What Paint Do I Use?

One of the questions I get asked most often is what kind of paint I use.

The simple answer is Golden Acrylics. More specifically, I use Golden Heavy Body Acrylics most of the time now, although I used to work much more with Golden Fluid Acrylics. That changed a few years ago.

I did not switch because one was “better” than the other. They are just different, and over time my paintings started asking for something different from the paint. I wanted more texture, more resistance, and more of the brushwork to stay visible on the canvas. Golden Heavy Body acrylics gave me more of that.

I Used Fluid Acrylics only at First

For a long time, I used Golden Fluid Acrylics. They made sense for the way I was painting then. They move easily. They are strong in colour. They are good for fine details, thin layers, flowing passages, and places where I wanted the paint to move without much resistance. I liked how quickly I could shift colour or build up an area without the paint feeling heavy. Fluid Acrylics can be really useful when you want the paint to glide.

They also helped me with linework and smaller transitions. If I wanted a thinner mark, a softer passage, or something that felt more transparent, Fluid Acrylics were easier to control in that way. I still appreciate that about them.

But over time, I started wanting the surface of the painting to feel more physical. I wanted the marks to have more weight. I wanted the paint to sit on the canvas differently. That is when I started reaching for Heavy Body more and more.

Why I Moved Toward Heavy Body Acrylics

Golden Heavy Body Acrylics have a thicker consistency. They feel different right away. There is more push against the brush. The paint does not just slide across the surface. It holds its shape more. It leaves more of the movement behind.

That became important for me because my paintings are built in layers. I am often painting over earlier decisions, adjusting colour, changing edges, and working back into areas until the painting starts to feel right.

With Heavy Body paint, I can build that surface in a way that feels more connected to how I paint now. The brushwork can stay visible. A line can have more presence. A shape can feel more solid. If I drag the brush through an area, some of that movement remains. If I want to soften it, I still can, but it does not disappear as easily. I like that. It gives the painting more of a physical history. You can feel that the surface has been worked through, not just filled in.

How It Affects the Way I Paint

The paint changes the pace of the work. With Fluid Acrylics, things often move faster. The paint is thinner, so it can be easier to make quick changes or let one area flow into another. With Heavy Body Acrylics, I slow down a bit more. The paint asks for more pressure. It makes me more aware of the brushstroke, the edge, and the direction of the mark. That suits the way my work has developed.

My paintings often have a lot of movement in them. Skies, trees, water, rocks, light, weather. I am not trying to make everything look still or overly polished. I want the painting to have energy, and part of that energy comes from the marks themselves. Heavy Body acrylics help with that because they let the surface carry more of the hand. Not in a messy way. At least, not intentionally. But I do want some evidence of the process to remain. I like when a painting has areas that feel built, adjusted, scraped back, covered, or reworked. That is part of how the image comes together.

Colour & Layering

Colour is one of the main reasons I use Golden Acrylics. The colour stays strong, even through multiple layers. That matters because I often build a painting slowly. A blue may shift several times. A dark area might become warmer or cooler. A highlight might be added, reduced, and then brought back again later.

Acrylics allow me to keep moving. They dry quickly enough that I can build up the painting without waiting too long, but they still give me enough flexibility to make changes as I go. Heavy Body Acrylics give me more surface and texture, while Fluid Acrylics gave me more flow and thinness. Both qualities have helped me. I think that is why the shift from Fluid to Heavy Body was gradual. It was not a dramatic decision. I just started noticing that I was reaching for Heavy Body more often. It matched the kind of surface I wanted.

Why Materials Matter

Materials do not make the painting for you, but they do affect what happens in the studio. A different paint can change how fast you work. It can change how much pressure you use. It can change whether a mark disappears or stays visible. It can even change the way you solve problems while painting. For me, Golden Heavy Body Acrylics have become the best fit for the way I paint now.

They let me build colour, hold marks, and create a surface with more presence. They give me enough control, but not so much that the painting feels stiff. I can still push things around, change direction, and respond to what is happening on the canvas. That balance is important to me.

The Paint I Use Now

So when people ask what paint I use, the answer is Golden Heavy Body Acrylics. I still value what Fluid Acrylics gave me, especially in terms of flow, detail, and layering. They were a big part of how I worked for years. But my paintings changed, and my materials changed with them.

Now I want more texture. More resistance. More visible movement in the paint itself. That is why I keep coming back to Heavy Body Acrylics. They feel right for the way I work now.

Thank you for reading,
Jeff
Substack