Liquitex Mediums – versatile additives for acrylic painting

Liquitex mediums enhance acrylic colours and give artists more control over their creative process. They allow adjustments to gloss, matte finish, drying time, flow, and texture.

Product Options:

With the right painting mediums and additives, you can expand the possibilities of acrylic paints almost limitlessly.

Below is an introduction to our range of Liquitex products and their uses:

Painting Mediums

Liquitex Gloss Medium

General purpose medium for gloss and adhesion

Liquitex Gloss Medium is a versatile fluid medium suitable for all acrylic colors. It is an excellent choice when you want to add vibrancy and depth to your work.

• Features: Increases surface gloss, color depth, and transparency.
• Usage: Improves adhesion and lowers viscosity.
• Tip: Can be used as a varnish or on its own as a fluid, clear medium for glazing.

Liquitex Matte Medium

Gloss-reducing medium

This medium is designed specifically for artists who want to reduce the natural sheen of acrylic paint without compromising color intensity. Suitable for all acrylic and craft colors.

• Features: Increases fluidity and creates a non-reflective matte finish.
• Result: Looks milky when wet but dries to a completely translucent matte finish.
• Usage: Mix with colors when you want a flat, non-reflective surface.

Gels and Pastes

Liquitex Basics Gloss Heavy Gel (250 ml)

Structure and body for painting

Gloss Heavy Gel is the perfect partner for impasto techniques and 3D work. It is compatible with all Liquitex products.

• Features: Significantly thickens the paint, increases gloss, and extends drying time.
• Texture: Retains brush strokes and palette knife marks clearly.
• Usage: Mix the desired amount directly into the color. The gel can be thinned with water if necessary (use water sparingly to avoid a foggy finish).
• Tip: Mix with Liquitex Matte Gel to achieve a satin finish.
• Note: Also available in a lighter version: Gloss Gel.

Liquitex Crackle Paste

Crackling effect paste

Create dramatic, aged, or textured surfaces easily.

• Features: Dries to a hard, cracked finish.
• Usage: Can be used alone (and painted over once dry) or mixed directly with acrylic color.
• Effect: The thicker the application, the clearer and larger the cracks (note that thick layers dry slowly).

Special Mediums and Thinners

Liquitex Airbrush Medium (237 ml)

Thinner for airbrushing

This medium is specifically developed to thin acrylic colors to a sprayable consistency suitable for airbrushing, without compromising the paint's properties.

• Features: Low viscosity. Ensures the paint retains its flexibility, durability, and adhesion even when thinned.
• Compatibility: Also suitable for thinning thick Liquitex Heavy Body colors, gesso, and other Liquitex paints for spraying.

Liquitex Fabric Medium (118 ml)

Textile medium

Transform standard acrylics into fabric paints. This additive improves the workability and durability of paint on textiles.

• Features: Improves adhesion to fabric and prevents the paint from cracking when dry.
• Usage: Controls color bleeding (especially when thinned with water) and prevents clumping on uneven fabrics.
• Result: Produces a soft and even color application.

Retarders (Slow-Dri)

Note: These products do not contain binders. Follow dosage instructions carefully to ensure the stability of the paint film is not compromised.

Liquitex Slow-Dri Retard Gel

Thicker consistency that slows drying time.

• Keeps paint workable for longer.
• Retains brush strokes, suitable for thicker applications.

Liquitex Slow-Dri Retard Fluid

Fluid consistency for slowing drying time.

• Especially useful when working in hot and dry conditions.
• Improves color blending in "wet-on-wet" techniques.

Usage Tips

• Mixed media: Works with watercolour, gouache, ink, and acrylics.
• Combinations: Gloss Heavy Gel + Matte Gel → satin finish.
• Materials: Fabric Medium is ideal for textiles.
• Effects: Crackle Paste creates a cracked, aged look.

Why choose Liquitex mediums?

• Quality brand: Liquitex is one of the most well-known manufacturers of acrylic paints and mediums.
• Versatility: Each medium offers its own special feature, so you can find a solution for different needs.
• Durability: Mediums maintain color flexibility and adhesion.
• Creativity: Enables a wide range of different surfaces and effects.