Justin Diaz 24 Feb 2008

Namita,

One of acrylic's great strengths is its permanence and lightfastness. You would never under normal circumstances want to expose any work to direct sunlight. As for hanging on the average wall, glass is definitely not needed, and if it was in an area where it could get dirty and glass was needed, I would suggest UV resistant plexiglass. It's safer and lighter than glass, and if it breaks (let's hope not!) you don't have to worry about cutting yourself!

Remember, when acrylic dries, it's not like watercolors... It's not fluid evaporating away, it's an actual chemical change. When acrylics dry, they change from the unlinked polymers in a tube into solid plastic. They're pretty tough. Golden is a great company with many many options for you as far as sealers are concerned. Take a look... many are self explanatory.

chris newbrook 17 Apr 2008

It depends if your acrylic painting is on canvas, board or paper. If it's on paper then you need to protect it in a frame behind glass. Acrylic varnish on canvas or board should protect it for decades.

Gail Caduff-Nash 25 Apr 2008

Pretty tough is understating it. When i didn't care for a painting i did on a textile, i'd turn it into a pillow - or when i painted on clothing - and wash it in the washer many times. the effect after a long while might be a slightly batik effect, as it was on some of mine. the biggest problem with acrylics is the tendency of them to go flat on you - texturally and color-wise. especially on paper. you can spray or paint a light coat of water-based urethane that will make your surface even more cleanable but generally you don't need to worry about protection.

Margie De-Faria 02 Aug 2008

What if you have artwork that is on say a T-shirt that has been painted in Acrylics and you wish to protect it from fading out? What would you use on this? The person used regular acrylic paints. I'm afraid to wash it.

Minnie Shuler 11 Jul 2009

I don't know probably the correct answer but I do know that I've gotten acrylic paint on my clothing while doing a project and it seems to never wash out, especially on polyester blend fabrics. If I had to bet on something removing it, I'd say amonia. Acrylic paintings should be cleaned with very mild (if any) soap and water...never use an amonia product like a glass cleaner. It will fade the acrylic paint and even remove it with continued use. I generally give mine a coat of matte medium or gloss medium that is especially prepared for acrylic paints. I generally use Liquitex, but Golden is a good product. Acrylic paints (to me) do not seem to retain the beauty and brilliance of oils;but is faster. This iris sold on the internet. The new brand of Acrylic enamels used for glass and china painting thins with alcohol, they are usually coated with a high gloss acrylic clear varnish spray. I have used this Kamar spray on my regular paintings with great success also.

cliff higdon 13 Jul 2009

Once the painting has dried, I know that acrylics dry almost instantly,but wait a week or so. Then apply a medium called a top coat, it is a permanent acrylic medium that is permanent and can not be removed, then varnish the painting. If the painting becomes dirty for whatever reason the varnish can be removed without harming the paint and then re varnish. Golden manufactures such a medium. As a matter of fact the Golden website is rich in tech. info on acrylic paint and the mediums and varnishes used.

Hope this helps, Cliff.

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