Liquitex Acrylic Mediums
 
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Liquitex Acrylic Mediums   50% off!

Acrylic Mediums include Gesso which is used to prepare surfaces, as well as Varnishes which are used to finish paintings.  

Other mediums can be added to any acrylic paints to get a variety of different effects.  You can make your paints shiny or matte.  You can make them thicker (for thick textured paintings) or thinner (for pouring or airbrushing.)  Modeling paste actually handles like clay and dries to a very hard stone-like surface.   You can add textures such as sand, glass beads, flakes, and black lava. You can make your colors iridescent.  Or simply add slow-dri mediums to lengthen your working time.

All Liquitex mediums are permanent, ph neutral when dry, non-yellowing, water resistant when dry, flexible/non-cracking (except modeling paste), ideal for improving adhesion, formulated for long term durability, AP labeled, manufactured with the best quality resins available.

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Description Size Qty Buy
SURFACE PREP  Used to seal, prime and add tooth (for color adhesion) to all surfaces such as canvas, wood, paper and metal.  These professional gessoes usually take just 1 coat.  If using more than 1 coat, sanding between coats is recommended.  All are flexible/con-cracking, and do not yellow over time. 
Basics Gesso  (104016, 104084)
Clear Gesso  (7604)
A very clear size and ground that keeps the working surface visible.  Clear Gesso provides an ideal degree of tooth for pastel, oil pastel, graphite, and charcoal as well as an excellent ground for acrylic and oil paints. This gesso is ideal for painting over colored or patterned surfaces or over an under drawing. Mix with acrylic color to establish a tinted transparent/translucent ground. Dries clear to translucent depending on thickness. One coat is usually enough.
White Gesso  (5304)
The classic white sealer and ground for absorbent surfaces, such as canvas, paper, or wood. Provides the proper surface sizing, tooth and absorbency for acrylic and oil paints. One coat is usually enough. Traditional gesso is meant to be opaque titanium white for good coverage. Two coats are recommended under oil color.
FLUID MEDIUMS  Perform much in the way that their name implies, they are fluid in nature and reduce viscosity of heavier paints and glens, tend to self-level and do not retain brushstrokes.  They increase flow, dry transparent or translucent, extend the volume of thin paint, and make an excellend archival adhesive for collage.
Gloss Medium & Varnish (5004)
The workhorse of the Liquitex mediums range. Gloss Medium & Varnish is an all-purpose medium that performs two functions. It can be used as a varnish and/or a fluid gloss medium. It improves adhesion of paint film and increases color depth, intensity, and gloss. It can also be used as a non-removable varnish to protect the surface and establish an even gloss sheen.
Matte Medium  (5104)
A classic medium used to give fluidity to delicate brushwork or to act as a low sheen adhesive for collage. This medium has a creamy consistency and is great with opaque colors. Mix with Gloss Medium & Varnish to create a customized satin effect.
Palette Wetting Spray  (8008)
An innovative fluid acrylic resin designed to slow the drying of colors.  Spray onto your palette or directly onto the surface of a painting. This medium improves color blending and can be used to thin color while maintaining film integrity. Use repeatedly to prevent paint from “skinning over.”
 Watch a Video: Slo-Dri Productions, Pallet Wetting Spray
Slow-Dri Blending Medium  (6304)
Add flow/fluidity.  Mix any amount into color to enhance depth of color intensity, increase transparency, gloss, ease flow of paint, and add flexibility and adhesion to paint film.  Dries clear to reveal full, rich color.  Unlike retarding additives, any quantity may be added to color without jeopardizing the strength of the paint film.  Mix with acrylic paints to lengthen drying time, extend volume, and increase transparency.  Use as fixative over artwork to increase gloss or shine.
Watch a Video: Slo-Dri Productions, Pallet Wetting Spray
Glazing Medium  (7504)
 Use when maximum transparency is required to add luminosity and depth to your paintings. This fluid medium can be used to create brilliant glazes when mixed with transparent color. Glazing Medium dries quickly for rapid layering and tends to minimize or eliminate brush strokes. Works best with translucent or transparent colors.  Mix with any amount of acrylic color.  Small quantities of color provide the most transparency.  Excellent brushing and leveling qualities. Mix with Slow-Dri® Blending Medium 
