Main Color

Dress Color

Accent Color

Accent Color

Main Color

Accent Color

Getting Started: Paint, Core Techniques & Supplies

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My Background Secret: To create my background, I use a variety of colors in very thin layers. I mix my paint with matte or satin medium exclusively and never use water. Mediums can make the paint thinner and translucent and keep the color true. This gives a beautiful way to lay two translucent colors next to each other and blend the edge. I prefer the Golden or Liquitex brand.

Behind the Studio Door - Choosing the right types of acrylic paint:

Choosing acrylic paints for mixed media depends on your technique, surface, and whether longevity matters for your project

Paint’s Thickness

• Soft Body / Fluid Acrylics: Generally, the most versatile middle-ground for mixed media. They spread smoothly, soak into paper or art journals easily, work well through stencils, and can be thinned further with water or mediums.

• Heavy Body Acrylics: Thick and toothpaste-like, these hold brush strokes and knife marks and add physical dimension to canvases and boards. Can be thinned or thickened with mediums

• Acrylic Inks & High-Flow: Extremely fluid and intensely pigmented, great for drips, staining, or fine line work

• Acrylic Markers: Ideal for crisp, opaque lines, doodling, and accent marks over dried acrylic layers

Packaging & Dispensing Format

• Tubes keep heavy-body paints from drying out and make it easy to squeeze out small, controlled dabs.

• Jars or tubs are more economical if you cover large surfaces, use broad brushes, or dip palette knives directly into the paint.

• Dropper bottles are standard for high-flow and fluid acrylic so you can measure out precise drops for pouring or airbrushing.

Craft vs. Student vs. Artist Grade

• Craft Paints: Inexpensive craft acrylics are fine for casual art journals or sketchbooks where long-term archival quality isn't a priority. However, they lack high pigmentation and won't hold heavy texture.

  • Craft paint will fade, cause color shifts, crack, peel, and show chalkiness and surface wear over time

• Student/Basics Grade: Look for lines labeled "Studio," "Basics," "Academy," or "Galeria." These have reliable pigment quality at a lower price point.

  • Reputable studio lines (like Liquitex Basics, Winsor & Newton Galeria, or Golden SoFlat/student-tier equivalents} have the same stability and lightfastness as their artist grade products. The catch - to keep prices down they replace expensive mineral pigments (like true Cadmiums or Cobalts) with synthetic "Hues"

  • The main difference between studio grade and artist grade isn't how long the paint lasts—it's how much pigment is packed into the binder. Student grade contains more clear binder and fillers, meaning you need more paint to cover a surface and mixed colors can look slightly less intense

• Artist Grade: Upgrade to Artist/Professional Grade if you are selling work to collectors or hanging pieces in spaces with heavy sunlight exposureBrands like Liquitex or Golden feature maximum pigment loads, superior lightfastness, and archival stability if you plan to sell or display your work.

Drying Time and Open Time

Standard acrylics dry very quickly, which can make smooth blending difficult.

• Specialty acrylics—such as open acrylics or interactive/rewettable acrylics—extend working times significantly.

• Match the Drying Time to Your Workflow

  • Standard Acrylics: Dry quickly (15–30 minutes for thin layers). Buy these if you like working with a product that can keep up with your work. You like to layer elements and paints, blend with mediums, and want to do more in a shorter amount of time.

  • Slow-Drying ("Open") Acrylics: Stay wet for hours. Only buy these if your work requires smooth, oil-paint-style blending.

Pick the Right Container Size & Format

• 2 oz (60 ml) Tubes: The best standard size for artists—easy to pack in a supply box and prevents paint from drying out.

• 4 oz – 8 oz Tubes or Jars: Buy larger sizes for White (and occasionally Black or your primary mixing colors), as you will use white faster than any other paint.

Verify Safety & Lightfastness

• AP Seal (Approved Product): Always verify the tube has the non-toxic AP seal rather than the CL (Cautionary Labeling) seal, especially if you are working in a shared studio.

• Lightfastness (ASTM I or II): If you are building a portfolio or painting pieces meant to last, ensure the label states ASTM I (excellent) or ASTM II (very good) so the work won't fade over time.

Look for further Information on paints in another Toolbox series:

• I'll cover how to tell if a paint is a man-made vs. natural. We’ll talk about how they affect your mixing and your overall look you can achieve with either one.

• Mediums, I'll cover what each medium can do for your work

My Number One Tip for Success: I use cradled wood panels exclusively

Flexible canvases can stretch, shrink, expand, and is affected by changes in temperature and humidity. This causes thick layers of paper, layered paint, 3D objects, added texture, all used in mixed media to crack over time.

Wood panels keep your artwork completely stable, structural strength allows you to safely adhere heavy objects and prevents the microscopic movements that cause thick mixed media layers to crack or delaminate as they age. A high-quality wood panel remains physically stable for generations and is the best permanent museum-quality substrate available to artists.

Always seal your wood panel before you begin! I use a matte medium and seal front and sides.

Student grade acrylic paint

Artist Grade

Craft acrylic paint

Student grade acrylic paint

Artist Grade

Craft acrylic paint

Student grade acrylic paint

Artist Grade

Craft acrylic paint

Student grade acrylic paint

Artist Grade

Craft acrylic paint

Student grade acrylic paint

Artist Grade

Craft acrylic paint

Student grade acrylic paint

Artist Grade

Craft acrylic paint

Like the original? Bring one home.

Shop the Original Artwork and Available Prints

The Original Heavenly Artwork:

Mixed-media on artist board 11"x14"

Print Options in Various Sizes:

• Canvas Wrap Print

• Acrylic Print

• Archival Fine Art Prints

Contact

lauragruiciart@gmail.com

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