Fluid Natural Acrylik is ready to use straight from the bottle. Its flowing consistency makes it especially useful where you want movement or smooth application without giving up pigment strength.
- Pour, drip, stain or layer: Use it straight from the bottle for fluid techniques, staining, water-media effects, and layered colour.
- Paint fine details: The softer consistency moves easily through smaller brushes and is well suited to fine lines and detailed work.
- Make broad, smooth strokes: Use it where you want colour to level and move more freely than a heavy-body paint.
- Mix with other acrylics: Fluid Natural Acrylik mixes with conventional acrylic paints and mediums.
- Thin further if needed: Add water gradually when you want an even more fluid application. Avoid excessive dilution, which can weaken the binder.
- Use it on fabric: Fluid Acrylik works well for detailed fabric painting. Allow the paint to cure for at least 24 hours before washing or wearing, then wash by hand or on a gentle cycle with cold water and lay flat or hang to dry.
Drying & clean-up: Drying generally takes about 10–40 minutes, depending on humidity and the surface. Clean wet paint from brushes, hands, and palettes with soap and water. Isopropyl alcohol can help with dried paint. Larger amounts of unused paint should go in the trash rather than the compost or down the drain.
FAQs
What is fluid acrylic paint?
Fluid acrylic paint is a lower-viscosity acrylic paint formulated to flow more freely than Heavy Body acrylic while still maintaining strong pigment concentration and a durable acrylic paint film.
It works especially well for pouring, staining, glazing, fine detail, smooth brushwork, layered painting and other techniques where you want more movement from the paint.
Why choose Natural Fluid Acrylik over conventional fluid acrylic paint?
If you want the familiar handling, pigment strength, permanence, and versatility of a professional fluid acrylic paint, but prefer a formula made with plant-based resin, bio-based additives, and natural or non-toxic pigments instead of petroleum-based resin and many of the harsher additives used in conventional acrylics, that’s the difference.
Fluid Acrylik is still made to perform like professional acrylic paint — it dries quickly, forms a durable paint film, mixes with conventional acrylics, and is archival and lightfast.
What’s the difference between Fluid Acrylik and Heavy Body Acrylik?
The main difference is consistency, not pigment load.
Fluid Acrylik has the same pigment load as Heavy Body Acrylik, but a softer, flowing consistency. Choose Fluid for pouring, dripping, staining, fine detail, smooth brushwork, and water-media techniques. Choose Heavy Body when you want more body, texture, and visible brush or knife marks.
Can’t I just add water to Heavy Body Acrylik to make fluid acrylic paint?
You can thin Heavy Body Acrylik with water, but adding water also dilutes the paint and pigment concentration.
Fluid Acrylik is formulated to begin with a thinner consistency while maintaining the same pigment load as Heavy Body paint. That gives you flow without having to water down a heavier paint simply to change how it moves.
Do you make a Fluid Acrylik Medium?
Not currently. Fluid Acrylik Paint isn’t simply Natural Acrylik Medium or Heavy Body paint with extra water added. The Fluid formula is made differently, with ingredients added separately and at different stages to create its flowing consistency while maintaining its pigment load.
Can I use Fluid Acrylik like acrylic ink?
Not interchangeably. Acrylic ink is considerably thinner than fluid acrylic paint and behaves differently.
Choose Fluid Acrylik when you want a flowing professional acrylic paint with substantial pigment and body. If a technique specifically depends on the very thin consistency and behaviour of acrylic ink, Fluid Acrylik isn’t a direct substitute.
Are Fluid Natural Acryliks archival and lightfast?
Yes. Natural Acrylik is formulated for professional, archival work, and every colour in the current Fluid Acrylik range is rated Excellent for lightfastness.
Colour index, opacity, and lightfastness details are listed above.
What finish do Fluid Acryliks have?
It varies by pigment. Most colours dry to a gloss finish, while a few dry satin or matte.
How long does Fluid Acrylik take to dry?
Usually about 10–40 minutes, similar to conventional acrylic paint. Humidity, surface, paint thickness, and working conditions can all change the drying time.
Does Fluid Acrylik smell or contain toxic VOCs?
Fluid Acrylik does have a scent similar to other acrylic paints, but does not contain toxic VOCs.
The formula was developed specifically to replace petroleum-based resin and many conventional acrylic additives with plant-based, bio-based, and non-toxic alternatives.
Is Natural Fluid Acrylik biodegradable?