GEL MEDIUMS  On the opposite side of the spectrum from Fluid Mediums, Gel Mediums add body to thinner paint for impasto techniques as well as extending color volume and adding transparency.  Gels also add "open time" as they tend to dry slower than thinner paint films.  They dry transparent or translucent, hold brush or knife marks, and make an excellent archival adhesive for collage.
Gloss Gel Medium  (5708)
 Excellent for retaining brush marks while slowing the drying time and adding body to the paint. Mix with transparent colors for impasto glazes of great depth and brilliance. Excellent for transferring printed images.
Gloss Super Heavy Gel Medium  (7408)
 A super thick gel with high surface drag used to create a stiff “oil-like” feel. Ideal for creating high peaks and sculptural applications that hold shape when dry, with minimal shrinkage. This medium keeps paint workable longer than most other gel mediums.
Slo-Dri Blending Gel Medium  (7208)
 A heavy body gel used to extend the “open” time of acrylics by more than 40% for easier blending. Add up to 50% without jeopardizing the strength of the paint film to achieve excellent impasto techniques.
Watch a Video: Slo-Dri Productions, Pallet Wetting Spray
Modeling Paste  (5508)
A very thick, matte, opaque preparation of marble dust and polymer emulsion used to build heavy textures on rigid surfaces. This product handles like clay and dries to a very hard stone-like surface. Can be mixed with acrylic color or over-painted when dry. Makes an excellent substrate for acrylic paint, oil paint, oil pastel, oil bars, watercolor, graphite, or dry pastel. Great for sculptural applications and may be sanded, carved, or drilled when dry. For use on rigid supports.
Light Modeling Paste  (6808)
 A lightweight and airy preparation of marble dust and polymer emulsion specifically formulated to be used in applications where weight is a factor. Can be used to add body to paint and create pastel tints.  Dries to a matte opaque white and can be mixed with acrylic color or over-painted. Recommended for use on rigid supports to avoid cracking.
Matte Gel Medium 
A thick gel that imparts a translucent matte sheen when dry.  Ideal for creating collages with heavier objects.  Combine with Gloss Gel to create a customized satin finish. 
EFFECTS  Includes Texture Gels which contain particles that produce a variety of unique textural and dimensional effects.  They may be mixed with acrylic colors, other mediums, or used on their own.  Dry Texture Gels can be over-painted with acrylics and oils, and can be used as an under painting textural ground. Also includes Additives which all the artist to adjust the working properties of acrylic paint.  They can be used to increase the flow, opacity or thickness, and more.  Additives should be used sparingly and only in the amount needing to achieve the desired effect, do not add transparency to the paint film. 
Flow Aid  (5620)
 Breaks water tension to improve flow, absorbency and blending of any water based paint, ink or dye and minimizes brush strokes. Use with
Fabric Medium  (126804)
Enhances blending, workability, and adhesion of acrylic colors for painting directly on fabric or unprimed canvas. Reduces dry paint stiffness. No heat setting required.
Iridescent Medium (107008)
 Adds richness to acrylic colors by creating a metallic/pearlescent effect.  Dries translucent and will not oxidize. Can add shimmer or sparkle to a picture even in the smallest amount. Achieve the most dramatic effects when mixing with transparent colors. Try painting on top of any dry color for unique effects.
Pouring Medium  (5408)
Designed to not craze in poured applications, which creates even poured puddles and acrylic sheets. Mix with Soft Body Acrylic Color to promote drying with a smooth even colored film.
 Watch a Video: Pouring, String Gel, Glass Beads and Resin Sand Texture Gels
Watch a Video: Pouring Medium and String Gel
Airbrush Medium  (5908)
 A pre-filtered, ready-to-use medium that easily thins any acrylic,
watercolor, or gouache to the right consistency for spray application. An excellent choice for color washes and watercolor techniques when used with acrylic colors. Mixes well with other mediums to adjust the body and handling properties. Maintains integrity of acrylics even at high dilutions, and decreases airbrush clogging and paint buildup. Use with Liquitex Soft Body Color for best results.
String Gel  (9108)
