What could be better than finding the perfect paint to help you create your next masterpiece? For an artist, that answer is easy: finding the perfect paint that is both affordable and easy to use – and that includes finding the perfect acrylic binder.
Artists nowadays have been leaning onto using binders. Binder acrylics tick all those boxes and more, making them a popular choice for painters of all levels of experience.
Can acrylic binder be used for porous surfaces? Is it water resistant? What about its drying time? Learn more about the secrets behind this affordable and user-friendly paint.
Contents
What Is A Binder Acrylic?
An acrylic binder is a transparent substance that acts as glue on pigments and creates a drying film on the surface. Paint binders are essential ingredients that have a direct impact on the performance such as transparency, adhesion, washability, fade resistance, or gloss retention.
In general, it has been developed to enhance wet pigments in paint. It is white when wet, but is colorless when dry.
Three Types of Acrylic Binders
Acrylic paints are quite different from watercolor, gouache or gesso. It contains wet color pigments combined with a binder that holds them together in paint form!
They come in three forms: mediums, gel, and paste. You will find various categories to help improve adherence of your pigments when you shop online.
Mediums
Acrylic medium is added to acrylic paint pigments to change the properties of the paint. A medium can thicken or thin the pigment, make it dry slower, add gloss, which is good for when you’re painting a vehicle.
Gels
Gels are much more transparent and thicker than mediums and change the consistency of the paint pigment. You can mix them with paint to add surface texture, create impasto effects, or thicken paint for use with a palette knife.
Pastes
Pastes are the thickest of all three binders and are often used for sculpting with paint pigment. Like the gel and medium, paste can also be used to add texture and body to a painting.
How Do I Choose An Acrylic Binder?
- Non-yellowing, liquid binder with a translucent, glossy film used for collages, inlays and for diluting colors
- Mix with water to use as a retouching varnish
- Designed for use with acrylic colors; gives them depth and brightness
Choosing the right binder is essential for creating the perfect painting. Different pigment binders will provide different effects. Make sure to do ground preparation to avoid a messy work area.
An artist can mix and match to search for the perfect one that suits their artwork. But we’ve laid down some tips to help you make your choices faster. Rest assured, binders are available throughout the country, so you won’t have trouble shopping for them.
Why Do Artists Love Acrylic Binders?
Now that we know what acrylic binders are and how to choose one, let’s take a look at why artists love them.
They are loved by artists because they provide a wide range of benefits. Here are just a few of the benefits that they provide:
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Dries quickly.
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Strong and durable.
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Versatile.
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Easy to use.
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Affordable.
They are the perfect choice for artists who want strong, durable, and quality versatile colors that flow smoothly. You won’t find it hard to search for since they are available in your typical art shop.
How Do You Make Acrylic Binders?
Binders are created by the process of polymerization. In this process, monomers (simple molecules) are joined together to form long chains of molecules called polymers.
It must be compatible with the other ingredients in the paint and must be able to adhere to the surface being painted.
- Proudly Crafted In Holland by Royal Talens
- Alkali resistant formula is ideal for walls and murals
- Can be tinted with Acrylic paint
The resin for binders is manufactured from human materials and is usually manufactured in laboratories. A majority of these components are made with the methyl methacrylate monomeric catalyst.
The catalyst increases the reaction that produces polymethylmethacrylate, also called an acrylic-plastic polymer. Acrylic paint is created by a series of chemicals, which are natural phenomena of human nature.
Top 3 Acrylic Binders You should Try
Shopping for art tools? Now that we know what they are and how they can benefit your artwork, here are the top three binder acrylics that you should try.
Liquitex Professional Heavy Body Acrylic Paint
- PURE PIGMENTS - Heavy Body Acrylic is known for its rich, permanent color. Our chemists use the latest basket bead-mill technology to bring out...
- HIGH VISCOSITY - This is our highest viscosity paint. Good surface drag gives excellent handling and blending characteristics, with increased...
- VERSATILE - The low-odor acrylic resin base in Heavy Body represents the latest in acrylic resin technology, giving you increased open time and...
Liquitex Professional Heavy Body Acrylic Paint is a high-quality paint that is perfect for artists who want to create textured artwork. It’s thickness allows you to create beautiful impasto effects, and it dries to a smooth, glossy finish.
It is also highly pigmented, so you can achieve vibrant colors with just a few drops.
Golden Open Acrylic Paint
- Golden Open Slow-Drying set
- Modern Theory Color Set
- set of 8
Golden Open Acrylics are a special type of acrylic that is designed to stay wet on the palette for extended periods. This allows artists to slowly build up layers of color, resulting in richer, more luminous paintings.
They also have a slightly different consistency than regular ones, and they tend to dry slower as well. As a result, these paints are ideal for artists who want to work in a more leisurely fashion and explore different techniques without the worry of it drying too quickly.
M Graham & Co Heavy Body Acrylic Paint
- Artist quality gouache paint made with pure blackberry honey
- Free for chalk and opacifying adulterants
- Reflective matte finish provides a vehicle to be used alone or in mixed media combination with watercolor
Their heavy body paint is made with pure pigments and has a thick, creamy consistency that is perfect for impasto techniques.
The paint dries to a satin finish and is highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way. They feature an innovative pump top dispenser that makes it easy to get just the right amount of paint, which can save you money on wastage.
If you’re looking for more pigment and opacity on the tips of your brushes without having to use a sealer, this is the best choice.
Looking To Get A Quality Binder Acrylic For Your Artworks?
Artists love them because they offer several benefits that other types don’t. They are known for their opacity and vibrancy, which means the artist can get great results with fewer coats.
Take into account the value it brings to your art. You can shop for binders depending on your chosen art categories.
With such a wide selection available, you can experiment to find the perfect one for your needs. Start browsing our blogs today to see more conventional acrylic techniques!
