Water of Life and Nature – Acrylic on canvas – 50 x 50

Polymer-based acrylic paint was developed in the 1940s and was intended to be used purely to paint the interior and exterior of houses, but its quick-drying aspect caught the eye of many artists who wished to cut down on the drying time for their paintings. To cater to the burgeoning market of artists using acrylics, paint manufacturers added richer and more intense pigments to acrylics to draw in customers that needed it for creative endeavors. Modern artists enjoy using acrylics because of their versatility.

It can produce many different texture effects, and can easily mimic the aspects that artists enjoy from other mediums, such as softness from watercolors and sharp detail from oil paint. However, some artists have taken issue with acrylics, stating that they dry too quickly to blend colors on the canvas, and make wet-on-wet techniques impossible. Despite its limitations, discovering new and interesting ways to use acrylic paint has lead inspired artists to explore and challenge their own creativity.