Your Guide to Our Acrylic Paints

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Which Acrylic Paint Do You Need?

What is important to you? Price? Viscosity? Colours?
Avoid expensive trial and error, and spend your time on being creative and not testing product!
Select the most suitable acrylic for your project using the independent analysis below.
With this easy reference guide you’ll know exactly what to expect from each range.

Acrylic Definitions Explained

• Opacity – Each range of acrylic paint is formulated to offer different levels of opacity and every colour within that brand will have its own degree of opacity. The symbols against each colour within a range will indicate the opaque or transparent it is.

• Viscosity – The higher the viscosity, the thicker the paint. Each range of acrylic paint in this catalogue is different in terms of how thick it is. There is no right or wrong; it is down to the user's preference when deciding which brand to choose. Use thicker paints for impasto effects and thinner paints when you want to create washes and transparent effects.

• Finish – Once dry, do you require your acrylic to look matt, or glossy?

• Colours – We always aim to offer plenty of choice. The number of colours available from this catalogue, for each brand, are listed above.

• Price – Our quick reference chart shows you exactly which brand offers you the best value.

Not sure which Specialist Crafts Acrylic is for you?

With so many applications possible with acrylic paint it’s easy to get confused, so Specialist Crafts have made it simpler with their X Acryl numbering system – 2, 4 and 6.

For example, if you require a thicker consistency of acrylic paint, choose the higer number - X6. Of course if that's not your only selecetion criteria, above you'll find a comparison chart to illustrate how each of the X Acryl range compares to popular brands in terms of opacity, finish and of course cost.

For guaranteed quality and the best value for money X2, X4 and X6 are unbeatable. Find out for yourself with our Free Sample pack of all three. Call 0116 269 7711 and quote PROMO25.

Which Acrylic? Make Your Choice?

X2 Free Flow

• Fluid acrylic

• Light coverage and pigmentation

• For brush application, fine detail and watercolour effects

• Matt finish

• 24 colours

X4 Standard

• Mid weight acrylic

• Comparable to other educational brands

• Greater opacity and viscosity than X2 Free Flow

• Semi-gloss finish

• 40 colours

X6 Premium

• Our thickest acrylic

• High viscosity so suited to traditional techniques

• Retains brush strokes and palette knife marks

• Semi-gloss finish

• 40 colours

Artist’s Testimonial

“This Airedale Terrier was created using mainly Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Vandyke Brown, Raw Umber and Buff Titanium from their X6 range, which is my favourite range of theirs. They also do an X2 range which has a runnier consistency (great for the drips and splats in my work) and an X4 range which is a lovely middle ground between the X2 and X6 premium range.

I love the strong pigment and smooth consistency which stretches across their whole range and makes for wonderful, easy to work with paints. The colours (of which there are A LOT of shades!) are bold and true to what the name says on the tin (bottle in this case).

Since recieving the paints, i have used nothing else and have found a use for the full range they offer and have no hesitation at all in recommending them to both hobbyists and proffesional artists alike!''
— Samantha Ellis, Artist