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Best acrylic paint 2018 – [Buyer’s Guide]
Last Updated December 1, 2023
Looking for ways to bring your acrylic paint to the next level? Then you’ve come to the right place. I’m Roger Barnett. After more than 32 hours of research, including interviewing two experts and spending 10 hours testing 16 popular acrylic paint, I found the best acrylic paint of 2018.
I will go through the main features and what you should consider when deciding which one to pick over the other. Without further-a-do, let’s take a look at the Top 3 list in 2018 which are available in the market.
Best acrylic paint of 2018
I am going to specify each good-to-buy feature as much as possible for your references. There is a wide range of products available on the market today, and below I have reviewed 3 of the very best options.
After carefully examining the reviews and ratings of the people who have used them earlier this listicle has been made. Customers need to be careful on how they spend their money on these products.
Test Results and Ratings
| Rank | №1 | №2 | №3 |
| Product |  |
 |
 |
| Total | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Style |
5 points
|
5 points
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4 points
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| Size |
5 points
|
4 points
|
4 points
|
| Performance |
5 points
|
5 points
|
4 points
|
| Quality |
4 points
|
4 points
|
5 points
|
| Awards |  |
||
 |
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 |
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How to save up to 86%? Here is little trick.
You must visit the page of sales. Here is the link. If you don’t care about which brand is better, then you can choose the acrylic paint by the price and buy from the one who will offer the greatest discount.
№1 – Acrylic Paint Set By Color Technik
| Total: |
4.8
|
Why did this acrylic paint win the first place?
I was completely satisfied with the price. Its counterparts in this price range are way worse. I really enjoy the design. It is compact, comfortable and reliable. And it looks amazing! The product is very strong. Its material is stable and doesn’t crack. I don’t know anything about other models from this brand, but I am fully satisfied with this product.
5
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
№2 – Acrylic Paint Set of 24 Colors by VACASSO
| Total: |
4.5
|
Why did this acrylic paint come in second place?
This is a pretty decent product that perfectly fitted the interior of our office. I recommend you to consider buying this model, it definitely worth its money. I really liked it. It is amazing in every aspect. It did even exceed my expectations for a bit, considering the affordable price. Seems that the material is good. It has a very beautiful color but I don’t really like the texture.
5
|
4
|
5
|
4
|
№3 – Colore Acrylic Paint Set – 24 Colors
| Total: |
4.3
|
Why did this acrylic paint take third place?
A very convenient model. It is affordable and made of high-quality materials. It is inconvenient to use due to the size. I am going to get something different next time. It doesn’t squeaks nor bents. Looks great in my apartment. I liked the design. We’ve been using it for 2 months and it still looks like brand new.
4
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
acrylic paint Buyer’s Guide
How to Choose a Good Paint Brush
When buying brushes for acrylic painting, you can get both the stiff bristle brushes used by oil painters and synthetic brushes made for smooth watercolor painting. It all depends on the effect you want to obtain with your brushwork.
Stiffer brushes will leave visible marks on the painting, with more textural results. Softer brushes will give you smoother brushstrokes, with more blending.
For oils you need thicker bristles to move the dense and heavy paint around. For watercolors you need a softer brush because the medium is very fluid. Acrylic paints are softer than oils but thicker than watercolors, so your brushes can be somewhere in the middle.
Expensive Sable Brushes Are too Fancy for Acrylics
Even though natural bristle brushes created for oil paint can be used with acrylic paint, you may want to avoid expensive sable brushes.
When painting with acrylics you need to keep your brushes wet or immersed in water for a long time, so that the paint does not dry on the brush, and this excessive moisture can ruin the natural fibers quickly.
Bristles or Hairs
The part of the brush that holds and applies the paint. They can be natural or synthetic. Good quality brushes have firmly held bristles. It’s important that they don’t fall out while you are painting, for aesthetic reasons and because you may create messes on your painting when you try to remove them.
Usually made from metal, it connects the handle to the hairs, and keeps the bristles in shape. A good ferrule does not rust or come loose.
Paint Brush Sizes
The size of a brush is indicated by a number on the handle, and it refers to how thick the brush is at the heel, where the ferrule meets the hairs. Sizes vary from 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, etc.
Different manufacturers have different sizes for the same number, so if you buy supplies online, always refer to the measurement of the brush, not just the size number, especially if you are not familiar with the manufacturer.
