Acrylic Paints
Acrylic paints have become one of the most, if not the most popular paint in use by artists today. Its quick drying time allows artists to produce a large amount of work in a short amount of time. What used to take days with oils now takes minutes with acrylics. Its easy clean up and low odor makes it good for the artist that has a small studio with little or no ventilation. No harsh solvent is needed for thinning or clean up; water is the only thing needed for both.
The common name for this paint is "Acrylics", which is actually incorrect. Acrylics is a generic name that has been adopted by artists over many years. A more proper name would be either "Acrylic Emulsion Paints" or "Polymer Colors." Acrylic is actually a resin invented around the turn of the century in Germany by Otto Rohm. In the 1930s it started to be produced in America by du Pont and Rohm & Haas. The same acrylic that makes up such things as Plexiglass and Lucite are used to make artist's acrylic paints. The binder used in creating acrylic paints is made by emulsifying acrylic resin with water. When this process is done it creates a milky fluid that, when dry, is virtually clear. By adding pigment, the same pigments used in oil paints, you create acrylic paint.
Although it's been almost 100 years since acrylic paints were invented and 65 years since they have been in wide use, one question still remains. Can acrylics stand up to the test of time? Compared to oils, acrylics have only been around a short amount of time. But it looks good for those who like to use acrylics; so far they have lived up to every expectation.
It is possible to create your own acrylic paints from scratch, but it is not advisable. To develop the best artist-quality paints, manufacturers have modified the binder by adding other chemical ingredients. If you are interested in creating your own acrylics, "The Painter's Handbook" by Mark David Gottsegen has more information.
