What is the difference between heavy body and fluid acrylic paints?

When it comes to acrylic painting, one of the first decisions you'll have to make is which type of paint to use. There are many different types of acrylic paint available, each with its own unique characteristics and properties. In this blog post, we'll focus on two common types of acrylic paint: heavy body and fluid.

Heavy body acrylic paints are known for their thick, paste-like consistency. This makes them ideal for creating bold, opaque brushstrokes and creating texture on the canvas. Heavy body acrylics also have a high pigment concentration, which means they produce vibrant, long-lasting colors. Because of their thick consistency, heavy body acrylics require a bit more effort to spread and blend, but this also makes them easier to control and manipulate.

Fluid acrylic paints, on the other hand, have a much thinner consistency, more similar to ink or watercolor. This makes them ideal for creating smooth, even washes of colour and for creating fine, detailed brushstrokes. Fluid acrylics also have a high pigment concentration, but because of their thin consistency, they tend to dry more transparent than heavy body acrylics. This can be a useful effect for creating gradations and layering colours, but it can also make it more difficult to achieve full opacity.

My favourite paints to use are Golden heavy body paints. I enjoy the control of the heavy body and their lovely texture to work with. I often do use a fluid titanium white and mix it with the various heavy body colours as needed. It can help to loosen up the heavy body paints to generate my preferred viscosity.

So, which type of acrylic paint is right for you? It ultimately comes down to your artistic goals and preferences. If you're looking to create bold, opaque brushstrokes and add texture to your paintings, heavy body acrylics are a great option. They're also a good choice for beginners, as their thick consistency makes them easier to control and manipulate. On the other hand, if you're looking to create smooth, even washes of colour and fine, detailed brushstrokes, fluid acrylics are the way to go.