STUDIO ESSENTIALS

Artists everywhere are adapting their creative practices to new spaces, new demands, and new media - and the folks at GOLDEN are doing it too. In this section of the Just Paint Experience we’re taking a look at a few items from the vast array of colors, mediums, grounds, and varnish that offer exceptional versatility. But these are just some of our ideas. Take a look, then share your experiences trying new mediums and materials.

Acrylic Colors

We offer four types of acrylic paints, each with unique working properties. The colors within each product line were selected for their exceptional versatility. Tap the images to see all the colors.

Heavy Body

HEAVY BODY Color Palette

The first acrylic colors offered by GOLDEN, Heavy Body paints are known for their exceptionally smooth, buttery consistency. The 10 colors that were selected here create a well-balanced palette with a range of cool, warm, opaque and transparent colors.
View the colors
OPEN

OPEN - Titanium White

OPEN Acrylics are a slow-drying paint with a slightly softer consistency than our Heavy Body paints. Adding OPEN Titanium White to your regular acrylic palette is a great way to increase the working time of acrylic colors while tinting them. It facilitates blending, gradients, and increases the range of techniques available to artists.
See Video
Fluid

FLUID Color Palette

Equal the intensity of GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylics but with an even, flowing characteristic useful for dry brush application, fine details, pouring, spraying, staining & more. These 5 select GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics colors create a well-balanced palette with a huge mixing range.
View the colors
High Flow

HIGH FLOW - Carbon Black, Titanium White

Acrylic paint that can go from brush to marker or from dip pen to airbrush and more. High Flow has an ink-like consistency that lends itself to a wide range of techniques. When used in refillable markers, it can be great for signing artwork!
View the colors

View the complete color lines for Heavy Body, OPEN, Fluid and High Flow.

Additional Resources

Try out our GOLDEN Virtual Paint Mixer

Pocket-Size, Half Pan Set

Accessibility is the key here, when you can put a very complete palette of watercolors in your pocket, your painting studio can be wherever you want.

QoR
mini

QoR mini

A ready-to-go 12-color palette for the artist on the move. With a tin smaller than an index card, it fits perfectly in a pocket or purse for urban sketching and plein air painting.
Mixing Chart

View the complete QoR watercolor line here.

Additional Resources

VIDEO: QoR mini - Compact color for artists on the move

Oil Colors

Hitting the perfect note of oil color is essential, we just selected a few of the 176 Williamsburg Oil Colors as an entry point. Tap the tubes below to learn more!

Ultramarine
Blue

Ultramarine Blue

The utility and versatility of this color is known to every painter. Williamsburg Ultramarine Blue is an exceptionally fine and luminous single pigment formulation with a very smooth consistency.
Cadmium Red
Medium

Cadmium Red Medium

A true medium. Not heading too much into the blue or orange. With cadmiums this is a difficult balance to maintain.
Quinacridone
Red

Quinacridone Red

Many companies use the term “rose” for this pigment, which means that they are thinning out an intense ruby-like red. Ours is full strength. A superb mixing color. The cleanest pinks, flesh tones, and violets can be made with it.
Cadmium
Lemon

Cadmium Lemon

Very high-pitched, slightly acidic and greenish-yellow. Electric.
Phthalo
Blue

Phthalo Blue

Outrageously strong. Very versatile in mixing. Equally effective in mixing greens or violets. Very clean and transparent when used for washes and glazing.
Titanium
White

Titanium White

The most opaque white. Very strong covering power.
Yellow Ochre
(Domestic)

Yellow Ochre (Domestic)

A naturally occurring yellow ochre from Georgia. Stronger tinting than the Italian Yellow Ochre and in hue somewhere between the Italian and the Lemon Ochre.
Flake
White

Flake White

True lead white. If you have ever used genuine, old fashioned Flake White you will love ours. This is ropy like it should be, warm, and with a beautiful sheen like pearls. Very flexible.
Ivory
Black

Ivory Black

Cool black. Often used as a standard. Slight texture gives a velvet surface.

View the complete Williamsburg color line here.