 A self leveling gel with honey-like consistency. Gently pouring yields a long, constant-flowing string of gel. Mix with acrylic color for interesting application affects, to enhance depth of color, and to increase transparency and flow. Mixed with acrylic color and brushed, color “follows” the brush creating long streaking effects
Watch a Video: Pouring, String Gel, Glass Beads and Resin Sand Texture Gels
Watch a Video: Pouring Medium and String Gel
Ceramic Stucco  (6408)
 A favorite medium of many artists. This thick, fine-textured gel can be applied with a palette knife to give the surface finish of an Italian fresco. It dries to a light gray matte stucco finish and is a great absorbent ground for washes and glazing. Try painting over the dry surface with airbrush medium or drawing with pastel or charcoal
Watch a Video: All 7 Texture Gels
Natural Sand  (6508)
 A fine-textured gel that dries to the appearance of glossy beach sand. Mix with other gels to create customized surfaces. An excellent choice to add a bit of “tooth” to an under-painting. Try combing the natural sand with a ridged trowel for uniform peaks and valleys.
 Watch a Video: All 7 Texture Gels
Resin Sand  (6608)
 A thick, coarse gel that dries to a semi-gloss texture similar to rough cement. Mix with Black Lava and Ceramic Stucco to create an absorbent, granite like surface that is very receptive to Soft Body colors
Watch a Video: Pouring, String Gel, Glass Beads and Resin Sand Texture Gels
Watch a Video: All 7 Texture Gels
Blended Fibers  (6708)
 Great for adding texture and body to painted forms. This thick opaque gel, when dry, will give the effect of flexible fibers with a matt sheen. It holds unusual peaks and knife strokes when mixed with color. Can tend to have the effect of pieces of torn fabric.
 Watch a Video: All 8 Texture Gels
Glass Beads - (6908)
 A medium body gel that contains clear round plastic beads and dries to a semi-gloss surface. Perfect for creating a “bubbly” but smooth texture that can be dramatic when mixed with color. When poured it creates a flexible shimmering film for a wide variety of applications. Works well as a surface to paint over with color. Can be used under oil or acrylic.
Watch a Video: Pouring, String Gel, Glass Beads and Resin Sand Texture Gels
 Watch a Video: All 7 Texture Gels
Black Lava - (7108)
 A clear gel speckled with small black particles that adds an innovative dimension to paint surfaces. Gives dramatic effects when mixed with transparent, translucent, or interference colors and can be used to darken values in a picture. Try over painting dry acrylic color for additional effects
 Watch a Video: All 7 Texture Gels
White Opaque Flakes  (7308)
A heavy, coarse gel containing irregular sized and shaped white opaque flakes. May be used to create foliage effects in landscapes by mixing with opaque color or glazing over when dry. Has a similar effect of snow flakes or coconut flakes.
Watch a Video: All 7 Texture Gels
Finish  As a general rule, you should always varnish your acrylic work when possible.  Varnishes are applied over dry paint films and protect the painting surface from the environment and protect the pigments from ultraviolet light.  They also can be used to change or unify a painting's surface sheen.  All are archival permanent, non-removable, for interior and exterior use, excellent leveling properties, non-yellowing, translucent when wet - dry clear.  Different sheens may be mixed for a customized sheen. 
Gloss Varnish  (6208)
Matte Varnish  (5208)
High Gloss Varnish (126608)
Satin Varnish  (8208)

How to add items
Other helpful hints:
For best results, always test before using
Mix Liquitex Mediums into acrylic color to add flexibility, adhesion and long-term stability
Mediums extend the volume, while most also increase the transparency of acrylic color
A thin fil (1/16") of Liquitex medium may take between 1/2 hour to 24 hours to initially dry, while a thicker film (1/4") may take between 2-5 days to initially dry.
The use of an air-mister and humidifier will slow the drying time of all mediums.
Avoid any oily, oil painted, greasy or waxy surfaces
When painting any hard or slick surface such as glass, metal, enamel or hardboard, sand surfaces prior to applying any medium to improve adhesion
Vigorous brushwork over textured areas may cause bubbles to form within the paint film
Do not overwork during application.  If mediums are brushed heavily during drying, it may cause clouding.  Once the film is clouded and dry, it cannot be clarified or removed.  If an area is missed, allow the surface to dry and then cover with another coat of medium.
 

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