Acrylic paint is a quick-drying paint composed of pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion.
Acrylic paint, first developed in the 1950s, employs a synthetic resin to bind pigments. Its adaptability shines through in its ability to be thinned with water, allowing for both thin and thick applications, mimicking the qualities of watercolour or oil painting, or manifesting unique characteristics not found in other mediums. Once dry, acrylic paint becomes waterproof.
Thanks to its versatility and rapid drying time, acrylic paint has gained immense popularity as a painting medium, widely embraced by contemporary artists. Notably, artist David Hockney was an early advocate of acrylic paint, using it to create some of his most iconic works during the 1960s.
An important distinction between acrylic paint and oil paint lies in their bases: acrylics are water-based, while oils are oil-based.