Gel Mediums

On This Page:

- Flexible Modeling Paste
- Gloss Gel
- Gloss Heavy Gel
- Gloss Super Heavy Gel
- Light Modeling Paste
- Matte Gel
- Matte Super Heavy Gel
- Modeling Paste
- Slow-Dri Blending Gel
- Ultra Matte Gel

On the opposite side of the spectrum from Fluid Mediums, Gel Mediums add body to thinner paint for impasto techniques as well as extending colour volume and adding transparency. Gels also add “open time” as they tend to dry slower than thinner paint films. These mediums also modify acrylic paints in a variety of ways and, since they contain acrylic resins, tend to improve adhesion and durability.

 

ALL GEL MEDIUMS
• Add Body
• Increase “open” time
• Dry transparent or translucent
• Extend the volume of paint
• Hold brush or knife marks
• Make an excellent archival adhesive for collage

 

Flexible Modeling Paste

Attributes

  • Extra Heavy Body and very opaque.
  • A marble paste made of marble dust and 100% polymer emulsion.
  • Dries more slowly than other modelling pastes to a hard yet flexible surface.
  • Used to build three-dimensional forms and heavy textures on supports that may be subject to flexing or movement.
  • Adheres to any non-oily, absorbent surface.
  • When mixed with acrylic colours will act as a weak tinting white, while increasing thickness and rigidity.
  • Excellent substrate for acrylic paint, oil paint, oil pastel, oil bars, watercolour, graphite or dry pastel.

Application

 
  • Apply with palette knife, trowel, paint brush, cake decorating tips, etc. Different tools produce different effects.
  • Mix with acrylic colours to produce a coloured tinted paste.
  • Varnish with care to avoid foaming or clouding. Spray apply if possible.
  • When dry, Acrylic Modelling Paste may be painted with acrylic or oil colours.

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Gloss Gel

Attributes

  • Dries to a gloss finish.
  • Viscosity and body similar to Heavy Body Artist Colour.
  • Translucent when wet, transparent (clear) to translucent when dry. Thicker applications result in less transparent dry medium films.
  • Ideal medium to mix with Heavy Body Acrylic Colour to extend paint, increase the brilliance and transparency of colour, without changing the thickness of the paint.
  • Mix with Heavy Body Artist Colour to obtain paint similar in colour depth to oil paint.

Application

As An Extender:

  • Mix with Heavy Body Artist Colour to extend volume and increase transparency, while maintaining paint viscosity.
  • Mix with Soft Body Artist Colour to extend volume and increase transparency, while increasing paint viscosity.

As A Ground:

  • Use as transparent ground for acrylic paint instead of gesso. Allows substrate to be seen. To prevent Substrate Induced Discolouration, wash cotton or linen canvas before use.
  • When applying Gloss Gel Medium to raw canvas, use adequate pressure to force the medium into the canvas weave to insure proper bonding between the gel and canvas.

Collage:

  • Makes and excellent glue for collage and decoupage.

Powdered Pigments:

  • Use as the binder for powdered pigments to make an inexpensive "student grade" Heavy Body (thick) gloss paint or achieve unusual paint films. Pigment must be compatible with acrylic emulsion.

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Gloss Heavy Gel

 

Attributes

  • Extra Heavy Body.
  • Extra heavy body medium of great density which dries to a transparent or translucent gloss finish.
  • Mix with acrylic paint to increase body, density, viscosity and attain oil paint like consistency with brush or palette knife marks.
  • Extends paint while increasing brilliance and transparency
  • Keeps paint workable longer than other gel mediums.

Application

As An Extender:

  • Mix with Soft Body Artist Colour and Heavy Body Artist Colour to extend volume, increase transparency and increase colour viscosity.

Collage:

  • Makes and excellent glue for Collage and decoupage.

As A Ground:

  • Use as transparent ground for acrylic paint instead of gesso. Allows substrate to be seen. To prevent Substrate Induced Discolouration, wash cotton or linen canvas before use.

With Powdered Pigments:

  • Use as the binder for powdered pigments to make an inexpensive "student grade" extra-heavy viscosity (thick) gloss paint. Pigments must be compatible with acrylic emulsion.

