Bringing paintings to life often involves more than just colour and composition; it’s about engaging the sense of touch, even if only visually. Texture can transform a flat surface into a dynamic landscape, adding depth, catching light in unique ways, and conveying emotion with a physicality that smooth paint application cannot match. One fantastic tool in the artist’s arsenal for achieving this tactile quality, especially with acrylics, is impasto gel. This versatile medium allows painters to build body, create dramatic peaks, and leave the expressive marks of their tools embedded in the artwork.
Understanding Impasto Gel
So, what exactly is this stuff? Think of impasto gel as a sort of clear, thick binder, primarily acrylic-based, designed specifically to add volume and body to your paints without significantly altering the colour value (unless it’s a tinted or white gel, of course). Its main job is to hold shape. When you mix it with your acrylic paint, it extends the paint, makes it thicker, and allows it to retain the form you give it – whether that’s a sharp stroke from a palette knife or the bristle marks of a stiff brush. Unlike simply using vast quantities of paint (which can be expensive and prone to cracking if applied too thickly without a medium), impasto gel is formulated to dry stably even in thick applications.
Most impasto gels dry clear or translucent, although matte and gloss versions are widely available, influencing the final sheen of the textured area. They are generally water-based, making cleanup relatively easy with soap and water while wet, just like standard acrylics.
Why Embrace Texture with Gel?
The allure of texture is undeniable. It adds a sculptural dimension to a two-dimensional surface. But why reach for an impasto gel specifically?
Visible Brushstrokes and Tool Marks: This is the classic impasto effect, famously used by artists like Van Gogh. The gel holds the shape of every stroke, allowing the energy of the application process to remain visible in the finished piece. Palette knives, stiff brushes, even fingers leave their signature.
Building Significant Thickness: Want really dramatic, almost sculptural elements? Impasto gel lets you build up areas much more thickly than paint alone would allow without risking cracking or excessively long drying times. Some heavy gels can hold stiff peaks several centimetres high.
Paint Extension: Artist-quality paints aren’t cheap. Impasto gel acts as an extender, allowing you to create volume and cover larger areas with texture without using up tubes of pure pigment quite so rapidly. It bulks out the paint considerably.
Controlled Drying: While very thick applications will naturally take longer to cure fully, impasto gels are formulated to dry more reliably and often faster than equivalent thicknesses of pure acrylic paint, which can skin over while remaining wet underneath for extended periods.
Altering Sheen: Using a gloss impasto gel can add luminosity and depth to colours, while a matte gel can create a flatter, more absorbent-looking textured surface, giving you further creative control over the final appearance.
Choosing Your Weapon: Types of Impasto Gels
Not all impasto gels are created equal. They come in various consistencies and finishes, catering to different needs:
Regular Gel (Gloss/Matte): This is a good starting point. It adds moderate body, suitable for visible brushstrokes and moderate peaks. Available in gloss and matte finishes.
Heavy Gel (Gloss/Matte): As the name suggests, this is thicker and offers more substance. It’s designed for creating higher peaks and more dramatic, sculptural effects. It holds its shape exceptionally well.
Extra Heavy Gel (Gloss/Matte): For the most extreme textures. This stuff is seriously thick, almost like putty, and can be sculpted and carved to a degree. Ideal for when you want maximum dimension.
Lightweight Molding Paste / Light Impasto Gel: While technically often called a paste, some light versions function similarly to impasto gel but are formulated to be less heavy, reducing the overall weight of the finished painting, especially important on large canvases or less rigid supports. They often dry to an opaque, matte white finish, which needs painting over.
The choice depends entirely on the effect you’re after. Do you want subtle, flowing textures or sharp, dramatic landscapes on your canvas? Consider the final sheen as well – gloss enhances vibrancy, while matte offers a more subdued look.
Techniques for Textural Triumph
Mixing Gel with Paint
This is perhaps the most common method. Simply scoop out some gel onto your palette and mix it thoroughly with your chosen acrylic colour using a palette knife or brush. The ratio is flexible; there’s no single ‘correct’ amount. Adding a little gel will slightly thicken the paint, while adding a lot more gel than paint will create a highly textured, translucent effect where the gel’s body dominates. Experiment! Start with maybe 1 part paint to 1 part gel and adjust from there based on the desired thickness and transparency.
