Avoiding Under-binding with Acrylics

Acrylic paint should be diluted with a medium, not water, to avoid compromising the colour with under-binding. The pigment in acrylic paint is held together with a translucent binder and adding water dilutes the proportions of binder to pigment, causing under-binding and compromising the paint. The demonstration here uses Professional Acrylic Glazing Medium and Professional Acrylic in Green Gold to show how adding drops of water to a wet acrylic surface, and letting it sit for only a few minutes, breaks up the binder. When the drops of water are wiped away the paint is removed as well, revealing the consequences of adding water to acrylics.