Liquitex Basics
Acrylic paints offer a versatility midway between oil paints and water colors. Thick and fast-drying, they can create a full range of effects. The expense of professional-quality acrylics can discourage students and beginners from experimenting with them. Liquitex Basics paints provide a cost-effective alternative for those who wish to give acrylics a test run. This student-grade option approximates professional acrylics at a lower cost.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
Henry Levison established Permanent Pigments, the family-owned business that would become Liquitex, in 1933. Originally the company produced artist-grade oil paints. Over the next decade, Permanent Pigments introduced the quality testing and ratings that set the standard for the art supply industry. In 1955 it pioneered the manufacturing of commercial water-based acrylic paints. Levison called the new product line Liquitex, a truncation of "liquid texture." The name Liquitex eventually replaced Permanent Pigments for all of the company's products. In 1993, Liquitex introduced the first student-quality acrylics, Liquitex Basics.
Types
-
Basics come in two product lines: Value and Matt. The Value series includes a 48-color spectrum of single and mixed hues. Liquitex marks single hues with an "S" to denote their purity. Mixed colors carry an "M." Value series paints produce a satin finish like standard acrylics. Liquitex invented the Matt series in response to customer requests for matt-finish water-based paints with higher color intensity. They are crack- and water-resistent. Liquitex recommends Basics Matt for accurate color mixing.
-
Features
-
The color fastness, or fade resistance, of Basics does not meet the standards of permanence for professional, museum-quality work. Basics exhibit lower viscosity than Liquitex's artist-quality products. They also have lower pigment concentration. Therefore, Basics withstand less dilution than professional-grade acrylics. Liquitex prices Basics for students and hobby artists. Amateurs can explore the possibilities of acrylic paint with minimal investment.
Function
-
With a thickness similar to oil paints and the convenience of water solubility, Basics acrylics allow a range of applications. Use them straight from the tube for more opaque, textured effects. While Basics are not viscous enough for true impasto techniques, you can build them up in heavy layers with quick brush strokes to approximate high texture. Gesso and clayboard are good surfaces for mock glazing. To mock glaze, apply diluted Liquitex Basics like you would a water color wash, allow a few minutes of drying time and then apply more thin layers until you reach the desired color and light effect. For one-stroke styles, load the brush with two or more colors at a time to give dimension. Basics may also imitate water colors when diluted. Liquitex Basics make good field paints because of their quick drying time.
Expert Insight
-
Many Liquitex Basics Value colors contain white, making them tints rather than pure hues. This includes some of the single hues with the "S" marking. Tints are not true colors and will not render accurate results for color theory exercises. The Matt series provides a budget option for color study, but because of their low pigment saturation, you may wish to invest in higher-quality artist-grade paints for color theory explorations.
-