How to read manufacturer measurements
Length: distance from the edge of the ferrule out to the tip of the hair in the brush’s center.
Diameter: distance across a round ferrule at the point where the ferrule ends and the hair begins.
Width: distance across a flat ferrule at the exact point where the ferrule ends and the hair begins.
A brush’s width is different from the width of the paint stroke that the brush makes. The actual width of the stroke varies according to the amount of pressure used, the angle at which the brush is held, the media used, and the flexibility of the brush hair.
The brush stroke will vary depending on how you hold your brushes too. Holding your brush close to the ferrule gives you most control, great for painting details; holding near the end gives you lose strokes.
When Choosing Brushes You Should Consider
Size – The rule of thumb about brush size is that big brushes should be used for large areas and loose brushwork, and small brushes should be used for small areas and details.
Shape – each shape delivers different stroke styles, and a different effect. Learning which shape to use to get the wanted effect is very important, and requires some experimenting. Have fun with it.
Material – Nylon brushes are best to lay flat paint areas, while natural bristles give a more uneven texture.
Paint Brush Sets
Brushes can be very expensive. To save some money, you may purchase a paint brush set.
Brush sets come conveniently assorted in sizes and shapes. Many sets are a lower quality, but they can still be a great choice for beginner painters, and allow you to get used to the different types and sizes of brushes without investing a lot of money into it.
Once you know what type of brush you like to work with, you can expand your brush collection and invest in higher quality, more expensive brushes of your choice.
Paint Materials
By far, latex based paints are the most popular option on the market today. Latex is literally a rubber which functions as a base to ensure the paint maintains integrity; basically sticking together and not turning into dust. Latex paints are water based, meaning that they can be cleaned up with water.
Acrylic-Latex
These are essentially an evolutionary improvement on latex paints. Acrylic is a plastic added to the latex paint which makes for a tougher paint which lasts longer. Almost all quality latex paints are actually acrylic-latex paints.
High-gloss Applications – Although there are a few acrylic-latex paints available on the market which are high gloss paints, they are extremely rare. Typically, if you need high-gloss paint, you need to buy an oil-based paint.
Painting Metal – Latex and acrylic/latex paints don’t do well on metals. Essentially, metals are better heat conductors than other materials. Have you ever touched a metal gate on a hot day? It seems much hotter than wood or brick siding on the house because it transmits that heat to your hand better. This over-dries paint, essentially baking it onto the substrate. In the case of latex paints, this causes the paint to shrink, eliminating the rubbers flexibility advantage and causes the paint to crack.
Extremely Smooth Paint Application is Required – Because oil-based paints dry slower than latex paints, they have more opportunity to “flow out”, eliminating brushstrokes and other elements which cause uneven paint application.
Newer acrylic-latex paints have been developed which to a large part duplicate the advantages of oil-based paints. For this reason, and even more so because of government environmental regulations, many companies are terminating their production of oil based paints.
Eggshell
Eggshell is the next step up in gloss from a pure flat paint. Some manufacturers use the terms eggshell and satin interchangeably; however, in reality they aren’t. These two sheens are the most commonly used for both interior and exterior applications in a home. For the interior, this sheen of paint cleans much easier than flat paints. For the exterior, this sheen of paint resists water much better than flat paints.
Semi-gloss
When you want your woodwork to stand out or you want superior washability, the clear choice is to use a semi-gloss paint. These paints are most commonly used for painted woodwork (as opposed to stained and varnished woodwork), or kitchen and bathroom walls. The drawback in using semi-gloss paints over satin finish paints is imperfections will stand out much more. It is essential when using semi-gloss or high gloss paints that you properly prepare your substrate, especially nail holes and drywall seams, to ensure a smooth surface your paint is applied to.
High gloss
High gloss paints are typically only used for painted wood trim and wrought-iron, providing a finish which stands out much more. As such, the only ones who use it for painted wood trim are individuals putting in wide, expensive trim.
Additionally, high gloss paints are used in some specialty applications where high washability and stain resistance is necessary. The only places you might see this would be in a home would be a utility room or a garage floor. Additionally, although it isn’t a residential usage, you occasionally find this in commercial kitchens.
Regular Primers
Almost all surfaces used in the building of a home are porous. That means that the paint will soak into the surface, especially when it is new. Since paint can be expensive, this isn’t necessarily a good use of paint. Primers typically cost less than paints and seal porous surfaces to ensure your paint stays on top of the substrate. The other effect primers have is to form a good bond between the substrate and the paint, adding to the paints lifespan. This is especially important with non-porous surfaces such as metals.
