How to Make Acrylic Paints Permanent

An acrylic paint's quality is an important factor.

Acrylic paints are modern materials. They consist of pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion, which is essentially a type of plastic. Easier to use than oil-based paints, they can be thinned with water, dry quickly and once dry are permanent and durable. Care must be taken in the choice of acrylic paint and the preparation of the painting surface to ensure no flaking or peeling occurs. If proper care is taken, acrylic paints could prove as durable as oil paints, which have stood the test time for more than 500 years.

Things You'll Need

• High-quality, artist-grade acrylic paints
• Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (optional)
• Clean rag
• Sandpaper or sandblaster (optional)
• Primer
• Paintbrushes
• High-quality acrylic polymer varnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Choose high-quality, artist-grade acrylic paints. Student-grade acrylic paints contain less binder and can degrade over time. Choose colors that are light-fast so they are less likely to fade in reaction to exposure to sunlight's ultraviolet rays.

2. Clean the painting surface thoroughly. If covered in fingerprints or exposed to other sticky or oily substances, the surface may need to be degreased. Degreasing requires rubbing the surface with isopropyl rubbing alcohol. For most surfaces, a gentle rub-down with a damp, clean rag is sufficient.

3. Prepare the painting surface for priming. If the surface is slick and non-porous, such as plastic, glass or polished wood, then abrade it to promote adhesion by lightly sanding, scuffing or sandblasting the surface. If the surface is porous, such as unfinished wood, then sand it only if you desire a smoother surface texture.

4. Paint the painting surface with a primer. It provides a foundation layer for painting and improves paint adhesion. Because primers are surface-specific, choose one appropriate to your painting surface. Acrylic gesso is appropriate for most natural surfaces such as wood, canvas and paper. Use clear acrylic gesso if you want the surface to be visible.

5. Apply your acrylic paints as desired.

6. Wait for the paint to dry completely. Paint will be dry to the touch within minutes; depending on the paint's thickness, however, it could take from a couple of days to one month for its entire thickness to dry.

7. Apply a high-quality acrylic polymer varnish to the painting, if desired, after the painting dries completely. Varnish seals a painting from dust and dirt that tend to cling to the porous surface of acrylic paints.

   If you choose not to varnish, the paint will require some kind of protection from dust and dirt or it will be subject to restoration and cleaning in the future.

References

• "Just Paint"; Aspects of Longevity of Oil and Acrylic Artist Paints; Frank N. Jones; November 2004
• Allegheny College: Painting at Allegheny College; Technique