Liquitex Acrylic Mediums: A Guide

Liquitex acrylic mediums are essential additives for artists working with acrylic paint. They give you fine control over the properties of your paint, allowing you to modify flow, texture, transparency, finish and drying time without sacrificing the stability or archival quality of the paint film.

Understanding how and why to use these materials will help you achieve greater precision, richer effects and a more refined result in your acrylic work.

What are acrylic mediums?

Acrylic mediums are specialised formulas that are mixed with paint or applied alongside it to alter how that paint behaves on the surface. They are made with acrylic resin, which ensures that the paint remains flexible, durable and water resistant when dry. Adding medium means you can adapt one base colour to perform like many, giving you far more control over the outcome of your work.

Mediums are not simply thinners. Unlike plain water, which can weaken paint and affect adhesion, Liquitex acrylic mediums maintain pigment integrity and the structural integrity of the paint film. They let you tailor your materials to suit different techniques, substrates and artistic goals.

How Liquitex mediums enhance your painting

Liquitex acrylic mediums offer creative and technical advantages, including:

Modifying viscosity and flow: You can make paint runnier for smooth glazes or thicker for texture.

Extending colour and coverage: Mediums allow you to stretch paint without losing strength or adherence.

Adjusting surface finish: Choose satin, matte or transparent finishes to suit your aesthetic aims.

Controlling drying time: Some mediums give you more time to blend and work wet paint.

Building texture and volume: Gel and paste mediums make it possible to add dimensional surface effects.

These effects expand your ability to express concepts and refine technique beyond the capabilities of unsupported paint alone.

Key Liquitex acrylic mediums at Eckersley’s

Below are some of the Liquitex acrylic mediums available at Eckersley’s, each with a brief explanation of its purpose and effect:

Slow drying and blending

Liquitex Slow-Dri Medium extends the drying time of acrylic paint by up to 40 percent and improves flow, giving you more working time for blending and soft tfransitions.

Finish and surface control

Liquitex Fluid Matte Medium provides a matte, satin finish and can deepen colour depth when mixed with paint.

Liquitex Fluid Matte Medium offers the same benefits in a larger size for frequent use or large projects.

Liquitex Satin Gel Medium increases paint viscosity and dries to a satin sheen, adding subtle richness to brushwork and thicker layers.

Transparency and layering

Liquitex Glazing Medium creates transparent layers and luminous effects, ideal for glazing techniques and deep colour layering.

Texture and volume

Liquitex Matte Super Heavy Gel Medium is formulated to increase paint volume and body while preserving opacity and matte finish, making it excellent for impasto and structural effects.

Liquitex Light Modeling Paste Gel Medium is a lighter, flexible gel designed for thicker sculptural texture without excessive weight.

Liquitex Matte Gel Medium provides a body similar to heavy body paints and are ideal for mixed media or textured surfaces.

Flow, pouring & fluidity

Liquitex Professional Pouring Effects Medium – Lowers viscosity and increases paint flow for smooth fluid art, including pour techniques. Great for creating even puddles and acrylic skins without crazing or cracking.

Liquitex Ultra Matte Fluid Medium – A fluid medium that increases transparency and flow while drying to a very matte, non-reflective finish — great when you want minimal sheen and subtle layering.

Palette and blending control

Liquitex Palette Wetting Spray – A light, sprayable fluid resin that slows the drying of acrylic paint on your palette, improves blending, and helps prevent the surface from “skinning over.”

Special techniques & finishes

Liquitex Professional Silkscreen Medium – Turns acrylic paint into a screen-printable ink and extends open time, ideal for combining painting with stencilling or silkscreen techniques.

Liquitex Glass Medium – Adds a smooth, glass-like finish to paint and can help create high-clarity poured surfaces or enhance gloss mixed effects.

Liquitex Crackle Paste – Produces controlled crackle texture on rigid surfaces for aged or distressed effects; mix with paint or apply beneath colour for dramatic surface variation.

Liquitex Masking Fluid Medium – A removable masking agent to block areas before painting so you preserve clean, crisp unpainted sections after peel-off.

Liquitex Metallic Mediums – Add metallic sheen and reflective effects to acrylic paint, useful for highlights or decorative accents.

Traditional and utility mediums

Liquitex Matte Medium – Thickens paint and delivers a soft, matte finish; excellent for lowering gloss without weakening colour integrity.

Liquitex Airbrush Medium – Specifically formulated to thin acrylic paint for airbrush applications while preserving pigment quality and flexibility.

Practical ways to use mediums in your work

Blending and gradients: When you want smooth transitions or soft edges, a slow-dry or fluid matte medium can keep the paint open longer and flow more evenly.

Glazing and transparency: Use glaze mediums to build up colour depth while retaining luminosity, especially for realistic shadows and highlights.

Texture and dimension: Gel mediums let you add physical surface structure that holds brush or palette knife marks for expressive or relief work.

Finish control: Choose a flat, satin or semi-gloss surface after drying depending on your aesthetic preference or the needs of the final piece.

Choosing the right medium for your creative goals

Selecting the appropriate medium depends on what you want to achieve in your painting. If your priority is subtle colour blending, look at slow-dry and fluid mediums. For layering light, transparent colour, glaze mediums are ideal. If you are building texture or surface depth, gel and modeling paste mediums offer the support you need. Each of these Liquitex formulations is designed to work seamlessly with acrylic paint without compromising its key properties.

Liquitex Medium	Primary Use	Effect on Paint	Finish
Slow Dri Medium	Extends blending time	Slows drying, improves flow	Satin
Fluid Matte Medium	Matte finish and layering	Thins paint, adds transparency	Matte
Satin Gel Medium	Adds body and sheen	Thickens paint, enhances brushwork	Satin
Glazing Medium	Transparent layering and glazing	Builds luminous layers	Transparent
Matte Super Heavy Gel Medium	Impasto & texture	Adds volume, preserves opacity, thickens paint, holds marks	Matte
Light Modeling Paste Gel Medium	Sculptural texture	Adds flexible texture without weight	Matte
Matte Gel Medium	Mixed media & texture	Thickens paint for dimensional effects	Matte
Pouring Effects Medium	Fluid pours & flow art	Lowers viscosity, increases spread	Gloss / Smooth
Ultra Matte Fluid Medium	Fluid & low sheen layers	Extends and thins paint	Ultra Matte
Palette Wetting Spray	Palette care & open time	Keeps paint workable longer	N/A
Silkscreen Medium	Screen printing with acrylics	Extends open time, alters consistency	Translucent
Glass Medium	Gloss / clarity effects	Clears and smooths paint film	Gloss
Crackle Paste	Textural crackle surface	Creates controlled crackle	Opaque / Hard
Masking Fluid Medium	Area protection	Blocks paint, peels off clean	N/A
Metallic Mediums	Reflective accents	Adds metallic sheen	Metallic
Matte Medium	Matte finish & body	Thickens paint	Matte
Airbrush Medium	Airbrush thinning	Improves spray flow	Varies