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Glazing a final art painting Acrylic Glaze Recipe

HYPNOTIZE: Glaze Final Finish

How to glaze an acrylic painting

(TRANSCRIPT)

Okay we’re back. And our highlights have dried and we are ready to finish this painting.

So, on my palette here I’m going to take some of my glaze mix. If you’ve taken other tutorials, you know what this is.

This is about a third of a gloss glaze, acrylic glaze, any brand you like and about two-thirds of a satin. And I do this to give it a nice sheen, to set some of the colors and enrich some of the colors.

This is pre-varnish. You would varnish after this is completely dry, about 48 hours.

So, I mix these two together with a little water and a wet flat brush. It’s a large painting, I might need to mix more. But mix up a good quantity. Use a clean, clean flat brush with a little water on it, get it good and mixed.

Then you can mist your canvas as long as it’s good and dry, you’ve been letting everything dry really well or you can just go over it with a damp brush if you don’t want to spray.

And then just starting in the corner, back and forth working in sections and going two or three different ways with your brush to make sure you hit every last spot.

As you can see I’m going across and then taking it down giving it a very smooth look but covering every section. I’m going to work this, working quickly over my entire painting in small sections like this.

Be sure to finish the entire painting while the glaze is still wet giving it nice long brush strokes with the nicest finish. Pick up drips around the edges and let dry thoroughly.

Materials Used to Glaze an Acrylic Painting:

Gloss Glaze

Satin Glaze

-Flat brush https://amzn.to/2IixoT1 or mottler brush (leaves very smooth finish)

I use these glazes because they are archival and professional-level (and they work very well!)

You can use whatever brand works for you and your budget.

Recommended Glaze Recipe (Satin Finish)

My favorite glaze mix is one I mix up in large batches and use on many of my finished artworks – pre-varnish.

MIX:

1/4 (cup/ratio) of Gloss Glaze

3/4 (cup/ratio) of Satin Glaze (I use this one)

2 tbsp. of water

Mix well. Use it all or keep in a tightly covered container.

This mix will give a nice satin finish with a slight sheen (due to the added glass glaze). It will not dry shiny!

Let this coat dry thoroughly before adding a varnish final coat for protection.

A few facts about acrylic glaze medium:

What does acrylic glaze medium do? Why should I should acrylic glaze mediums?

Similar to a (thicker) gloss mediumglazing medium will make acrylic paint more transparent, thin and give you the opportunity to create transparent glazes. 

FYI: Glazing Liquid is the same thing as glazing medium is – it differs by brand!

Can you make your own glazing medium for acrylics?

>>SEE MY POST ON HOW TO MIX YOUR OWN ACRYLIC GLAZES<<

You can make something similar:

You can make a nice glazing medium by mixing some airbrush medium (like this one) – also called high flow medium – with some gloss or satin gel.

Ratio To Make Your Own Acrylic Glaze:

Gel medium = 2/3

High flow/airbrush medium = 1/3

Mix well and add color.

AIRBRUSH MEDIUM (also found under the name HIGH FLOW MEDIUM) will help turn your acrylics into a high flow paint.

Mix it with fluid acrylics for best results (or soft body) for a high-flow paint.

Can you paint over acrylic glaze?

Absolutely! Most acrylics and mediums are meant to be used either together or in layers with each other.

Does acrylic glaze dry fast? Does it make paint dry faster?

I’m going to answer based on experience vs. actual technical data: Yes!

Since acrylic glaze makes acrylics thin and very transparent, they do tend to dry fast. Faster than usual? I cannot say for certain, but I would say they dry about the same rate, slightly faster.


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