Compatibility Check: Always ensure the impasto gel brand you choose is compatible with your acrylic paints. While most acrylic gels work well with most acrylic paints, slight variations in formulation exist. Doing a small test patch before committing to a large area is wise. Mix thoroughly to ensure even consistency and drying.
Once mixed, apply the combination to your support using brushes, knives, or other tools just as you would with paint, but embrace the thickness! Don’t try to smooth it out too much unless that’s the specific effect you want. Let the texture happen.
Applying Gel Directly
Another approach is to apply the impasto gel directly to the canvas or support first, creating the texture you desire while the gel is still clear or white (depending on the type). Use palette knives, combs, sponges, or even piping bags to sculpt the surface. Let this textured layer dry completely – drying time will vary significantly based on thickness, humidity, and temperature. Once thoroughly dry (which could take hours or even days for very thick applications), you can paint over it with thin washes or thicker layers of acrylic colour. The underlying texture will show through, creating interesting effects as the paint catches on the peaks and settles in the valleys.
Tools of the Trade
While standard brushes work, certain tools excel at creating texture with impasto gel:
- Palette Knives: Essential for impasto work. They allow you to apply thick slabs of the gel/paint mixture, create sharp edges, smooth flat areas, or scrape into the surface. Different shapes and sizes yield different marks.
- Stiff Bristle Brushes: Hog hair or synthetic equivalents leave distinct bristle marks within the thick medium, adding another layer of texture.
- Silicone Brushes/Shapers: These offer unique mark-making possibilities and are easy to clean.
- Sponges: Natural or synthetic sponges can create stippled, organic textures.
- Combs and Notched Tools: Dragging these through the wet gel creates parallel lines or patterned effects.
- Anything Else!: Bubble wrap, crumpled paper, fabric scraps – experiment with pressing various items into the wet gel (and removing them or leaving them embedded) to create unique imprints.
Building Layers
Texture doesn’t have to be created all at once. You can build it up in layers. Apply a moderately textured layer, let it dry, and then add more texture on top, either with more gel mixture or by applying gel directly. This allows for complex, overlapping textures and can create a real sense of history and depth in the painting. Remember to allow each layer to dry sufficiently before adding the next to prevent unwanted mixing or disturbing the underlying forms.
Specific Effects to Explore
Sharp Peaks and Ridges: Load a palette knife with a thick mixture of heavy impasto gel and paint. Apply it with a decisive stroke, lifting the knife away sharply at the end to create crisp edges and peaks. Drag the edge of the knife through the wet material for linear ridges.
Soft, Undulating Texture: Use a softer brush or a sponge with a moderate gel/paint mix. Apply with dabbing or swirling motions. This creates less defined, more organic-feeling textures.
Stippled Effects: Use a stiff brush or sponge loaded with a thick mix and dab repeatedly onto the surface. Vary the pressure and angle for different results.
Scraping Back (Sgraffito): Apply a layer of gel/paint mixture, and while it’s still wet, use the end of a brush handle, a palette knife edge, or another pointed tool to scrape back into it, revealing the underlying layer or canvas colour.
Drying, Curing, and Finishing
Patience is crucial when working with thick textures. While the surface might feel dry to the touch relatively quickly (perhaps within hours), the underlying layers, especially in very thick applications (half an inch or more), can take days or even weeks to cure fully. Ensure the artwork is left in a well-ventilated area with stable temperature during this time. Avoid leaning anything against the textured surface until you are absolutely certain it’s fully hardened.
Mind the Weight: Thick applications of impasto gel, especially heavy gels, add significant weight to the artwork. Ensure your support (canvas, board, panel) is sturdy enough to handle the extra load without warping or buckling over time. Properly stretched heavy-duty canvas or rigid panels are recommended for extensive impasto work.
Once completely dry and cured, you can varnish the painting as you normally would. A spray varnish might be easier to apply evenly over a highly textured surface than a brush-on varnish, which could pool in the crevices. Choose a gloss, satin, or matte varnish depending on the desired final look.
Embrace Experimentation
The real joy of using impasto gel lies in experimentation. Mix different amounts, try various tools, combine techniques, paint over dry textures, scrape into wet ones. There are no hard and fast rules beyond basic compatibility and drying considerations. See how the light interacts with the surfaces you create. Discover what textures best express the mood or subject of your work. Impasto gel opens up a world of dimensional possibilities, inviting you to push beyond the flat surface and make your paintings truly stand out.