 

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Gloss Super Heavy Gel

 

Attributes

  • Extremely thick, extra Heavy Body. The thickest "clear" gel.
  • Heavy bodied, very dense, with high surface drag for a stiff "oil-like" feel.
  • Dries clear to translucent depending on thickness of the application.
  • Very little shrinkage during drying time.
  • Excellent adhesion for Collage and mixed media.
  • Extends paint, increases brilliance and transparency.
  • Keeps paint working longer than other gel mediums.
  • Flexible, non-yellowing and water resistant when dry.

Application

As a Heavy Bodied Extender

  • Mix with Soft Body Artist Color or Heavy Body Professional Artist Color to increase color viscosity, body, extend volume, increase transparency and color brilliance.

As A Ground

  • Creating a sculptural ground, be sure to use adequate pressure to force the gel into the raw canvas to insure proper bonding. Apply paint over the gel after the gel is dry.

Collage:

  • Makes an excellent glue for collage and decoupage.

With Powdered Pigments and other Aggregates

  • Be careful not to include so many foreign materials as to jeopardize the strength of the paint film. Be sure they are compatible with acrylic emulsion.
  • Use as the binder for powdered pigments to make an inexpensive "student grade" extra-heavy viscosity (thick) gloss paint. Pigments must be compatible with acrylic emulsion.

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Light Modeling Paste

 

Attributes

  • Soft Body.
  • A lightweight, airy, flexible, thick, sculptural gel specifically formulated to be used in thick applications where weight is a factor.
  • Will not exhibit "mud cracking".
  • Used alone, will dry to a matte opaque white that readily accepts staining if desired.

Application

  • Apply with palette knife, trowel, paint brush, cake decorating tips, etc. Different tools produce different effects.
  • Mix acrylic paint into Light Modeling Paste or let dry and paint on top.
  • Mix with Gloss Medium & Varnish to produce textured glazes.
  • Add Liquitex Gel Medium or Heavy Gel Medium when using additional aggregates (such as sand) to avoid brittleness.
  • Varnish with care to avoid foaming or clouding. Spray apply if possible.

 

 

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Matte Gel

 

Attributes

  • Heavy Body.
  • Same qualities as Gloss Gel Medium, except dries translucent with a satin/matte finish.
  • Viscosity and body similar to Heavy Body Artist Color.
  • Matte Gel Medium has greater adhesion than Gloss Gel Medium and Gloss Heavy Gel Medium.
  • Translucent when wet, transparent when dry. Thicker applications result in less transparent dry medium films.
  • Mix with Heavy Body Artist Color to obtain paint similar in color depth to oil paint.
  • Color mix will dry to a satin sheen.

Application

As An Extender

  • Mix with Heavy Body Artist Color to extend volume and increase translucency, while maintaining paint viscosity.
  • Mix with Soft Body Artist Color to extend volume and increase translucency, while increasing paint viscosity.

As A Ground

  • Recommended as a translucent ground (size), for acrylic paint with excellent tooth and adhesion, instead of gesso. Will allow some color and texture of the support to show through. Use as a substitute size for the hide glue size traditionally used for oil paintings.
  • To prevent Substrate Induced Discoloration (SID), wash cotton or linen canvas before use.
  • Exterior Murals: If the support or wall is very rough, a coat of Matte Gel Medium should be brushed or toweled onto the surface prior to gesso application.
  • Refer to Gloss Gel Medium: Techniques - Ground for more detailed information.

For Impasto Effects

  • Mix with Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic Color for impasto effects that dry to a matte sheen.

Collage

  • Makes and excellent glue for collage and decoupage.

With Powdered Pigments

  • Use as the binder for powdered pigments to make an inexpensive "student grade" Heavy Body (thick) matte paint. Pigment must be compatible with acrylic emulsion.

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Matte Super Heavy Gel


 

Attributes

  • Extremely thick, extra Heavy Body.
  • Heavy bodied, very dense, with high surface drag for a stiff "oil-like" feel.
  • Dries to a translucent matte finish depending on thickness of the application.
  • Very little shrinkage during drying time.
  • Excellent adhesion for collage and mixed media.
  • Extends paint
  • Keeps paint working longer than other gel mediums.
  • Flexible, non-yellowing and water resistant when dry.

Application

As A Ground

  • Creating a sculptural ground, be sure to use adequate pressure to force the gel into the raw canvas to insure proper bonding. Apply paint over the gel after the gel is dry.

Collage:

  • Makes an excellent glue for collage and decoupage.

