are acrylic paints light fast?

Answer 1

Some colors of paint fade more over time than others. This has to do with what pigment is added to the paint to make it a certain color. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) sets the standard for artists’ acrylic paints. Any good artist paint company will publish the ASTM lightfast ratings of all the colors it makes. For example if you look up the Golden brand paint chart you will see that most colors are marked with a lightfastness rating of I or II. Colors with a Lightfastness Rating of I are considered Excellent and those with a Lightfastness Rating of II are Very Good. I would not trust a paint company that did not publish lightfastness ratings for all of its paints. Most artists are satisfied with paint that is rated I or II, but if you are really concerned about it you could only by paint colors that have been tested to have a rating of I.

The fact that they are acrylic does not matter. The acylic simply refers to the binder that holds the paint together. These same colors in oil paint would be just as lightfast in oil paint if they are colored using the same pigments.

Answer 2

Apparently there was some controversy about this when they first appeared on the scene. However, I can say that they are light fast if they are of the better brands. I did a large painting on hardboard 14 years ago which is still hanging in my living room. I took it down the other day to wash the surface and thought I had a new painting because the colours are still so bright. This particular painting gets hit by the sun for a few hours every day and is also positioned above a radiator. I don't know how well it would have done with cheap paint. I use Winsor and Newton. I also have a smaller painting on paper framed under glass and no change in the colour at all. Hope this answers your question

Answer 3

Depends on the pigment. Professional ones do last. They are rated in the tube, depending on the brand, as: AA, A, B, C.
or I, II, III, IV.
A and I being the most permanent, C and IV not recommended for artistic use.
The ASTM does give international standards for Artists' Materials.

Here are the W and Newton's:
http://www.winsornewton.com/pdfs/cp01.pdf

http://www.winsornewton.com/pdfs/cp09.pdf
http://www.winsornewton.com/pdfs/cp10.pdf

you can find info on each color entering to the manufacturer's site.

Answer 4

In general yes, but some more than others. On the ones I buy (Liquitex, not the basics, the other ones), it has a little table on the back of the tube saying how light-fast each color is.

Answer 5

Your question really foxes me! Do you mean does acrylic paint fade faster in light?

Answer 6

Depends on the brand but you can expect them to be.

Let me just say yes. I have not seen any that isn't.

Answer 7

they dry fast if thats what you mean