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MEDIUM
Retarder Medium
Retarder medium slows the drying time of acrylic paint, extending the open working time from minutes to hours. This allows wet-into-wet blending, soft gradients, and correction — properties that are otherwise unavailable in standard acrylic painting. The critical rule: keep retarder below 15–20% of total paint volume. Exceeding this threshold compromises the integrity of the dried paint film and may prevent proper curing entirely.
Properties ▾
Base: Acrylic polymer / glycol
Effect: Extends open time significantly
Maximum ratio: 15–20% of paint volume
Drying: Delays significantly — allow extra time between layers
Finish: No effect on sheen
Compatibility: All acrylic paints
Techniques ▾
Soft blending
Add a small amount of retarder to paint on palette. Work wet-into-wet, blending edges before the surface skins over. Keep a light misting bottle nearby — a little water on the surface also extends working time.
Portrait and skin tones: Retarder is particularly useful for gradual colour transitions in portraiture. Mix into flesh tones and blend across the form before the paint locks.
Gradient washes: Apply a strip of light colour across the canvas. While wet, add the darker value and blend with a dry fan brush. Retarder gives the extra minutes needed to achieve a seamless transition.
Combined with Gloss Medium: Retarder + Gloss Medium creates smooth, blended gradients with a subtle sheen — similar in effect to oil glazing.
Portrait and skin tones: Retarder is particularly useful for gradual colour transitions in portraiture. Mix into flesh tones and blend across the form before the paint locks.
Gradient washes: Apply a strip of light colour across the canvas. While wet, add the darker value and blend with a dry fan brush. Retarder gives the extra minutes needed to achieve a seamless transition.
Combined with Gloss Medium: Retarder + Gloss Medium creates smooth, blended gradients with a subtle sheen — similar in effect to oil glazing.
A few drops of retarder go much further than expected. Start with the smallest amount and increase only if needed. The moment you exceed the safe ratio the paint begins to feel wrong — sticky, slow to cure, and potentially permanently soft.
Works in ekphra ▾
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