Acrylic Medium Calculator

A typical ratio is 1:1 (equal parts gel medium and paint). This extends the paint volume and builds body while maintaining colour intensity. For glazes you switch to a fluid glazing medium rather than gel: Liquitex recommends roughly 1 part Soft Body colour to 10 parts glazing medium for a transparent glaze, so the colour becomes much lighter and more translucent.

Yes. Retarder has no acrylic binder, so too much weakens the dried film. As a working guide keep it to about 10-15% of the paint volume; Liquitex (Slow-Dri) permits up to 25% by volume but states you must not exceed that, otherwise the paint may stay tacky and never fully cure. A little goes a long way, so start low.

Flow improver reduces surface tension so paint flows and levels better without weakening the paint film. Water dilutes the binder (acrylic polymer), which above 30% can cause the dried paint to be chalky, crack or fail to adhere. Note that a concentrate such as Liquitex Flow Aid must first be diluted with water (around 1 part Flow Aid to 20 parts water) before it is added to paint — used neat it causes poor adhesion and cracking.

Pouring medium is designed for fluid art techniques where you pour paint across a surface. A 2:1 ratio (medium to paint) is a common starting point for a self-levelling consistency while maintaining colour vibrancy and a strong paint film. Products like Golden GAC 800 and Liquitex Pouring Medium are used in this range, so adjust to the runniness you want.