The most critical element that is essential for an artist to succeed in their drawing mission is to pick on the right type of paint. If the paint is more watery than expected or delivers a rough output when used on a canvas effortlessly, the artist’s invested time and patience go down the drain.
Creating art is not easy, a lot of imagination goes into crafting, be it on a simple sheet of paper or a professional canvas. If the artist cannot imagine and visualize, then there is no way they are progressing.
However, an added problem can occur if the artist has decided to utilize inaccurate tools, amongst which the prominent and the most frequently used one is- paint.
Therefore, for all our aspiring and professional artists, we bring an article on tempera paint vs. acrylic so that without any hassle, they can easily and quickly decide on the right sort of paint to use in the future.
Tempera Paint Vs. Acrylic paint
Creating art is an activity typically associated with expression. If an individual is unable to display their emotions and feelings with words, all they do is pick up a paintbrush and paint in random strokes, attempting to bring their expression to life through color.
The distinct techniques and products utilized make every artist’s painting and every painting unique from another. While some artists recommend using tempera paint, others are fond of acrylics. But what is the difference between tempera paint vs. acrylic?
The Difference
Various differences stand between tempera paint vs. acrylic, ensuring that they demonstrate different qualities. Let’s delve deeper into investigating the differences.
Permanency
All the chaos accompanying tempera paint vs. acrylic is only based on and is because of the permanency that each paint exhibits upon completely drying out. The tempera paint is semi-permanent, meaning that even when you assume it is permanent, it can be quickly reactivated through water and is washable.
Whereas acrylic paint is permanent. There is no chance of the paint being reactivated when any contact with water is made with it. Additionally, acrylic paint is renowned for drying out immediately and for a long-lasting period.
Drying Span
Another quality that must be considered when choosing a paint to use is the span it will take to dry out. You are not willing to wait for an additional fifteen minutes, only that the single stroke you painted can dry out before you can resume.
The tempera paint will dry out quickly due to its water-based composition. Remember, it can be reactivated with water too? Hence this specific water-based composition allows the paint to dry out immediately.
However, when it comes to acrylic paints, it’s surprising to discover that they dry out very quickly and take a span less than that taken by tempera paint. But remember when they dry out, there is no going back with the paint. It has dried out only to stay and not be removed, nor can the paint be reactivated through the water.
Even though acrylics are water solvents and can efficiently dissolve in water to create a solution, once it’s on the paper or the canvas, it will harden to resist water in any manner it can.
For this reason, you should also consider cleaning your paint brushes with acrylic paints right after they are used because the paint will dry out on the tip of the brushes’ bristles sooner than you will realize.
Consistency of Paints
Since tempera paint is water-based, its consistency is thicker than acrylic paints, which only serve as water solvents. Therefore, you should expect your tempera paint coming in the form of a tube or a cake pallet to be partially opaque on the canvas.
But you can expect much more opaqueness from acrylic paints that always come in tubes to be thicker in use. When you push the paint out of the tube, it is denser and creamy, and the consistency tends to remain even when acrylics are mixed with solvents like water or other essential mediums used by artists for their paintings.
Final Finishing
Tempera paints come in a single and absolute form destined only to deliver a highly matter and often chalky finish. Apart from this, no other finish can be achieved using water-based tempera paints.
If you are considering using acrylic paints, comparatively, many options are available for you because they come in different sorts of finishing. According to your need, you can decide whether your painting requires a matte, iridescent or metallic finishing and then pick the one that you want.
Even when the acrylic paint (matte) dries, it will have a matte finish, unlike the one you will attain with tempera paints. Regardless of the constituents, the acrylic matte finish will be relatively glossy.
Outward Look on the Surface
This quality we will examine is the most integral. You should always know what sort of outward look you anticipate the paint to depict on the surface that it is being used on.
Doesn’t matter what the surface is. Choose the paint, keeping in mind the outward look it should have, and do not forget to consider whether the paint will stay or not, meaning if the color will still be bright when you re-visit the painting after months or if it will be dull.
Tempera paints are mainly created for children’s school art projects or fun painting activities at home. This implies that it won’t last for long, and the colors will degenerate over time. Similarly, tempera paints can be easily washed away.
The case will differ for acrylic paints as they are not manufactured keeping in mind the needs of children but professional artists. Subsequently, they are durable and tend to last on a surface for a prolonged period, without a single stroke of paint diminishing its color.
Read Also: ACRYLIC PAINT COLOR MIXING CHART
Be you painting with acrylics on wood, paper, metal, canvas, ceramics, or a piece of fabric, the paint will stay and is an ideal option!
