The Best of Paints: Acrylics

Welcome to a mini-series we like to call The Best of Paints, where we will be exploring different types of painting mediums and their variables while exposing the greatest quality paints with the most affordable price tag. In this first instalment, we will be exploring one of the most widely used types of paint: acrylics.

Painting on a budget can be an intimidating concept to any artist - hobbyists and professionals alike. A commonly heard phrase states that ‘the higher the cost, the better the quality,’ although, I can tell from experience, this is not necessarily true. Paints are notorious for their exorbitant prices, except today’s modern paint manufacturers can produce high-quality paints widely accessible to all artists regardless of budget or skill level. However, finding these good-quality paints for a bargain can be a daunting task with the countless brands to choose from, especially as a beginner.

There are certain factors to consider while buying paints that applies not only to acrylics but to all types of paint.

While on the other side of the spectrum, artist-grade paints are more expensive due to the higher quality of pigment and binging mediums used to create a broader range of more vibrant colours. These paints are also more likely to be able to stand the test of time.

About Acrylics:

Acrylic paints are a popular medium for artists and crafters due to their fast-drying time and easy cleanup. These are incredibly versatile paints as they can cling to almost any surface you apply them to; canvas, wood, metal, fabric, and even ceramics.

You must consider what kind of acrylic paint is best for the artwork you are aiming to create as there are four different types of acrylics:

- Craft paints:

The cheapest type of acrylic paint, craft paint is used primarily for, well, crafting! It has a creamy consistency similar to soft body acrylic and can be used on practically any surface, making them great for creating but not so suitable for actual painting. Also, craft acrylics have more fillers in and less pigment, making it challenging to mix colours together, which is why they come in various hues. Too much filler and not enough pigment make colours turn muddy and dull, definitely not really ideal.

- Standard Acrylic:

More often than not, standard acrylic paints are categorised as one of two grades: artist/professional quality or student quality. The differences between these two grades are determined by the paint’s pigment quality and its lightfastness (also known as permanence.) Student grade paints are often made using cheaper pigments and binding mediums, resulting in less vibrant colours. Unfortunately, this can also result in a paint having lower lightfastness, meaning the pigment is more likely to fade when exposed to sunlight and humidity. This is why student grade paints are relatively inexpensive, although they are more expensive than the aforementioned craft acrylic paints. Standard acrylic paints can be quickly thinned using water to create a smoother viscosity that is easier to blend and best when creating more nuanced details.

Take this still life painting by Jana Leimane; using standard acrylic paints, she takes bright colours and uses a dynamic light/shadow ratio to create dramatic still images of flowers.

- Heavy Body Acrylic:

Likely the most popular acrylic form for established artists, heavy body paint has an almost buttery consistency that can create flowing peaks and retain an artist’s brushstrokes. Heavy body acrylics can be manipulated using a palette knife to sculpt and build up rich layers of colour and texture. These paints can also be combined with other mediums to create either a gloss or matte finish to the painting. Like oil paints, heavy body acrylics take time to fully dry but are much cheaper and easier to clean up after, making them a preferable substitute.

An artist who utilises this paint beautifully is Justin Gaffery, using heavy body acrylic to create boldly loose and expressive artwork that is constantly challenging the norms of fine art.

- Soft Body/Fluid Acrylic:

It is often believed that the thinner the paint, the less vibrant the pigment; however, fluid acrylics provide identical depth of colour using a less viscous binder. Flowing consistently from the brush, leaving an even distribution across almost any surface, this acrylic paint is also self-levelling, meaning that it smooths out the appearance of brush marks as it dries. Fluid acrylic paints are great for Fluid Art, also known as acrylic pouring, a creatively fun way of making abstract art.

A few of our favourite fluid artists are Mark Chadwick and Emma Lindström, both are incredible contemporary artists who specialise in fluid art.

Chadwick describes his artwork as a “… unique display of forms and colours… brought together by the artist’s hand but manipulated through the use of machines or natures forces.”