Not quickly. Fluid Acrylik is designed to create a durable, permanent paint film, so it won’t home-compost or readily biodegrade once dry. It will break down gradually over a much longer period of time.
The distinction is in what the paint is made from: a plant-based resin, bio-based additives, and natural or non-toxic pigments rather than the conventional petroleum-based resin and harsher additive system.
If ready biodegradability is your priority, our Eco-Friendly Oil Paint, Natural Watercolours, Natural Earth Paint, or make-your-own paint recipes may be a better fit
Can I wash Fluid Acrylik paint from my brushes in the sink?
For normal brush clean-up, yes. Wash brushes, hands, and palettes with soap and water while the paint is still wet.
If you have a lot of paint in your rinse water, strain out as much paint as practical before disposal. Larger amounts of unused paint belong in the trash rather than down the drain or in compost.
Can I mix Fluid Acrylik with conventional acrylic paints?
Yes. Fluid Acrylik mixes with conventional acrylic paints and mediums, so you can add it to an existing acrylic practice rather than replacing your entire palette at once.
Can I use Fluid Acrylik for acrylic pouring?
Yes. Pouring and dripping are two of the techniques Fluid Acrylik was designed for.
Its flowing consistency lets the paint move without first having to dilute Heavy Body paint simply to make it pourable. Depending on the particular pouring technique, you may still choose to work with a compatible medium or adjust consistency further.
Can I use Fluid Acrylik on fabric?
Yes. Fluid Acrylik works particularly well for fine detail on fabric because it flows more easily than Heavy Body Acrylik while keeping strong pigment coverage.
The dry paint adds some stiffness and tends to sit mostly on top of the textile. Depending on the fabric and how heavily you apply it, some colour may pass through, so put a protective layer behind the fabric while you work.
Allow the paint to dry for at least 24 hours before washing or wearing. Wash by hand or on a gentle cold-water cycle and lay flat or hang to dry.
Do I need to heat-set Fluid Acrylik on fabric?
Our testing found that heat-setting did not improve the longevity of the paint.
Let the paint dry for at least 24 hours before washing. For longer wear, treat painted textiles gently and use cold water and a gentle cycle or hand washing.
Can I use Fluid Acrylik in an airbrush or HVLP spray system?
Fluid Acrylik may work well for some spray applications because of its thinner consistency, but we haven’t tested every airbrush, nozzle, or HVLP system.
If you’re considering it, test a small amount with your equipment first. Sprayed paint creates airborne particles even when the ingredients themselves are non-toxic, so use appropriate ventilation and respiratory protection for spray applications.
Can I use Fluid Acrylik on glass, wood, stone, leather, or other surfaces?
Yes. Natural Acrylik behaves much like conventional acrylic paint and can be used on canvas, paper, wood, fabric, stone, glass, and many other surfaces.
Surface preparation and durability will vary by material and use. For unusual, very smooth, or high-wear surfaces, test a small area first.
Is Fluid Acrylik safe to use as face or body paint?
No. Fluid Acrylik is a professional artist paint, not a cosmetic product.
For anything applied intentionally to the face or body, use our Natural Face Paint, which is formulated specifically for skin with cosmetic-grade pigments.
Is Fluid Acrylik a children’s paint?
It’s a professional artist paint, so we wouldn’t position it as a children’s craft paint or something intended for skin or ingestion.
For family art-making where you want a simpler, readily biodegradable paint designed specifically for younger artists, our Natural Earth Paint is the better fit. Fluid Acrylik makes more sense when permanence, archival quality, water resistance, and professional acrylic performance matter.
Why is Fluid Acrylik packaged in plastic bottles?
We wanted the Fluid Acryliks in a bottle that could actually be squeezed and controlled easily, which ruled out glass, metal tubes, and the plant-based bottle options we tested.
For applications where plastic is currently difficult to avoid, we use 100% recycled plastic. We chose recycled squeeze bottles for Fluid Acrylik because the available plant-based alternatives weren’t functional enough for a fluid artist paint, and a poorly functioning package can create waste of its own.
We continue to look for a functional plant-based alternative and would change the packaging when one becomes available.
Why is Heavy Body Acrylik in aluminium tubes while Fluid Acrylik is in bottles?
The packaging follows the consistency of the paint. Heavy Body Acrylik works well in aluminium tubes, while Fluid Acrylik needs a squeezable bottle that lets you dispense a thinner paint cleanly and with control.