Additional Resources

Williamsburg Colors Dry Time Chart

About Pigment Grinds: A Palette of Textures Read article >

VIDEO: An Introduction to Williamsburg Oil Colors

Laying a Good Foundation

Gesso has become a fairly elastic term, used to cover (literally, and figuratively) a wide range of materials used to prepare surfaces for painting and drawing. Whatever your next steps in creating art might be, there is a ground that can serve as a confident first step. Below are a few you might consider.

Pastel
Ground

GOLDEN Pastel Ground

An acrylic ground for pastels on canvas and other supports. Creates toothy surface similar to papers used with pastel and chalk. Can also be tinted with acrylic colors. See Product Info.
See Video
Watercolor
Ground

QoR Watercolor Ground

Creates an absorbent surface that allows for soft edges and flowing wet-in-wet techniques. Watercolor Ground dries to a lightfast, flexible surface that withstands repeated lifting and scrubbing.
Watch Video
Gesso

GOLDEN Gesso

A white, matte, toothy ground for most media. Makes paints or drawing material colors brighter. Flexible and highly pigmented for greater opacity. Can also be used as a white paint.
See Video

View our complete lines of GOLDEN Gessos and Grounds and QoR Grounds here.

Additional Resources
How to Create a Leveling Gesso Ground  Read article >

How to Create a Poured Pastel Ground  Read article >

The In Between

GOLDEN offers a dizzying array of acrylic mediums. Rather than make your head spin, we present a handful that you might introduce to your studio, or stock-up on because they’re so useful.

Glazing
Liquid

GOLDEN Glazing Liquid

This slow-drying acrylic medium added to paint slows drying time. It can be mixed with acrylics to create glazes for fine art, furniture, and other interior applications. Also excellent for soft transitions and color blending.
Gloss
Medium

GOLDEN Gloss Medium

Useful for creating glazes, extending colors, enhancing gloss and translucency. Has an oil-like feel and resinous nature that promotes flow and leveling. Blocks support induced discoloration.
Matte
Medium

GOLDEN Matte Medium

Useful for extending color, decreasing gloss and increasing film integrity. Also used as a nearly clear ground.
VIDEO: Encaustic Finish with Matte Mediums
Fluid Matte
Medium

GOLDEN Fluid Matte Medium

A translucent, toothy and leveling medium. Can be used alone, to extend paint, or change viscosity and sheen. Also great for image transfers, encaustic effects and as a translucent ground.
VIDEO: Image Transfer with Fluid Matte Medium
Soft Gel
Gloss

GOLDEN Soft Gel Gloss

This is an incredibly versatile medium. It holds soft peaks, extends paint, changes sheen and viscosity, creates translucent glazes, and works as an adhesive for collage.
Top 10 Uses
Molding
Paste

GOLDEN Molding Paste

The absorbent qualities make it a ground suitable for most painting and drawing media. Excellent for building surfaces and creating textures. Dries to a hard, yet flexible, semi-opaque film. Blends with colors to tint and extend paint.

View our complete line of Mediums, Gels and Pastes here. 

Additional Resources

Top 10 Uses for Soft Gel Gloss  Read article >

Glazing with Acrylics, Oils and Watercolors Read article >

The Finishing Touch

There are a lot of options for finishing your work. Many artists prefer to varnish, and here are some useful products you may not be familiar with.

Isolation
Coat

GOLDEN Isolation Coat

A ready-to-use coat for acrylic paintings. Isolation coat is a permanent acrylic medium, applied prior to varnish, that reduces surface absorbency and allows for improved varnish application and easier varnish removal.
Learn More
MSA Archival
Spray Varnish

GOLDEN MSA Archival Spray Varnish

The spray version of our MSA Varnish with UVLS. Removable and easy to apply, it creates durable, even coverage that provides UV protection. Great for varnishing textured artwork. Can be used over acrylics, oils and watercolors.
Product Info
Gloss Polymer
Varnish w/ UVLS

GOLDEN Gloss Polymer Varnish with UVLS

A waterborne acrylic varnish that dries to a protective, flexible, dust resistant surface over acrylic paint. It is removable with household ammonia.
Learn More

View our complete line of Varnishes and Topcoats here.

Additional Resources

Varnishing Mixed Media Paintings  Read article >

VIDEO: Isolation Coat for Small Paintings

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