Block Filler
Although not really a primer, I’ve included this here with the primers, because it needs to be mentioned. Cement block, sometimes known as cinderblock, is highly porous. When painting with any normal paint, the paint both soaks into the block, and doesn’t have enough viscosity to bridge over the larger dips in the surface. Block filler is an extremely thick primer which works to fill those dips and seal off the surface. Unlike other paints and primers, block filler is only good for about 7square feet per gallon.
Aluminum Primer
Aluminum is one of the hardest substrates to paint as most paints, even oil-based ones, won’t stick to it. However, almost all houses have aluminum flashing on the roofs. While the flashing on the roof usually isn’t painted, it is painted when it comes down to meet a deck, or a lower roof, such as a separate roof around the porch of a two story house. The normal procedure to paint aluminum is to acid etch it first, and then rinse off the acid. Once the aluminum is dry, a special primer is applied before painting.
Exterior Trim
You can use either satin or flat acrylic-latex paint for your exterior trim. If you’re painting your home for the first time, be sure to prime the wood with a quality primer/sealer before painting. All cracks, splits in the wood and sunken nail holes need to be caulked before painting. Be sure to scrape off any loose paint, especially if the wood is weathered, before painting.
Exterior Aluminum
Acid etch the aluminum, and then rinse it off with clean water. Once dry, you can paint it with either acrylic-latex paint, or oil-based paint. Since the aluminum is primed, latex and acrylic-latex paints will stick to the metal. For the best long-term results, I recommend using an oil-based paint.
Exterior Doors
Of anything on your house, the exterior doors and door frames take the most abuse. Two things in particular are common causes of damage to a door’s paint job which include keys, and shoes from kicking the door open or closed. For the sake of toughness, I recommend painting exterior doors with oil-based paints. Latex paints will work, but you’ll be repainting your door at least once a year to keep it looking nice.
Garage Floors
The best thing for painting garage floors is epoxy paint. While a little pricey, it will give you the longest lasting, chemical/oil resistant finish you can get. Before applying your paint, clean any oil and grease thoroughly off of the floor with a product designed for cleaning concrete. Once again, there are a number of these available on the market. If you can’t find them elsewhere, try your local auto parts store. Try and apply two coats of epoxy paint if you can; you’ll need to split your material in half, and only mix half of it at a time.
Children’s Furniture
Most children’s furniture is painted with high gloss oil based paint. This is done more than anything for durability. You don’t want that paint chipping and peeling. Once again, make sure you use a quality primer/sealer before painting. If refinishing, be sure to properly fill and sand all dings, cracks and nail holes; prime those areas before painting.
Acrylic Paints
Acrylic paints are now probably the most popular type of paint used by modellers in the modelling world; the paint can be easily applied using a brush or airbrush. Acrylic paints tend to be safer than other types; the drying time is also far quicker allowing models to be painted in hours rather than days.
Acrylic paints were traditionally used by artists however specific ranges were introduced for modellers in small pots; they are generally low odour and low toxicity in nature. The paint can also be thinned with water or alcohol, this also allow for easier cleaning of an airbrush.
There are a number of different brands of paint and all give good results, Tamiya paints are one of the widest ranges of acrylic paints, and are popular with most modellers. Revell and Humbrol also have ranges of acrylic paints aimed at the modeller. Xtracrylix are a UK company that produce paints covering R.A.F., Luftwaffe, Russian and American air forces in both modern and WWII eras.
The paints should be thinned if using an airbrush; the ratio can vary depending on the application however a 50:50 mix with the manufacturers own brand thinner, should be suitable for most airbrushing needs.
Lacquer Paints
Lacquer paint is very different from acrylic and enamel paints. Although it is highly toxic with a very strong smell and very flammable, it is also hard, durable and very shiny.
The shiny hard wearing coat is ideal for natural metal finishes and aircraft; it is also very popular with auto modellers giving cars that new fresh factory look. Radio control enthusiasts also make use of this hardwearing shiny paint with models which need to survive the real world knocks and bumps.
One of the most popular ranges of metallic lacquers is made by Alclad, these lacquers paints are applied to the surface of the model using an airbrush the room should also be very well ventilated area and with a protective mask. Alclad also supply an airbrush cleaner, this is highly recommended if you value your airbrush.
