These Are the Best Iridescent Mediums for Acrylic Paints
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Looking for a way to add a little extra luster to your acrylic paintings? Rather than purchasing a new set of paints, try spicing up your existing materials with an iridescent medium. Mix it with your acrylic base color, and your paint will not only have an iridescent shimmer but will also become slightly more transparent on the canvas. What’s more, the mix-in will slow the drying of your acrylics so you’ll have more working time, but it won’t compromise the stability of your pigments. Each product offers different levels of sparkle, drying time, and mixing ease. Ahead, find our favorite iridescent media for acrylic paints.
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ARTNEWS RECOMMENDS
Utrecht Iridescent Tinting Medium
Utrecht’s iridescent medium is our favorite for all kinds of acrylic paint applications. The medium-bodied formula can be used straight out of the jar, mixes effortlessly with paint, and spreads well without any need of dilution. You can certainly thin it if you want to increase flow, and this won’t compromise the shine. The pearly pigments are fine and uniformly distributed so the effect is less glittery than pearlescent—ideal for creating realistic lighting effects or adding subtle depth, brightness, and liveliness to your paintings. This medium is also easy to build up in multiple layers, and it doesn’t alter the color of your paints. Finally, we like that it is available in four sizes, from a 5-ounce tube to a massive, 128-ounce bucket.
Utrecht Iridescent Tinting Medium
WE ALSO LIKE
Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Iridescent Medium
Winsor & Newton’s iridescent medium is heavier than Utrecht’s, which makes it especially great for use with heavy-bodied paints and for painting with a knife. The paste-like formula dilutes very well, however, and mixes into paint with little fuss. It provides a noticeable but natural-looking sheen. Available in only an 8.4-ounce bottle, this medium is one of the less expensive on the market. Be aware, however, that the flexible container is hard to open and very easily spilled; proceed with care, or this medium’s beautiful luminance could wind up on the floor.
Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Iridescent Medium
ANOTHER GOOD CHOICE
Pebeo Vitrea Iridescent Medium
If you want to put a pearlized sheen on glass, porcelain, metal, or the like, consider using this medium instead of other, similar choices. This product, part of Pebeo’s line of thermo-hardening and nontoxic paints and media, has a runny but easy-to-manage consistency that makes it ideal for applying to glass. It adds a metallic look even to already glossy surfaces. If you want to paint china or dishware, this medium is both dishwasher safe and nontoxic and will retain the initial look of the painted pigment, even when it’s baked into your pieces.
Pebeo Vitrea Iridescent Medium
STUDENTS’ CHOICE
Liquitex Basics Iridescent Medium
Priced for students or hobbyists, this medium has a low viscosity, which makes it very malleable, mixable, and ideal for paint pours. It does have a glittery effect, as the pearlescent particles are more conspicuous than those of other formulas, so it’s a great option if you’re seeking tons of sparkle. Because of its fluidity, this is also a good medium to use as a topcoat. It is designed to maintain the integrity of your paint pigments so that the original opacity is preserved even as the paint itself becomes thinner. Sold in an 8.45-ounce tube, the medium does have an odor, so be sure to use it in a well-ventilated area.
Liquitex Basics Iridescent Medium
TOP OF THE LINE
Old Holland New Masters Acrylic Pearlescent Tinting Gel Medium
If you’re using top-of-the-line paints, consider picking up a top-of-the-line medium. Carefully formulated by the paint masters at Old Holland, this option showcases the most natural sheen and mixes smoothly with paints to create a totally even paste. Like Utrecht’s product, it has a medium body, and it can be thinned for greater spreadability without compromising on shine. Use this pro-grade medium to give your works infinite dimensions. While pricey, the 17-ounce tub goes a long way and will last you a very long time.
Old Holland New Masters Acrylic Pearlescent Tinting Gel Medium
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1. Liquitex Iridescent Effects Medium
Though this product can be mixed into your acrylic pigments, one by one, and painted on as you craft your masterpiece, it’s most often recommended as a base or a topcoat. When used, it will give your masterpiece that glistening and shine that it might not otherwise have when dry. As the medium makes acrylic paint a bit thinner and more malleable, we suggest using it if you are seeking a way to make your acrylic more fabric-friendly. Additionally, the Liquitex medium is designed to maintain the integrity of your paint pigments so that the original opacity is preserved even as the paint itself becomes thinner. The medium does have an odor, so be sure to use it in a well-ventilated area.
Liquitex Iridescent Effects Medium
2. Winsor & Newton Acrylic Iridescent Medium
Winsor & Newton’s Galeria Acrylic Iridescent Medium is especially stellar when you’re painting with an airbrush. Consider using it on small models or figurines after detail painting has been done for a final, airbrushed coat. This medium’s price tag is considerably lower than others, so it’s a great budget option for nonprofessionals. Be aware, however, that the flexible container is hard to open and very easily spilled, so be careful or its beautiful luminance could wind up on the floor.
Winsor & Newton Acrylic Iridescent Medium
3. Golden Iridescent Acrylic Paint
Though the price tag is a bit higher than most, this iridescent medium from Golden Fluid is ranked among the best. The product boasts the consistency of a thick liquid, just slightly looser than acrylic paint itself, causing your pigmented iridescent mixture to thin a bit while still retaining its vibrance and tone. If you use this product alone, it will go on clear but will dry closer to light silver (hence the iridescence). So be sure to test the sheen, wet and dry, before applying.
Golden Iridescent Acrylic Paint
4. Crafters Workshop Shimmery Goodness
Crafters Workshop Shimmery Goodness is slightly thicker than other brands’ offerings, so it’s put to best use when mixed into your acrylic paints from the get-go. Though it can still be applied on top of an already dried artwork, it may lighten what will show through from underneath. Packaged in a screw-top jar, it’s quite easy to work with, allowing you to paint with ease.
Crafters Workshop Shimmery Goodness
5. Pebeo Iridescent Medium
For putting a pearlized sheen on glass, porcelain, metal, or the like, consider using this medium instead of other, similar choices. Ideal for painting china or dishware, this medium is both dishwasher safe and nontoxic and will retain the initial painted pigment, even when it’s baked onto your pieces.
Pebeo Iridescent Medium
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