• Overview
• What Mediums Do
• What Differentiates the Various Gels and Mediums
• Products
  • Acrylic Glazing Liquid
  • Polymer Medium (Gloss)
  • Fluid Matte Medium
  • Matte Medium
  • Airbrush Medium
  • GAC 100 Acrylic
  • GAC 200 Acrylic
  • GAC 400 Acrylic
  • GAC 500 Acrylic
  • GAC 900 Acrylic

General Overview

GOLDEN Mediums are tools that can be manipulated by artists to achieve a great variety of effects and expressions. Even though acrylic colors are offered in various different consistencies and finishes, the use of mediums in conjunction with such colors will broaden the working properties and expand on the possible results.

GOLDEN Mediums can be thought of as colorless paints, as they are composed of similar polymers as are the acrylic paints. They are the "glue" or binder that dry to form continuous, durable films. They are made of 100% acrylic polymers which have proven to have excellent flexibility and chemical, water and ultraviolet radiation resistance.

Admittedly, such a large number of mediums can often seem staggering and can confuse artists. However, with at least a general understanding of the various products available, and an inclination to experiment, an artist can create new ways in which to express themselves, and probably apply materials in a way that GOLDEN has not thought about.

What Mediums Do

While GOLDEN offers a wide selection of mediums, that is not to say that each one has limited or specific uses. Because of their very nature, most mediums can function in a variety of ways, yielding numerous results. The section that follows lists the most traditional use of such products, but by no means is it intended to be an all encompassing and exhaustive list. There are always new and different ways in which these products can be successfully applied.

One of the primary roles of mediums is to extend the paint for economical reasons. One can actually create his or her own "student grade" paint by adding a medium into our existing paints. For this purpose, there are basically no limitations as to minimum or maximum levels of mediums that can be safely (from an archival viewpoint) added into the paint system.

Another use of the mediums is to alter the consistency or body of the acrylic paints (for further discussion of consistency. When one needs GOLDEN Heavy Body or Matte Acrylics to be thinner or to flow better, the addition of nearly any one of the Mediums. When additional body is required in the Heavy Body and/or Matte Acrylics, the Heavy Gels, Extra-Heavy Gels or High Solid Gels may be added. The gels and mediums can be used with any other acrylic paint line, such as GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics, for similar purposes.

Mediums are offered in a variety of reflectances, including Matte, Semi-Gloss, and Gloss. This allows the artist freedom in creating the desired sheen in the artwork, by blending the appropriate medium with the paints. The typical higher gloss of GOLDEN Heavy Body or Fluid Acrylics can be reduced by adding any of the matte mediums. Similarly, to increase to gloss of GOLDEN Matte or High Load Acrylics, the addition of a gloss medium will prove effective. More subtle modifications can be created using the semi-gloss products, or a combination of a matte and gloss medium.

Because the majority of mediums are nearly pure binder, they can be utilized to increase the dry film integrity of weakened systems. When an excessive amount of dry pigment or extender has been added into a paint (typically observed as cracking or chalky quality in the dry paint film), the addition of a gel or medium can correct the problem. Another weakened paint system is a paint/water blend, in which there is more water than paint. If such a mixture is to be applied on non-absorbent supports (i.e. in non-stain applications), then a gel or medium should be added so that no more than half of the entire mixture is water. Note that Gloss products work best for these sort of requirements.

When making one's own paint from dry pigment, the various Gloss, Semi-Gloss and Matte gels or mediums serve well as the binder that forms a continuous film, encasing the pigment. The Gloss products have the greatest binding capabilities, while that of the Matte and Semi-Gloss products is somewhat reduced (the result of already containing the matting agents responsible for the lower sheen).

Another frequent use of such products is as a glue for collaging materials together. This technique is valuable when collaging any materials to which the water-based acrylics have no difficulty bonding. Certain materials, such as glass and certain metals and plastics, should be avoided. Because of their greater binding capabilities, the Gloss products are the preferred choices for gluing collaging materials; however the other sheens function at satisfactory levels.

