Medium: Acrylic Paint
Compared to oil paints and watercolor, acrylic paints are a relatively modern medium. In 1915, German chemist Otto Röhm secured a patent for polyacrylic ester as a paint binder. His original intention was to create industrial paints that dried more quickly, but by the 1940s, an early version of today’s acrylic paints was being sold commercially worldwide.
Acrylic paints consist of ground pigments and an acrylic polymer binder that is combined with water. Acrylic paints are known for their versatility and durability. They dry rapidly and can create the same transparency of color as watercolors, as well as the same density of oil paint. They come in bright colors and can be used to create sharp brushstrokes and lines. They can also be used on a variety of surfaces and can easily be mixed with other mediums.
Explore acrylic paintings in the collection
Rosie Lee, Blue Sail, acrylic on canvas, 2020, 2021.11.1.
Jonathan Thunder, In Tandem (A Fox and a Bluebird), acrylic on canvas, 2022, 2023.4.1.
Paul Ayihawu, Omidan Maria and Her Favorite Pet, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 2021, 2025.48.1.
Resources in the Collection
Artist Profile: Mathias Alten
Artist Profile: Armand Merizon
Header Images
Left
Reb Roberts, Because of Kindness, acrylic on board, 2020, 2020.26.10.
Missy Morrow, Pathfinder, acrylic on board, 2016, 2018.49.7.
Virginia Jenkins, Dreaming of the Edmund Fitzgerald, acrylic on canvas, 2014.110.1.
Center
Michael Nelson Jakamarra, Mt. Singleton Dreamings, acrylic on canvas, 2016.74.28.
Lindsey Gersch, Celebration of Life, acrylic on canvas, 2002, 2002.412.1b.
Aneka Ingold, Portrait with Yellow Bird, acrylic on canvas, 2023.10.1.
Right
Andre Ray, Baker's Dozen, acrylic on canvas, 2022, 2023.19.3.
Deported Artist, Piñatita, acrylic on canvas, 2022, 2023.50.2.
Hugo Claudin, Mariachi with Paleta, acrylic on canvas, 2024, 2024.61.2.