Types of Paint You Should Try

Finding the right medium takes trial and error. It’s best to try whatever you can get your hands on so you can explore many possibilities. Here are some that you might want to check out.

Acrylic

Acrylics produce thick, bright paints. They are made from pigment, polymer binder and acryl emulsion. They dry easily, unless retarders are used, and look almost like plastic on the canvas. To thin the paint, extenders or water is used. They can be painted on canvas, wood, metal and others. They come in bottles or tubes that are cheaper than oil. One disadvantage is that you need to clean your brushes right away so that the paint doesn’t dry them.

Casein

The name comes from the protein in cow’s milk. It is often used in mural painting and can be painted on wood, plaster, canvas, masonite, and linen. It has a matte finish and is a difficult medium to use because it requires a lot of experience.

Encaustic

When doing an encaustic painting, the pigment is mixed with hot wax. Some mix with with substrates such as resins, linseed oil or beeswax. This technique is a bit more complicated because the colors, sold in blocks, have to be melted first.

Gouache

Gouache is similar to watercolor but the pigment mixed with gum Arabic is much bigger. It is also mixed with white pigment or chalk to make it opaque. One disadvantage is that they can be water soluble so a finished artwork should be protected and stored properly.

Ink

Ink has been used for calligraphy, an art form in itself, but it also used to paint objects. This medium is cheap and is a good practice for drawing figures using a brush.

Oil

Oil takes a long time to dry so you can work on a project for days. They are made of pigment and linseed, sunflower or walnut oil. Some types however are water-based. They can be scraped off if you want to change something and produce thick lines ideal for mixing. They are very expensive however and are messy to work with. They need to be thinned using turpentine or linseed oil. Finally, oil art has to be sealed with varnish. Another disadvantage is that the colors change over time and need to be exposed to light.

Pastel

Some artists consider pastel artwork as painting. Unlike the other media, pastel doesn’t take long to dry and it can be done on paper. It also has more colors and are easier to clean. It’s prone to smudging however.

Tempera

It is made of pigment mixed with egg yolk or white glue. The white glue makes it a poster paint, while the egg yolk mix gives it a matte finish. They come in jars or tubes.

Watercolor

Also known as aquarelle, watercolor is cheap and easy to use. They are made of pigment and gum and produce transparent colors. They come in tubes or pans. Artists employ soft brushes to hold more paint. They are less messy and are ideal for children.

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