F.A.Q.

Got Questions? Check out our FAQs for Quick Solutions.

Liquitex materials are not certified as vegan, and while majority do not contain animal derivatives, cross-contamination risks exist in the supply chain.
Indeed, we're born in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, with North America as our primary market.
While Liquitex works with water-based emulsion acrylics, avoid latex house paint. It lacks artist-quality binder and pigment, becoming brittle with age.
We have removed microplastics from our portfolio and discontinued Skus that contained them. Therefore, no Liquitex products contain microplastics.
Liquitex continuously strives to make formulations safer. For instance, we've stopped making lead paints.
No, we do not conduct animal testing for our products.
Colart is the parent company of Liquitex and other leading global art materials brands. Each brand owned by Colart has unique formulations and color palettes, ensuring no crossover between brands' paints.
Yes, Liquitex Transparent White uses zinc oxide in tiny amounts, well below safety thresholds.
Reset your password by using the "Forgot your password?" link in the login section. You'll receive an email with instructions. If you want to change your existing password, do so in your Account Details.
To create an account, click on the Account icon at the top right of any page. Click "Create an account," fill in the required information, and follow the prompts to complete the process.
Recycling requirements vary by region, so check with your local center for specific guidelines.
Subscribe to our emails to be the first to hear about our latest tutorials, product releases and special offers! To sign up, enter your email in the form located in the footer at the bottom left of the page. if you want to unsubscribe, you can click the "unsubscribe" link from the footer of our emails.
As Liquitex Glass Beads are glass, not plastic, they do not pose the same environmental problem as micro beads and micro plastics. The glass is silica based - the same composition as sand. This is a natural material so does not absorb liquid toxins the same as plastic-based components and does not pose the same risks as marine micro plastics. In most cases, small amounts of Glass Beads are not hazardous to the environment when washed down the sink. Having said that, disposal in large quantities may have hazardous effects on the environment. Therefore, it is recommended that items that have been in contact with Glass Beads be wiped with a disposable cloth before the product is dry then washed.
Our product development team collaborates with resident artists and in-house chemists to innovate based on artistic needs, pushing boundaries. Read more here.
Acrylic paints dry by water evaporation into the atmosphere and absorption into the surface.
Yes we have a full set of product booklets you can download as PDFs and print out. Each contains a color or swatch chart and can be found here. The same page has a downloadable PDF of The Liquitex Acrylic Book, our detailed guide to working with acrylics. We also have safety data sheets on each of our products - find them ready to download on the product pages.
If you're interested in stocking Liquitex in your store, please contact us and a team member will assist you. To contact us, hit the button in the bottom right corner of the FAQ page.
Report any site bugs by using our contact form. We appreciate your feedback. To contact us, hit the button in the bottom right corner of the FAQ page.
Unfortunately, we do not currently offer a replacement service for lost lids.
Top quality, professional paints are always going to be more expensive than house and craft paints due to the pigments and formulations. However, you can extend professional colors with Liquitex mediums for underpainting or sketching. Use Basics colors for experiments, as both ranges work well together, maintaining an archival finish.
Viscosity measures paint thickness and flow resistance, influencing brushstroke retention.
"Hue" colors replicate target shades, offering cost-effective intensity, ideal for unavailable, expensive, or fugitive pigments.
Substrate Induced Discoloration (SID) can occur when using acrylic mediums on specific surfaces due to impurities from the substrate. The discoloration will only be noticeable in areas on the surface that are left unpainted. Washing the canvas before use can greatly decrease or eliminate SID. It's not a problem if the mediums are mixed with paint or painted over.
An acrylic emulsion is a stable mixture of water and acrylic polymer. Chemical emulsifiers are added to force the water and acrylic polymer into a stable mixture until the water either evaporates or is absorbed.
A polymer is a long chemical chain made up of smaller, often identical molecules. The final acrylic paint film is made of polymer that formed into stable structure that locks pigments in the paint film.
Acrylic paint is versatile and can be used on various surfaces, including canvas, paper, leather, and glass. Visit our product sheets and color charts to learn more.
Creating an account can offer conveniences such as viewing past and current orders and expediting the checkout process.
Liquitex, born in 1955, owes its inception to Henry Levison, a dedicated chemist and businessman from Cincinnati, Ohio. You can learn more about our history, here.
Explore tips and techniques in video and written formats in our Knowledge section here.
Our primary manufacturing sites in France and China create most Liquitex materials, ensuring quality and consistency.
ACMI's toxicology team, located at Duke University's Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, has over 30 years of experience evaluating more than 60,000 art material formulations for ACMI members. ACMI also has a Toxicological Advisory Board composed of leading toxicological experts who act as a review board on issues of toxicity, review the criteria used by ACMI's Toxicologist and make recommendations to ACMI. For more information, please refer to www.acmiart.org The Art and Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI) is an international association of about 200 art, craft, and creative material manufacturers which seeks to promote safety in art and creative products through its certification program. Colart are a member of ACMI. ACMI-certified product seals (AP Approved Product and CL Cautionary Labeling) indicate that these products have been evaluated by a qualified toxicologist and are labelled in accordance with federal and state laws.
Variations in paint prices are primarily due to different pigment costs, categorized into series.
