Golden Fluid Acrylic Paint is formulated to be thinner so that it is easy to dripple, drip, splatter.  Fluid acrylics are useful for painting on fabric, spraying.  Golden Fluid Acrylics mix easier with gels and mediums than heavy body paints.  Fluids are self-leveling, thus brush marks are almost invisible when using Fluid Acrylic Paint.

In my own studio I have used Golden Fluid Acrylic Paint for years. For my artwork, I use fluid acrylic pigments about 80% of the time.  I find it covers better, glazes beautifully, and generally lends itself to my painting personality better than heavy body paint.

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Golden doesn’t offer as many colors in fluid acrylics as they do in their thicker, heavy body line (tubes & jars).  Some of the heavy metal pigments just don’t mix work well with the fluid paint.  The Golden Fluid Acrylic Paint is categorized into four main types:

• Fluid Colors
• Fluid Iridescent / Fluid Interference
• Historical Fluid Hues
• Matte Fluids

Each of these sub-types has specific color characteristics, but each has the same FLUID characteristics.

Golden Fluid Acrylics are NOT weaker than Golden Tube Acrylics:

When I first began painting, I used only heavy body acrylics.

I was a beginner and under the impression that heavy body paint, which typically is sold in tubes, was a better value for the money.  I reasoned that if I want to make the heavy body paint thinner, I could add some water or some medium.

Boy was I wrong!

Fluid acrylic paint is thinner, by this I mean it has a higher viscosity. It flows   ….  But the pigment load in Golden Fluid Acrylic Paint is the same as their heavy body pigments.  I have found that this paint has excellent covering power.

The best word I can use for this is that the Fluid Paint feels and seems somehow stronger than the heavy body paint.  You will know what I mean it after you paint with it awhile.

Self Leveling:

Fluid Acrylics are self-leveling.  This means they will will dry smoother, flatter, and thinner on the canvas.

With a high viscosity, gravity pulls the paint down into all the little dents and divot holes it the canvas so it you don’t have those little tiny specs on canvas showing through.  The paint flows from the brush better with a softer brush.

If you paint vertically on an easel, but a little careful as this paint can result in drips if applied too thickly.

No Brush Marks.  Is that a good thing?

You will have very few brush marks when using fluids.  This makes it more difficult to get the painterly look with this paint.  If you are wanting a thick, bulky, texutural look to your painting then heavy body or heavy body PLUS impasto gel is your answer.  Fluid Acrylic dry very close to the canvas.

If you want to get a dry-brush effect with Fluid Acrylic Paint…  well good luck.  I always use heavy body paint for such things.

Different Sheens:

Something to keep in mind with Golden Fluid Acrylic Paint is that the sheen of of the paint when dry depends entirely upon the pigment.

In plain English?  Some colors will dry shinier than others.

This is because Golden doesn’t add any extra ingredient to make all the colors dry to the same sheen.  Many painters handle this later, with the addition of a protective the top coat.

Watercolor Washes:

This paint thins very easily with the simple addition of water for watercolor techniques.   Dip a mop brush in water and then the tip or corner into the fluid acrylic paint and you can produce some lovely, permanent, watercolor washes on paper.

You won’t have those little bits, balls, and clumps of pigment floating around like you do with when you try to do this by mixing heavy body acrylic. with water.

One Handed Glazing:

I most often use fluid acrylic pigments for glazing.  It mixes SUPER fast so I can glaze any color any time and be ready to do so in about 30 seconds ~

all without even setting down my brush.  I squeeze out a blob of glaze, pop the top with my thumb, let a few drops of paint drip, then stir with my brush.

Hey, it’s not like I’m some wild west gunslinger or something.  But when my painting session is going well, nothing throws me off like having to take a bunch of time out to mix up my glazes.  I personally prefer to get them mixed fast and move on.

Comparable products:

Matisse Flow Acrylic
DaVinci Fluid Acrylics
Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic
Lascaux Aquacryl Color
Tri-Art Finest Liquid Acrylics
LUKAS CRYL Liquid Acrylics

(stay tuned for further reviews for different fluid acrylic paint brands)

Use or Lose?

I vote USE for Golden Fluid Acrylic Paint.

Do you have some to say about Golden Fluid Acrylics?

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