A final application of GOLDEN mediums is to prime and prepare various supports. This is beneficial whenever one wants a translucent primer in place of an opaque gesso, to allow the nature of the support to show through. For this purpose, the most commonly used products are the Matte Medium and GAC-100. The thicker gels can be used, but one must be careful in application to avoid holdout (the lack of adequate bonding between gel and support). Use of sufficient pressure during application, to force the gel into the tooth of the support, can overcome this problem.

What Differentiates the Various Gels and Mediums

The main property that differentiates a majority of products is viscosity - that is, how thick or thin a product is. This is what actually separates gels from mediums. The mediums are the thinner products, while the gels are thicker, having higher viscosities. The mediums are thin enough to be pourable, while the gels are not.

Within the gel grouping, the names reflect the scale of viscosity, and not any differences in feel of dry films. Soft Gels are thinner than Regular Gels, which are thinner than Heavy Gels, which in turn are thinner than Extra-Heavy Gels. Heavy Gels do not weigh more, and Soft Gels do not feel spongier or more flexible when dry.

The second key property is reflectance or sheen. This is the most important difference between Polymer Medium Gloss and Matte Medium. In the gels, nearly all are available in Gloss, Semi-Gloss and Matte finishes.

Then there are the specialty products that do not fit into the above differentiations. These are products that have some other unique property requiring a different naming convention. In such cases, GOLDEN has tried to assign a name that has significance to the products most unique feature. For instance: High Solid Gels have higher levels of polymer solids than the other gels (approximately 60%, versus 45-50%); Light Molding Paste allows for thick film build without being correspondingly heavy in weight; Pumice Gels are composed of pumice (volcanic lava) and are ideal for creating rough, granular surfaces; etc.

Products

Acrylic Glazing Liquid
is designed for interior application on walls or furniture. When mixed with acrylic colors, Acrylic Glazing Liquid's slow drying time allows sufficient working time for a wide
variety of glaze and faux finishes. Available in Gloss and Satin.

Polymer Medium (Gloss)
A general purpose liquid medium useful for creating glazes, extending colors, enhancing gloss and translucency and increasing film integrity. Has a unique feel that is much more oil-like or resinous in nature and that promotes flow and leveling.

Fluid Matte Medium
A liquid medium useful for extending colors, decreasing gloss and increasing film integrity. Useful for blending with GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics to decrease the gloss, without increasing viscosity.

Matte Medium
A general purpose, pourable medium useful for extending colors, decreasing gloss and increasing film integrity. Can be used as a ground, instead of gesso.

Airbrush Medium
Designed for modifying the GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics for airbrush/spray application. Blends with minimal effort with the Fluid Acrylics to yield a paint mixture with the proper viscosity for airbrushing. Effectively decreases clogging and tip buildup during spraying, eliminating the largest drawback to airbrushing with acrylics. While designed with the Fluid Acrylics in mind, Airbrush Medium will also reduce the Heavy Body, Matte, High Load, Iridescent/Interference and Fluorescent Acrylics for spray applications. GOLDEN Mediums and Gessos can also be blended with Airbrush Medium for spraying.

GAC 100 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion useful for diluting and extending colors as well as increasing flexibility and film integrity. Wets out solids more readily than other polymers and is useful for creating homemade paints.

GAC 200 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion that is the hardest and least flexible of GOLDEN acrylics. Useful for increasing film hardness and reducing tack. Increases adhesion to non-porous surfaces, such as glass. Used in its pure form, it is limited to applications on non-flexible supports. Generally recommend a maximum level of GAC-200 be 33% of the entire paint mixture.

GAC 400 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion which dries to a hard, stiff film. When applied over a fabric support, such as cotton, linen or silk, the GAC 400 will serve to dramatically stiffen the support. This allows the artist to transform a lightweight fabric into a free-standing form that will hold its shape. If laundering stability is essential, the polymer can be heat-set.

GAC 500 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion with leveling ability, that forms a hard, glossy film. Useful for increasing film hardness and reducing tack, while maintaining flexibility. The hardest polymer that is suitable for flexible supports.

GAC 900 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion which when heat-set offers a very soft hand and laundering stability. This product is most useful to artists painting on clothing. GAC 900 can be blended with various acrylic colors to produce fabric paints that can be airbrush, hand brush or screen applied.