Liquitex is based on innovation and we're passionate about bringing artists new materials. We are doing what we can to ensure there's a world that's full of possibilities for future generations of artists to thrive. For our latest canvas project, we wanted to do something different. A collaboration with Waste2Wear - specialists in turning waste plastics into textiles - was logical. They create the recycled cloth from plastic bottles and then we have it primed and readied for artists.
Professional artist colors offer four compelling reasons to invest: Fine pigments: Rich, highly refined pigments set them apart. Unique formulations: Each color is tailored for pigment characteristics. Stability and permanence: Formulated to last generations. Quality raw materials: Enhance the painting experience.
Liquitex Professional materials use top-grade pigments, ensuring brilliant, lightfast colors. Quality and artist-grade pigments reflect the price.
If your gesso or paint layer is powdery or unstable, you've probably added water to them somewhere along the way. Water spreads the acrylic binder, leaving it less able to firmly lock the pigment into place on the painting surface - thus causing flaking, cracking or a powdery feel. Use acrylic mediums for better results.
We offer free 3-5 business day standard shipping on all orders over £50. More shipping information can be found here. After you have placed the order, you cannot change the selected delivery option.
Purchase from our online store or fine art partner retailers worldwide. Use the Store Locator on our website to find a retailer near you.
To cancel your order, contact us through the website with your order details. If not shipped, we can cancel it. If already shipped, follow the returns process here. To contact us, hit the button in the bottom right corner of the FAQ page.
Log in to your account and visit the "Order History" section to view the status of your order. You will also receive email notifications with updates.
For delivery options and shipping costs, refer to our Shipping & Returns page here.
Orders are typically shipped via DPD UK. You will receive a tracking number from DPD once your order is shipped.
Shipping time varies based on your chosen delivery option. Most orders ship within 3-5 business days from the order date. View detailed shipping options are available here.
If you receive an 'attempted delivery' notification, you can expect the courier to attempt to delivery your order on the following working day. If you want to schedule a delivery, or pick up your order at the courier’s local office, follow the instructions on the delivery notification.
Your order status may be "Processing" while being picked and packed, and "Complete" after shipment. You'll receive an email notification for "Complete" orders.
Tracking numbers are emailed once your order is shipped. You can also find it in your order history on our website.
We ship from our distribution center located in Kidderminster, UK.
Orders may arrive in multiple shipments due to different warehousing and fulfillment rates.
Avoid adding sand to acrylic paint. It can introduce contaminants affecting your work's aging. Use Natural Sand or Resin Sand mediums for texture.
You can use Basics Gesso as a base for oils when dry, but the rest of the range is for use with acrylics only.
Basics paints have varying opacities; check labels for each color's opacity level.
Liquitex Glass Beads are made of actual glass in an acrylic gel medium.
No, we intentionally developed the range to not have any components or pigments derived from animals. Because of this, Ivory Black is not part of the range while Lamp Black is being introduced.
No. We use sustainable synthetic filaments for the Liquitex pro range. These are a clean white color and have the perfect responsiveness for acrylic paints.
Yes, they are designed to be mixed with Basics paints or any from our professional range, to create bespoke, colored pastes.
We don't recommend adding water to Liquitex Basics Acrylic Fluid. Depending on the paint you're using, you can use Mediums such as the Professional Flow-Aid Additive to dramatically increase the flow of your color or mediums.
You can buy replacement caps for your Spray Paint in packs of six. Choose different thicknesses to experiment with line widths. Don't forget to clean caps after use to prevent blockages.
You can salvage a dried acrylic brush by soaking it in Professional Acrylic Ink Pen Cleaner. Dissolve the paint, rinse, and your brush will be ready for reuse.
Creating Heavy Body paint by adding gel to Soft Body may affect color intensity. We would always advise that you'll get the result by choosing the appropriate paint for the task.
Achieving a quality pour is best with Liquitex Pouring Mediums, ensuring a strong, smooth, and crack-free result.
Flexible Modeling Paste is not suitable for drilling. Use Liquitex Professional Modeling Paste for carving and sanding.
Basics paints maintain a consistent medium viscosity across all colors for versatility. We also offer Basics Acrylic Fluid for a more fluid viscosity in addition to our regular medium viscosity basics paint.
You can thin Heavy Body paint with water, but it may reduce color intensity. We would always advise that you'll get the result by choosing the appropriate paint for the task.
You can use Liquitex Gesso as a dry ground for oils, but don't mix them directly. Stick with acrylic colors for mixing.
Yes you can paint Light Modeling Paste when it's still wet or when dry, mix color into it or use it as it comes out of the pot - it's very versatile.
Paint over dry String Gel to add texture. Ensure it's completely dry before over-painting with acrylic color.
Easily replace Acrylic Marker nibs with our available nib packs for fine and wide markers.
Absolutely, you can paint over an acrylic canvas with either acrylic or oil paints.
Yes, all Liquitex products are compatible due to consistent binder systems, guaranteeing stability and archival quality.
Good question! Happily we can say NO, if you’re sensitive to plant- based allergens you have nothing to worry about. While the monomers in Bio-Based are derived from plant materials (soy, corn waste and sugarcane), they’re fully transformed into resins in production, leaving no trace of the original molecules. With no raw plant materials directly in our Bio Based Acrylics production or formulations = no risk of plant-based allergic reactions.