Whatever type of paint you are using you should wear a good respirator in a well-ventilated room when airbrushing.
Media Gallery
Whether you are painting an interior or exterior, 100% acrylic paint can provide exceptional and enduring results. In the past your choices were oil base paint or true latex paint.
This lasted for decades, but a change was around the corner. Water based paints, such as latex paint, is a drastic change from the past.
Latex paint offered ease of use, water clean up and greater resistance to the environment, but fell short of these promises and did not last as long as oil base products. In these early years professional painters did not favor water-based products.
Cadmium red
Envirolon synthetic rubber-based paints are perfect for gunite, plaster, and concrete pools. It is easy to apply and cures to a smooth surface that is easier to keep clean. No longer made with chlorinated compounds, our new synthetic rubber-based pool paint is low VOC. For those who like the original, our CRC Pro-Series rubber-based paint is an economical standard. Two properly applied coats will last about 2-years.
Pool Painting Preparation
If your pool area is damaged, you will need to repair and fill any cracks, pits, or holes before prepping the surface.
To properly prepare the surface of a gunite or plaster pool, the first step is to safely drain the pool completely. The next step is to remove any invisible grease and oils that are on the surface. Using a flower watering can and a scrub brush, wash the surface with a Tri-Sodium Phosphate (TSP) solution, and scrub well. Rinse thoroughly.
After the surface is degreased, you are ready to remove mineral deposits and “etch” the surface. Diluted muriatic acid can be used, or use our easier and safer Sulfamic Acid cleaner. Etching the pool surface gives the new paint a rougher surface to adhere to. TSP and Acid can be purchased separately, but are conveniently sold together as part of our Surface Preparation Kit.
Fiberglass pools will require sanding (the entire pool) with coarse sandpaper, instead of acid etching; followed by cleansing with TSP, as described above.
Before painting, clean off the deck surrounding the pool, to prevent debris from blowing in the pool. Check the weather; no rain or high winds in the forecast. And, on all paints except Acrylic, you will need several days of drying time before and after painting the pool.
NATURAL PAINTS
Extended exposure to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in paint can make some people nauseous and dizzy. Most synthetic, water-based paints contain an acceptable level of VOCs that shouldn’t prove a risk to the DIY painter, provided they are used in a well-ventilated room.
But if you suffer respiratory ailments, are chemically sensitive, or want a greener alternative, there are paints based on plant oils, extracts and minerals that contain little or no VOCs. Try a supplier like The Natural Paint Place for more product information.
Some manufacturers’ satins are quite smooth and velvety-looking; others are glossier and not that far removed from a semi-gloss. A true satin sits somewhere in the middle – think of it as a mid-sheen paint. Kids’ rooms often suit satin because it takes more wear and tear than flats or low sheens and isn’t bothered by a light scrub. Satin also works well in kitchens and bathrooms as the higher level of gloss a paint has, the more durable it is.
Also referred to as matt, ultra flat and matt acrylic, flat paint has little-to-no shine and delivers an elegant finish. Choose this paint if you have less-than-perfect walls – its coarse pigments deflect light rather than absorb it, making faults in the underlying surface less obvious. But because it’s matt it’s prone to scuffs and marks, and isn’t suitable for high-traffic areas or kids’ rooms – those same coarse pigments that hide imperfections can be worn down by cleaning, leaving shiny patches.
LOW SHEEN
The level of sheen in this category can differ markedly. Paints labelled eggshell tend to have a lower level of shine than those called low sheen. But by definition, both have a slight lustre and work in living areas and bedrooms. Low sheen paint is the most popular paint used in Australian living areas – it disguises imperfections, albeit to a lesser degree than flat paint, but is less damaged by cleaning.
Doug Mahoney
After more than 30 hours of research, talking to eight professional painters across the country with a combined 15years of experience, and considering over 5interior paints, we would choose Benjamin Moore Regal Select for our own interior painting needs. Half of the painters we spoke to named Regal Select specifically as the high-quality paint of choice that they use and would recommend to their friends and family. Given that there are nearly 60 interior latex paints available from the major brands, this kind of consensus is impressive.
Pull Quote
Through our initial research, we found that without a thorough, inside-the-lab understanding of each paint’s specific recipe, comparing paints can only get you so far, because there is very little useful information provided by the manufacturers that can be used to differentiate between products. This problem is compounded by the sheer number of paints available. Just looking at offerings by Benjamin Moore, Behr, Sherwin Williams, and Valspar (the four biggies), there are at least 2different interior latex paints currently available.
