| | General Definition - Liquitex Acrylic Mediums are made from 100% acrylic polymer emulsion that when dry form durable films. They can be thought of as colorless paint. They are the binder (glue) of acrylic paint and have excellent flexibility and chemical, water and ultraviolet radiation resistance.
- They are added to acrylic paint to alter the paint handling characteristics, appearance or volume, producing an infinite variety of effects.
- Liquitex Mediums are available in different viscosities (low, medium, high, extra high) and sheens (gloss and matte). They are all intermixable.
- They can function in a variety of applications and techniques. A combination of several mediums may be necessary to achieve a desired effect or several mediums may be used by themselves to achieve similar effects.
General attributes of Liquitex Mediums - Non-yellowing: Results in brighter, more archival colors.
- Non-sticky when wet: Greater ease in painting, achieving brush stroke free surfaces.
- Non-tacky when dry: Paintings stay cleaner and are less sticky in hot weather.
- Resist absorbing moisture when dry: Results in brighter colors, glazes and non-clouding varnishes.
- Dry slowly: Paint & mediums stay wet longer.
- Dry by evaporation: Drying time is influenced by thickness, ambient temperature, humidity, air flow and the absorbency of the support.
- Excellent adhesion: Mix with acrylic paint to improve adhesion to most non-greasy surfaces. Use as glue for collage.
- Flexible, non-cracking: Ideally suited for working on flexible and rigid supports, except Acrylic Modeling Paste.
- Abrasion Resistant: Excellent durability. Dry to a tough film.
- Non-toxic: Virtually no objectionable odor.
Uses - Mediums allow artists to modify acrylic paint and thus use it in an infinite variety of techniques and applications. Liquitex Mediums mixed into acrylic colors can change paint consistency, thickness, transparency, sheen, drying rate, absorption rate and even texture.
Application - A thin film (1/16") of Liquitex(D Mediums may take between 12 hour to 24 hours to initially dry. A thicker film (1/4") may take between 2-5 days to initially dry.
- The use of a hair drier will speed up the drying time of all Liquitex Mediums.
- The use of an air-mister and humidifier will slow down the drying time of all Liquitex Mediums.
- Some mediums can be pressure sensitive in hot, humid weather and may stick to itself or another surface if pressure is applied. To prevent this, use Liquitex Soluvar (Gloss or Matte) as a final protection.
- No limitation in regards to minimum or maximum amounts that can be safely added to paint.
- Avoid all oily, oil painted, greasy or waxy surfaces.
- When painting on hard (impervious), slick (shiny) surfaces such as glass, Formica, metal, enamel or Cardboard, sand surfaces prior to applying any medium.
- May be applied with various tools such as brushes, palette knives, paint pads, sponges, spray gun or airbrush.
- Vigorous brushwork over textured areas may cause bubbles to form and dry in paint film.
- Do not overwork during application. If the medium is brushed over during drying, it can cause clouding of the medium. Once the film is clouded and dry, it cannot be changed or removed. If an area is missed, let dry and recoat.
- Use mediums to prime surfaces and prepare supports (i.e. outside murals).
Intermixing Liquitex Mediums with Acrylic Paint - Mix with acrylic paint to economically extend volume and/or control transparency of paint.
- Mix into acrylic paint to add flexibility and adhesion to weakened paint films, (i.e. too much dry pigment in paint, causing cracking or chalkiness in dried paint film or paint thinned with over 50% water and applied to non-absorbent surfaces).
- Mix gloss mediums into Liquitex Acrylic Paint to enhance depth of color, increase transparency, gloss, ease paint flow paint and add flexibility and adhesion to paint film.
- Mix matte mediums into Liquitex Acrylic Paints to increase matte sheen of dried paint film.
- Liquitex Mediums (with exception of Matte Opaque Extender Mediums) extend the volume, while increasing the transparencies of the colors they are mixed into.
Intermixing Different Liquitex Mediums - All Liquitex Mediums may be intermixed to create infinite varieties of fluid, gel, gloss and matte mediums.
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