Fading Period
The period undertaken by paints to fade away is also known as lightfastness. Substantially, the tempera paints lack the ability to resist fading and will vanish from the surface in a lesser span due to their semi-permanent character.
The Lightfastness of acrylic paints is mainly determined by the brand you choose, and the sort of finishing the paint promises to provide. This is something you cannot determine all on your own or by thinking that an expensive set of acrylic paints will always last and not fade away.
However, if you explore the back side of the tube of your acrylic paint, under the heading or label “ASTM,” you can find the lasting span of your paint.
Commonality Between Tempera Paint Vs. Acrylic
Apart from one commonality between tempera paint and acrylic, there is nothing similar between the two types of paints. All you will find between them is a lot of differences that we have stated in our preceding section.
The only quality that makes these paints align under the category of similarities is that both are water-based and dry out quickly. We have examined that tempera and acrylics are solvents in water, and when used on a surface, they dry out immediately.
Other than this, there is no other quality shared by tempera paint vs. acrylic, and they only compete against each other.
When to Use Tempera Paint?
Let’s start by taking a trip down memory lane when discussing the instances you can use tempera paint. Remember in preschool how you carelessly applied paints on your hands and fingers to paste them against the paper and create your artifact?
That is when you use tempera paint. The primary use of these paints is made in school. There water-based composition makes it easier for the paint to be washed away, and with children, we all know how they love playing with paint and having it spread all over them.
Tempera paints are inexpensive, so even if your child uses them passionately to create their own painting, let them. You can restock the paints quickly as they are readily available and fall well within your budget too!
When to Use Acrylic Paint?
Acrylic paints are vastly used by adults who are (hopefully) to be passionate and enthusiastic future famous artists. They are an ideal choice to pick on for professional painters because no matter what surface you paint with acrylics; it will stay and remain in its original colors.
Therefore, acrylic paints are majorly used when painting furniture or creating paintings for decorative purposes. Painters love using acrylics because of their distinguishing qualities and the fact that they come in different finishings.
Furthermore, the finishings are lasting, and whatever you paint with acrylics, be it your furniture or your painting, it will not lose out on its glow and beauty even after years have lapsed.
How to Decide Between Tempera Paint Vs. Acrylic? (Buying Guide)
Now we will be answering the most concerning query of all time. You know the difference but are still confused when it comes to finalizing either- tempera paint Vs. Acrylic? It is time we settle the debate and provide you with a few more key basics to consider.
Is it showing those fine lines that you invested hours in painting, or is the shine in the painted stars still visible?
To avoid all your hard work from going to waste, question yourself along the following lines before you begin working on your project.
What Sort of outward appearance do I want?
If you want a smooth and shiny outward appearance in your painting, then your go-to paint choice should be acrylics. On the other hand, if you are only looking to submit a picture for an art project and after a week, the quality of the paint will not matter, then use tempera paint.
Not only the tempera paint is cheap to purchase, but it will also not stain your fingers, hands, or arms.
Should the color last on the painting or fade away within due time?
Again when considering the last of the paint, tempera is your way to proceed with your artwork if it only has to be present on the surface of the canvas or the paper for some time. The tempera paint is there to stay but only temporarily.
But, with acrylics, the paint will remain on any surface and won’t fade away, ensuring your final artwork will still demonstrate all the effort that went into its creation even after a long time has passed.
Does the paint have to be used by a child or the artist?
With children, you always want products that are not toxic and easy to get rid of because children will be applying the paint not only on their hands but also their faces while spilling some on their clothes.
Even though tempera paint is not completely non-toxic, when compared with acrylics, it’s less toxic. Also, tempera paint can be washed away, so getting rid of the product on your child is only a thorough shower cleanse away.
Should the color be thick in its consistency and opaque in its demonstration?
Suppose you demand the paint to be thick in its texture and unclear in its demonstration. In that case, acrylics are the right choice because the water-based and semi-permanent qualities accompanying tempera deprive it of being consistent and fully opaque.
Am I looking to reactivate the paint?
Sometimes artists are looking to reactivate the paint when they realize that the color of the sky is not blue enough or they have spotted some other fault in their painting. If you think there is even the slightest chance to attempt reactivating the paint later on, then use tempera paints.
However, if not, then acrylic paints.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has assisted you in capably distinguishing between tempera paint vs. acrylic. The write-up provides you with differences and similarities, and later towards the end, we have also attached a buying guide to simplify your final decision-making process further.
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