Busted. We recommend using Heavy Body Acrylic to transition from oils to acrylic. It has a comparable density and viscosity, so oil devotees are usually pleasantly surprised when they try it.

Thick, rich, glossy and textural, oil is a paint with real character and tradition, but it’s not the easiest paint to master. With a similar richness of color, acrylic gives less brush drag and dries MUCH quicker than oils. To make the transition to acrylic more seamless, you can increase the viscosity of Heavy Body with Liquitex Professional Gloss Heavy Gel or Gloss or Matte Super Heavy Gel - these increase thickness and slow drying rate to make it feel even more like oil paint.

You can also mix it up. Start painting with acrylics, leave to dry and then switch to oils. This can be a good way to lay down a quick drying base before moving on to the slower drying oils. Just don’t try it the other way. Acrylics offer a stable underlayer for oils, but oils won’t do the same for acrylics. 

Changing up your methods or materials will open up new ways of expression. So if you want to jump into acrylics, our Professional Heavy Body range is the place to start. Check out the 116 color palette, now with new iridescent and fluorescents, and see what you can create.