• Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial
Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial

Do Golden Acrylics Bridge the Gap Between Acrylics and Oils?

29/3/2021

Comments

 
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics Review
Are you looking for top quality acrylic paint? In this article I'm comparing professional and student grade acrylics. More specifically one of the top brands, Golden Heavy Body acrylics. Plus there is a full demonstration video for you to see the acrylic paints in action. Do these heavy body acrylics provide a real alternative to oils?
I paint a lot in acrylics, but for the most part, I'm using student grade acrylics because I'm teaching students how to paint. Generally, students want to use something that costs a bit less but gives good results. But when I want to paint like I do with oil paints I want acrylic paint that is going to give me that texture and body. But with acrylics, I don't know what to use. Until now!

​I've got my hands on 
an introductory set of Golden acrylic paints from our friends at Art Savings Club.co.za . As mentioned, this is an introductory set that's got the primary colours. It's also got a tube of green, white and black. So we're going to have a quick look at these colours. And remember, what I'm looking for is a heavy body paint texture that's not going to slide off the palette every time I lift it up. Also I can do some painting with it and get a similar oil paint consistency out of the acrylics.

​
In a follow up video to this I'm going to do an entire painting demonstration and put these paints to the test. But for now, let's have a look at how these paints compare to a regular student quality paint.

Let's take a closer look at these six tubes of golden acrylic paint. As I said, three primaries, some green and white and black.

In the package description Golden says that they have over 130 colours in their range. Their paints contain no fillers, extenders or dyes. The paints have a high pigment level, are rich, creamy in texture and provide clean colour mixing. Well, we'll have a look at some of those features.

​
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics Review
Let's open up a few tubes. I have selected  Naphthol Red from the Golden range and from my student grade range. When I  put a little bit of the Golden acrylic on my palette I can immediately see that it seems a good, solid body paint. The paint did not start to flatten out. It came out the tube and held its shape. A good sign.

The same cannot be said for the standard student grade paint. As you can see the student paint is already sagging. When smoothing out the Golden paint with a painting knife I notice a good, creamy, buttery consistency. The student grade acrylic is also soft, but still seems a little thin and less of vibrancy is evident.

Then testing the paints with a brush. Pulling the brush through the student grade paint reveals that there is some texture there with the synthetic hair brush. But  with the heavy body Golden acrylic you can see it is a much thicker looking paint.

Stronger brush marks are evident with the Golden acrylic paint. So that is also one of the features I'm looking for. Now to test the paint mixes for clean color notes. I mixed some yellow straight out the tube with a bit of ultramarine blue to mix up a green. It should mix nice and cleanly. I want a vibrant green and the resulting mix does look nice and strong. I then tried to mix purple and violet with ultramarine blue and red.

​
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics review
(Left) Golden Acrylics and standard acrylics on the right
The result is a strong dark just using the two transparent colors. When adding some white I created a nice purple and violet mix. First a good warm purple and then a lovely cool violet. The red and white to get a nice clean pink. So pretty happy with the color mixes.

You can see the details in the videos and the painting demonstration. Whether you need a professional quality paint is one you will have to decide on. Often professionals will use a few select colors in the top range of paints. Those powerful colors that make a painting stand out. Then use student paints for less important colors. Titanium white for example may be fine in the student range or perhaps yellow ochre.

Conclusion
I do suggest that you add a few tubes of Golden paint to your range and take it from there. Yellows and blues for a start. Then add strong reds. You will soon develop a core range of colors for your unique requirements. Do these acrylics bridge the gap between acrylics and oils? I do think that this is about as close as it gets as far as body and texture goes. The acrylics are still softer than oils, but with a little adaption in technique you will be able to get the juicy looking impasto color notes.

There is another line of Golden acrylics called Open. These promise slower drying times so that may be another step closer to satisfying the oil painter looking for an alternative in acrylics.

If you want to explore acrylic painting further then take a closer look at my courses Acrylic Painting for Beginners.

​Where to find the Paints?
Get your Golden Heavy Body Acrylics paints here: In South Africa try www.artsavingsclub.co.za . In the US try Amazon

Watch the Paint in Action!



Free Painting Guide
Grab your Free PDF download with my best tips for strong color and lively brushwork.
Yes, Send It
Guide to Color and Brushwork PDF

Comments
    FREE Book
    Picture

    Color Tips for Artists:
    ​Free
    Picture

    Book Bundle Special
    See More
    Picture

    Author

    Malcolm Dewey: Artist. Country: South Africa
    View Portfolio:

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Art Business
    Artist Notes
    Books Worth Every Dime!
    Its An Artists Life
    Musings
    News
    Painting Course
    Painting Demonstration
    Painting Tips
    Podcasts
    Popular Posts Archive
    Reviews


    Picture

    Picture

    Visit Malcolm Dewey Fine Art's profile on Pinterest.

    FREE
    ​GUIDE

    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Picture

Studio:  Troon Crescent, Port Alfred, South Africa
​Malcolm Dewey Fine Art is committed to top quality art, excellent educational material and having a great time! To back that up all works sold come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. Simply return the work, undamaged, within 30 days. Returns at purchaser expense. All transaction are protected by third party bank-level encryption to keep your information safe. Plus your email address is safe. No spam - ever!

​Copyright 2010-2020: Malcolm Dewey Fine Art
​
Picture
30 Day Money Back
Picture
Secure Transactions
Picture
Picture
No Spam Ever!
Photos used under Creative Commons from maHidoodi, buggolo, Fabio Téllez
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Paintings for Sale
  • Painting Course
  • Top Painting Tips
    • Prints
  • Art Coaching
  • Resources
  • Free Download
  • Artist Statement
  • Podcast
  • Painting Podcast
  • Contact
  • Reference and Tutorial