Mediums: One Word, Two Meanings in the Art World

Sharing is caring!

A lot of people will tell you that the English language is among the hardest of all languages to learn. For one thing, there are many words that have several meanings.

This holds true in the art world. For instance, when it comes to art, there are two different meanings for the word, “medium”.

Paints, colored pencils, pastels, etc are referred to as art mediums. Then, there are painting mediums, which are completely different things, and what we are going to discuss here today.

For those who are new to the art world, these two terms can be quite confusing. I hope that by the time you finish reading this post, I have eliminated that confusion for you and that you will have a better understanding of what paint mediums are and how they are used.

Keep reading to learn more.

Art Mediums and Paint Mediums: What is the Difference?

There are many different types of art mediums, and these mediums are used to create art. These can include but are not limited to, paints, pastels, pencils, clay, etc.

Then, there is the term, mixed media. This is a combination of two or more art mediums to create a work of art.

Paint mediums are formulas that are added to paint for various reasons. Some are used to thin paint. Others are used to thicken paint. Then some mediums are going to affect other things, such as paint drying time.

Any type of paint can be used right out of the tube. But, when you add mediums, you can give yourself even more possibilities when it comes to creativity.

These mediums will not only give your paint more range, but they will also help to achieve many different types of effects.

Mediums for Oil Paint

First, we will take a look at mediums to use with oil paint. Many artists like to use hardening oils, such as safflower, linseed, walnut, or poppy oil to their paint.

These oils are used to create the paint in the first place, so they will be compatible. Be sure to experiment with these oils to find the one that works best for you.

Some mediums alter how the paint flows, its texture, sheen, etc.

#1. Impasto and Oleopasto Mediums

If you want to add body to your oil paint, try using impasto or oleopasto mediums. Both of these mediums will add enough body to the paint to allow you to make textures and other strong marks that hold their shape. Both will also speed up the drying time.

What is the difference between these two mediums? While both add texture, impasto medium dries with a glossy finish and oleopasto medium dries with a matte finish.

#2. Cold Wax Medium

Beeswax is used to make cold wax medium. This medium will make your paint dense, and allow it to dry hard. It will leave the dried paint with a matte surface.

This is a great medium to use if you like the effects of encaustic paint but want to work with something that is not toxic.

Unlike encaustic paint, this medium doesn’t need to be heated. This means you don’t have to worry about toxic fumes.

#3. Slow-Drying Mediums

Slow-drying mediums allow painters to keep their wet open or blendable for several days to a few weeks. These mediums are best for those who paint large-scale or detailed paintings, or portraits.

If you will be completing a painting in one sitting, chances are you won’t need a slow-drying medium.

#4. Fast-Drying Mediums

If you want your oil paint to dry faster, try adding a fast-drying medium. Liquin by Winsor Newton is a great choice, along with mediums that are labeled, “alkyd”.

#5. Mediums For a Glossy Finish

Stand oil, which is linseed oil that has been heated and thickened, is used to give oil paint a glossy finish. This type of medium is usually a blend of 50 percent stand oil and 50 percent turpentine.

#6. Mediums For Fewer Brushstrokes

You may want to reduce the appearance of peaks or shadows in your brushstrokes. To do this you can use stand oil. Liquin from Winsor Newton is a great choice.

#7. Mediums Without Solvents

You can get some oil paint mediums that are made without the use of solvents. If this is what you would prefer, be sure to read the labels of the mediums to make sure they contain no solvents.

Acrylic Paint Mediums

Those who work with acrylic paints can enjoy the biggest variety of paint mediums. These mediums can be used to create various textures, sheens, and transparencies.

#1. Gloss Medium

Gloss medium will help to bring out the shine and brightness in acrylic paint. Your paintings will be much glossier when this medium is used.

#2. Matte Mediums

If you don’t want your acrylic paintings to be shiny, you can use a matte medium. You can also mix mediums to create a variety of finishes, from matte to semi-gloss.

