Both gloss medium and gel medium are basically paint without color, and they are used to change the consistency and sheen of acrylic paint. They can also be used to increase the transparency of paint, to give paintings more texture, as surface treatments, and even as adhesives.
Gloss medium and gel medium both have polymer emulsions. This is the binder that holds acrylic paint pigment. So, it can be used to enhance your acrylic paints for a variety of purposes.
Today we are going to take a look at how gloss medium and gel medium are alike, how they differ, and how they are used. Let’s get started.
Gloss Medium vs Gel Medium Comparison
| Factors | Gloss Medium | Gel Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Changing paint consistency | Best for thinning paint | Best for thickening paint |
| Sheen | Gloss mediums are best for creating glossy surfaces | Gel mediums are available in many sheens |
| Use as adhesive | Great for lightweight papers | Great for heavy-weight papers |
| Surface treatment | Gloss medium can seal a painting and give it a glossy sheen | Gel medium can be used to allow other mediums to be used on top of acrylic paint (such as colored pencils) |
| Create texture | Gloss mediums thin paint | Gel mediums are ideal for creating texture |
What are Gloss and Gel Mediums Used For?
As I mentioned in the introduction, gel, and gloss mediums are acrylic paints that have no color. The biggest difference between these mediums is the thickness or viscosity.
These mediums can be used to change the consistency of acrylic paint. Acrylic paint can come in many different thicknesses, and if you want to change the thickness of your paint (to make it thicker or thinner), instead of spending money on new paints you can simply use one of these mediums.
If you want your paint to be thicker, gel medium is the best choice. If you want the paint to be thinner, a gloss medium is the better option.
Increase the Transparency of Your Paint
While both types of mediums are whitish when applied, they dry translucent. If you want your paint to be more translucent, you can add more of either gloss medium or gel medium.
This can be a bit tricky, and it will take some trial and error before you can get it just right. One of the reasons why it is so tricky is because both mediums are white. Both will make the paint look lighter until the painting is dry.
Luckily, it shouldn’t take too long before you get the hang of using both types of mediums in your art.
Change the Consistency of Your Paint
Acrylic paint comes in a variety of thicknesses, including fluid, soft body, and heavy body. Instead of spending money on new paints when you want to work with other thicknesses, you can use one of these mediums to make it thinner or thicker.
The only drawback to thinning out your paint is that it also makes the paint more transparent. If you are looking for a lot of opacity, I don’t advise thinning out your paint any more than necessary. I recommend buying paint that has a thinner consistency to maintain opacity.
Use as an Adhesive
One of the great things about both gloss medium and gel medium is that both can be used as an adhesive or glue. They can be used on their own, or mixed with acrylic paint.
Here is a great example. Let’s say you are making a paper collage. Liquid mediums can be used for gluing tissue paper and other thinner papers. If you are using thicker paper, card stock, etc., a gel medium is stronger and will work better.
You can also use these adhesive qualities for image or photo transfers. If you are transferring ink from a printed image or a photo onto another surface, such as wood or canvas, you can use the medium or gel as a transfer agent.
It will make it easier for the ink to stick to the surface. You just need to be careful that some of the paper doesn’t stick to the surface too.
Create Texture with Gels and Mediums
Gels and mediums are fun to use when you want to create texture in a painting. You can use gels when working with a palette knife and for impasto effects.
Gels are usually better for this purpose, and some gels include other ingredients to add even more texture. Some gels are made with glass beads, pumice, mica flakes, and even sawdust.
Use as a Surface Treatment
If you want to make your paintings water-resistant, a gloss medium can be used to seal the surface of the paintings. This is also going to make the surface nice and smooth, which is ideal for resist effects and for creating a smooth base for glazing.
Now, let’s say you want to draw on top of a painting with colored pencils. A gloss medium wouldn’t be ideal for this, because it is too slick. But, if you use a gel medium or a matte medium to create some texture, you will be able to use pencils on top of the paint.
You can always apply a layer of glaze later on if you want your paintings to have a glossy sheen when dry.
The Differences Between Gel Medium and Gloss Medium
There are two main differences between gel mediums and gloss mediums, viscosity and sheen.
Viscosity
Viscosity is one of the biggest differences between gel mediums and gloss mediums. Gloss mediums tend to be thin and liquid, and they can be poured, so they are going to thin out your paints.
If you want to make your paints thicker, gels are the best option. They have a thicker consistency, and sometimes a lot like butter.
A liquid polymer emulsion is used in both gloss mediums and gels. To increase the viscosity, a thickener is added. The thicker the medium, the more thickener that has been added.
Sheen
While acrylic mediums come in many different sheens, today we are specifically talking about gloss medium, which is a very glossy sheen. This is in fact the most pure type of medium.
If you are looking for more of a matte sheen, you can get mediums that have other ingredients added to give them that matte finish. There are even satin and semi-gloss mediums you can work with, which look more like satin or wax.
Gel mediums can be glossy or mat, and they come in a variety of consistencies. The type you use will depend on how you want your finished paintings to look.
Conclusion
As I mentioned, gels and gloss mediums are milky-white in appearance when applied, and they dry clear or translucent. If you choose a matte gel, they will be somewhat less translucent than a gloss medium, but both include the same matting agents.
I recommend trying both types of mediums to get used to working with them. Then, once you know how they work, you will find the best mediums for your paintings. Remember, both gel mediums and gloss mediums have their place, and they will both likely find a place in your art supply arsenal.
Sari Green is a semi-professional artist and professional writer. She has been hosting paint & sip parties for the past couple of years, and truly enjoys helping other people to create their very own masterpieces. She loves to create, and you never know what she’s going to come up with next!