Understanding acrylic drying times
One of the main advantages of acrylic paints is their fast-drying nature. Knowing how long your paint will take to dry is essential for planning your painting sessions.
Galeria Acrylic: Thin films of colour will dry in 10 to 20 minutes, whereas thicker films can take an hour or more.
Professional Acrylic: Professional Acrylic colours remain workable on the palette longer than many other acrylics. This gives you more time to blend on the canvas and reduce paint waste. Thin films of Professional Acrylic will dry in 20 to 30 minutes, and thicker films can take an hour or two. This will vary according to environmental conditions.
Colour shift in acrylic paints
Colour shift is a common issue with acrylics: paints usually darken in tone as they dry because the binder changes from white to transparent. This can make colour matching challenging and artists must consider this when mixing wet colours.
Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylics are designed to minimise colour shift, remaining bright and consistent, even when it has dried. This is because the binder dries clear, making it easier to match colours accurately from the palette to canvas.
Extending the working time of acrylic paint
The working time of acrylic paint can be extended even further my mixing the colour with mediums.
Flow Improver
Enhances the flow of colour, enabling the application of smooth, even areas without altering colour intensity. Its improved flow properties make it ideal for masking techniques, as paint lays evenly against taped edges, and for gestural, flowing watercolour-style effects. Only a small amount is needed to thin the paint, making it economical to use. Flow Improver also slows drying time, providing artists with longer working periods, and is the preferred medium for “staining” techniques. When our Professional Flow Improver is used with Professional Acrylics, it ensures no colour shift from wet to dry.
Fluid Retarder
Extends the drying and working time of acrylic colours. Just a few drops allow for prolonged blending and manipulation. Fluid Retarder contains minimal acrylic resin and is not intended to act as an additional binder; use only the amount required to achieve the desired effect.
Professional Acrylic Slow Drying Medium
Designed to extend working time for blending and manipulation while maintaining true colour from wet to dry when used with Professional Acrylics.
How to blend acrylic colours using Professional Acrylic Slow Drying Medium