There is a large variety of acrylic paint mediums available. Besides improving paint flow many of these were created to add texture to a painting. I add matte medium to all of my paints on the palette to improve paint flow and increase coverage. Gloss medium has many uses besides making the painting glossy, it is also used for its adhesive qualities and with collage. All of these mediums can be bought based on their individual properties. So why make them yourself? They are expensive and if you paint on a larger scale, the cost saving can be huge.
Here are two DIY recipes: one is for a modeling paste (see above photo). This may be used with a palette knife for a smooth texture or you can add sand, pumice, glass beads, mica flakes, etc. to get a coarser texture. It should be stored in a jar or plastic container with a tight lid. Place plastic wrap over the jar opening before you screw on the lid. Modeling paste: 1 part glue (Elmer’s wood glue), 2 parts gesso, and 5 parts marble dust. You may substitute baby powder, baking soda, cornstarch for the marble dust. In fact, these will probably provide a smoother texture. This mix needs to be stirred thoroughly to remove lumps and may be thinned with more gesso. Once applied, let it air dry. If you use a hairdryer, it will crackle and sometimes that is the effect you want. There are better recipes for that effect, however. You can also mix 2 parts marble dust (chalk) to1 part matte medium or gesso. I use marble dust because I have a lot of it but it isn’t cheap as it comes from France or Italy. You could also use “whiting”, a type of chalk used by printmakers to clean plates and it is cheaper and probably easier to get.
The second recipe is for thinning acrylic paint for thin and drippy effects. It may also be used with airbrushes. The ingredients are readily available and you can make a lot once you buy them. From a hardware store, denatured alcohol and ammonia free glass cleaner (must be ammonia free! ammonia reacts with acrylic – breaks it down), distilled water, and glycerin. Glycerin is available at any pharmacy, as it is an emollient used in cosmetics and soap making. The proportions are as follows: 12 oz. distilled water, 4 oz. denatured alcohol, 4 oz. ammonia free window cleaner, 10 drops glycerin. this is stored in a jar or plastic container. Mix a small amount into the tube acrylic paint and gradually add more until it is at a consistency you like. If you use only water to thin acrylics, the paint lacks adhesion and has a weird grainy washed out look to it. This medium is great for thin paint techniques or creating drips.
