13 basic facts about acrylic paint

1. It is less than a century old. The first type of acrylic paint to become commercially available was polymer-based house paint, which became available in the 1940s.

2. It was only in the 1950s that acrylics became commercially available. After that, they took off in popularity and have remained a top choice for many artists ever since thanks in part to their sheer versatility.

3. Acrylic paint has many characteristics of its own, although it can be easily manipulated to look like oil paint or watercolor. Many artists therefore use this type of paint as a substitute for oils or watercolors.

4. Acrylic paint consists of a pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion binder. The pigment is the material that gives the paint its color and the binder is what holds the pigment together with the emulsion.

5. Painting with acrylics gives your work a crisp, clear and bold effect. This is a good option if you want a painting that looks really realistic.

6. Acrylic paint tends to dry quite quickly, although you can add a retarder to the paint to slow down the drying process.

7. You can easily paint overlays with acrylics, since the paint colors are permanent. You can paint one layer on top of another and the layer it was painted on will not be visible at all.

8. Acrylic paint can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces. In addition to canvas, it can be applied to surfaces such as glass, wood, ceramics, plastic, fabric, metals, stones, cars, houses, and even cardboard.

9. There are many different mediums and substances, like gels, sand, and rice, that you can add to acrylics to give them all sorts of different textures. Many artists like to experiment with adding different things to the painting to see what effects they produce.

10. An acrylic paint that has dried completely has a tendency to attract dust; Once you’ve finished painting, you’ll need to add a coat of varnish to prevent dust from accumulating and damaging it.

11. If you have a lot of acrylic paint on your brushes or on your hands, all you need is soap and water to remove it.

12. One of the most famous artists to use and experiment with acrylics is Andy Warhol, known for pioneering the “pop art” concept and movement. Many of his most recognizable and influential works, including Campbell’s Soup Cans, were completed in acrylics.

13. Acrylic paint is known for producing vibrant, strong, solid colors. The paintings made in acrylic paint stand out and are usually very striking.