Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Popularity Of Acrylic Artists

By Leslie Mitchell


The first water based acrylics only became available commercially in 1955. They were proceeded by oils and water colors which had already been available for centuries. In the short time in which they have been working with this medium, acrylic artists have made a great impact on art forms and the way art is viewed today.

Acrylics came onto the scene when there was a great deal of experimentation happening in the art world. Abstract expressionism, photo realism and pop art were among the forms being explored. Many a well known artist of the time began to experiment with this new medium which presented exciting new possibilities. Media could be mixed, different consistencies could be achieved, different surfaces could be used and colors could be opaque or transparent.

The most significant quality of acrylics was their ability to dry very quickly. This was different to oil paints which had a very long drying period. The fast-drying nature of acrylics allowed an artist to work much more quickly than before. Acrylics did offer less time to blend colors and soften edges, but this has been overcome today with various techniques and additives. This enables the drying process to be controlled and manipulated by the artist.

These paints appeared at a time when people were looking for new inspirations. A pop artist like Andy Warhol made use of the opportunity to use acrylics to produce paintings with clarity and boldness. Marc Rothco created paintings with great depth, tone and color using acrylics. Acrylics allowed the use of pastel, charcoal, pen and pencil on top of the dried acrylic painted surface.

The ability of acrylics to set easily across a variety of different surfaces opened up new avenues of creativity for many artists. Op artist Bridget Riley was one of those who took advantage of this ability. Whether painting on walls, paper, boards or canvas, this medium produces good coverage and dries evenly.

Improvements to the quality and range of pigments over the years have greatly enhanced the richness of the colors and the tones. Unlike oil paint, acrylics do not crack or turn yellow with age. Unlike water colors they do not fade. Their durability means these paintings will remain in pristine condition for years to come.

Acrylics can produce both the soft effects of watercolor paint and sharp effects of layered oil paint. Applying paints directly from the tube produces opaque colors. Diluting them with water gives them the appearance of water colors.

There are now a huge number of artworks produced using acrylics. This versatile medium has opened up a whole new era of creativity and had a marked influence on the art forms being explored today. Art has become more accessible and has reached a much wider audience today. A talented new artist has a far better possibility of being discovered now, particularly with the development of the internet as a medium of promotion.

Acrylic artists are continuing to explore this medium in new ways and it is possible that we have not even seen the extent of its true potential. It will be interesting to see how this medium evolves in the future. However, there is no doubt as to its significance or the impact it has had on how art and they way we look at it has changed.




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