Acrylic Sheets

This process allows artists to create flexible acrylic sheets of varying size, thickness, sheen, texture and colour. It can be done with a wide variety of Liquitex Mediums and texture gels, in combination with acrylic paint to achieve numerous desired effects. Each medium will impart a different quality to the Acrylic sheet.

Uses

  • Self Supporting Painting
    Acrylic sheets can be used as self-supporting paintings (no canvas or stretcher bars). The finished work might hang directly on wall as a quilt or unstretched canvas. Acrylic may stretch over time in a warm environment.
  • Collage
    Acrylic sheets may be adhered to painting surface and then painted with acrylic paint or mediums.
  • Sculpture
    Acrylic sheets may be adhered to sculptural forms and painted with acrylic paint or mediums.

Directions & Application

Directions

  • Put masking tape on a smooth sheet of glass in the desired shape and size of the acrylic sheet to be created.

Application

  • Brush
    1. Use a 1/2"-2" wide, soft brush to apply desired Liquitex Acrylic Fluid Medium or acrylic medium/colour mixture. For minimal brush marks, thin with 5-10% Liquitex Flow-Aid Water. (Flow-Aid Water is a mixture of 1 part Flow-Aid and 20 parts water).
    2. Allow to fully dry, depending upon environment, 1-12 hours. While wet, mediums may appear slightly cloudy. When dry, some mediums will be totally clear while others will be translucent to opaque.
    3. Repeat steps #2 & #3 until coating is thick enough so that you can peel it off glass without tearing; 5-12 coats will give you a thickness of 1/16"-1/8". Coat successive layers in different directions, horizontal then vertical then horizontal, etc. The thickness of the coating can vary according to your desired effect. Thin layers between 1/32" to 1/16" may be difficult to handle.
  • Roller
    Use a medium nap roller to apply fluid medium or medium/fluid paint mixture. This method applies the thinnest application of acrylic. Air bubbles may dry in completed sheet.
  • Trowel
    Use a 2" - 6" trowel to apply a 1/8" - 1/4" thick application of Liquitex Gel Medium or medium/Heavy Body paint mixture. This method may result in an uneven application of acrylic.
  • Pouring
    1. On smooth sheet of glass, tape desired shape with masking tape in 4-5 successive layers so that a ridge or dam is built up around image.
    2. Use a carpenters level to insure surface is level. If surface is not level, poured fluid medium will run toward lower edge and dry thicker at that edge.
    Pouring Illustration
    3. Pour fluid medium or paint/medium mixture over surface. Spread around with soft brush if need be while wet.

    Allow all methods to dry completely: 48-72 hours.

    Using razor blade, score along taped edges to separate sheet from tape. Peel off glass. If necessary dampen entire surface with a wet sponge to release acrylic sheet from glass surface.

Adhering to a Support

1. Select a support that the acrylic sheet is to be adhered to: canvas, wood, Masonite, fabric, etc.

2. Coat the backside of the acrylic sheet with either Gloss Medium & Varnish, Gloss Gel Medium or Gloss Heavy Gel Medium, or Gloss Super Heavy Gel Medium. Quickly position the transfer onto the support and press. To insure a uniform contact, let transfer dry under weight. Cover acrylic with palette or wax paper before adding weight to prevent sticking.

3. If adhering to wood or Masonite, the acrylic sheet may be stapled to support (in addition to or instead of gluing with mediums).

Reccomended Products

Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish
  • When dry, acrylic sheets are glossy and clear.
  • Mix with 5-20% Soft Body Concentrated Artist Colour. Coloured gloss acrylic sheet will be transparent-opaque, depending upon thickness and colour.
Liquitex Matte Medium and Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
  • When dry acrylic sheet is matte and opaque.
  • Mix with 5-20% Soft Body Concentrated Artist Colour. Coloured matte acrylic sheet will be opaque.
Liquitex Iridescent Tinting Medium
  • When dry acrylic sheet is opalescent and translucent-opaque.
  • Mix with 5-20% Soft Body Concentrated Artist Colour. Coloured opalescent acrylic sheet will be translucent-opaque, depending upon thickness and colour.

Liquitex Gloss Gel Medium, Gloss Heavy Gel Medium and Gloss Super Heavy Gel Medium
  • When dry acrylic sheet is gloss and translucent-opaque, depending upon thickness.
  • Mix with 5-20% Soft Body Concentrated Artist Colour. Coloured gloss acrylic sheet will be transparent-translucent, depending upon thickness.
Liquitex Texture Gel Mediums
  • Mix with 5-20% Soft Body Concentrated Artist Colour.
  • Textured Colour acrylic sheet will vary in sheen, opacity and texture.
  • Mix 10-50% Texture Gel Mediums into Gloss Medium & Varnish, Gloss Gel Medium or Gloss Heavy Gel Medium. For example, Black Lava Texture Gel/Gloss Medium & Varnish mixture will result in a sheet that is transparent with black speckles.

Liquitex Interference Colours
  • Mix 5-10% Liquitex Soft Body Interference Colour into Gloss Medium & Varnish, Gloss Gel Medium or Gloss Heavy Gel Medium.
  • Colour interference acrylic sheet will be opalescent.
  • Mix 5-10% Liquitex Soft Body Interference Colour into Black Lava Texture Gel Medium. Resulting Acrylic Sheet will be dramatically iridescent metallic.

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