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Art & Art History vocabulary · Materials & Techniques

Acrylic paint

Meaning in art & art history, with examples

/əˈkrɪlɪk ˌpeɪnt/nounCore term

In art & art history, acrylic paint means: A fast-drying, water-based paint made with a plastic binder; it can be thinned with water but becomes water-resistant when dry.

In Turkish: akrilik boya, akrilik

How it is used

Became available to artists in the mid twentieth century and was soon used widely, including by Pop artists. People often just say acrylics: ‘She paints in acrylics.’ Compared with oil paint, it dries in minutes and needs no solvents.

Example sentences

  1. Acrylic paint dries so fast that you need to mix your colours quickly.

  2. Most first-year students use acrylic paint because it is cheaper and easier to clean up.

Common collocations

  • paint in acrylics
  • acrylic on canvas
  • acrylic medium
  • fast-drying acrylic paint
  • oil paintPaint made by mixing pigments with a drying oil, usually linseed oil; it dries slowly, so artists can blend colours and build up layers.
  • mediumThe material or technique an artist uses to make a work, such as oil paint, bronze, video or photography; also a liquid added to paint to change how it behaves.
  • pigmentA coloured powder, made from minerals, plants, insects or chemicals, that gives paint its colour when it is mixed with a binder such as oil, egg or gum.
  • canvasA strong woven cloth, usually cotton or linen, stretched over a wooden frame and used as a surface for painting; also a painting made on it.

More terms: Materials & Techniques

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