MEDIUMS GROUNDS & VARNISH

A medium is a substance added to paint in order to alter the way the colour appears and behaves. There are a number of reasons why you might use a medium, including to alter sheen, drying time, texture or transparency. Mediums are available to suit oil, acrylic and watercolour, although they are not compatible across media.

Grounds include tubs of prepared grounds including gesso and primer that can be applied to surfaces including wood and canvas. Grounds create the ideal surface for your painting approach, as well as enhance the stability of your painting. Grounds can be tinted with colour or left white or off-white as desired. A white ground will optimise the luminosity of your colours. Grounds typically contain titanium pigment and china clay mixed in with an acrylic emulsion or linseed oil/alkyd resin.

Varnishes offer a choice of finishes that can be applied to oil, acrylic, watercolour or pencil. We also offer the choice of solvent free varnish.

You will find further information on specific mediums in the subsections devoted to each type as well as in our popular PaintBox Art Supplies Guide