What is acrylic retarder and how to use it?

Acrylic paint dries quickly enough on the surface, and this is not always convenient, sometimes it is necessary to slow down the process, and for this, artists use an acrylic paint drying retarder, acrylic retarder.

Acrylic retarder slows down the drying time of the paint. Using it, you will be able to extend the drawing process much longer. The drying delay time depends on the conditions of use.

The retarder is a clear, thick, colorless gel-like mass. It contains glycol, which provides moisture to the paint and prevents the process of rapid evaporation of acrylic paint from the surface. It is practically odorless.

The main features of the retarder

• slows down the drying of acrylic paints;

• increases the spread of acrylic paints on the entire surface;

• If necessary, dissolve with water

The main purpose of using a retarder is to prolong the creative process for the artist and create a more comfortable and interesting painting process using acrylic paints. There are several main reasons why an acrylic paint retarder is used.

• It is indispensable if you want the process of painting with acrylic paints to last for a long time
• With the help of retarder, it is possible to work carefully with paints, achieve smooth transitions

• Rendering of all necessary halftones with acrylic paints in the process of painting
• Using the retarder, you can draw shadows on the surface or make soft shading.

I recommend buying the highest quality Mont Marte Acrylic retarder MM Acrylic Retarder 75ml , also be sure to read prepared by us A blog about acrylic paints to get to know acrylic paint better and its features.

After adding the retarder, the drying time of acrylic paint varies from half an hour to 5 hours. When mixing, the paint does not change its main characteristics, however, we must remember that it is necessary to observe certain proportions when mixing the retarder with the paint, in order not to change the color of the paint.

During the mixing process, it should be remembered that the amount of retarder affects the consistency and behavior of the resulting mixture in different ways. The photo shows some examples of how acrylic paint changes by adding a retarder to it. (percentage of the total volume of paint by adding the amount of retarder)