The Best Gloss Mediums for Giving Your Artworks a Lustrous Shine
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Acrylics carry their own natural luster, but you can easily boost their brilliance by adding a little gloss medium. A good-quality gloss bonds nicely with paints, extending their drying time and allowing them to flow with ease as you blend and build colors to produce luminescent effects. Glosses are also handy to keep around for use as a varnish; simply slick on a thin layer to accentuate final colors with extra shine.
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ARTNEWS RECOMMENDS
Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Gloss Medium
Sometimes the mark of a good gloss medium is the fact that it goes undetected in a finished work. Winsor & Newton’s Galeria medium’s consistency is between that of a lotion and a gel, and it appears translucent even before it dries, unlike the pasty white tone of lesser gloss mediums. It supplies paint with a subtle luminescence—like the original paint, only better.
Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Medium (Gloss), 500 ml
WE ALSO LIKE
Golden Gloss Medium
Golden’s gloss medium is a no-nonsense option that adds a reliably beautiful sheen to dry paint time after time. It has a thick, resinous quality that can retain some brushstrokes; this makes it a good option for artists looking to extend and enhance their paints without thinning them significantly. When using this as a varnish, apply it in thin layers to avoid crazing, that unsightly cracking and rippling that can occur when put on too thickly.
Golden Gloss Medium
TOP OF THE LINE
Grumbacher Artists’ Acrylic Gloss Medium and Varnish, 8 oz
Grumbacher’s high-quality gloss is thin but mighty. The multifaceted medium can be used to prime, glaze, or varnish and can even act as an effective collage adhesive. Apply sparingly to maintain some of the body of unadulterated paint, or use more for clean and even glazes. You’ll be left with a subtle yet profound level of shine that avoids the plastic or oily effect of some gloss mediums and varnishes.
Grumbacher Artists’ Acrylic Gloss Medium and Varnish, 8 oz
EDUCATORS’ CHOICE
Liquitex Professional Acrylic Gloss Medium, 8 oz
Liquitex’s fluid medium used to be called a gloss medium and varnish; this is the same product with the same capabilities. The clear, flexible medium not only blends well and makes your paints flow more easily, but also adds a quick-drying gloss overlay that can unify the finishes of your paints and highlight brushstrokes. For students and others looking to get the most out of their products, this well-priced two-in-one is an effective choice.
Liquitex Professional Fluid Medium, Gloss, 8 oz
ALSO CONSIDER
Pebeo Studio Acrylics Pouring Medium
Poured acrylic paintings have become extremely popular, and Pebeo has formulated an acrylic medium specifically for poured paintings. Obviously, flow is the top consideration in a pouring medium, but it also must not affect the luster of the paint, as a smooth, glasslike surface is often a major part of the appeal. Pebeo’s medium is always free from air bubbles and will not yellow.
Pebeo Studio Acrylics Pouring Medium
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1. Liquitex Professional Fluid Medium, Gloss, 8 oz.
Liquitex’s gloss medium excels at both extending your paint’s volume and finishing your artworks with a sleek protective coat. Liquid yet not too runny, this gloss enhances the flow of paint without compromising its stability. It provides a nice sheen to colors, bringing out brushwork and highlighting different tones. This gloss is available only in an 8-ounce bottle, but it will serve you well and go a long way.
Liquitex Professional Fluid Medium, Gloss, 8 oz.
2. Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylic Gloss Medium
Sometimes the mark of a good gloss medium is the fact that it goes undetected in a finished work. Winsor & Newton’s Professional Acrylic medium is our upgrade pick: a little pricier than Liquitex but worth the splurge if you want a sheen that looks natural. The formula dries clear without cracking and supplies paint with a subtle luminescence—like the original paint, only better. We also appreciate the precision nozzle that prevents you from squeezing out more than you need.
Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylic Gloss Medium
3. Golden Polymer Gloss Medium
Whether you’re applying it to dry surfaces or mixing it with wet acrylics, this gloss medium leaves your work with a velvety-smooth finish. Creamy in consistency—it’s just a little thicker than honey—it helps acrylics shine without causing them to get runny. Just a thin layer of this gloss will provide your works with a brilliant patina as it dries perfectly clear. Because Golden’s product doesn’t clump easily, it is also excellent for building up layers.
Golden Polymer Gloss Medium
4. Pebeo Artist Acrylics Auxiliaries Gloss Bindex
Though designed as a binder to bond and seal mixed-media artworks, Pebeo’s gloss Bindex is versatile enough to use like any other gloss acrylic. It lends depth and brightness to colors and results in a protective layer that dries with minimal shrinkage and is non-yellowing. Though designed as an adhesive, it is very easy to blend and goes on smoothly. The gloss is brilliant without looking tacky. This one-liter tub is a smart economical pick for group settings like classrooms and workshops.
Pebeo Artist Acrylics Auxiliaries Gloss Bindex
5. Grumbacher Gloss Medium and Varnish
Grumbacher’s high-quality gloss is thin but mighty. The multifaceted medium can be used to prime, glaze, or varnish and can even act as an effective collage adhesive. Apply sparingly to maintain some of the body of unadulterated paint, or use more for clean and even glazes. You’ll be left with a subtle yet profound level of shine that avoids the plastic or oily effect of some gloss mediums and varnishes.
Grumbacher Gloss Medium and Varnish
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