Paint Opacity Calculator — Coats & Coverage

Paint opacity depends on the pigment used. Some pigments are naturally transparent (e.g. Phthalo Blue, Quinacridone Rose) while others are opaque (e.g. Titanium White, Cadmium Red). Manufacturers usually mark this on the tube with a filled, half-filled or empty square.

Check the tube or manufacturer website for opacity ratings. A filled square means opaque, half-filled means semi-opaque or semi-transparent, and an empty square means transparent. You can also test by painting over a black stripe on white paper.

Yes. Adding medium (water, linseed oil, acrylic medium) to paint reduces its opacity per coat. Straight-from-the-tube paint is most opaque. Glazing mediums are specifically designed to maintain transparency.

Acrylics are touch-dry in 15-30 minutes. Oils need 24-48 hours between coats. Watercolours can be recoated once completely dry (5-15 minutes). The default 30 minutes suits acrylics.