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Comparing the world’s best heavy bodied acrylics

Let’s try and objectively compare Atelier Interactive, Golden Heavy Body, Liquitex, and Winsor & Newton to see what properties each of them has.

 
PAINT PROPERTIES ATELIER INTERACTIVE GOLDEN ACRYLIC LIQUITEX ACRYLIC WINSOR & NEWTON GOLDEN OPEN*
Number of colors in the product range 76 108 100 80 73
Quality of Pigment and Pigment Load Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent A lower pigment load
Consistency and manipulability Heavy Bodied Smooth Heavy Bodied Smooth Heavy Bodied (thixotropic at times) Heavy Bodied Smooth Less Bodied Smooth
Use with Mediums Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Breakdown with water for edge blending etc Excellent Excellent Excellent  Excellent  Not usually over painted 
Drying time Normal  Normal Normal  Normal (slightly slower)  Very Slow
Extendibility of drying time Unlimited No  No  No  Very slow
Reworkable after dry Yes No  No  No  No 
Intercompatibility with other brands Yes  Yes  Yes  Yes  Yes but much slower 
Tube Size 80ml 60ml  60ml  60ml  60ml 
Important notice* Golden Open has been included in this chart because Atelier Interactive has frequently been compared to Golden Open on the Wet Canvas website. This is simply not relevant, as Atelier Interactive is a traditional fast drying acrylic. If you consider the properties being compared above, you will see that Atelier Interactive is a paint for general use which is capable of delayed drying only if required, whereas Golden Open is a niche product designed specifically for Artists who require a slow drying acrylic paint.

If you are prepared to consider trying another brand of artists' acrylic, all the above brands are compatible, but most artists would not intermix Golden Open with another brand because of the unpredictable drying time.

The 80ml size of Atelier Interactive always gives 33 & 1/3 more paint per tube than the other brands. When comparing prices, do not just compare the prices by series, because the equivalent color may not be in the same series. For example, Golden Heavy Bodied Pyrrole Red – 60ml - $18.79, Atelier Interactive - 80ml - $9.87. The difference is dramatic because the Atelier Interactive Tube contains 1/3 more paint of similar quality.

Any artist considering a brand change might sensibly start with only one color, and if satisfied with the new paint, might add more colors as needed. To do a “paint tasting” which is mainly about consistency and quality, the new paint being tried has to meld with the current brand you are using. In addition to working seamlessly with your current chosen and liked brand, Atelier Interactive has interesting new properties that you might enjoy exploring. Atelier Interactive has been in general use in Australia since 2008, and the above information has been compiled from comprehensive user experience.