An artists paint medium is any type of additive that once added to artists paint changes how the paint performs or that when applied during the painting process can change the finished paint effect.

Artists Painting mediums open up many different creative painting techniques depending on how they are used, as well as giving the artists greater control over existing oil and acrylic painting techniques too.

Almost any soluble substance can be used as a painting medium, water being the most common for acrylic paints, and turpentine for oil paints. However an artist is not limited to commercial produced painting mediums. You can experiment with anything but be warned; expensive paints and paintings can be easily destroyed by experimentation with random mediums. HOWEVER sometimes a new amazing painting effect may be created. 

Painting Mediums produced by artist's paint manufacturers do have the benefit of research and therefore often provide assurance of quality and performance. Painting mediums, often vary by name according to manufacturer, popular painting mediums include;

• Gloss Medium
• Retarder
• Matte Medium
• Impasto Medium
• Modeling Compound
• Texture Paste
• Texture Gel
• Flow Medium
• High Viscosity Medium
• Low Viscosity Medium
• Clear Medium
• Glazing Medium
• Varnish
• Crackle Medium
• Iridescent Medium
• Antiqueing Medium

Painting Mediums really do unlock a world of creative painting for any painter regardless of their experience... buy some, experiment or take a painting class and learn more about them and how they can improve your painting.