Many artists abuse the use of water in their work. I know I did when I was starting out in my pursuit to achieve certain artistic technics. An example would be creating drips or washes.
While the use of water is not prohibited in paintings (acrylics), it is certainly overdone. I have recently watched many artists spraying water in their canvas paintings as the correct way to work, and even an artist in a paid art course drenching the canvas and paint with water in order to thin and achieve the final result. I cringed when I watch this every single time. Unfortunately, many aspiring, self-taught artists are in a constant search for guidance, and this is the type of learning they are getting. But those of you who do should ask yourself this question: do I trust someone whose credentials are ambiguous just because the person has created an art course or appears in YouTube? The answer is no.
Thinning Down Paint with Water
I certainly went through my water phase as an amateur. Most of us probably do when we are starting out. However, once we learn about this mistake, we stop and proceed with the correct tools to achieve different technics without the use of water.
Acrylics are water soluble, which means you can use water with them. However, it’s use with acrylics and the amount of added water will depend on the substrate (surface or material) in which you are creating your art.
What Happens if Paint is Thinned Down with Water
Thinned-down paint with water leads to breaking the pigment’s bonding agents, which automatically leads to a non-archival work of art. Personally I find that to be a scary thing, as the goal of any artist is to create something lasting and that will withstand the test of time. When you break the bonding agents in your pigments, the result is (in no uncertain terms) ruined. There isn’t anything holding the paint together, which in turn leads to lifting, peeling or cracks in your paint as time passes by.
How to Resolve This Issue
The correct way to thin down your acrylics paint is by using mediums. These mediums will thin the paint as much as you want while keeping the pigment bound together. You will retain the vibrant colors and will still be able to achieve the desired effects that you would with water. Furthermore, many acrylic paint companies offer a wide variety of mediums to work with, plus innovative new types of paint consistency (for example Golden Flow and Fluid acrylics), that are ready to go without the use of mediums. You can still add medium to further thin-down the paint to suit your creative needs. I personally use Golden Airbrush Medium, and for me, it is my go-to before using water. Liquitex Professional Airbrush Medium is another alternative.
While this is true in the general use of acrylics and painting on canvas, on the other hand, water is suitable to use when the surface you are working on is an absorbent one, such as watercolor paper, or any other absorbent paper in general.
But Water is Free
Yes, water is free while mediums are not. Surely, free is tempting. In the end, the option is yours to make. However, if you are looking at art seriously, paying for mediums will not represent an expense in the long run. It is an investment in the quality of your work.
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