No. We would strongly recommend you use a specialized tattooing ink that is designed for skin application. Liquitex Acrylic Ink is not designed for tattoos or other body modification.
Liquitex Basics Acrylic Fluid isn't ideal for Pen & Ink; choose Liquitex Professional Acrylic Ink.
Yes, but some need to be used in combination with a more flowing vehicle (a color or medium). You can add Liquitex Glass Beads, Black Lava or White Flakes to create texture, or use something like Liquitex Iridescent Medium with a color or in combination with Flow Aid Additive or a Pouring Medium. The different Matte, Gloss and Iridescent Pouring Mediums give you a range of luster effects options to experiment with. Have a play and see what you end up with.
While there should be no major issues, we don't recommend purposefully using Liquitex paints or mediums on your skin. You would be better to use a specialized face & body paint designed for skin application instead.
You can use Liquitex Professional Spray Paint over or under other spray paints, as long as each layer is thoroughly dry. You can use our Pro Spray Paint with any Liquitex Professional or Basics colors and mediums, thanks to our compatible binder systems. Mix, blend, and layer to create unique combinations.
You can varnish giclee prints with Liquitex varnishes. Spray or airbrush Liquitex Gloss Varnish or use Liquitex Soluvar. Starting with a fine mist and working way thicker, apply several coats for best results.
Yes, Liquitex acrylic paint is generally compatible with other acrylic products. However, factors like lightfastness, flexibility, yellowing, and UV protection may vary between brands. Always perform an adhesion test to check compatibility.
No, Palette Wetting Spray is exclusively designed for use with acrylic paints.
Yes you can. Do this as soon as you finish working, before the ink has a chance to dry.
We suggest you use Liquitex Mediums for thinning and fluid effects in order to maintain the integrity, color strength, and archival quality of acrylic paints.
Yes, Acrylic Ink can be used in your airbrush. We recommend you use it with Liquitex Airbrush Medium for optimum atomization. Always remember to clean it out immediately after use as you would with any other acrylic media.
Use Liquitex Acrylic Ink in your calligraphy pen and clean it with Professional Acrylic Ink Pen Cleaner before the ink dries in the nib.
Yes, providing the spray paint is thoroughly dry, our Acrylic Markers can be used with solvent-based spray paint.
You can use it neat direct from the tube, but we recommend using it for highlights rather than a big painting - our Basics metallic colors will give you a better result for large areas.
No, our Basics acrylic varnishes are for use on acrylic surfaces only, however you can use our Professional Soluvar removable varnishes on oils.
Yes we make a dedicated range of large-scale brushes with really durable bristles to suit masonry and large applications. You can also use our small brushes for fine detail - all the filaments are synthetic and will perform well.
Liquitex Professional Spray Paint can be used both indoors and for exterior applications, thanks to its low odor and weatherproof qualities.
You can use all Liquitex Soluvar removable varnishes on oil paintings as these are solvent based. However our permanent varnishes are made with a water-based acrylic formula and are designed only for acrylics. These are not suitable for oil paintings.
To waterproof gouache on canvas, you can use Liquitex Permanent Spray Varnish. However, subsequent paint layers may not adhere well to the varnished surface.
Yes, from a chemical perspective, the product is an acrylic and therefore is compatible with other acrylics & mediums.
Light Modeling Paste is suitable for adding structure without excessive weight in mixed media pieces.
You don't need to add water to Liquitex Acrylic Gouache; it's ready to use.
For maximum longevity and surface preparation, ensure your surfaces are clean, dust-free, and appropriately primed before applying Liquitex Spray Paint. Liquitex Professional Spray Paint is versatile - It won't melt substrates like Styrofoam and can be used on a wide range of surfaces, including canvas, masonry, brick, ceramic, glass, wood, metal, and more.
Wear a mask and maintain good ventilation when using Liquitex Varnish. Use a suitable respirator for the working environment.
While Liquitex Spray Paints are low in solvent content, they contain propellants. Protect yourself by wearing a paper mask and ensure proper ventilation while using them.
You can drip and guide it with a brush or you can use the non-brush end to drizzle it. Try our splatter brush or a spoon to create different effects.
No, our Liquitex materials are latex and formaldehyde-free, ensuring no allergens.
Liquitex fluorescent colors glow under UV and black light.
Large Soft Body bottles also have nozzle lids, except for tiny sample sizes.
Our Acrylic Gouache paints are designed to be semi-opaque and opaque, so opt for a transparent Soft Body, Heavy Body or Acrylic Ink mixed with Ultra Matte Medium or Ultra Matte Gel. This will help you achieve a more transparent super-matte finish.
We only make an uncolored Clear Gesso but you can tint it with a transparent color from our Acrylic Ink or Soft Body ranges.
It's a similar flexibility to regular cotton canvas and a little heavier weight-wise. We've given it to artists to blind-test and they didn't notice any major differences, with many preferring the weight of the recycled cloth. Rather than the composition of the fiber, canvas flexibility usually depends on how tightly it's woven and the flexibility of the gesso primer.
Iridescent Medium is made with tiny mica particles coated with reflective materials - so we wouldn't strictly classify them as pigments.
Glass Medium can be heat-set for scratch resistance but isn't required.
Liquitex Spray Paint does not contain lead, CFCs, or aromatic hydrocarbons.
No. It is woven from thread made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.
