Acrylic Paint I Use-GOLDEN Artist Colors

My acrylic paint brand of choice is GOLDEN Artist Colors. GOLDEN Artist Colors has it's roots in the 1930's when Sam Golden began working for an art paint manufacturer. In 1980 he founded Golden Artist Colors in New Berlin, NY, which has since become one of the premier paint manufacturers in the world.

GOLDEN makes a wide range of acrylic products including Heavy Body Acrylics, Fluid Acrylics, High Flow Acrylic as well as a full range of pastes, gels, mediums and varnish. I personally use the Heavy Body Acrylics which are thick and stiff enough to provide texture in my paintings. I like to add some textural effects around my centers of interest for added visual depth, and this paint helps me do that easily. When playing with watercolor paint, I use QoR (pronounced Core) also produced by GOLDEN Artist Colors.

I believe GOLDEN Artist Colors produces one of the finest, if not the finest, acrylic paint in the world. The quality of the paint is outstanding. I love the fact that they only make professional quality paint and do not have a student grade line. The colors are always brilliant, the pigment and binder never separate, and the paint is always consistent from shipment to shipment with no color or texture variations. The consistency of the product is always buttery smooth.

Like most acrylic paints, the majority of the colors have a matte finish. Some, however like Quinacridone Magenta and Dioxazine Purple have a beautiful glossy finish which I absolutely love. Of course you can use any of their gels and mediums to create the gloss or matte level you desire for any of the colors.

Students always ask if I use any mediums with my paint, and the answer is no. I'm a pretty basic painter who likes paint and a brush - I know, boring, right? The only time I might use something other than paint is to add some gloss gel medium to the dark values in my paintings. However, I do that once the painting is dry and do not mix mediums with my paint. It's simply a personal preference.

If you work with GOLDEN Artist Colors, you know they are not inexpensive. I believe however, given the quality and consistency of the product, it is worth the money. It's worth it to give my customers the very best paint available.

If you're interested in learning how to apply paint with more spontaneity and freedom, join me for an upcoming workshop: (You can view a list of 2018 workshops HERE)

April 18-21 Artist's Showplace, Dallas, TX. To register contact San Cheang: magicmonkeysan@verizon.net
May 3-5 David M. Kessler Fine Art Studio, Winston-Salem, NC. FULL. To add your name to the Wait List contact David: david@davidmkessler.com.
May 17-19 Lowe Mill, Huntsville, AL. To register contact Robert Daniel: robertdaniel@lowemill.net
June 6-9 Peninsula School of Art, Door County, WI. TO register contact Elysia Michaelson: workshop@peninsulaschoolofart.org. See Details Here.

As always, thanks so much for your support!

David

P.S. If you cannot attend a live event, or prefer to learn online in the comfort of your home or studio, Abstract Painting Academy is my online workshop: