For the underpainting on many of my acrylic paintings, I would like to use more opaque paints than most regular acrylic lines provide.
There are several products that I’ve come across — mostly online but occasionally in the big art stores — that are described sometimes as acrylic and sometimes as “vinyl.” Examples include Lefranc & Bourgeois Flashe Vinyl Paint or Maimeri Polycolor Vinyl Paints. It’s hard to tell from the online literature whether whatever it is that makes them “vinyl” would make them incompatible with “regular” acrylics.
Are these safe to use: (1) as an underpainting for a more traditional acrylic paint (e.g., Golden Heavy Body); and, (2) inter-mixed with those same paints (e.g., to modify opacity)? I’m more interested in (1) but curious about (2).
Thanks.
Thanks very much for your replies!
Very good questions…our first inclination is that there really should not be too many issues with layering acrylic paints over these types of “vinyl” paints which are often more matte and/or opaque as you state above (acrylic polymers actually contain vinyl groups). As for your second question (inter-mixing) we really cannot say and have sent along your question to others on our moderating board that will likely be able to share some insight on this matter.
Lefranc & Bourgeois recommends Flashe vinyl colors for use under oils and acrylics, so I agree that it should not be a problem used underneath acrylic colors. Regarding whether the two should be mixed: I think the result would be inferior to 100% acrylic paint, in terms of film strength and long-term durability. Vinyl emulsion was largely replaced in house paints by 100% acrylic and acrylic/styrene copolymer dispersions because the latter are more durable (e.g. less permeable to moisture, less vulnerable to UV light exposure). I would expect results in mixed paint to vary depending on pigment content, since some colors that may be present in vinyl paint can induce curdling in acrylics. Some crazing may also occur when layering acrylics over PVA products, because PVA can swell from subsequent wet applications.
Matthew Kinsey
Utretcht Art Supplies
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