How to dilute acrylic paint?

Acrylic paint enjoys wide popularity due to its features. Such dye is easy to apply, it dries quickly. An important feature of this composition is the possibility of applying to different types of surfaces, including wood, metal, plaster. This paint is not suitable for some types of plastic, although it is rarely used in everyday life.

The advantage of this dye is the ability to adjust the consistency. We are exploring options for diluting acrylic paint.

Acrylic paints are distinguished by high environmental friendliness and fire safety, the absence of a strong odor. They do not emit toxic substances during application and operation. Therefore, they are often used for painting surfaces in medical institutions, children's rooms and common areas. These paints are often called water-dispersion because of the water content in the chemical composition.

They are considered waterproof: after drying, a strong film is formed on the surface that does not allow water to pass through. These compounds can be used as a facade paint to update a variety of designs.

The surface painted with acrylic paint retains its color for a long time, it does not require additional care due to the non-penetration of dirt and dust into the deeper layers. Shades do not fade in the sun, the composition does not crack in the cold, retains its properties when temperature drops.

Consider the main components of acrylic paints.

• A mandatory component is a pigment, which is an insoluble powder. It gives color to the composition, it is synthetic and natural in origin.Light resistance and opacity of the paint depend on the quality of the pigment.
• Acrylic resin is used as a binder. It keeps the pigment formed in the film after drying.
• The components of the paint are water or solvent based on organic matter, affecting the level of viscosity.
• In addition, the composition has fillers and additives used to obtain specific qualities of paint (for example, stabilizers provide long-term storage).

The quality of paint is directly related to the ratio of the number of fillers, pigments and binders. Permeability, water absorption depends on it. The composition and quality of acrylic from different manufacturers differ, more detailed information is contained in containers with paint.

Acrylic paint is a thick mass that must be diluted before application. This is done to facilitate further application and obtain a uniform layer.

Often, beginners do not see the difference between a diluent and a solvent, believing that this is the same concept. But to get the desired result when diluted, you need to know that the quality of the resulting mass depends on the choice.

• Solvents are used to liquefy and remove the composition of the tools. When adding a solvent, the properties (for example, quality, drying speed, ease of application, degree of reflection of the surface after painting) for the worse usually change. The solvent is used to remove dried spots from the surface.
• Diluents are pigment-free substances that are already in the base. Thinner does not affect the properties, it changes the color saturation, the thickness of the paint. Through the use of a thinner, you can give the surface a translucency effect and change the texture. Because of the water content of acrylic based enamels, aqueous diluents are used.

When deciding on what to choose, think about what effect you want to achieve when painting, what surface you are going to work with.

• If you need to paint the walls, the ceiling in the room, it is better to dilute the paint with a thinner based on water.
• If you are going to paint wood, furniture, you should choose thinners that improve the interaction of paint with a wooden surface.
• If you are going to paint the metal, you can use solvents.

Everyone can face such a problem. The paint dries out for various reasons. This may be a tightly closed container, due to which water has evaporated, as well as improper storage. It is impossible to return the previous condition, you can only make the composition suitable for further staining, but with a loss of quality. Recycled paint after drying is not recommended for painting important areas.

First you need to find out the cause of dryness. If the substance has dried due to non-compliance with the storage conditions, it is not recoverable. Dry paint after the expiration of the storage is undesirable to use, although you can try to restore.

Dried paint due to evaporation of water can be restored by following the instructions.

• First you need to carefully grind the dried paint to form a powder.
• After that, the powder is poured boiling water to warm the mass.
• After some time, the water is drained, the mass should remain hot.
• After draining, the mass is again poured with boiling water and stirred.
• The paint will be ready as soon as the mixture warms up sufficiently.

It doesn't matter what you are going to paint. Acrylic is used for painting walls, floor, ceiling, art painting of furniture, metal products. It can be used for outdoor and indoor use. Many artists use acrylic dyes to create their own paintings because of:

• ease of application;
• the possibility of varying the tone;
• saturation and density.

