Artmakr on Acrylics
Just as there is a sort of prestige and heritage attached to ‘Oil Painting’. Acrylic paintings tend to be associated with ‘cutting edge, contemporary, high culture’.
Perhaps this has something to do with Acrylics being the ‘New kid in town’ when it comes to art materials. While oil paints have served everyone from Renaissance masters to the bohemian working class. Acrylics have served Pop Artist and Soccer Moms.
The History of oil paints span some 500 years.
The History of acrylic, span 50.
Yet there is all this argument and comparisons about which is a better medium. The reason for this could be, that Acrylic paints, in a skilled hand , and with the correct accessories can imitate even the finest Oil Painting. And do so more quickly and with less fuss.
And there’s more.
Apart from being able to mimic an Oil Painting, it can just as easily mimic the effects of watercolours and gouache. Then there is the exciting prospect of producing all these varying painting effects on a single canvas.
Many would argue that Acrylics are the future of painting. Or the High Tech paint.
What are acrylics?
“Acrylic paint is fast-drying paint containing pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. Depending on how much the paint is diluted (with water) or modified with acrylic gels, mediums, or pastes, the finished acrylic painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting, or have its own unique characteristics not attainable with the other media.” -Wikipedia
It takes decades or longer to develop a complete understanding of what the acrylic colours could or couldn’t do. So, compared to other mediums, we’re still early in the learning curve with acrylic colors.
7 Key Differences between Oil Paints and Acrylics
- Let’s start with the obvious, Oil paints are soluble with oil, and acrylics are soluble with water.
- Oil paint dries slowly (some say too slowly) , Acrylic paint dries quickly.
- Oil paint produce deeper more natural hues, Acrylics produce brighter and wider ranges of colour
- Oil paints have been pushed to their limits, producing thousands of masterpieces. Acrylic has been shown to be able to match the capabilities of oil paints, but only a handful of masterpieces in acrylic exist.
- Acrylic cleans up easier than oil paints.
- Acrylics appear more stable than oil paints. Whereas oil paints normally turn yellow as they age/dry(oxidize) acrylic paints, at least in the 50 years since their invention, have not yellowed, cracked, or altered.
Face value.
The perceived value of an oil painting is generally higher than that of an acrylic painting. Although I suspect this has more to do with History than Merit. It would seem that the opportunity to make a dent in the history of oil painting is limited. But to achieve ’success’ as an acrylic painter is a potentiality.
Onward
The difficult thing about being the new guy, in this case ‘Acrylic’. Is that comparisons will be made before distinctions. And it is almost difficult to talk about Acrylics without mentioning oil paints or water colour.
But difficult as it is, for the next few post I intend to discuss Acrylics on it’s own merits compared only to itself. I will discuss:
- The Strengths of Acrylics as a medium
- Overcoming Limitations (of Acrylic Paints)
- Acrylic painting Techniques
- Masterpieces in Acrylic Painting
along with a few other surprises.
But don’t go away just yet, please share your experience with acrylic paintings, either as an audience or an artist. We value your comments!
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February 9th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Thank you for featuring my painting, “Dance Slippers” with this article about acrylics.
As an artist, I choose to work with acrylics primarily for health concerns. I have two small children that I do not wish to expose to turpentines and leads that are an issue when working with oil paints. (The fast drying time is also a big plus!)I find acrylics also handle well for all of the fine detail and appearance of texture that are part of my painting style.
So far, the biggest complaint I have heard from other artists who have attempted acrylics and abandoned them rather quickly is that it is “too plastic” and that the colors do not blend well at all. I disagree and my technique shows that acrylics can, in fact, be blended well. My technique is to blend the colors on my palette rather than the canvas itself, then finish with a thin wash for a final smooth blend.
Upon asking these artists who don’t like acrylics to critique my artwork, the overwhelming response was, “Well, your work is different - you handle acrylic like oil.” The statement is yet another example that emphasizes the point that comparisons will be made before distinctions. The irony is that I have never painted with oils in my life, nor do I make it my objective to imitate oils - this is just how I paint.
Great article - I look forward to reading the upcoming posts
February 10th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I paint in acrylics for a few reasons. Firstly I learnt in acrylics and I am very happy with them. Secondly I like the way they dry fast and allow me to layer quickly. I like the flexibility of diluting with water or spreading neat. Finally I can’t imagine myself mucking around with smelly oils. I paint part-time on the dining table in the corner of my living room and I wouldn’t want to have to start dealing with oils and spirits.
I know that people look down on acrylics but I’m happy and it suits my style.