Acrylic paint is created in 1900 by Otto Rohm, a chemist by making an emulsion of pigments with water and using synthetic resin as a binder. Although acrylic painting appeared in the 30s, it was first limited to industrial use, particularly in automobile assembly lines and in the building sector.
The very first use of acrylic paint in Fine Arts date back to the 1920-1930s and is used for large paintings on walls. The mexican muralist painter, David Siqueiros will be one of the first to use it on his wall paintings and will organise trainings on the use of acrylic paint for other painters, for example Jackson Pollock.
However, it was only in the 50s that acrylic paint began to be widely used by painters. Leonor Colour and Sam Golden were two printers who manufactured this new paint with the “Magma” brand to attract artists.
American painters were the first to use this innovation. Important figures of the art world, especially abstract Abstract Expressionists such as Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Morris Louis experimented with this paint in the late 50s and 60s. It was in 1963, when acrylic paint was made water soluble that its use became widespread and it was marketed under the brand “Lipitex”, which made it more user-friendly and easier to obtain. It became the new medium used by prominent artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, who greatly contributed to its dissemination.
While in the 1950s great painters considered acrylic painting to be less prestigious than oil painting, there was soon a change in attitude when less toxic acrylic paint becomes available which are quicker to dry. Acrylic on canvas became increasingly popular in abstract art and Surrealism, particularly thanks to Max Ernst and Joan Miro. In Mexico, it was used to cover large surfaces and murals, including a mural done at the University of Mexico.
In the 1960s, the practice reached Europe with the painter
Pierre Alechinsky , who discovered acrylic painting canvases during a trip to New York.
Acrylic painting became popular because it offered an excellent alternative to oil painting. It’s easier to master, it mixes with water, it can be used on a range of supports, much like watercolour it allows for varying levels of opacity but it can also look like oil painting when it is applied thickly. Occasionally painters may play with their materials to create an effect of depth or add texture to the work by painting with a palette knife. To finish off the painting, the artist can choose apply a varnish, with a matte or glossy finish, to help prevent cracks. Lastly, acrylic paint dries quickly, unlike oil paint, which can take up to several days to dry.
Acrylic painting is largely used also because of its ability to be easily mixed with other materials such a sand, cardboard or even fabrics. Moreover it can be used with other artistic techniques for example for collages or sculptures.
Whether you are looking for an abstract, landscape, or
portrait canvas , find acrylic canvas paintings on Artsper from the best international art galleries. You will find contemporary and modern canvases by artists such as
Peter Klasen ,
M. Chat ,
Julien Calot ,
Shepard Fairey , and many more...
