More Info

Besides water, can acrylics be mixed with anything else?

Mediums are added to acrylics:

 to change the paint's consistency (make it thicker so it shows brush marks or thinner for washes) and finish (matt or gloss),

to slow drying (retarders),

to add texture,

and to avoid overthinning.

Note: If you overthin acrylics by adding too much water, there will be insufficient binder to hold the pigment together and you end up with uneven paint. Trial and error will show you exactly how much water is too much; it's quite a bit.

Hints on getting ready

Because acrylics don't wash out easily once they're dry, it's advisable to wear old clothes, an apron, or overall when painting. No matter how careful you are, at some stage you will get paint on your clothes! Some artists simply wipe their brushes on their clothes, instead of a cloth. Don't forget to wear old shoes too!

Keep cloths or paper towels handy to wipe your brushes and hands on.

Clean water - one jar for washing your brushes and the other for mixing water. (Sometimes I also keep another jar of water with a little liquid soap in it so I can clean my brushes as I go along.  Make sure you rinse them properly and wipe them on a clean cloth before you use them again - never leave brushes in water.)

What will you paint on?

Suitable supports for acrylics include canvas, canvas boards, wood panels, and paper - basically anything to which acrylic paint will stick (do a test if you’re not sure). If you’re buying a pre-made canvas or board, check that it’s been primed with something suitable for acrylics (most are.)

If you are using acrylic to decorate your crafts, again do a test before starting out but acrylic works really well on paper, wood, pottery and many other materials.