of the paint, whether it is a flowing paint or a dense body. Manufacturers will coin the terms high viscosity and heavy body to describe a thicker, slow moving paint. Low viscosity paints appear very thin. Terms such as fluid and soft or medium body relay the paint has a low viscosity.

Highly viscous paints, such as Golden Heavy Body Acrylics and Liquitex High Viscosity Acrylics, mimic the consistency and feel of oils. They allow the artist to apply direct brush strokes to the surface to produce strong texture for an assertive application. A number of mediums may be added to the paint to
compliment this surface quality, such as gel mediums, modeling pastes, and more unique mediums that offer texture like stucco and sand additives.

Low viscosity paints, such as Golden Fluid Acrylics and Liquitex Soft Body Acrylics, offer a more flowing paint. They lend themselves well to layer building with subtle texture where fine detail in the imagery takes center stage over the texture of the paint itself. Mediums, such as acrylic glazes and flow enhancers extend the paint to their limits, making for a very smooth, flat stroke.


FAQs:
Is high viscosity paint better quality than low viscosity paint?
Not necessarily. Within the same quality range, low viscosity paints will have the same quality pigments and binder to pigment ratio to those of high viscosity paints without the addition of fillers or diluted pigment loads. The formula is tweaked to make the paint flow, but the integrity of the formula is consistent with high viscosity acrylics.


-Kristal F.
Product Information Specialist



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