Acrylic Mediums : How to use Acrylic Gels and Mediums 

FINALLY !! A simple explanation between each..~!! Gel = Texture, Medium = Flow Halleluyah...!! Thank you!

Great advice for beginners delivered in a professional yet accessible way for any beginner in this medium. Simply put, Mr. Kemp's tutorials are an absolute must for all those starting in painting in particular or art in general. Thank you so much for sharing Will. Your tutorials are a pleasure to watch even when you already know a little of the subject.

Wow, thanks. Lots of easy to understand info without wasting my time. Never knew about this, but know it's going to help my acrylic paintings! Way to go WIll!

You rock my world, Will Kemp. These videos are *unbelievably* helpful!! Thank you so much. Keep 'er coming!!

Thank you, Will. I've created some great paintings with acrylic but I have to admit my overall knowledge is spotty (because I don't do it every day). It's always good to get back to the basics in order to move forward. I love your friendly teaching style and your enthusiasm.

Yes, gels add soooo much to my paintings. I like my colors to be vibrant and the gloss gel lets me get the best results.

So grateful for all the help,lovely examples and great instructions

Just found your videos and they are excellent for a beginner like myself. Thank you for your time and willingness to share your skill and knowledge 😊

I like Acrylic Glazing Liquid the best as it's so versatile! Will

I have been waching now a few of your videos and I am impress how easy it is to follow you. I am french and sometimes, it is very hard to understand instruction from a foreing language; but you are so clear when you talk that I get everything you say. I can not wait to start praticing everything I learn from you. Thanks a million

Hi Will, many thanks for your prompt response. Much appreciated. I will definitely try your recommendation. Thank you to for sharing your knowledge and tips with us.

You are the cutest, spunky, and most positive presenter! A truly uplifting experience - 5⭐'s 🎨🏆👑💫

Definitely a simple and articulate explanation of gels and their uses! Thank you :)

@vinny111 Hi Vinny, Thanks for your comment, some artists prefer to keep it simple but I always find it's better to aware of mediums even if you don't use them. Will

Thanks very much! glad to hear you're enjoying the videos. Will

I do abstract paintings and have fallen in love with gel medium. I am starting to use more modeling paste as well. If you spread a very thin layer on the canvas you can use rubber stamps to press into the paste.

A little paint goes a long way with medium. thank you for great video. I didn't knew that since am a beginner.

Thanks very much, pleased to hear it has been helpful, mediums can make a big difference in your ability to manipulate the paint, the glazing liquid (gloss) is especially helpful. Will

Thanks mic, Glad the videos are explaining things well for you, Will

Oh good one, they can make a massive difference when painting with acrylics, Thanks, Will

Ah, thank you so much for this explanation! I was not sure if my teacher was talking to me about gels or mediums, but now I know that it was a gel. Thank you so much! xoxo

Brilliant. ...direct, simple to understand and very informative. .you just got a new subscriber in New York...TYFS. Kat

Thanks alot for this very explanatory tutorial!! I have now purchased the gel and the results are just so magical!!! thanks once again. Please do more tutorials with more gels and varieties. :))

for creating texture in your paintings, cheers, Will

Thank you for the explanation :D I'm going to have so much fun with it :)

Perfect Will! 😀😃 This is helpful for any beginners who wants to do an Vincent Van Gogh style painting.

Hi Shika, That's right, Gels are great to add texture and make your acrylic paints go further, Will

Great video, and love his accent!!

😮 ohhhh! I had no idea. Thanks for the information.

A quick and effective explanation ...thank you

Beautiful explanation, I'm just getting into painting and had just purchased a model paste which I plan to lay down 1st then go back over with paint, but armed with this knowledge next time I purchase a medium I'll give the gels a try and mess around with the finish.

Looking at the medium video I thought the difference and the effect was very beneficial. I was thinking if it helps in glazing and the difference between the water and gloss is huge. Very uniform distribution with the medium versus running runny out of control pool without it. Thank you for the videos I was looking for someone to show me if it was worth it. Much appreciated Will. Very nice presentation and good info.

Thanks, you gave me the basic information I needed to know to understand that I wanted a gel rather than a medium.

Yes, you can apply a layer of Soft Gel Gloss or Glazing Liquid (which I prefer) and then work onto of it, like a 'couch' in Oil painting. Hope this helps, Will

Thank you just the advice I needed

Thank you; so very helpful!

Really helpful, I’m just now wanting to get into painting and this made it less intimidating! Thank you

Now I know what I need when it comes to painting, Gel Mediums.

Very helpful thank you! One question: can I use the gel to "oil" the canvas (like Utrecht retarding gel)? Would allow to blend the paints esp. in landscape paintings imo. Unfortunately Utrecht is not available in Europe so I´m looking for a substitute,,,

Yup straight to the point informative.. thank you!

Thank you! I never really delved into mediums and gels so I'm glad you showed the results up close!

Well done on the video, ol' chap Just an all around joy to watch and follow Not comprehensive, but focused on these mediums and how to read the labels

Thanks venus0q1, pleased you have been enjoying the painting instructions,

That Red is such a Fresh Color - when mixed - it looks exactly like Watermelon - red!

