Friday, October 12, 2012

The Influence 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.

With the help of successful and famous artists of the time, artistic use of this new medium gained in popularity. For example, those in the pop art movement used acrylics as the main medium for their bold and graphic paintings. Many others experimented with the different consistencies that could be achieved, the interesting surfaces that could be used and how acrylics could be successfully mixed with other media.

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.

Acrylic paints have only been in use for approximately fifty years but within that time they have not appeared to alter in any way. This is an advantage over oil paint which tend to yellow and crack with age. Even water paints tend to fade with age while paintings using acrylics retain their colors.

Acrylics can be mixed with water, thinning them down and changing the way they interact with a surface. This gives them the ability to appear like a water color, depending on how much water is added. Acrylics can also be applied without mixing them at all which gives an opaque effect. This flexibility allows for great freedom of expression.

The number of artworks being produced using this medium today is extensive. There is a greater demand due to an ever increasing audience. The development of the internet has led to more exposure of individuals to a wide range of art. It is possible today for a new artist to gain recognition by means of exposure on the internet.

The future of acrylic artists continues to unfold. Perhaps their full potential and possibilities are still to be seen. What is clear is that this is a significant medium, demonstrating the continual progression in the field of the visual arts.




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