Clean up Liquitex Professional Spray Paint while wet using soap and water. Once dry, it requires a strong solvent for removal.
To create a matte acrylic pour, use Liquitex Matte Pouring Medium for the desired consistency and finish.
For thick color, experiment with different additives: Gloss Heavy Gel, Gloss or Matte Super Heavy Gel, or Liquithick Additive. Each offers a unique texture - Liquithick creates structural, opaque, spongey effects, while gels provide rich transparency.
Create iridescent colors by adding Liquitex Iridescent Medium to our Professional or Basics paints and mediums, achieving a pearly, metallic finish.
Prevent paint cracking on fabric by mixing it with our Professional Fabric Medium, enhancing dried paint flexibility.
Liquitex labels indicate lightfastness ratings (I to V) by ASTM, with most colors being rated I or II.
Every color and medium was measured through a C14 analysis from the ASTM D6866-16 American standard, which is a scientific way to verify the formulation composition. The percentage of bio-based content is calculated based on the ratio of C14 to the total carbon in the sample. This tells us what proportion of the material comes from recent biological sources (like plants) versus ancient biological sources (like petroleum). The tests for each sku will be available to consumers on the Liquitex website.
Essentially it's in the simplicity of the range - we make the 12 essential starter mediums for our Basics line, while we have 48 very specialized mediums in the Pro range. Basics mediums offer you a great introduction to the idea of manipulating your materials.
To activate an Acrylic Marker, shake it well, depress the nib a few times, and ensure the nib isn't over-depressed to avoid flooding.
Any way you like! We recommend starting with a flexible palette knife, as this is the easy way to spread the medium, but you can experiment with brushes, combs, cards and scrapers to get different effects.
To clean your brushes, wipe excess paint, rinse in water (avoid pressing the filaments), wash with hand soap and water, rinse, reshape, and leave to dry.
It depends on the materials you are using. If it's acrylics, then try and clean them off before the paint dries. Use water and soap, or a wet cloth to clean the blades and handles. If the paint has dried, you may need to scrub a little more firmly or use a scraper.
Clean up after using Acrylic Markers with soap and water while wet. Once dry, they are permanent and durable.
We recommend using transparent colors from our Acrylic Ink or Soft Body ranges mixed with our Professional Glazing Medium.
Adjusting the nozzle width on a Liquitex Soft Body or Acrylic Gouache bottle can be done with a craft knife.
Adjusting the nozzle width on a Liquitex Soft Body or Acrylic Gouache bottle can be done with a craft knife.
Choose between gel and fluid mediums based on whether you want to thicken or extend the volume of your paint. Gels provide a heavier body.
Prevent nozzle clogs by shaking aerosol cans before use and storing them above 15°C and spraying propellant to clear the nozzle. Hold the container upside and spray for a couple of seconds before and after use- this will send a spray of propellant only out of the nozzle and clear it.
We would recommend you selecting your green Soft Body or Heavy Body color and mixing a little into our Professional Gesso until you achieve the desired tint.
Use Liquitex Acrylic Ink for water-like consistency and rich vibrancy. Alternatively, thin Liquitex Soft Body with Gloss Medium, Matte Medium, or Airbrush Medium for increased flow and color preservation.
A splatter brush allows you to create various effects by dipping the head in paint and flicking or dragging it across the surface.
It's easy. Just take your just-used paint nozzle off the can, put it on the Cap Cleaner and spray for a few seconds, or until the spray is clear. Then simply return it to its can and put the lid back on.
In California, cadmium is listed as a chemical known to cause harm. Environmental concerns support moving away from heavy metals. This refers to Proposition 65.
Extensive technical and subjective tests confirm Liquitex cadmium-free colors deliver the same performance, validated through blind artist trials.
We tested the colors in a Q-sun machine for 300 hours which is the equivalent of 100 years in gallery conditions. The machine puts the paint through very extreme conditions to understand how each item behaves. The lightfastness ratings were given for each color as a result of this testing. Note that Iridescent colors are not rated for lightfastness by ASTM and therefore do not have a lightfastness rating. However, we did measure the iridescent pigments and they are in fact lightfast, they are just not rated by ASTM.
All of our materials are compatible but if you want to keep Liquitex Acrylic Gouache's formula as matte and opaque as intended, we would recommend using a Liquitex gel medium rather than a fluid medium. Acrylic Gouache works well with Liquitex gels and modeling pastes, depending on the effect desired. Maintain the matte finish of Liquitex Acrylic Gouache by using matte varnishes.
Heavy Body Acrylic is a thicker viscosity than Soft Body and provides a different texture.
It will be lightfast for at least 100 years in gallery conditions, without yellowing or changing color.
Ensure the artwork is fully dry before varnishing and allow at least 12 hours drying between coats of varnish.
We offer five shapes - Bright, Round, Filbert, Fan and Flat.
Liquitex offers four traditional small brush shapes: Bright, Round, Filbert, and Flat.
A 400ml aerosol can of Liquitex Gloss Varnish covers approximately 2 square meters.
Because our fluid mediums have the same base as our paints, (think of them as pigment-less paints), you can add as much as you like without weakening the formulation. Have a play - the more you add increases the fluidity and transparency and dilutes pigment intensity.
