Like most of us, I started my Mixed Media Assemblage adventure with bottles of acrylic paint from my local hobby store. Today, cost usually runs around $2.00 (give or take) a bottle depending on your ability to coordinate your need with a sale. Since I usually make my in-town purchases at Hobby Lobby, that means choosing between brands such as Americana, Folk Art, Delta Creamcoat, or Anita’s Craft Paint. I have all on my art room shelves and some have served as my favorites whiles others have been used once and tagged “never again”.

Generally I was happy with these more affordable paint options even though there were times I couldn’t achieve the depth of color I desired or even a shade I should have been able to achieve through blending. Sometimes the colors were muddy or irritatingly transparent. So my options were somewhat limited – which was fine. For a while. Then I discovered two excellent alternatives.

DecoArt’s Media Fluid Acrylics

In 2014, I started following Andy Skinner’s instructional videos on YouTube. Andy is a renowned Mixed Media artist and an excellent teacher of Mixed Media techniques. Although I don’t create in the same style as Andy’s team, we use the same techniques to achieve our individual looks. Andy often encourages his students to try DecoArt’s (he’s a consultant at DecoArt) higher quality acrylic paint line – Media Fluid Acrylics. It is part of their Mixed Media line and therefore more suited to Mixed Media work (Andy’s 1 minute YouTube video on Fluid Acrylics here). I took the bait and tried the products. And, wow, what a difference.

Media Fluid Acrylics are now my favorite Mixed Media paint. These satin acrylics have a high pigment load; they’re permanent and flexible with superior adhesion. What does that mean to the every day artist just looking for performance? Strong and vibrant colors for starters. And then there is the fact that on my very first try, I immediately felt the difference as the paint smoothly flowed from my brush to my canvas, all while easily maintaining consistent color.

Blending paint is a simple process as you can easily blend only a bit at a time without the colors running together. You only need a small amount of paint to color your various mediums (such as texture or stencil paste) and their Media Tinting Base greatly extends a bottle of paint.

You will find a selection of transparent paint in this line as well. I have yet to learn all the advantages of transparent paint but it is often used in Mixed Media technique. In addition to the usual basic colors, the transparencies give us options such as Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide or Transparent Red Iron Oxide. Just reading the names of those paints makes me feel Mixed Media happening!

Although metallic paint is the big thing these days, I prefer using a non-metallic paint. I can then choose to give the piece that metallic look later with paint spritzes. Media Fluid Acrylics are non-metallic yet burst with vibrancy even without the flair of metallic. However, that doesn’t mean I dislike metallic paint – my finished work runs approximately half non-metallic and half metallic.

Okay – I know that all sounds like one big advertisement but it’s just a plain old testimonial. 🙂 Of course, the Media Fluid Acrylics’ excellent performance and selection of colors carries with it a higher price tag. My first purchase was actually funded with money given to me for my birthday – I started with around 15 colors. One could do with less – just utilize blending.

Finnabair’s Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint

If you are a follower of Finnabair (Anna Dabrowski), it’s likely that that you have heard of her Art Alchemy paint line. It’s a higher quality metallic acrylic paint that is rich in color and permanent after drying. That “permanence” means a lot to a Mixed Media artist since we layer and layer and then layer some more.

I absolutely love working with this line of acrylics. It’s divided further into two lines – Metallic and Opal Magic. Metallic is just as it sounds with intense yet gorgeous colors to choose from. The Opal Magic line is truly the most unique paint I have yet to use with a two-tone iridescent effect that changes in tone from different angles. Its perceived color also changes with your choice of a light or dark background.

I haven’t yet blended Art Alchemy Metallic paints but believe it would be a fairly easy process. However, I don’t see blending the Opal Magics; there’s just too much going on. I view the Art Alchemy line as one intended to be used “as is” straight out of its wide mouthed jar.

By comparison, I usually blend the Media Fluid Acrylics for further (countless) color choices or with mediums to extend its use. Fluid Acrylics are definitely the most versatile especially when you add in a metallic spritz or two. But the Art Alchemy line earns its place as one of my two favorites by its uniqueness and that “ready to use” feeling.

Investing in Your Paint

Do any of us really want to pay more for our paint? No… not really. But the more you pursue Mixed Media as a serious art form, the more I believe you will want the advantages I have mentioned the higher quality acrylics provide. Yes, it’s an investment – one that can be made slowly or all at once.

The more I use these better quality paints, the less I consume as I have learned how to extend the paint rather than waste it. Now I don’t consider the higher cost of Media Fluid Acrylics to be significant since I have discovered that I use less of a paint that covers better and goes on smooth and even. Also – other intensely colored mediums can be obtained with only a few drops of a Fluid Acrylic.

I consider the Art Alchemy line to be more of a luxury since I do tend to use it out of the jar. It’s an extravagance that is well worth the cost IF you can afford it. Its uniqueness also means it carries a larger price.

I’m sure there are other higher quality acrylic lines similar to the Media Fluid Acrylics but it is hard to find your way through all the hype. One thing I do know – you aren’t going to find this quality for a bargain or even a discount. Lower cost usually equals lower quality. So, when you are thinking about increasing the quality of your paint, take a look around. What about your favorite art sites?  What paint do the artists you most admire use?

When it is time to actually make my paint purchases, I usually price both the Media Fluid Acrylics and the Art Alchemy line on a number of sites and take into consideration shipping costs as well as availability. At least 75% of the time, I buy from Amazon both for availability and their lower shipping costs. But, I always always compare. If an item is hot, price can vary greatly per bottle or jar.

If you are looking for other art sites that offer Mixed Media products at reasonable prices, message me and I’ll be happy to provide you with a few sites.

Happy painting!

Vicky