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Acrylic Paints

We stock only the highest quality acrylic paints, available in sets and as individual colours - always at discount prices! Browse our range and order now. Read More

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We offer acrylic paints in individual tubes and sets, supplied by leading paint brands like Winsor & Newton, Liquitex and Daler-Rowney. For beginners, it might be best to opt for a smaller paint set, but we also have larger sets (up to 48 pcs) in a range of acrylic colours and shades for professional and amateur artists alike. Choose that perfect colour missing from your palette, or purchase a set as a special gift for the artist in your life. 

Acrylic paints are a fast-drying art medium that doesn’t require any chemicals. They’re a popular choice amongst those new to painting, like hobbyists or students, and are ideal for use in craft projects. We also offer a wide range of brushes for acrylic painting, as well as an extensive range of System 3 Acrylic paint, one of the leading brands, popular with artists from all walks of life. 

Is Acrylic Paint Waterproof?

No, acrylic paint is not waterproof and you will need to apply a sealer to your project if you want to make sure it is waterproof. Acrylic paint is water-resistant though so you don’t need to worry about a few drops of water on your painting.

Is Acrylic Paint Washable?

Yes, you can wash acrylic paint off clothing and surfaces while it is still wet, but it becomes much harder to clean once it has dried. The paint soaks into clothing and will stain, becoming very difficult to remove once dried. 

What is Acrylic Paint?

As a mid-century invention, acrylic paint can still be considered a fairly young medium. However, this has not stopped acrylic paints from becoming one of the most popular types of paint to use amongst artists of all ability levels. It allows artists to create diverse art which can be manipulated with the use of mediums and other substances to create amazing and unusual art. 

There are a variety of acrylic painting techniques to experiment with, and many artists enjoy incorporating pouring mediums with their paintings. You can find out more about how to use acrylic pouring mediums when painting with acrylics in our blog. There, you can also discover infinite intermixability with Liquitex Acrylic.

Acrylic paints are created by suspending dense pigments within an acrylic polymer emulsion along with other chemicals. Acrylic is known for being a dynamic and versatile artistic medium. Depending on how much you dilute your paints with water, or even modify them with acrylic gels and mediums, you can manipulate the consistency so that they resemble other mediums. With different manipulation methods, you can achieve the look of oils, watercolours, gouache and more.

For this reason, many artists enjoy working with acrylics because they find so much freedom in working with them and are not limited to any one style. 

How do you paint with acrylics?

Painting with acrylics is brilliant because it’s so easy. As already stated, you won’t need to mix them with any varnishes or chemicals, as you do with oil. This means that they are ready to paint straight from the tube, which significantly cuts down on your preparation time. All you really need to get started is a surface like canvas, your favourite brushes, a cup of water, your selected acrylic colours and a palette

In most cases, you won’t need to prime a canvas you purchased from a shop. If you stretch and mount your own canvas, however, you will need to prime the canvas before beginning. If you opt to paint on something like thick watercolour paper, this will need to be primed. But you can also paint on a number of other surfaces, including wood. You can find out how to paint on wood with acrylics on our blog. 

Our blog is full of tips on painting techniques. For acrylic paints, check out our list of Amazing Acrylic Painting Techniques.

How do you use acrylic mediums and varnishes? 

Although it’s not necessary to use acrylic mediums or varnishes when painting with acrylics. If you choose to do so, you can achieve some wonderful techniques and styles that the paint alone wouldn’t allow for. Some of the most common mediums and varnishes used by acrylic artists include:

  • Pouring Medium: For artists who are keen to master the art of pouring art, this medium is a must-have. Combining a pouring medium with your acrylics creates a fluid effect and prevents cracking when it dries. Acrylic paint on its own does not have the necessary fluidity to achieve this effect.

  • Gesso: Acrylic gesso is the compound used to prime your canvas before painting with acrylic paints. Again, most shop-bought canvas will already be primed with gesso, so this is more important if you tend to prep your own canvas. 

  • Gloss Medium: Achieve a glossy finish for your acrylic artwork with a quality gloss medium. This works by increasing transparency and enhances the depth and intensity of your colours. 

  • Slo-Dri Fluid Additive: Due to the fact that acrylic paint dries so quickly, it can make it difficult to achieve certain effects. A medium such as this allows for smoother blending and allows artists longer to work.

  • Matte Medium: Artists can add a matte medium to their acrylics if they want to achieve a non-reflective and matte finish. 

Leading Acrylic Paint Brands

You’ll find that we stock many acrylic paints, some from niche brands and some from famous brands you’ll no doubt have heard of. This means that we stock paint for every experience level, from student level to professional level. See below for some of the brands we stock at Cowling & Wilcox.