One Acrylic Marker provides comparable coverage to other paint marker brands, covering approximately 0.5 to 2.5 square meters, depending on marker size.
The pigment-to-base ratio in Liquitex Acrylic Gouache varies by color to maximize intensity.
Liquitex prioritizes safety, using non-toxic materials, and providing comprehensive health and safety information for products. And for the products that contain a potential hazard, our literature and labels offer the most up-to-date health and safety information possible.
Use a palette knife, trowel, or spatula to apply Super Heavy Gesso for textured effects.
We recommend a synthetic bristle brush which you don't use for color or mediums. Keep it reserved just for varnishing and wash it out really well with warm water and soap, once finished.
Store Liquitex Acrylic Markers horizontally to maintain color consistency. Avoid storing vertically with the nib facing down.
Store Liquitex Spray Paints away from direct sunlight, open flames, or high temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F).
Varnish artwork made with Acrylic Markers after 24 hours of drying. Use Liquitex Professional Spray Varnish for best results with fluorescent colors.
You can't get replacement nozzles for Liquitex Soft Body; but can use a nozzle from another bottle.
You can't get replacement nozzles for Liquitex Soft Body; but can use a nozzle from another bottle.
Paint leaking from the nib is likely due to over-pressing. Wipe away excess paint, shake the marker, and avoid vigorous nib pumping to prevent flooding.
Cloudy results with Basics Gloss Varnish often result from improper application techniques; apply gently and methodically. Read our varnishing tips here.
Heavy Body Acrylic is closest in viscosity to oil paint but has distinct differences compared to oil paint
NR on fluorescent and iridescent colors means "Not rated" for ASTM lightfastness testing. Fluorescent dyes aren't included, but we conduct our in-house Blue Wool test for Permanence.
Liquitex Acrylic Gouache offers mostly opaque colors, maintaining a balance between opacity and fluidity. The range is made up of mostly opaque colors with a few semi-opaque colors.
The older Soft Body packaging in tubes has been discontinued.
Liquitex Acrylic Ink is permanent when dry, so clean your pen or brush immediately after use. Use our Professional Acrylic Ink Pen Cleaner - a clear, low-odor formula to rinse your tools after use.
Add Liquitex Slow-Dri Medium or Gel to slow drying and aid blending. Experiment with glazing techniques using Glazing Medium.
Start with Liquitex Super Heavy Gesso for a textured base, or experiment with other effects mediums.
While acrylics adhere to most surfaces, gesso prepares surfaces for a long-term bond, improving absorbency and tooth for paint.
Professional paints offer more pigment intensity, diverse consistencies, and formats, along with a wider color range and specialized mediums.
Mixing fluorescent colors won't retain fluorescence.
Silkscreen Medium is only for extending the drying time of the acrylic paint being used with it. We would suggest using Fabric Medium with it as this medium is intended specifically for fabric. It does not require heat setting.
For varnishing Liquitex Acrylic Gouache while preserving a matte finish, use professional matte varnishes.
No, when wet, our Acrylic Markers can be cleaned up with water, and the paint easily washes off your hands and skin. Once dry, the paint is permanent, durable, and weatherproof and won't wash off.
To achieve a matte finish with student-level paint, use Basics Matte Medium or Matte Gel. For an even more matte look, try Acrylic Gouache.
Yes we would recommend you always sand shiny non-absorbent surfaces before you apply any of our gessoes.
It's personal choice but these are our starter five: Titanium White, Mars Black + the three single pigment primaries, Primary Yellow, Primary Red and Primary Blue. These give you the most options, the cleanest mixes possible and are perfect for color theory.
While art supplies can be expensive, you can save by using mediums like Ultra Matte Medium and Basics paints for underpainting. use mediums to stretch and economize on color, increase the volume of paint without significantly cutting intensity of color
Try one of our professional acrylic modeling pastes. You can color them exactly as you want - with one of our acrylic inks or paint.
For Liquitex liquid varnishes - as general rule, one gallon (or 128oz) will cover approximately 400 square feet. Many factors can change this number a bit including how thick you apply the coats and the surface you are painting. This rule also applies to other Liquitex products with similar viscosity such as Liquitex Professional Soft Body Acrylic. For Liquitex spray varnishes - a 12oz can will cover approximately 21 sq foot.
Liquitex Acrylic Gouache is flexible like normal acrylics, with improved performance. However due to the intensely high level of pigment solids we use, the formula is a little less flexible than a paint like Soft Body. Traditional gouaches are known for their cracking and inflexibility due to their pigment load, so our chemists have balanced this need for concentrated color with acrylic flexibility, to give us something with a much improved performance.
Liquitex Acrylic Ink is fluid acrylic made with finely ground art pigments.
Yes, you can mix our High Gloss, Gloss, Satin and Matte Varnishes to create your perfect level of sheen. The formulas are all compatible - just make sure you don't mix them vigorously as you may capture air bubbles and cause a cloudy effect.
Consult your medical consultant before use. For product-specific information, download safety data sheets from our website. You can also read our Safety & Disposal page here.
Yes! You need to leave it to completely dry first and then you can sand it or carve it.
Yes it's true that it was the first commercially available water-based acrylic paint designed for artists, back in the 1950s. Then it was called Liquitex Medium Viscosity.
Gels and pastes, such as Basics Gloss and Matte Gels, allow you to experiment with texture, create peaks, dips, and impasto effects.
