Tips to stop acrylic painting from drying too fast

photo credit: pdbreen

If you are an acrylic painter, you know that drying time can be a real issue. Either the paint is drying too fast, or too slow, but it rarely seems to be the perfect drying time to suit your needs.

For me, I want to extend the drying time on the palette, and shorten the drying time on the canvas. Yeah, I like it like that.

To shorten acrylic drying time on the canvas I either use a hairdryer, from a distance, on COOL, or work two paintings at once. While one dries, I work on the other one. I also like what is “does” for my work. Switching gears somehow keeps my work more spontaneous and less planned, which is just how I like it.

There are numerous ways to increase the acrylic open time on your palette.

What is Open Time for Acrylic Paint? Open time is the time the paint film remains open, or wet.

The Masterson Sta-Wet palette is a popular method for keeping your traditional acrylic paint from drying out.

Can’t afford the Sta-Wet Paletter? Here are some great el cheapo alternatives to the Sta-Wet palette from the popular art blog, Empty Easel. Most of these EmptyEasel tips involve plates, sponges, tissues, spray bottles, plastic wrap, and other commonly found kitchen items. I will say from experience all of this leads to one thing in the Deep South. STINK.

It doesn’t take long, even in the air conditioning, for a wet palette to start smelling sour. Ever forget to put your clothes in the dryer? Open the washer the next day? Same concept here with the wet sponges and wet paper towels. I’m just sayin….. most of the people who use these things don’t live in South Georgia.

But if you are an acrylic painter, you gotta try the palette experience. Consider it a right of passage. You are not really an acrylic painter if you haven’t opened up your air-tight plastic palette early one beautiful morning only to be confronted with the horrible, nauseating smell of the sour sponge.

Some people advise to put copper pennies in with your wet palette. I say to them, “you don’t live in the South huh?”

Are Wet Palettes still not Open enough for you? Don’t want to mess with yucky wet sponges, mold, and odor?

Several manufactures have come along with acrylic paint specifically manufactured with extra long open times. Of course, if you read my blog you know how I feel about Golden. (love, love, LOVE it) Golden’s OPEN is formulated to stay wet on the palette several days without additional goop added to it.

Golden Open Paint didn’t stay open that long in the full sun of South Georgia, so try to work in the shade if possible. Come to think of it, I didn’t really stay open very long to the concept of sweating my butt off while painting in the full Georgia sun either.

Indoors or in the shade, I was pleased with the Golden Open products. But in complete honesty, I paint fast. So my painting techniques really don’t require my paint to stay open quite that long. I still prefer with Golden Fluid Acrylics or traditional Golden Heavy Body paint.

But…… if you are a more traditional style painter or en plein air painter, you have GOT to try the OPEN products. This paint just might rock your world.

One observation from Cindy is that Golden OPEN doesn’t behave well with soft brushes. Use the fake bristle brushes and you will do just fine though.

Another popular stay wet longer acrylic paint is Atelier Interactive Acrylic Paint.

I haven’t tried them yet. I am challenged enough keeping up with all the Golden mediums and gels. I don’t want to confuse my brain. But I hear they are decent and definitely worth a try if open time is an issue for you.

My last tip if you continue to have trouble with acrylic paint drying too fast is to quit your gripping and moaning and:

Switch to OILS.

I sort think painters make things too complicated with all the different products they use. I believe you should exploit each medium to suit your needs. The beauty of acrylics is that they dry fast. So paint fast with acrylics.

If you want dawdle around for days and days on a painting, blending the same area over and over, shading, re-working, use oils for goodness sake.

I know some of you will write about how oils are toxic and you are allergic and you can’t use them. For those people, you have no choice but the acrylic paints with extended drying times. But is you want really long drying times, why not just use oil if you can?

• Oil painters, where do you stand on this?
• In love with acrylics and won’t switch not matter what, I’d love to hear why.

Comments are welcomed here.