What are paint mediums?

Answer 1

There are 2 answers to this question:
1. If you say you are a painter, the common question is: what medium do you prefer? The most common mediums are acrylic, oil paint, watercolor, gouache, tempera, and encaustic. I'm sure there are others, but those are the main ones. Ink is usually considered a drawing medium - like graphite, pastels, conte crayon, charcoal. This is because of it's use on paper.

2. Then, there are "additives" which are mixed with paints to achieve a variety of results. For example, if you purchase paint in tubes, it is too thick to apply for most projects. For acrylics, as an example, using water soley to "thin" the paint will compromise the texture and therefore the application. It's better to use a little matte medium, or gloss medium - which will allow for a buttery smooth application as well as control over the "finish." There are thin mediums, gel mediums, rough textured mediums, mediums to slow drying, to quicken drying, to add iridescence...and on and on...

The word medium is often misused. In any paint, pigment is suspended in what is called a "ground." Sometimes that "matrix" is incorrectly called a medium.

Answer 2

A paint medium is the 'stuff' that carries the pigment. In other words:

Medium + pigment = paint. (basically)

The other stuff you need for paint is a solvent. For oil paint this is a paint thinner like turpentine. Acrylics, watercolor and tempera use water as a solvent.

There are many such mediums. To name a few:
* Oil. Literally the pigment is ground into the oil.
* Acrylic. This is a glue that almost does not shrink and dries in the color it was painted (truly unique property) so it is ideal for painting.
* Egg yolk. This is a medium for that famous tempera.
* Gum Arabic. (or synthetic likeness) Used as a medium in watercolor paint and gouache.
* Wax. Its is used in the 'famous' Encaustic paints. This one actually has no solvent but is heated to make it fluid

You can buy different kinds of medium in your local art store and it is never wise to just mix any medium with any paint. Stick to one type. So if you are painting in acrylics you should use acrylic medium. And there are many types of acrylic medium to have different effects.

Answer 3

There are several:

Oil: Popular during the renaissance, Jan Van Eyck was probably one of the true masters of Oil Painting.

Acrylic: Known as the "new kid on the block". This was developed right after WWII

Encaustic: Also known as "grave-markers". They used this to decorate tombs in ancient Egypt.

Watercolors: These are probably more popular as they dry easily.

Gouache: white pigment is added to watercolor to create this.

* These are only some of the art mediums.

Answer 4

Oil. Varnish. Water.

Answer 5

it means type of paint ... like acrylic, waterbased etc.