How To Use Gel Medium

What is Gel Medium and How to Use It

Have you ever wondered what is Gel Medium and How is it used? We are going to learn just that today! I especially relish learning nigh and sharing with others the many fascinating tools of the Mixed Media trade. My 'go to' potion for every mixed media hazard, Gel Medium, is used by almost all artists and crafters for a variety of creative pursuits. This guide is everything you need to know about this versatile art supply!

Why are There and then Many Gel Mediums?

Soft Gel. Regular Gel. Heavy Gel. Liquid Gel. Matte. Gloss. Whaaat?? Have you lot ever been in an Art Supply store and wondered, "Why are there then many dissimilar Gel Mediums?" and, "Which i do I need?" Let's find out.

The purpose of a medium is simply to alter the consistency and/or advent of acrylic paint. That makes it a powerful tool to create a variety of new and exciting arts and crafts. For instance, artists such as Dutch painter Vermeer used a glazing technique to create luminosity in the 1600s, which is today normally achieved with certain types of Gel Medium.

What is Gel Medium?

I struggled to find a true 'definition' as I researched. Gel Medium is essentially a binder without pigment. Without getting too technical, it was initially an acrylic substance used to build texture in paintings past mixing with acrylic paint. Information technology increases the pigment'due south transparency and dries clear without diminishing its consistency or agglutinative properties. It is intermixable with all types of acrylic paints. It is lightfast, water-based, flexible, and permanent.

Gel Medium is used primarily for Arts and crafts in various ways (mentioned below). They come in a variety of thickness (viscosity), sheen, and transparency. Artists and crafters use information technology to build texture in paintings, as a glue in collage and mixed media, as a elevation glaze to protect artwork, as a decoupage tool, as a ways to transfer images, equally a glaze when mixed with paint, and so much more. It is sold in many Arts/Crafts/Hobby Shops under various brands.

Anybody Has a Favorite Gel Medium

My personal favorite is past Gilded Artist Colors, but other manufacturers such as Liquitex offer first-class options likewise. You will find the 1 you similar all-time. As you can meet, I accept lots of paper and The Graphics Fairy ephemera to attach to my junk journal pages.

V popular Gel Mediums on Amazon.com are:

Mod Podge Matte
Dina Wakley Media Gel Medium Matte
Prima Marketing Art Nuts 3D Matte Gel

Gel Mediums broaden the technical capabilities of the paint by adding sheen or reducing gloss, for instance. There are three basic types of Gel Mediums–Soft, Regular, and Heavy. There are too 3 types of finishes–Matte (non-shiny), Semi-Gloss (sort of shiny), and Gloss (highest sheen, or 'near shiny'). Here is a closer wait at each:

Soft Gel

Soft Gel has a creamy consistency. Soft Gel is used by artists who mix in acrylic paints to produce a rich, translucent glaze. It produces soft-edged brushstrokes and velvety textures. Paper and Mixed Media artists near often use Soft Gel every bit an adhesive because its smooth consistency allows them to dispense, motion, and identify collage materials or ephemera. It is not as 'wet' equally other adhesives, and so it allows the paper to settle more quickly with less crimper. It is also used as a elevation coat. I think you can meet the softness in the photograph below.

Regular Gel

Regular Gel extends paint open time (stays wet longer) while maintaining its consistency. It is useful for impasto techniques and glazing, which is applying a transparent layer of paint over dry out opaque paint to create luminosity. Y'all can meet some soft peaks in the photo below.

Heavy and Extra Heavy Gel

Heavy Gel increases the trunk of pigment and has the ability to hold peaks. There are also Extra Heavy Gels which bring more texture building capabilities. Both are used for impasto techniques. You can run into the loftier, stiff peaks below.

Understanding Sheen

All of the above Gel Mediums come in different sheens having to do with the shininess. The all-time manner to empathise sheen is: The higher thesheen, the higher the shine — and the higher the shine, the more than durable the surface when fully cured. Yous can see the loftier gloss sheen at bottom the left of the music beneath. The dull matte sheen is at the bottom correct. There is quite a departure, fifty-fifty though it was difficult to shoot! 🙂

Matte Gel Mediums

Matte Gel Mediums will dry out with a boring finish. All mediums are milky and should dry out clear. Notwithstanding, Matte Gels take matting agents of white silicate particles. Information technology may accept a while to cure to concluding clarity depending on the temperature and humidity of your studio. Matte gel may cure a little cloudy or foggy. This volition be permanent and irreversible. If you lot want a clear artwork, use Gloss Gels for the work and finish, or seal with a Matte varnish.

Semi-Gloss and Gloss Gel Mediums

Gloss Gel Mediums tin can be used for such purposes as highlighting specific aspects of a painting, such as the break in an sea wave. They are also often used for decoupage and epitome transfers.

How Do I Know Which Gel to Utilize?

You must first make up one's mind what you want your cease effect to exist. Then decide which paint characteristics you lot want to change and which ones you don't want to modify. For instance, you might want the finished artwork to have a tiresome, matte quality. To achieve that, you would top coat with a Matte Gel Medium. Do you desire texture or to run into brush strokes, or exercise you lot want the final surface to exist smooth and level? My all-time advice is to experiment with different mediums to decide which works all-time for your blazon of fine art.

How to Use Gel Medium in Mixed Media Applications

Oh the ways! Here are some tips for apply:

Adhesives

Gel Medium can exist used as a glue by brushing it onto the surface of newspaper or a painting, and so adhering mixed media bits and pieces to it. Of form, yous might want to coat the bits and pieces and stick them on. Y'all can mix in water for some applications where y'all want more manipulation. The Soft Gel Matte or Gloss Gel Mediums are the type most frequently used for this application. Soft gel is very flexible and does non add texture to surfaces. It dries softly articulate. Here is one of my tutorials using Gel Medium as an agglutinative.

Transfers

We practice a lot of transfers here on The Graphics Fairy. I volition just refer you to the Transfer Methods on the menu bar for cracking tutorials and all the magical ways Karen and company have done transfers.Soft Gel Matte is virtually commonly used for Transfers. Basically, an image is printed and cutting out. The surface area where the Transfer is to be set is coated, and so the image is placed face downwardly and burnished with a bone binder or back of a spoon. Gently lift a corner of the image and pare off. Easy peasy!

You might also exist interested in our Online Epitome Transfer Workshop with instructor Heather Tracy. She dives deep into transfer methods for nearly every blazon surface, including detailed instructions for Furniture and Mirrored Glass!

Decoupage

The glossier Gel Mediums are used for decoupage. I well-nigh often employ Modernistic Podge in my decoupage work. Although not technically a Gel Medium, it is a 'medium' specifically developed for decoupage. I feel I would be remiss if I did not include Modern Podge hither as many artisans use it the same style as gel mediums. Plus, it is easier to find locally. As you can see beneath, I have as much Modern Podge on mitt equally I do Golden. TEE HEE

Again, in that location are numerous tutorials and how to posts here about decoupage. Check them out here. Below is one of my faves.

I hope that you accept enjoyed learning What is Gel Medium equally much equally I have! I encourage yous to experiment with several types of Gel Mediums…the possibilities are truly endless. Let me know if you lot find a new fashion to apply them please!! You might also like a similar Guide almost Gesso Hither.

I also teach Photoshop Elements tutorials over on The Graphics Fairy Premium Membership site. You can find even more of my art, DIYs, and whimsical shenanigans on Cre8tiva.

Rebecca

How To Use Gel Medium,

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