No. Basics Acrylic Fluid is formulated in the lab as a stand-alone paint. It's made with a more fluid binder system than Basics Acrylic, this gives the lower viscosity and flow.
Liquitex Basics Acrylic Fluid is archival, lightfast, flexible, and UV-resistant (except fluorescent and metallic colors which are naturally less lightfast and are not rated).
Yes. The cardboard is made from 100% recycled content and is fully recyclable.
No, there is no effect on shelf life. The shelf life is the same as other Liquitex products on the market today: 5 – 7 years provided the materials are stored properly at room temperature, kept tightly capped and kept free of contaminants.
Yes, a high pigment load was prioritized in development to ensure professional quality. Therefore, the tinting strength is comparable to Heavy Body Acrylics.
Water is, in fact, the solvent for the acrylic/water emulsion that makes up an acrylic paint. You'll find that you get the best performance out of your acrylics if you make use of acrylic mediums to adjust the working properties of the color. Save the water for clean up.
Yes, like all our materials all the Liquitex cadmium-free colors have been fully tested at the Art and Creative Materials Institute, Inc.. They are certified as AP - and are safe and certified in a toxicological evaluation by a qualified expert to contain no materials in sufficient quantities to be toxic or injurious to humans, including children, or to cause acute or chronic health problems.
Liquitex Airbrush Medium can be used for creating washes, stains, or thinning acrylics.
Canvas, wood, Masonite and fabric are all great surfaces for acrylic skins. Just coat the back of the skin with either Liquitex Gloss Medium, Gloss Gel or Gloss Heavy Gel. Then quickly position it onto the support with the wet side down and press. Help the sticking process by leaving it to dry under a weight - simply cover the skin with wax paper before adding weight to prevent sticking. If you're adhering to wood or Masonite, your skin can be stapled to your support, in addition to, or instead of gluing with mediums.
Liquitex Flow Aid is renamed Liquitex Flow Aid Additive but remains the same formulation.
To reduce acrylic colors' brightness, opt for mineral-based colors like cadmiums, cobalts, and ultramarines. We recommend you look through our color charts for more information here.
We suggest you first avoid adding water to your paint and minimize heat and air flow in your painting environment. Secondly. make use of acrylic mediums to extend the color, especially Slow-Dri Fluid or Gel, Airbrush Medium or Slow-Dri Fluid or Gel Additive. All of these will extend the open time and workability of your color. Remember that only one additive should be used within a color mix as combining additives can compromise the paint film stability.
We test our acrylics with multiple freeze/thaw cycles and generally the product is fine to use once thawed. Typically, all you will lose is a little bit of shelf life. But if the product has been exposed to temperatures below 10 degrees F (-12.222 degrees Celsius) repeatedly or for an extended period of time, the resins may solidify and make the product unusable. Liquitex products will last the longest when stored in a room safe from heat and frost.
Liquitex products are designed for human use, and their effects on animals are not tested. If concerned, consult a vet with the product's safety data sheet. You can download the correct safety data sheet on every single product page.
Liquitex acrylics naturally give you a rich and vibrant satin finish - aside from matte Acrylic Gouache Liquitex Avoid over-dilution with water. Use Gloss Medium or Gloss Gel instead of water to enhance color vibrancy and depth.
Separation in Liquitex Basics Acrylic Fluid is normal - acrylics do separate when in the bottle. Shake well before use.
Liquitex Acrylic Gouache is formulated to minimize cracking and maintain flexibility.
If your Spray Paint is clogged, try cleaning the nozzle with warm, soapy water or our instant Cap Cleaner spray. For stubborn clogs, replace the cap with a new one.
We offer both cadmium paints and cadmium-free paints so artists have a choice of which materials they want to use.
Liquitex paints have different transparency levels based on their pigment content. Our colors are tested and categorized to make it easier for you to choose the right option for your work - Opaque, Semi-opaque or Transparent - and this is shown on the label.
No, bio-degradable is something different. Once the paint is dried on the canvas, the paint will not bio-degrade.
Besides brushes, experiment with knives, combs, and scrapers for unique Heavy Body effects.
Bio-Based Heavy Acrylics are not meant to be a like for like substitute for Heavy Body Acrylics. There are differences in sheen with some colors of Bio-Based Heavy Acrylics which are more matte, namely Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber and Chromium Oxide Green.
You're helping to keep plastics out of our oceans and landfills. Using less natural plant resources. And helping to sustain a global commodity market for recycled PET plastics.
They are made of acrylic and sit within an acrylic gel.
Phthalocyanine Blue (Green Shade), Quinacridone Crimson, Yellow Medium Azo. The three primary colors are transparent colors to have the cleanest and brightest color mixes.
We are continuously monitoring supplier developments while working to increase the bio-based content further without sacrificing high quality attributes. ​
Our palette knives feature stainless steel blades and painted wood handles, providing durability and quality.
Use it for smoothing and blending your color. It gives soft, feathered edges and is excellent for creating textured effects.
Lots. Painting. Pouring. Quick large area coverage. Fine detail. And everything in between.
Gels and pastes, such as Basics Gloss and Matte Gels, allow you to experiment with texture, create peaks, dips, and impasto effects.
