Acrylic paint
Fast-drying water-based paint that mimics oil or watercolor.
Acrylic paint dries quickly and consists of pigment held in an acrylic polymer emulsion, along with ingredients like plasticizers, silicone oils, defoamers, stabilizers, or metal soaps. While most acrylics are water-based, they turn water-resistant once dry. By thinning the paint with water or mixing in acrylic gels, mediums, or pastes, the final look can mimic watercolor, gouache, or oil paint—or achieve effects that no other medium can produce.
Water-based acrylics are also used as latex house paints, since "latex" technically refers to a suspension of polymer microparticles in water. Interior latex paints typically combine a binder (which may be acrylic, vinyl, PVA, or others) with filler, pigment, and water. Exterior latex paints can be co-polymer blends, but the best outdoor water-based options are 100% acrylic because of their elasticity and other properties. Vinyl costs about half as much as pure acrylic resins, and polyvinyl acetate (PVA) is even cheaper, so paint companies produce many mixtures to suit different markets.
**History** German chemist Otto Röhm invented acrylic resin, which paved the way for acrylic paint. In 1934, the first usable acrylic resin dispersion was created by the German company BASF and patented by Rohm and Haas. This synthetic paint first appeared in the 1940s, showing traits of both oil and watercolor. Between 1946 and 1949, Leonard Bocour and Sam Golden developed a solution acrylic paint called Magna paint, which was based on mineral spirits. Water-based acrylics later became available as latex house paints.
Once water-based acrylic binders entered the house paint market, artists and companies began experimenting with them. Mexican muralists like Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco were early adopters, drawn to the paint’s durability. In 1953, Politec Acrylic Artists' Colors—water-based acrylics suited for murals—started being produced and distributed in Mexico. These paints gradually replaced oil paint in mural art and abstract expressionism.
During the 1960s, Lancelot Ribeiro championed acrylics for art in the UK, frustrated by oil paint’s slow drying time and its "lack of brilliance in its colour potential." He turned to the new synthetic plastic bases used in commercial paints and received help from manufacturers like ICI, Courtaulds, and Geigy. They gave him samples of their latest pa
- inventor
- German chemist Otto Röhm
- first usable dispersion
- 1934 by BASF, patented by Rohm and Haas
- first solution acrylic paint
- Magna paint (1946–1949) by Leonard Bocour and Sam Golden
- first water-based acrylic artists' paint
- Politec (Mexico, 1953) and Liquitex (Cincinnati, 1956)
- common uses
- House paints, fine art, murals, hobbies, model making
- key property
- Water-based but water-resistant when dry
Lore & Background
German chemist Otto Röhm invented acrylic resin, leading to the development of acrylic paint. In 1934, the first usable acrylic resin dispersion was developed by BASF and patented by Rohm and Haas. The synthetic paint was first used in the 1940s, displaying properties of both oil and watercolor. Between 1946 and 1949, Leonard Bocour and Sam Golden invented Magna paint, a mineral spirit-based solution acrylic paint. Water-based acrylic paints were subsequently sold as latex house paints.
Mexican mural painters like Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco were among the first to experiment with acrylic paint, impressed with its durability. Politec Acrylic Artists' Colors, water-based acrylics useful for mural painting, began production in Mexico in 1953. Over the 1960s, Lancelot Ribeiro pioneered acrylic use in the UK, receiving samples from ICI, Courtaulds, and Geigy. In 1956, José L. Gutiérrez produced Politec in Mexico, and Henry Levison produced Liquitex colors, the first acrylic emulsion artists' paints.
Reader's Guide
Acrylic paint revolutionized art and industry by combining the fast-drying convenience of water-based media with the durability and versatility of oil-like finishes. Its ability to be thinned with water or modified with gels and mediums allows artists to achieve effects ranging from transparent watercolor washes to thick impasto textures. Acrylics bond to many surfaces—paper, canvas, and more—though engineered woods may require sealing. The paint is non-removable once dry, but wet paint cleans easily with water. Acrylics became the dominant medium for mural painting and abstract expressionism, phasing out oils in those fields. In house paints, 100% acrylic exterior paints are prized for elasticity, though cheaper vinyl and PVA blends are common. The development of professional and student grades, along with heavy body and fluid varieties, expanded its use in fine art, hobbies, and model making. Acrylics are also the most common paints used in grattage, a surrealist technique.
Did You Know?
- Acrylic paint was first used in the 1940s, displaying properties of both oil and watercolor.
- Mexican mural painters Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco were among the first to experiment with acrylic paint.
- Lancelot Ribeiro pioneered acrylic use in the UK in the 1960s, receiving paint samples from ICI, Courtaulds, and Geigy.
- Acrylics are the most common paints used in grattage, a surrealist technique.
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