#3. Glazing Medium

If you want your acrylic paint to have a more transparent appearance and to be more fluid, use a glazing medium. This will also allow you to create fine and delicate effects with glazing.

#4. Gel Mediums

Gel mediums will give your paintings more body and texture. These mediums can be found in liquid as well as heavy-body consistencies.

Gel mediums are available in many sheens, and they can make the paint stick to the canvas better.

#5. Heavy-Body Medium

This medium will help you to create more visible brushstrokes. It will also make acrylic paint thicker.

#6. Modeling Paste

Thicker than gel medium, modeling paste is a heavy, white gel that can be used to create three-dimensional effects, known as reliefs. Modeling paste will thicken your paint, allowing you to mold it into various shapes.

#7. Texture Gels

Texture gels can be used to create some pretty cool effects. These gels are made with sand, beads, glass, and pumice, and will mimic many textures.

#8. Retarding Medium

This medium is used to slow down the drying time of your acrylic paint. This allows the paint to behave more like oil paint, making it easier to blend and mix colors right on the canvas.

#9. Open Acrylics

You can get open acrylic paints, which already contain a medium that will extend drying time. I suggest using this if you want to do a lot of blending.

#10. Flow Improver

If you want to have thinner paint for a wash or to paint over large areas, use a flow improver medium. You can use water for this, but the medium will work much better as water can break down the adhesiveness of acrylic paint.

#11. Pouring Mediums

If you want to get into paint and pour projects, you will need to use a pouring medium. This will make the paint thin enough to be poured without having to sacrifice color integrity.

These mediums will reduce the appearance of brushstrokes, and give you a glossy finish for your projects.

Mediums for Watercolors

Finally, we are going to look at mediums for watercolor paints. These mediums are used to control how the paint flows, its sheen, and its transparency.

#1. Gum Arabic

All paints are made with a binder, including watercolors. Watercolor paints contain gum Arabic. When used as a medium, gum Arabic adds to the transparency and gloss of the paint.

Gum Arabic helps to slow down the paint flow, which will allow the artist to have better control over their paint. It also helps when you make a mistake, because it makes it easier to lift the color from watercolor paper. There will be a bit of staining, but you can paint over that.

#2. Ox Gall

If you want a wetting agent that will allow watercolor paint to flow smoothly on the paper, ox gall is a great choice. There are also vegan formulations available.

#3. Retarders

Watercolor paint dries rather quickly. If you want it to dry more slowly, I suggest using a paint retarder. This will give you more time to do some color blending.

#4. Texture Mediums

Watercolor paint doesn’t have much in the way of texture unless you add a texture medium to it. This will help you to achieve some cool effects, including impasto, stippling, and granulation.

Some of these mediums can even be used to give your paintings a three-dimensional texture.

#5. Iridescent Medium

If you want to add a bit of sparkle to your watercolor paintings, use an iridescent medium. Once the paint is dry it will have an iridescent sheen.

Masking Fluid Is Used For All Types of Paint

There is another medium that I use a lot in my work, and that is masking fluid. If there are areas of the canvas or paper that you wish to remain white, masking fluid is going to make it easy to achieve.

Masking paper is a lot like white glue. You can find it in clear or tinted varieties, and it is painted onto the canvas or paper in areas that are to remain white.

Once you have finished your painting, you can easily peel away the masking fluid to show the white underneath.

How Much Medium To Use

You may be wondering how much of these mediums you need to use to create various effects with your paints. It depends on the product and the paints you are using.

If you are using oil paints, the general recommendation is to use no more than 30 percent of the volume of the paint.

If you are using acrylic or watercolor paints, different ratios are used depending on the mediums used. You will need to follow the directions on the product label.

Conclusion

I hope this post has eliminated your confusion between art mediums and painting mediums. I also hope you have learned enough to have a good idea of which of these mediums is best for the type of painting that you do.

Mediums can truly be a blessing for artists who want to achieve certain effects in their paintings. I suggest trying a variety of mediums and playing around with them to get a feel for how they work and how they can help you.