Paint-Medium Ratio Calculator — Glazing, Impasto & Pouring

A common starting ratio is 1 part paint to 4 parts glazing medium. This gives a transparent, luminous layer. For very transparent glazes, go up to 1:6, or to Liquitex’s official 1:10 with their Glazing Medium for maximum flow. Use a gloss medium for the most clarity. Liquitex Glazing Medium, Winsor & Newton Galeria Glaze Medium and Golden Glazing Liquid are all available in UK art shops.

For impasto, add heavy gel medium at roughly 1 part gel to 2 parts paint (ratio 0.5) so you extend the paint while keeping body and texture. Heavy body gels from Golden, Liquitex or Daler-Rowney System 3 work well. You can also use modelling paste for even thicker, sculptural textures.

For acrylic pouring, use roughly 1 part paint to 2-3 parts pouring medium so the mix flows like warm honey. Liquitex Pouring Medium is popular, while Floetrol (a paint conditioner from DIY shops) is a budget-friendly alternative widely used by UK pour artists. Adjust by eye until it ribbons off the stick without breaking.

With acrylics, a small amount of water (5-10% of the mix) improves flow without weakening the film, but for durability Golden recommend diluting with acrylic medium rather than water because medium carries binder. Keep water under about 25-30% of the acrylic mix. With oils, use solvent (turps or Zest-It) instead of water. Medium alone is usually sufficient for most techniques.

Select Watercolour as the paint type and the calculator treats the ratio as paint-to-water dilution rather than an added polymer or oil medium — watercolour is thinned with water on white paper, not bulked with a medium. A higher ratio means a paler, more transparent wash; near-neat paint gives the most intense colour. No glazing, pouring or gel medium is needed.