Frequently Asked Questions

You will find below a selection of FAQs relating to using Artists' Acrylic Colour. If you still can't find the answer you're looking for you can email us.

What are the drying times for Artist Acrylics?

I've been using your Artists' Acrylics for a while because the colour shift is less than the other acrylic ranges I have tried.  I think I've noticed that they stay wet longer on the palette than your old artists' acrylics and I can't decide if I'm imaging it!  Is there any benefit to using an acrylics palette or retarder as well?

Artists' Acrylic Colours do remain usable on the palette for slightly longer than other acrylics.  This means less waste on the palette and longer time on the canvas for blending.  The ‘open time' will be extended further by mixing each colour with our Acrylic Retarder.  Either alternatively or in addition to retarder, our Winsor & Newton Acrylics Palette can be used.  These consist of lidded trays into which a paper membrane is placed and moistened.  These can keep the colours usable for days, provided the paper is kept moist and the lid replaced at the end of every painting session.  Both these products will benefit those painters who find acrylics dry a little too fast for their liking.  And finally, the palettes do save you from throwing away colour which would otherwise dry hard overnight.

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Can I use Davy's Gray in Acrylics to tone down colours without "blackening" them?

In the past I have used Davy's Gray in oils and water colour for toning down other colours without ‘blackening' them.  I would like to move to acrylic and was wondering if Davy's Gray was in the range?  Will this colour behave in the same way as your other Davy's Grays?

Yes, Artists' Acrylic Davy's Gray performs as a mixing grey in acrylics.  As the colour does not contain either black or white it has the colour mixing advantages of neither blackening the colour nor opacifying it.  This means for example yellow ochre plus Davy's Gray makes a deeper yellow ochre, whilst yellow ochre plus black makes a dark umber colour.  The former is always useful in toning down greens and yellows in landscapes and even reds and yellows in portraiture.  If you're a regular user of Artists' Oil Colour Davy's Gray it is worth noting that the Artists Acrylic Colour has a lower tinting strength.  This is due to the nature of the pigment in acrylic.

Another useful colour in the Artists' Acrylic range is Mixing White.  This has similar colour mixing properties to Davy's Gray as it has low tinting strength.  Unlike Titanium White whose strength opacifies and obliterates, Mixing White provides stronger, more transparent tints.  Mixing White is also useful when using acrylics in an oil technique.  For glazing its added transparency makes it particularly suitable, in oil colour its equivalent is Zinc White.

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Can I use acrylic colours to paint terracotta flower pots?

I wonder if you could comment on the method I am using for a current project please?  I have worked up a series of decorative designs for painting onto terracotta flower pots, intending them to be used as plant holders with a plastic pot placed inside containing the plant.

After ensuring that the pot is clean and free of grease and sticky deposits from labels, I then sponge white acrylic paint onto the body of the pot.  When dry I work onto this with acrylic colours in the usual way.  I have not used a varnish to finish.  I have experimented with matt acrylic varnish but do not like the flat effect produced.  I prefer not to use gloss which I feel is not sympathetic to the terracotta.  So the final surface is not protected but has a pleasing directness which is quite satisfying.

Do you think this technique is acceptable and does the unprotected paint stand a chance of reasonable life expectancy?  I am currently using your Artists' Acrylic colours but am aware of your Galeria range.  Would there be any advantage in trying these?

After cleaning the pot make sure it is quite dry before proceeding, this may take some hours.  For a white base, Acrylic Gesso Primer is better than white acrylic because it has added tooth which helps the subsequent paint layers to adhere.  If you want a coloured base, use Clear Gesso Base to make your own coloured gesso primer.  For a clear base, use Acrylic Matt Medium.  Coat the pot all over to prevent any water penetrating from the inside.  Allow this to dry before painting your design.  You may find the unvarnished pot is susceptible to fingermarks after a while.  I suggest trying some Winsor & Newton Wax Varnish.  This is a beeswax paste which is rubbed on like furniture polish.  Once buffed it will give a satin sheen which will protect the planter whilst handling. Artists' Acrylic offers the widest choice of colours, and the highest pigment strength which gives the greatest covering power.  Galeria has a smaller range of colours with lower pigment strength and is more fluid from the tube.

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How does blending colours work with Artists' Acrylic Colour?

I went to a demonstration at my local shop last week and watched one of your demonstrators working with the Artists' Acrylic colours.  I was particularly interested in how he was working with the paint, blending different colours on the canvas itself as well as mixtures staying usable on the palette for the whole time I was there.  Is Artists' Acrylic a type of oil paint?

Acrylic is the name for a group of synthetic resins.  When dispersed in water, acrylic resin forms an acrylic polymer emulsion.  There are hundreds of these available to industry and Winsor & Newton choose the highest quality acrylic co-polymer emulsion for the binder in their acrylic colours.  The characteristics of an acrylic colour are determined by a] the quality of the pigment and binder and b] the expertise of the chemist's formulation.  The chemist has to ensure all the requirements to make Artists' Acrylic are achieved.  Its superior brilliance, colour range, consistency and ‘open time' have been maximised on every colour.  The longer open time makes blending and glazing easier on the canvas surface and will also render the colours on the palette softer and wetter for a little longer.  As artists are used to acrylics drying quickly, any increase in the open time is noticeable and greatly appreciated.

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