Much appreciated.

So fun to learn about acrylic! It really helps me since I am not an artistic person.

Clear and concise. thanks!

So basically, gels are supposed to help make textures with minimal usage of the acrylic?

Helpful thank you.

super helpful video! Thanks so much.

Fantastic video, thank you!

@moonboy87 Good question, the gels will give you a bit more blending time but the texture can sometimes be a bit slippy and with the extra medium you loose opacity, I prefer to blend using a liquid mediums, 'acrylic glazing liquid (gloss)' is killer because it increases working time yet still keeps a nice consistency with the paint. I'm publishing a post on my blog later today about gels & mediums you might be interested in, Will

Wow - very quick answer! Thanks a lot for the tip, I go on and try it! Subscribed :-)

Good one, Thanks for the sub! Will

Thanks, Will

Thank you for a great explanation.

Great job! Love your accent. :)

cheers mate I need this...

Thanku very much. Im totally confused by all these different products lol...u just explained that beautifully. Its basically a paint extender and texture additive..cheers :)

Thank you. Very helpful video

I am trying to make waves with craft acrylics on top of blocks to use as place card holders for my wedding.. I bought the heavy gel. Will the craft acrylic work??

WhooHoo! Thank you! 😊

Question, if I wanted to add the heavy gel to my painting after everything is painted, like a top layer to add texture, do I do this before or after varnishing?

And all that time i had no idea what its for, thank you for explaining!

which medium do you like to use the most?

Hi Will, I'm trying to paint dots with a 3d effect. I am using acrylic paint at the moment, but when the paint dries the dots fall flat. Could I achieve the effect I'm looking for by mixing acrylic gel with acrylic paint? if not, what would you suggest I use? Does acrylic gel affect the drying time of the paint in anyway? Thank you, regards Ingrid from Cape Town, South Africa

Nice and helpful Video, thank you so much

I have water based acrylic which is extremely thin,so could I put this gel directly into the paint bottle and shake to mix or does it have to be blending on a palette?

great info

Great information, love it!! Have you got a video about mediums? I hesitate to but transparent acrylic paint or just buy opaque acrylic paint and mix it with medium glossy. What do you suggest?

I'm brand new to acrylic painting.My questions? When setting up your palette do you premix your paints w product (for fluidity & slo drying) ahead of time or do you dab & mix-dab &mix as you proceed along in painting

Thank you man.

Thank you for this. So if I wanted to try out palette knife painting but I'm worried about using too much paint, can I just use the gel medium to sort of double my amount of paint and be free to get the thick textures?

Do you have a video that compares oil paint with acrylics?

Thank you Dolly for once somebody got to the point. Thank you thank you thank you

So helpful! Is there a way to change "regular" gel into "soft gel'? Not sure if I should add water or some sort of medium. (I have gloss medium/varnish, matte medium, glazing medium and pouring medium) Thanks again.

Thanks!

thanks!

how can i use gel in collage work ?

you're awesome

It kind of feels like cooking 😁 I need to get more gel medium. It also acts as excellent glue for collages

Thank you!

great video =]

@kireji0 Thanks, hope it's helpful in your painting. Will

Thanks for this - very helpful. I have a question... would there be any benefit to using a medium without pigment? I have a section that came out a bit dark and flat. The color is ok, but "luminosity" might improve it. I was thinking that glazing with medium alone might brighten it up. I feel like additional color on there would not be helpful. Can you comment, please?

I noticed you use oil paints a lot, would you still recommend using that medium for acrylics?

Can you give me some ideas on using Goldn Gel "Heavy Gel" (Gloss)

Hi Will I have heavy gel and need medium gel for a project i am working on. can I add water to heavy gel instead of buying a new pot of medium gel?

Thanks! :)

Can jells change the colour of the acrylic if you use to much? Awesome videos I've learned lots! Keep uploading

How flexible are these gels once they dry? Do they crack? And can they be sanded? Thanks, awesome video 🙂

I've been painting with acrylics since 1968. I've always used just water with my paints. Now I'm interested in using gels with a brush for an impasto oil paint look. I tried the heavy gel in gloss. Right texture with a loaded brush, but a little too glossy. I didn't know they had semi-gloss. I'll try that next. Thanks.

Can you please tell on what surface you mix gel anf paint?

Ok so i got a new brand of acrylic paint just yesterday and when i tried to work with it it was just wierd..not like regular acrylic....now i realise that it is acrylic gel . Thanks

on which paper do you mix colour??

thanks :D

When mixing the gel with paint like that:>>>>The more gel you use, the glossier it will be when it dries. Also, The shine brings objects closer. I have learned to test my mixture for the desired glossiness. I use the heavy gloss gel and have learned how to reduce it. But, bcz the stuff is $10-$13 a jar I am afraid to buy other kinds. I want to try the Matte, but I don't know what the result looks like.

Can the gel be used as a primer to smooth out a stretched canvas (hide the canvas texture)? Instead of going through the hassle of gesso/sanding. Will it stick directly to a cotton canvas?

Hi Lawrence, there is a mixing skin tones video on my channel, hope it helps, Cheers, Will

so if u add the gel with the pink, it doesn't change the color right?