To create a hard surface for graphite drawings, sketch directly on our Professional Gessoes or use Ceramic Stucco for an Italian fresco-style effect.
For a cement-like effect, try our Professional Ceramic Stucco. Layer it to create various textures.
Basics Gesso is a classic titanium white, perfect for priming surfaces.
Liquitex Palette Wetting Spray extends the open time of acrylic paints, making them workable for a longer duration.
DPP is DiketoPyrroloPyrrole, a hybrid pigment blending organic and inorganic properties, balancing chroma, lightfastness, and opacity. Hybrid pigments provide an alternative, that help to bridge the gap between performance without neglecting environmental consideration.
Liquitex Basics Acrylic Fluid dries to a satin finish.
Acrylic mediums modify paint characteristics, enabling you to control texture, flow, and other factors.
Additives are used to adjust the chemistry of acrylic paints, but they are very different to the rest of the mediums family. Most acrylic mediums contain high proportions of acrylic resins, but additives do not. With most acrylic mediums, you can add as much as you like to your color without weakening the stability of the acrylic film, while additives will dilute the strength of the acrylic film. This means that you need to be more careful about how much you mix into to your paint or it will have issues around drying, tackiness, separation and durability. Our four additives offer really useful individual benefits, so just make sure you follow the directions for use before starting to work with them.
The fabric is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, primed with gesso and then stretched to a FSC-certified wooden frame.
String Gel is a viscous acrylic formula. It maintains shape when dry and offers a wet-look finish.
Artist-grade pigments deliver brilliant, lightfast colors.
For collaging with heavy objects, use Liquitex Matte Gel or Matte Super Heavy Gel for their strong adhesive properties.
Select colors were tested via a C14 analysis which showed the percentage of bio-based content for Liquitex Heavy Body was between 1 – 3 %, further highlighting the considerable impact of the new Liquitex Bio-Based Heavy Acrylics.
The cardboard packaging label is made from 100% recycled content and is fully recyclable. The shrink-wrap is also made of 100% recycled content and is fully recyclable. Recyclable guidelines will be different for each local authority and should be checked for both the cardboard packaging label and shrink-wrap.
Liquitex acrylics have a 5-7 year shelf life when stored correctly: room temperature, sealed tight, and free from contaminants.
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It's a sandy texture with a range of different sized particles. You can use this spread thinly to give a rough, granular surface or thicker to create 3D shape.
The professional knife collection is made up of trowels, spatulas and palette knives. Each has a slightly different shape and within each sub range we have different sizes and profiles to give a wide choice.
For optimal performance, use Liquitex Spray Paint in temperatures between 5°C and 40°C (41°F and 104°F).
A combination of organic and inorganic pigments are used across the Liquitex cadmium-free ranges.
It depends what kind of finish you want. Ultra Matte Medium will double your volume without changing the viscosity, color position or opacity, but will give a matte finish. Alternatively Gloss and Medium Mediums will keep the viscosity but increase transparency a little.
Size with one layer of Matte Medium and coat with Liquitex gesso (white, gray, black, clear, or super heavy gesso) for priming.
Basics and professional paints differ in pigment load, consistency choices, pricing, and range of colors.
Liquitex Basics Acrylic Fluid is more fluid and has a lower pigment load than Liquitex Professional Soft Body Acrylic.
Pouring Medium maintains structured, smooth consistency, while Flow Aid instantly thins and adds transparency, breaking surface tension. Pouring Medium contains acrylic resins, whereas Flow Aid is resin-free and needs dilution.
Two things: the particles - Resin Sand is actually tiny acrylic granules, while Natural Sand contains real sand. And the result - Resin Sand gives a coarser dry finish.
Liquitex Professional Gray Gesso has a matte finish.
Our professional Glazing Medium makes it easier to achieve professional results - it increases color transparency, thins and boosts gloss so you can create jewel-like glazes.
These gessoes offer ready-mixed, pigmented bases for your artwork, allowing for instant color coverage and texture.
The raw canvas roll is 13.6oz/385g. The stretched canvases have a primed weight of 20oz/565g.
Ceramic Stucco contains tiny ceramic hollow spheres in an acrylic medium.
Mix your color with Professional Fabric Medium to control bleeding and increase flexibility when dry.
Download color and swatch charts from product booklets available in our Knowledge section as PDFs for printing.
Find safety information and data sheets for each product on our website, ready for download on product pages.
Right now, Liquitex branded merch is available to ship in North America only.
Transparent colors are ideal for creating illuminated glazes. Check the label for opacity levels and mix with Glazing Medium.
Liquitex Pouring Mediums (gloss, matte, iridescent) are specifically formulated for acrylic pouring.
Liquitex offers cadmium-free colors in Heavy Body, Soft Body, and Acrylic Gouache.
Basics paints are more economical due to lower pigment content, striking a balance between affordability and quality.
Some mediums appear milky due to water content or matting agents, while others use clear resin for greater clarity.
Mixing materials with incompatible binders can lead to clumping, reduced longevity, and compromised artwork. Liquitex's compatible binders ensure lasting, archival results.
Our muted colours are hard to recreate and this is exactly the reason we introduced them - to offer you something new that you may not have already created on the palette. We have a list of the pigments used in each color on our color chart so you can try making them yourself if you like - for example try making Muted Green Heavy Body using Dioxazine Violet (PV23) Yellow Medium Azo (PY74) and Phthalocyanine Blue (PB15.3) paints. We have now incorporated the colors into our core range so you can find them in Liquitex Soft Body, Heavy Body and Acrylic Ink collections.