We also interviewed Rick Watson, director of product information and technical services at Sherwin-Williams.
In addition to these interviews, we read countless articles on paint, including helpful ones from Family Handyman, This Old House, and the DIY Network, just to name a few.
Lastly, I’m no stranger to paint. I spent ten years in high-end residential construction, often working closely with painting contractors. I also recently wrapped up my own four-year full gut and remodel of a 100-year-old farmhouse, a process that had me single-handedly painting or staining 100 percent of the interior (walls, ceiling, floors, and trim).
How we picked
Through our discussions with the eight painters and our additional research, we found that a good paint has a 100-percent acrylic binder and a high-percent volume of solids. Our painters were also nearly unanimous in recommending that paint be purchased at a specialty paint retailer or a smaller hardware store due to the level of employee expertise and the consistency of the service.
A second important aspect to note is called the percent volume solids. This is the percentage that each can has of solids, meaning the non-solvent portion—the part that’s left on the wall once the paint dries.
Through our interviews and research, we found that most consistent paints measure in the high-30-percent to high-40-percent range.
Regal Select’s high volume of solids makes it a thick paint that’s easy to work with.
DuPont explained another reason to use a paint store is for the color matching. For pre-mixed colors, it doesn’t make a difference—“the computer makes the formula”—but matching an existing color is a different story. As he told us, “you want someone who is experienced when it comes to color-matching. That skill takes years to be good at.” In fact, Barter said that even at his specialty paint store, he has preferences among the employees as to who does his color matching.
Our pick
Regal Select is highly recommended by 50 percent of the painters we spoke to.
Regal Select rolls and brushes easily.
Once our painters made their selections, I painted two rooms with Regal Select and, as someone who has spent a lot of time using low and mid-level paints, was stunned at how easy Regal Select was to work with and how nice the results came out. The paint didn’t drip at all, which was something I was constantly chasing with the lower-quality paints that I’ve used. There was also no splattering on the baseboard, chair rail or floor, a constant frustration with other paints. Regal Select was thick enough that it gave me plenty of time to catch any blobs or streaks, and it rolled on much smoother than other paints I’ve used. The end result was fantastic. It was clearly the best paint job I’ve ever done—and the one that took the least amount of effort.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
According to Benjamin Moore, a gallon offers about 400-450 square feet of one-coat coverage. For one room in my own project, I painted 28square feet with two coats and have just under half of a can left. If painting a 1by 1room with eight-foot ceilings (with no doors or windows), you’ll cover a total of 38square feet. For two coats, that would be under two gallons.
But, as we explained above, we feel that it’s an investment worth making. Regal Select is a 100-percent acrylic paint with high solids, and a large number of polled professional painters stand behind it and let it represent them and their companies. The pitfalls of choosing an inexpensive paint are numerous and all end poorly: the paint starts peeling, it doesn’t adequately block the previous wall color, it leaves big drips, or it takes four coats instead of two. The sticker shock may be there, but as our experts were nearly unanimous in telling us, in the long run, a more expensive paint will be worth it.
The competition
We heard a wide variety of opinions on Behr, Home Depot’s in-house paint. One of the painters we spoke to (Savino) recommended it—specifically the Marquee line—while another said that it’s “terrible.” We didn’t get the feeling of any consensus like we did with Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams. Savino even made a video showing Behr Marquee’s excellent coverage when compared to Sherwin-Williams Emerald.
It does have a high percent volume of solids, depending on sheen, ranging from 4percent to almost 4percent. Behr is available only at Home Depot, and not specialty paint stores or smaller retailers, where the majority of our experts recommended purchasing paint.
We heard similar sentiments about Valspar, available primarily at Lowe’s. Some of the painters we spoke with hadn’t used Valspar in a while, but the advice again was to stick with paint specialty stores for advice and color matching.
Both Davis and Young like C-Paint, but, as Davis said, the availability is more limited than Benjamin Moore.
Young is also a fan of California paints, but, again, availability is more limited.
Other paints simply weren’t mentioned by the painters we spoke to. These include Clark + Kensington, Glidden, Dutch Boy, Pratt & Lambert, Olympic, Colorhouse and Ralph Lauren. This also includes any number of small boutique paints like Farrow & Ball and Donald Kaufman.
