The History Of Acrylic Paint

Storrier states, I prefer acrylicsthough. Mainly because they dryquicker. Its almost as simple as that.

- M.A Hunt

Advances in painting product technology have led to some of the greatest changes in art history. For example, in 1841 oil paint became available in capped tubes, allowing artists the flexibility to paint outdoors. This in turn lead artists such as Monet and the impressionists to paint en plein air (outside). Without this new found freedom offered by portable paint tubes, the popularity of this new painting style would not have led to the Alla Prima or ‘wet on wet’ technique of painting which formed the basis of the style of artists such as Monet. In fact, Pierre August Renoir said “ without tubes of paint there would haven been no impressionism.”

Perhaps the greatest technical change since this time has been the invention and widespread use of acrylic paint . Acrylic paint is a plastic or resin which can be dissolved in water or suspended in an emulsifier. Prior to its invention, artists had used ground pigment mixed into egg (egg tempera) or resin, later replaced with various oils. Oil painting was the best choice available for painters for centuries, until new technology advanced and acrylics were invented in Germany. The ingenious Dr Otto Rhöm invented an acrylic resin which was later developed into acrylic paint in the 1940’s.