With Aggregates

  • Be careful not to include so many foreign materials as to jeopardize the strength of the paint film. Be sure they are compatible with acrylic emulsion.

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Modeling Paste

Attributes

  • Extra Heavy Body and very opaque.
  • A marble paste made of marble dust and 100% polymer emulsion.
  • Used to build heavy textures on rigid supports and create three-dimensional forms.
  • Dries to the hardness of stone. It can be sanded or carved when thoroughly dry.
  • Can be handled like clay if the top of the container is removed and some of the water is allowed to slowly evaporate until it reaches a clay-like consistency.
  • Adheres to any non-oily, absorbent surface.
  • Drying too quickly causes mud cracking that is usually cosmetic, not structural.
  • When mixed with acrylic colors will act as a weak tinting white, while increasing thickness and rigidity.
  • Excellent substrate for acrylic paint, oil paint, oil pastel, oil bars, watercolor, graphite or dry pastel.

Directions

  • Apply with knife, brush, cake decorating tools, etc.
  • To prevent shrinkage cracks (mud cracking), dry slowly by covering loosely with plastic wrap. Apply less than 1/4" thick.
  • Mix with acrylic colors to produce a colored tinted paste.
  • When dry, Acrylic Modeling Paste may be painted with acrylic or oil colors.

Application

  • Sculptural: Apply in thin layers allowing each layer to dry before applying next layer. If cracks appear, allow to dry and fill in with additional thin layer of Acrylic Modeling Paste.
  • Rigid support: Use straight from container.
  • Flexible support: Mix Acrylic Modeling Paste 50/50 with Gloss Gel Medium, Matte Gel Medium, Gloss Heavy Gel Medium, or Super Heavy Gel Medium.
  • Ground: Apply a thin layer of Acrylic Modeling Paste to rigid surface (i.e. wood), using a palette knife, trowel or roller. Let dry, then sand smooth. Repeat if necessary.
  • Absorbent ground: Mix 1 part Acrylic Modeling Paste with 3 parts Liquitex® Acrylic Gesso. Apply with trowel or roller. Let dry, then sand smooth. Repeat if necessary.
  • Paper-Maché: Mix Acrylic Modeling Paste 50/50 with Liquitex Gloss Gel Medium, Matte Gel Medium or Gloss Heavy Gel Medium. Soak paper in this mixture.

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Slo-Dri Blending Gel

Attributes

  • A unique formulation for superior surface blending with acrylics.
  • Extends drying time up to 40% for superior surface blending with acrylics.
  • Is similar in body to Heavy Body Professional Artist Color.
  • Mix any amount into color to enhance the depth of color intensity, increase transparency, gloss, and add flexibility and adhesion to paint film.
  • Dries clear to reveal full, rich color.
  • Unlike retarding additives, any quantity may be added to color without jeopardizing the strength of the paint film.
  • Translucent when wet, transparent when dry.
  • Flexible, non-yellowing and water resistant when dry.

Application

  • Formula is designed for use in techniques where slower drying characteristics are desired. May also be used in many of the conventional techniques for a Gloss Gel Medium such as: brushwork, thick glazes, collage, and murals.
  • Application Possibilities as a Medium

    Brushwork - Blending

    As an Extender
  • Mix with Heavy Body Professional Artist Color to lengthen drying time, extend volume and increase transparency while maintaining paint viscosity
  • Mix with Soft Body Professional Artist Color to slow drying time, extend volume and increase transparency while making paint thicker

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Ultra Matte Gel

Attributes

  • Heavy Body.
  • A translucent white gel of high density and high solids, that economically extends the volume of Heavy Body Artist Color without changing its heavy body.
  • Add up to 50% by volume, to double amount of paint and retain color position.
  • If more than 50% is added, it acts as a very weak tinting white.
  • Maintains the opacity of the color better than using a clear gel medium.
  • Dries to a matte finish, giving colors a matte sheen and gouache look.

Application

Running out of color during painting

  • Use when running out of a mixed Heavy Body Artist Color while painting. When you have reached the halfway point of painting the specific area, determine if you have enough paint to finish. If not, add an equal amount of Ultra Matte Gel to the color enabling you to finish painting without remixing. The color and opacity will be unchanged, but the color may lighten (higher value).

Underpainting

  • Mix into Heavy Body Artist Color during initial underpainting to double amount of color.

 

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