Jump back.
While this is an important piece of the puzzle for determining paint quality, it is also a difficult one to locate. It’s not clearly advertised by paint manufacturers and we had to go to each paint’s technical data sheet in order to locate it.
Desirée Ossandon
Are you a painter who works with acrylic or is interested in starting? Acrylic is a paint that can be used in various ways and can help you create intriguing effects with vibrant colours. If you know how to use it right, it can provide endless inspiration for your subjects and techniques.
Painting with Acrylics
Painting with Acrylics will allows artists to explore the medium with author Arnold Lowrey, an artist and instructor, who has been painting in a variety of media for over 2years including painting seascapes. still life, landscapes, portraits and abstracts.
Arnold Lowrey presents a lively, inspirational introduction to acrylics which illustrates the versatility and beauty of this wonderful medium.
Acrylic Painting For Dummies
Home Made Canvases
You can stretch and prepare your own canvases and you may or may not save a bit of money n the process. But I would suggest artists that do this, do it for the love and pleasure of creating every aspect of their work from scratch.
Canvasses, in their raw state, are brown and traditionally an animal extract glue is painted on to seal and stiffen the surface.
Once this preparation is complete, the canvas is then wrapped around a wooden frame and stapled to the sides or, for a better finish, to the back.
It’s then given several coats of primer (very often a white acrylic primer called gesso) to seal it and prevent the oil from the paints soaking through the surface.
Typically, three coats of primer are used, each being painted at right angles to the previous coat, to ensure even coverage.
Ordinary 1.5inch x 0.75inch planed timber can be used to make the frame, joined with simple butt joints, providing you can ensure a truly squared frame.
Enamel Paints
Enamel paints are something I started out with, found success with, and stopped simply because I found acrylics easier to work with. Enamel paints generally dry harder and are more resistant to scratches which can be vital when posing a kit. From my experience in the US, enamels are present in more colour options such as the Model Master line which offers a number of historically accurate colours.
Enamels tend to dry slower than acrylics making it often recommended for hand painting (slower drying allows for additional time for the paint to self level and hide brush strokes). It’s also often recommended for panel washes.
Enamel users need to be careful as enamel thinner will eat at plastic, causing it to dry out, become brittle, and break. The use of Zippo lighter fluid for cleaning up enamel is something I’ve seen quite a bit as well. While I haven’t tested it out too much thus far, I understand that it’s still as potentially corrosive to plastic, but it’s increased evaporation rate is more likely to leave less behind to cause issues.
Common enamel paint types are Model Master, Testors, Humbrol Enamel.
Lacquers
Lacquer paints are the least commonly used due their difficulty and risk of use. They are the hardest of the three main types and also dry the fastest. Once dry it’s extremely hard to remove without damaging the plastic as well. Of the three it’s also the most hazardous, don’t breath it in.
Typically you won’t encounter lacquers other than a some top coat sprays, a few specialty spray cans (such as Testors’ One Coat), and Alclad II or other specialty paints.
Choice of paints
I’ll introduce the paints I am using too. Every artist has their favourite brand for acrylic painting and I encourage you to look into what you enjoy working with. The tips in this article can be put into practice with any heavy body acrylic paint, student or professional grade.
Simple techniques such as mixing and misting are also introduced to help you get started with this wonderfully versatile and rewarding medium. Get started with acrylic painting, from choosing your brushes to fundamental techniques…
Mixing paints is a precise process
Mixing paints is a precise process. It’s good to know your colour wheel here as you’ll be mixing very specific colours as you work. Red and yellow can be combined to make a variety of oranges. Add in some green and you’ll get brown and burnt umbers. Using a palette knife, a plastic knife, or even an extra brush is ideal when acrylic painting. Mix thoroughly and remember that some paints can dry a slight shade darker.
Five Star Painting
If you want to change the color of your home’s stucco exterior, you may be unsure where to begin. Painting stucco isn’t like painting other types of siding because it has a highly textured surface. While this provides visual interest, it makes painting a bit more difficult. Refer to this ultimate guide to painting stucco for help.
Get the Right Stucco Paint
The recommended paint for stucco is called elastomeric paint. This is a heavy-duty version of acrylic paint that goes on much thicker than ordinary acrylic. Thick paint penetrates the stucco texture more effectively and has greater flexibility to bridge small cracks and gaps. This helps prevent moisture intrusion, keeping mold, mildew and rot at bay.
