While oil and watercolor paints have been used by artists for many centuries, acrylics are a relatively modern art medium first developed in the late 1940s. A highly flexible medium, acrylics in a liquid form can be applied much like watercolors on paper, while in their heavy body form acrylics are a practical alternative to the use of oil paints on canvas supports.
The pigments in acrylic paints are suspended in a synthetic polymer resin, which is flexible when dry and will not crack, fade, or discolor with age or exposure to sunlight. Acrylics are available in a wide range of rich colors that can be blended to achieve a full range of hues, values, and intensities.
I prefer to paint with acrylics for several reasons. I can achieve results that are virtually indistinguishable from oil paintings, while keeping my home studio free of the toxins and odors associated with oil paint and the solvents that are used with them. Acrylic paints dry within minutes after being applied, which allows for over-painting or glazing an area without the lengthy wait required by slow-drying oil paints. These qualities make it possible to experiment more with composition and color while in the process of creating a painting than is possible with oil or watercolor paints.
Manufacturers have developed a wide range of products, such as gessos, gell and liquid mediums, thickeners, glazes, and varnishes, which provide versatility. Because acrylics are water soluble before drying, brushes can be easily cleaned with soap and water.
