By Paintings in Hospitals
Peter Davis
Steph (2020) by Peter DavisPaintings in Hospitals
Acrylic paint is an incredibly versatile medium. Diluted with water or fluid retarder, it can give the feeling of watercolour. Thicken it with a texture gel and it can resemble the viscosity of oil paint.
Lauren Grostate, Senior Staff Nurse at the Royal Marsden Hospital (2020) by Nancy O'ConnorPaintings in Hospitals
It is water-based, non-toxic and isn’t smelly like traditional oils. You don’t need thinners or chemical solvents either and your brushes just need to be cleaned in water afterwards.
Four Angels (2020) by Barbara BrittonPaintings in Hospitals
One of the things I love about painting in this medium is that it dries very quickly, which means you can start working on your next layer (often called glazes) straight away.
Dr. Richard (2020) by Hannah Gordon-TellerPaintings in Hospitals
It also gives you the control to explore your tones and colours without worrying about your portrait going muddy.
Four Angels (2020) by Barbara BrittonPaintings in Hospitals
These days, it’s considered a professional medium just as much as oils, and acrylic portraits can be regularly seen in The Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ exhibitions and on the walls of the National Portrait Gallery.
For me, acrylic is easy going, unpretentious and low-maintenance, which is probably why it’s my kind of paint.
