Ruby's Picks: Painting and Coating Mediums

Ruby Here! This week I've got my eye on our wonderful painting and coating mediums: Acrylic Gloss Medium, Gel Medium, and Tortoise Shell. 

When it comes to creating unique and durable finishes for your art projects, acrylic mediums and specialty coatings play a crucial role. At Douglas and Sturgess, we offer a variety of professional-quality materials to help artists, sculptors, and designers achieve their desired effects. Today, we're diving into three essential products: Acrylic Gloss Medium, Gel Medium, and Tortoise Shell —each with its own unique properties and applications.

Acrylic Gloss Medium: Enhancing Transparency and Shine

Acrylic Gloss Medium is an acrylic polymer emulsion that serves as the foundation for making all kinds of acrylic paint, whether artist-grade or house paint. Don't be fooled by brand names or higher prices—you’ll pay more for other materials that won’t offer better performance. This medium is incredibly versatile and easy to use:

• Make Your Own Paints: Simply add your pigment of choice to create custom acrylic paints. Most pigments are compatible, except for metallic-based pigments, which should not be stored in a liquid state.

• Mixing with Acrylic Paints: Enhances transparency and allows for smooth layering without muddying colors.

• Glazing: Creates thin, translucent layers that build depth and luminosity in paintings.

• Sealing and Varnishing: Once dry, it provides a protective, glossy finish that enhances colors and adds durability.

Douglas and Sturgess' Acrylic Gloss Medium is formulated for professional-grade results, making it a staple for painters looking to elevate their work.

Gel Medium: Adding Body and Texture

If you want to add texture and dimension to your work, Gel Medium is the go-to solution. Our Acrylic Gel Medium features a paste-like consistency that, when applied with a brush, creates a texturized surface. It’s thick enough to be troweled or squeegeed onto a surface and can be colored with various dry or dispersed pigments. You can also thin Gel Medium with water for a more brush-able consistency. Here’s how you can use it:

• Thickening Paint: Ideal for impasto techniques, allowing you to create rich, textured surfaces with peaks and ridges.

• Adhesion & Collage Work: Works as an excellent adhesive for mixed media applications, securing paper, fabric, and lightweight objects onto canvas.

• Extending Paint: Increases paint volume without compromising pigment strength, making it economical for large-scale works.

Whether you're sculpting with paint or experimenting with mixed media, our Gel Medium provides the flexibility and strength you need!

Tortoise Shell Coatings: Creating Classic Decorative Finishes

For those looking to achieve an elegant, old-world finish, Tortoise Shell Coating is a must-try. Inspired by traditional lacquerwork used in antique furniture and decorative arts, this specialty coating allows you to recreate the rich, organic patterns of real tortoiseshell.

Tortoise Shell is a clear, waterborne urethane coating that dries to an extremely durable, glossy surface, exhibiting glass-like clarity with a wet-look gloss. You can customize its appearance by adding dry pigments, dispersed tints, or dyes for a variety of colored effects. It adheres well to wood, metal, fabric, and some plastics, making it an excellent choice for multiple applications:

• Wood Finishing: Apply over wood surfaces to mimic the luxurious look of tortoiseshell veneer.

• Resin & Sculpture Applications: Adds depth and vintage charm to sculptural works or resin-based projects.

• Layering Techniques: Combine with glazes and stains for a realistic, multi-dimensional effect.

If a more flexible coating is needed, consider our Snakeskyn waterborne urethane coating. More on this product another time!

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a painter, mixed media artist, or craftsperson, using the right acrylic medium or specialty coating can transform your creative process. Acrylic Gloss Medium, Gel Medium, and Tortoise Shell Coating each offer unique possibilities, from enhancing color vibrancy to creating complex textures and vintage finishes. These products all come in pint, quart, gallon and 5 gallon sizes.

Ready to experiment? Visit Douglas and Sturgess to explore these materials and take your artwork to the next level!

Have questions or need tips? Drop us a comment below or visit our store for expert advice!