Oil paint is used on canvas and watercolor is on paper. Those and similar phrases are on the labels of nearly any painting in a museum or art gallery. Various painting mediums yield different visual effects because of the paint’s overall properties and because of how the paint works with the surface being painted. Whether of completely natural or man-made elements, all painting mediums are composed of colors added to a base. The following the most popular and widely used types of modern painting mediums:
Acrylic
It is the combination of colors added to an acrylic resin solution. It is receptive and easy to work with as well as it offers great shades and fast drying time. It is first created in the 1940s and today acrylic paints are water soluble. They are one of more-frequently used artist’s painting mediums and, for many artists, are the best option to the slower-drying medium of oil.
Oil Paint
They are have been around since 15th century and perhaps it is the most used and preferred medium. It’s made from mixing colors to such oils as linseed, flax, hemp or nut. Oil paints are quite ductile and allow artists to work with fast or broad brushstrokes and even build up layers of paint. The properties of the oil allow for a rich, bright finish even when dry. Rembrandt is one artist famous for his mastery of this medium.
Enamel
Enamel paints are most often oil while latex iswater-based paints with finish added to them. It’s been there since 1930s, enamels can be applied by common fine-art utensils, spray can or air brush. They are mainly used for painting objects such as porcelains and cars and are well-love because of ultra-glossy appearance and finish.
Latex
Painting latex paint involves brushes, rollers and moving furniture. It is the preferred choice for painting building interiors and exteriors because they are water-soluble medium which is good for such artistic applications as murals. Don’t confuse the latex paint used for house painting with liquid latex. Liquid Latex has higher rubber content than house paint and is suitable for deliberately placing on the skin. Modern latex house paint, while non-toxic and safe for skin contact, contains polymers and little to no rubber, despite its given name.
Watercolor
Watercolor is considered as the oldest painting medium, the pigments are added to water to create water paint color. They are known for transparency as such, watercolor layers well and the ratio of water to pigment changes the color intensity. Modern watercolors contain some additives that ease the work and watercolor’s cousin, gouache, includes chalk to create a more opaque compactness. You can also try photos to paintings if you enjoy paintings a lot.
Types of Modern Painting Mediums
