Making gradients with slow drying medium and acrylic retarder
If you want to work alla prima, also known as direct painting or wet-on-wet, using acrylic colors, you need to act quickly as acrylic paint dries quite fast. Buy yourself some extra time to create stunning color transitions, blend colors smoothly and allow yourself to work on the same area for longer using Amsterdam slow drying medium or acrylic retarder.
What is the difference between Amsterdam slow drying medium and Amsterdam acrylic retarder?
Both products delay the drying time of acrylic paint with a maximum of 20%, the biggest difference being that the slow drying medium is a pre-mixed, ready-to-use medium that also contains acrylic resin, which makes it much easier and safe to use in any quantity. Like with any medium, adding a large amount will make the paint thinner and more transparent.
The acrylic retarder, on the other hand, has little effect on the viscosity and opacity of the paint. You should be careful adding the acrylic retarder to your paint, though, and only add a maximum of 5%. If you add too much, your paint will turn rubber-like and become unusable.
In the video below, you can see how we used both mediums to create a super smooth color gradient. For more information on our different acrylic mediums, check out this blog.