Lack of smell and toxins are often the decisive factor in choosing the right paint. The stores sell thick acrylic paint, with such a consistency is difficult to work. Working with a thick substance, it is impossible to achieve a good result: instead of a smooth base, you will get a relief surface on which traces of the tool used for dyeing will remain.

To avoid such situations, dilute acrylic with special thinners or solvents before use. Acrylic is prone to drying out if the container has been open for some time. The water evaporates, making the remaining mixture thicker.

When choosing a material for dilution should be based on the desired result and the purpose of coloring. Acrylic paints are divided by scope. For example, there are facades for exterior and interior works, and numbered acrylic for writing pictures. Each type is characterized by its properties; therefore, a water-based diluent or an acrylic solvent can be used as a material.

The instructions state the information regarding the thinner recommended for the selected paint. Before starting the dilution procedure, you should carefully read the instructions. There are several dilution methods depending on the choice of material to be diluted.Consider the basic methods.

One of the important components of acrylic paint is water, so acrylic paints can be diluted with water. The difficulty lies in the fact that the water must be purified and prepared. This complicates the task: solvents and other means for diluting from the store do not need additional preparation. Water should be cleaned of possible solid impurities, it should be cold. The water temperature should be 18-20 degrees. Purified cold water is needed so that the diluted mass is applied without lumps, it is homogeneous and uniform.

After preparing the water should be engaged in the selection of the required proportion of dilution. Matching the selected proportion becomes especially relevant if you need to use several cans of the same paint. After dilution, the hue changes, if you do not ensure that the proportions are accurate, you can get several shades of the same color. To get a good result, you need to know the exact amount of water.

To determine the correct proportion you will need a clean bottle and a pipette.The technology "by eye" is unacceptable: after drying the surface, it will be possible to observe a discrepancy of shades. The selected container for measuring the amount of water should make it possible to determine the exact amount of material taken.

Before dyeing, a shade should be tested. This is due to the fact that shades of paint before and after drying may have differences. It is recommended to apply the selected shades on a test surface or in an inconspicuous place of the wall (ceiling, product) and wait until it is completely dry. After comparing the test results to select the most appropriate option. Once the optimal shade is selected, you can proceed to the next stage - the dilution of the remaining paint.

Do not simultaneously open several cans of the same color. Open acrylic dries faster, changing its density.

Depending on the desired result, professionals use different proportions of acrylic and water.

• 1: 0 - undiluted paint. This is a thick substance, it allows you to create embossed surfaces.Usually it is used for the embodiment of design solutions when creating a bulk surface. With such paint is harder to work, it is difficult to apply to the surface, the consumption of material when applied to the surface is large.
• 1: 1 - the same amount of water and material, the best option for making finishing work. Hue is smooth, uniform. On the surface there are no traces of tools due to the lack of paint clots. The disadvantage can be called a fairly large paint consumption.
• 1: 2 - the substance is quickly dissolved in water, forming a homogeneous composition. It is distinguished by a liquid paint consistency. The structure is easily applied on a surface, it is gathered on the tool. The optimal application is a smooth, even surface. This paint is often used to change the tone of the previous layer, for example, to lighten dark tones (the same color but more liquid) or darken a lighter tone (a different color is used).
• 1: 5 - liquid composition to achieve certain goals. Differs in high permeability. A similar composition is used to emphasize the structure of the surface, the color of complex geometric elements.
• 1: 15 - the most liquid composition. Represents the mix painted in the chosen color. A similar composition is used to implement color transitions.

Many acrylic manufacturers recommend special thinners that have a similar structure to paint. Sometimes the paint is diluted with a solvent, but this material changes the properties of acrylic and painted surface. You get faster drying of the colored layer, but lose quality. You can find out how to dilute acryl of a particular manufacturer, if you read the instructions for using it

An important factor before applying paint is surface treatment with a deep penetration primer. It will strengthen the base structure, acting like glue, and the paint will better lie on the prepared surface, adhering to the fine crystal lattice that the primer forms when it dries.

Depending on the tool that will be painted, there are recommendations for diluting the solution.