Where plastic is necessary for this format, we use 100% recycled plastic.
Are Fluid Acryliks vegan and cruelty-free?
Yes. Our artist paints are vegan and cruelty-free. None of our products are tested on animals.
Can I order Fluid Acrylik during a Canadian winter?
We ship throughout the winter, but Fluid Acrylik can be permanently damaged by freezing.
During cold weather, orders receive extra protection, and during extreme cold snaps we may briefly delay dispatch to avoid the coldest transit conditions. For the safest delivery, check the forecast, choose the fastest practical shipping option, order early in the week, and use an address where the parcel can be brought indoors right away.
Once an order is in transit, weather and carrier conditions are outside our control. Freeze-related damage in transit is not eligible for refunds or replacements.
When were acrylic paints invented?
Modern artists’ acrylic paints emerged in the mid-20th century. The first commercially available artists’ acrylic, Magna, appeared in the late 1940s, but it was solvent-based rather than the water-based acrylic most artists use today. Water-based acrylic artist paint followed in the 1950s, giving artists a fast-drying paint that could be thinned with water and used on a wide range of surfaces.
Were the first water-based acrylic paints fluid?
Yes — relatively speaking. The first commercially available water-based artist acrylic was introduced in the 1950s as a medium-viscosity paint, closer to what we would now call a soft-body or flowing acrylic than a modern heavy-body paint.
Heavy-body water-based acrylic paint came later, in the early 1960s. So the idea of a flowing acrylic paint is not a recent variation on heavy-body acrylic — lower-viscosity acrylics were part of the medium from its earliest commercial years.
What is fluid acrylic paint, and how did it develop?
Fluid acrylic paint is a lower-viscosity acrylic formulated to flow more freely while retaining strong pigment concentration and a stable acrylic paint film.
As acrylic painting developed through the second half of the 20th century, manufacturers expanded beyond the original medium-viscosity paints into heavy-body, fluid, ink-like, slow-drying, and other specialized acrylic formulations. This gave artists much more control over texture and flow without having to radically dilute one type of paint to make it behave like another. Modern professional fluid acrylics are commonly formulated specifically for their lower viscosity rather than simply being heavy-body paint with extra water added.
Why did fluid acrylic paints become popular with artists?
Fluid acrylics give artists the permanence and fast drying of acrylic paint with more movement and levelling than heavy-body paint.
That makes them useful for pouring, staining, glazing, dripping, fine detail, smooth brushwork, layered painting, and water-media techniques. Because a properly formulated fluid acrylic can maintain a high pigment load at a lower viscosity, artists can get strong colour and flow without having to heavily dilute a thicker paint.
Is fluid acrylic paint the same as acrylic ink?
No. Both are lower-viscosity acrylic products, but acrylic ink is generally much thinner and more ink-like than fluid acrylic paint.
Fluid acrylics sit between heavier acrylic paints and very low-viscosity acrylic inks. They retain enough body for conventional painting while flowing more easily than heavy-body acrylic. Acrylic inks are better suited to techniques that specifically need an extremely thin, highly mobile consistency.
That distinction is useful both for customers and SEO because “fluid acrylic vs acrylic ink” is exactly the kind of comparison people search for.
How does Natural Fluid Acrylik fit into the history of acrylic paint?
For most of acrylic paint’s history, professional acrylics have relied on petroleum-derived acrylic resins. Natural Earth Paint began developing a different approach with the release of its plant-based Natural Acrylik Medium in 2021, followed by Natural Acrylik Paint in 2023.
Natural Fluid Acrylik carries that approach into a professional fluid paint: plant-based resin, bio-based additives, and natural or non-toxic pigments, with the fast drying, permanence, lightfastness, compatibility, and versatility artists expect from acrylic paint. The Fluid formula is made at a lower viscosity while maintaining the same pigment load as our Heavy Body Acrylik, rather than simply thinning Heavy Body paint with water.
Is plant-based acrylic paint a new development?
Yes. Acrylic paint itself has been used by artists for decades, but plant-based alternatives to the conventional petroleum-derived acrylic binder are much newer.
Our goal with Natural Acrylik was not to turn acrylic into a biodegradable temporary paint — that would defeat many of the reasons artists choose acrylic in the first place. It was to keep the durability, permanence, quick drying, and familiar handling of professional acrylic paint while changing the formulation toward plant-based resin, bio-based ingredients, and non-toxic pigment choices.