Elastomeric paints repel water, but the best ones are also vapor permeable, allowing the building to “breathe” and preventing trapped water vapor from forming blisters beneath the paint. Look for a higher permeance – or “perm rating” – when buying stucco paint.
Remember, while elastomeric paint costs about the same per gallon as regular acrylic, you need about four times as much. Colors are also limited, something you can overcome by painting on elastomeric paint followed by a topcoat of tinted standard acrylic paint.
Prepare the Stucco
As with any surface, proper preparation before paint application helps the finish last longer. For starters, if your stucco is new, allow 60 days for it to settle and dry before applying paint. Then pressure wash the stucco to remove dirt, chalky residue and chipping paint. Follow pressure washing best practices. If you don’t have experience using pressure washers, hire a pro for the job.
While the stucco is drying, examine every area closely for cracks. Elastomeric paint can bridge small gaps, but if cracks are large enough to insert the edge of a credit card, you need to fill the crack prior to painting with a patching compound. It’s best to leave patching to a professional to increase the chances of the patch blending in with the texture of the surrounding stucco.
Prime and Paint the Stucco
Whether the stucco has been painted before or not, apply a primer/sealer to every inch of the stucco surface. This improves adhesion, reduces porosity, protects against the alkalinity of new stucco, and binds residual pigments from the old paint so they don’t mix with the new color.
Elastomeric paints don’t spray easily because they’re so thick, but professional painters use special equipment to make this preferred application method possible. Spraying combined with backrolling is the best way to achieve the desired paint thickness. If you roll and brush on the stucco paint, you may need multiple coats.
Every unfinished surface—including wood, drywall, metal, and concrete—should be primed before painting. While it can be tempting to skip this step, the results are almost always disappointing. Paint applied to unprimed surfaces tends to peel, crack, and chalk more than paint applied to properly primed surfaces.
While it used to be necessary to apply oil-based primers over oil-based paint and latex primers over latex paints, many primers today allow you to switch between them as long as you prepare the surface properly. When painting over interior oil-based woodwork with latex, be sure to sand or degloss the surface first, then paint with a bonding primer before topcoating with latex.
At first glance applying primer may seem like an unnecessary expense, but it actually saves money as well as time. A good coat of primer improves paint’s hide, or ability to cover, reducing the number of coats that are necessary to achieve a smooth finish. Primers can be tinted to match the paint color. Tinting improves the primer’s hide and smoothes the transition between primer and topcoat.
Oil Primers
These slow drying primers release volatile organic compounds in the air and require mineral spirits for cleanup and thinning. They produce a very smooth finish that does the best job of filling pores in bare wood while not raising the grain. Oil primers also provide a good barrier to keep tannins from certain woods from bleeding through.
Latex primers
These fast drying, water-soluble primers have come along way in recent years and are now available in low and no-VOC formulas. Latex primers are not as brittle as their oil or shellac-based cousins and provide a more flexible finish that is resistant to cracking. This makes them suitable for priming bare softwoods, though test them first to see if they raise the grain or allow resin to bleed through.
Latex primers are the best choice for unfinished drywall, since they act to even out the texture and sheen between the wallboard and joint compound. They also allow water vapor to pass through, which can make them less likely to peel.
Fan with stiff bristles
I generally paint with Simply Simmons , (Creative Mark, Pro stroke, Ebony Splendor, ) Richeson, Robert Simmons and Pro Stroke brushes. I also use some Windsor Newton, Liquitex, Royal Langnickel and Ruby Satin Silver.
How to save up to 86%? Here is little trick.
You must visit the page of sales. Here is the link. If you don’t care about which brand is better, then you can choose the acrylic paint by the price and buy from the one who will offer the greatest discount.
Final Word
First of all thanks for reading my article to the end! I hope you find my reviews listed here useful and that it allows you to make a proper comparison of what is best to fit your needs and budget. Don’t be afraid to try more than one product if your first pick doesn’t do the trick.
Most important, have fun and choose your acrylic paint wisely! Good luck!
So, TOP3 of acrylic paint
- №1 — Acrylic Paint Set By Color Technik
- №2 — Acrylic Paint Set of 24 Colors by VACASSO
- №3 — Colore Acrylic Paint Set – 24 Colors
Questions? Leave a comment below!
Chatting about acrylic paint is my passion! Leave me a question in the comments, I answer each and every one and would love to get to know you better!