• If you paint the surface with a brush or roller, your paint should resemble sour cream in consistency.
• If a spray gun is used for coloring, the substance is diluted to such an extent that it resembles fat milk. This is done to ensure that it is easily sprayed over the surface in a uniform and uniform layer.

The solvent or diluent should be added to the composition gradually in small portions. While the mixture is constantly stirred until it is time until it becomes homogeneous. It is important to prevent the composition from splitting into separate layers or the folding of paint. You should not neglect the thoroughness of mixing: evenness and thickness of the applied layer depends on it.

Regardless of what exactly you are going to dilute acrylic paint, the instruction remains unchanged.

• Prepare in advance the containers for breeding (they must accommodate the required amount of paint) and special rulers for measurements.
• In the first container, pour the paint from the jar that you are going to thin.
• Measure the height of the substance level with a ruler, mix the composition thoroughly.
• A means for dilution should be poured into another container, and the height of the level should also be measured.
• After preparation, you can proceed to the breeding of paint. To do this, slowly and carefully add the solvent to the paint, stirring the mixture constantly. The mixture should be homogeneous.
• To achieve the desired viscosity, you can filter the mixture.

Depending on the purpose of the paint, there are devices that help assess the quality of the mixture. For example, for painting cars, paint must meet strict parameters. A viscometer may be useful for calculating viscosity.

See the following video for the difference between thinner and solvent.

There are no special rules for the use of solvent: it all depends on the purpose of painting. Allocate the preparation of the material to change the qualities of the original substance or remover. Prepared remover for acrylic is used to remove substances from any surface, but it does not help to remove the paint from the skin. If you stained your hands or any other part of your body while staining, use a simple soap solution to clean it.

Manufacturers produce special additives for diluting acrylic, which add new properties to the composition. This may be getting a frosted tint, adding shine or changing the overall condition of the mixture. You can get acquainted with the purpose of the solvent or diluent in the list of information from the manufacturer, which is indicated on the package.

It is worth noting an important nuance: the fresher the diluent, the better the dilution result.

• To maintain color saturation, you need to add a small amount of thinner. To achieve the effect of transparency add a large amount of diluent.
• If you plan to paint the surface with an airbrush, you should purchase special thinners for breeding. Their composition will create the most optimal mixture for spraying an even layer.
• The use of solvents and thinners can change the shade, durability, and the external qualities of the paint after application and drying on the surface.

With such a task as dilution of paint, you can cope on your own. The main criterion in this case is the correct selection of the substance for breeding. It is necessary to apply pure water which does not contain various impurity. Dilution of the paint does not occur without checking the result; therefore, it is worthwhile to select an experimental surface for testing in advance. It is worth considering a few nuances.

• When diluting acrylic paint, you need to dispense water: it will be problematic to get rid of its excess.
• If you find a film on the surface after opening the container, you should carefully remove it. The presence of a film in a substance can lead to the formation of lumps and the appearance of characteristic marks on the surface during dyeing.
• The choice of tool depends on the area to be painted. For small surfaces it is worth stopping the choice on a flat brush, for a large area it is recommended to use a paint roller or spray gun.

• To achieve a good quality of painting, you need to shade the borders of the painted adjacent strips.
• It is not necessary to apply the material with cross movements.
• Applying paint in two layers will help to achieve a better quality of painting and a more even shade.
• After completion of work, be sure to clean the tools from the remnants of paint. Dried spots are difficult to remove. Such paint cannot be soaked as other types. The instrument should be washed in soapy water or a special solvent for acrylic should be used for cleaning.

Acrylic paints are considered universal, they are suitable for exterior and interior work due to good resistance to weather conditions and temperature changes. Many people choose this type for good indicators of coverage, durability, these varieties of paint and varnish compositions are able to decorate the surface for several years.

Washable paint based on acrylic is rarely chosen for stained glass. Dissolve the paint that has dried, in several ways. If it is frozen, acetone, for example, will help revive it. You can also dilute the paint, which has thickened, with the help of a solvent purchased from a hardware store.