While Linström expresses that the integral theme she pursues through her artwork is energy. To “…somehow make visible the creative energy that operates in the unknown and unseen but binds us all together.”

So what acrylic paints are the best for the least?

Arteza:

Most likely a brand we will be referencing often, but Arteza is a company whose goal is to make art accessible to everyone, with the mantra; Art is about the journey. We provide the tools – you steer the way. Their products have a high-quality finish with a relatively low price, making them one of the fastest-growing paint manufacturers representing good value for money!

This Set of 12 Premium Acrylic Paints from Arteza for an incredible £13.99 are standard acrylic paints that come in a vibrant mix of colours which provides a wide enough palette to explore your colour mixing capabilities. Not to mention their non-toxic! From personal experience using these paints, we can say that they are effortless to blend and remain beautifully vibrant while mixing and once dried!

Cass Art:

Cass Art has become a staple British paint manufacturer; having been founded in the 1980s, Cass Art is partnered with The National Gallery, The Royal Academy of Arts, Sky Arts, and many more. Their belief has always been that Art is for everybody, that artists should have access to all forms of art supplies. As a result, they host a wide range of well-known brands at a discounted price, as well as their own line of paints and art materials!

This Set of 8 Acrylic Paints by Cass Arts is a great way to start off your standard acrylic paint journey at an incredibly affordable £14.95, these paints blend well together and have a high level of coverage compared to other paints at this price.

Liquitex:

Water-soluble acrylics were initially sold as interior house paints, but in 1956, paint manufacturers like Henry Levinson experimented with these acrylic paint’s binders to create water-soluble artists’ paint, marketing his recipe as ‘Liquitex Colours.’ 65 years later, Liquitex has created an incredible range of acrylic paints and mediums, fully cementing their presence in the paint production world with high-quality, moderately priced acrylic paints.

Liquitex sells a Set of 6 Professional-grade, Heavy Body acrylic paints ideal for creating texture and have a high concentration of lightfast pigment, leaving a rich, permanent colour and crisp brush strokes for £24.99.

Golden:

Another innovator in the acrylic paints’ world, Sam Golden created Golden Artist Colours, Inc. in 1980 within a 900 square-foot barn! Golden started a wide range of acrylics from humble beginnings, then continued to expand and release ‘Open Acrylics’, a new line of colours and mediums with a far lower drying time that allows artists to blend and rework acrylic paint exactly like oil paints!

If you’re looking for high-quality heavy-bodied acrylics but are not looking to break the bank, then this introductory Set of 6 Golden HeavyBody paints are a great way to start off at £26.95.

Pebeo:

One of the oldest paint manufacturers on this list, Pebeo, was established in Marseille in 1919. The French chemical company was then known as “La Pébéo”, after the molecule used in the production of paint, lead protoxide, more commonly known as ‘Pbo.’ At that time, ready-made paints did not yet exist pigments existed only in their powder form and were only intended for use by professionals. Pebeo has created an empire of different paints over one hundred years later, ranging from kid-friendly craft paint to professional studio paint.

Looking to try your hand at creating an abstract work of art? Pebeo Pouring Experiences Acrylic Paint Set of 6 is a brilliant first option for a cheap alternative (£16.99) to Golden's more expensive Fluid Professional Set of 8 for almost twice the price! (£32.71)

Extra Tips:

You can keep acrylic paints for over 10 years if stored properly; here are some quick storage tips that will make your acrylics last longer!

- Ensure that your paint tubes are sealed so they are not exposed to air or moisture, making them less likely to dry up or separate.

- Your paint tubes must be kept away from heat/direct sunlight as they can ruin your paints! Drying them rapidly and affecting its entire integrity, making it unimaginably awful to work with.

- Store them away together to have quick access to all your paints; turning your lesser-used colours every once in a while stops them from separating as quickly.

And that’s it for this first instalment of the Best of Paints!

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