Pin Mill, Golden Acrylics on wooden panel, 11x14in

I first encountered Golden Acrylics some 20 years ago, after demonstrating on an exhibition  stand in London. I was impressed with the rich, creamy consistency of what is  a very high-quality acrylic paint. Classed as a heavy-body acrylic, these paints have the ability to retain brush or painting knife marks when working. Uniquely, the paints have the largest range of pure pigments contained within a 100-per-cent acrylic emulsion with no fillers or extenders added. The colours also offer excellent permanence and lightfastness.

I still have some of the large 5fl oz (148ml) tubes today and the paint is as fresh as the day they were obtained. It is interesting to note that Golden Acrylics do not have an expiration date. There is no definitive shelf life, meaning that if stored well, they should remain viable for many years to come. I think this is partly due to the aluminium packaging. Other acrylic paints that are supplied in plastic bottles have a limited lifespan, some as little as six months, as the air is drawn into the packaging during use. The main innovation noticed recently is that the paint cap has been redesigned with a knurled top, which makes it much easier to release the top without resorting to pliers! 

Another thing I appreciate with Golden paints is that each label has a real colour swatch applied over black chevrons near the neck of the tube. This allows the user to see the colour of the contents quickly, as well as the transparency or opacity of the paint.

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Steward's Cottage, Norfolk, Golden Acrylics over watercolour on watercolour paper, 10x14in

Vibrant colours

The painting, Pin Mill was painted on a Jackson’s Art wooden panel. These panels are suitable for acrylic paints or they can be sized and primed for use with oil paints. I enjoy working on this smoother surface, which offers just the right amount of resistance to my brushstrokes. I used the same colour palette as the demonstration over the page: cadmium orange; primary yellow; raw umber; titanium white; cadmium red light; teal blue; ultramarine blue; burnt sienna; light violet; and Mars black. The bold and vibrant colours that come from Golden paints reflect the quality of the product. 

Acrylic paints are water soluble and,  if good quality with a high pigment loading, they can be used and treated in a similar way to watercolour painting. I find this is useful for recovering failed or unsatisfactory watercolours. Steward’s Cottage, Norfolk I felt had room for improvement and so titanium white was added to the cloud edges in the sky. The trees and foliage were built up by glazing over a mix of primary yellow and ultramarine. The foreground grasses were painted with the same mix, into which a little cobalt teal had been added to achieve that more vivid grass green. Finally, the shadows and the barn on the right were darkened with a wash of ultramarine mixed with burnt sienna. 

The only thing to bear in mind when working this way is that unlike watercolour, once dry, acrylics are permanent so any corrections must be made whilst the painting is still wet.

Versatile medium

To sum up, Golden Acrylics is a versatile medium that can be painted on any surface that is oil and wax free. It works so well because the high pigment loading will support numerous techniques, from heavy-body applications to more subtle watercolour techniques. The big bonus of these paints is that they last a long time in their containers, whereas much cheaper brands in inferior packaging will deteriorate over a shorter period of time. I hope you enjoy following me over the page as I demonstrate how I used these in a finished painting. 

About Golden Acrylics

• The Golden Acrylics company was formed in 1980 by  Sam Golden, naming it Golden Artists Colours, Inc. The manufacturing arm is based in a renovated barn in  upstate New York. 
• As well as their heavy-body acrylics, Golden also  produces iridescent acrylics, fluid, matte and special interference acrylics which offer up unique colours when viewed from different perspectives.
• Golden produces one of the largest ranges of acrylic pastes, gels and mediums in the industry.
• The versatility of the acrylic medium means that almost any type of painting subject can be tackled.

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Using Golden Acrylics to create Nyanza, Frisby

I enjoy oil painting so decided to tackle a subject in that style. Usually when working in this way, very little water is used other than for washing out brushes. I used a New Wave 28x40cm disposable palette, which I prefer to a stay-wet palette. The paint can be preserved at the end of the day by a light spritz of water then covered with Clingfilm. The working surface is a primed cotton-canvas board.