Varnishing acrylic works protects against damage, dirt, UV light, unifies sheen, and enhances color. Liquitex offers Basics and Professional varnishes.
Gel mediums take longer to dry than fluid mediums due to their thickness. Thicker paint layers require more time to dry.
In general, the acrylic/water emulsion has a distinct milky color when wet. And that milky appearance lightens the color of the paint. As water leaves the emulsion, and the binder clarifies, the color of the paint darkens.
We have two Liquitex Slow-Dri additives and two mediums. There are some three key differences: the gel and fluid mediums contain acrylic resins so you can add as much as you like to your color; the additives however do not contain resins and need to be handled with care - you can only add a small amount before you start to weaken the paint's structure. The consistency is another difference - the gel medium and additive are perfect for thicker body paints like Heavy Body, and will thicken thinner paints. The fluid medium and additive are better for Soft Body and other more fluid paints, or for thinning. The final main difference is that the Slow-Dri additives will NOT effect transparency levels of your color, while the mediums will.
We've found that lots of artists like using pastes on mixed media pieces and regular modeling paste can be too heavy. So if you are making a piece where weight is a factor, choose Light Modeling Paste. It's a much more airy formulation.
Each gel medium offers distinct results, including changes in surface shine
When designing our small-detail brushes we looked at the shape of the fingers and the different grips used to paint with. Then we modeled and sculpted the handles to reflect this, giving us a gently undulating shape.
Clogging may occur due to dried acrylic resin. Clean the nozzle with warm soapy water and a brush, and rinse after each use to avoid clogging.
Liquitex aims to offer choice to artists regarding cadmium pigments' potential harm. We introduced cadmium-free alternatives for safety-conscious artists.
Cloudiness may result from excessive shaking, brushing, or applying too thickly. Avoid these issues to achieve a more transparent finish.
Liquitex Acrylic Ink uses fine art pigments, ensuring lightfast, fade-resistant results, which traditional inks may lack.
Cadmium-free colors provide a safer alternative while matching the performance of genuine cadmium paints, offering choice and safety.
Liquitex Basics Acrylic Fluid offers artists a paint that is more fluid and flowing than Liquitex Basics Acrylic. This viscosity can be beneficial when covering large surfaces quickly is desired as the fluid nature allows it to cover without brush strokes. It is also ideal when painting with fine detail as it flows off the brush easily and when mixing with fluid mediums such as Professional Pouring Medium.
Basics fluid mediums can make colors slightly more transparent due to their clear nature. Add gradually for desired effect.
If you apply it thickly and then dry it too fast, shrinkage cracks can occur. It's best to build it up in thin layers, allowing each to dry slowly. For thick applications, cover it loosely with plastic wrap to avoid cracks and if they do appear, allow to dry and fill in with another thin layer of paste.
The products were tested vs. current professional acrylics on the market and behaved the same way. Clear paints like mediums can yellow after long exposure to extreme high temperatures (120 degrees Fahrenheit/50 degrees Celsius for 2-3 months) whether the dried paint film or in the pot. As with any acrylic, artwork should be stored under gallery conditions.
Using Basics Gloss Medium and Gel will enhance glossiness compared to the standard satin finish. For a wet-look finish, try Professional Pouring Medium.
Due to the higher cost of recycled materials, Liquitex Recycled Canvas is only in our Professional category at the moment. We'd love to bring it to our Liquitex Basics range if the price comes down in the future.
Liquitex Acrylic Ink artist-grade pigments is lightfast, providing archival results with minimal fading.
No we wanted to be clearer in how we communicate, as we have a popular trio of modeling pastes that were being ignored in the category title. We do not make adhesive pastes. The Gels & Pastes collection includes all our gels plus Liquitex Light Modeling Paste, Flexible Modeling Paste and regular Modeling Paste for fine art applications.
No, gift cards are non-returnable and non-refundable.
Unfortunately, we do not currently offer price matching. Our pricing reflects a commitment to providing high-quality art supplies at competitive rates.
Yes, we occasionally offer discount codes and coupons. Keep an eye on our website, newsletters, and social media channels for updates on promotions and special offers.
The gift card page that displays your code will always show your current gift card balance. You can access the gift card page by clicking on the "View Your Gift Card" button within the email. We can also look up the balance for you. To contact us, hit the button in the bottom right corner of the FAQ page.
To return your order, contact us for a unique Return Authorization Number and, if eligible, a prepaid shipping label. Follow the returns process outlined here. To contact us, hit the button in the bottom right corner of the FAQ page.
Visit our website, go to the "Gift Cards" section, choose the desired amount, and check the box for "I want to send this as a gift". Then follow the prompts to send it to the recipient.
During checkout, enter your gift card code in the designated field. The amount will be applied to your order.
For purchases made through our website we operate a no quibble returns policy. If you return an item within 28 days of receipt, in perfect, unopened condition, we'll refund it no questions asked. Please note, we are unable to exchange products.
We accept major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), PayPal, ApplePay, ShopPay, and Liquitex gift cards as payment methods.
Our gift cards are valid for 24 months from the gift card issue date.