GOLDEN Heavy body acrylics | The largest assortment of unique pure pigments

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The Golden website has very little about these paints, so I will need to grab information where I can.

GOLDEN's Heavy Body paints are renowned for their creamy, velvety texture and comprise a broad assortment of pure pigments blended with a 100% acrylic emulsion. They offer:

• Exceptionally smooth, thick, buttery consistency
• Excellent permanency and lightfastness
• Contain no fillers, extenders, opacifiers, toners or dyes
• Water and UV resistant

Explore the captivating and diverse world of GOLDEN's inaugural acrylic paint product. Delve into the extensive range of colours and complementary products that can unlock endless creative possibilities for artists seeking to express their unique style and vision. Discover the rich history of the GOLDEN brand and the benefits and obstacles of this brand. Lastly, we share valuable feedback from genuine customers.

If you're searching for premium quality acrylic paints, consider giving GOLDEN a try. Read on to learn more.

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The History of Golden 

GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylics were introduced in 1980 and sold to Manhattan artists in quart and gallon containers. Containing a heavy body, high-viscosity paint in a jar was considered unusual. Almost all of the literature about acrylic at that time implied that jar colours were thin and tube colours were thicker. The first water-borne acrylic paint was thin - similar in consistency to house paint. Technological advancements allowed more viscous formulations, and in 1990, tubes were made available for a broader range of artists. 

​Sam Golden began his paint-making career in 1936 at Bocour Artist Colors, a company he co-owned with his uncle, Leonard Bocour. Sam and Leonard began by producing hand-ground oil colours for artists in Manhattan. It was Sam’s work directly with artists and the products he developed in collaboration with these painters that became the inspiration for his entire paint-making career. Sam, the specialist and inventor, is credited with developing the first artist acrylic paint and other acrylic products. In 1980, Sam invited his son, Mark, to join him in forming the new company, Golden Artist Colors, Inc.

​When producing the HB line, GOLDEN consciously broke the mold of the acrylics made in the past. Most acrylics were produced to have an even satin sheen across the range of colors. Manufacturers felt artists wanted this even sheen to avoid the differences encountered by oils. In Oils, the colors requiring very little oil (lean colors) tended to be very matte, while those colors requiring substantial amounts of oil (fatty colors) tended to be quite glossy.

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Detailed info about the paint formulas etc (Where to put this? Is it useful? Is all of it necessary to include?)

Each Heavy Body colour exhibits unique properties that correspond to its pigment composition. Those colours that can accommodate a higher concentration of pigment will dry to a more opaque and matte finish, whereas those that are less tolerant of pigment will produce a glossier and more transparent finish. It should be noted that Heavy Body colours are formulated without matting agents, which accounts for the variation in gloss between colours.

​GOLDEN decided not to add the flattening agents typically added to acrylic paints to unify the product"s finish. We decided that each pigment would be made to its own level of matte or gloss depending upon its own unique nature. We also decided not to add opacifiers to our colors (use of opacifiers is critical for coverage of house paints, yet it is also the reason that house colors tend to be quite subdued compared to professional artist colors). These decisions allowed our colors to retain their clearest and cleanest quality, especially when used in washes or glazes. It is always possible to add matting agents and other whitening materials to the product, but once added, it is impossible to take them away. The HB line of acrylics contains no additional flattening agents, opacifiers or other solids that might interfere with the clarity of our pigments.
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It is quite evident when looking at our color chart that colors in the HB line do differ in gloss. For example, the sheen of GOLDEN Ultramarine Blue or Burnt Umber is almost a dead matte, whereas the sheen of Green Gold or Dioxazine Purple is extremely glossy. Some artists may find this problematic; yet for many artists the variations offer the same nuances of color that are so appreciated in oil paints and give what many describe as an organic look to the colors. Without the need for opacifiers we can offer colors as similar in hue as the Cadmiums and Hansas, yet quite different in their ability to cover and in their clarity when mixing.

​The HB colors retain excellent flexibility when dry, greatly diminishing the possibility of cracking that occurs in other natural and synthetic polymer systems. The acrylics can absorb the constant stress and strain placed on canvas when shipped or as it expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity. Please note: acrylics begin to harden at 15 degrees Centigrade or 59 degrees Fahrenheit, and become quite hard at temperatures below freezing. This is especially important to remember when shipping a painting in freezing conditions or when unrolling a painting that has been kept in cold storage.

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ADVANTAGES

• ​Wide range of colours (120?) and sizes 
• No fillers, extenders, toners or dyes added
• ​Large colour palette and offers alternative pigments
• Excellent permanancy and lightfastness
• They retain excellent flexibility when dry, greatly diminishing the possibility of cracking that occurs in other natural and synthetic polymer systems
• Colours  can be mixed with all of the GOLDEN Mediums, Gels and other paint lines.
• Widely available 
• Mostly Vegan*

DISADVANTAGES
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• Heavy body acrylics are thick, so some acrylic artists may not like the consistency
• Expensive
• Some colours contain small amounts of toxic pigments (Cadmiums, Cobalts etc.)
• *Not 100% Vegan. Those colours that contain Bone Black (Bone Black, All Neutral greys, Jenkins Green, Prussian Blue Hue & Terre Verte Hue)

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Hints and Tips

• Heavy Body viscosity can also be reduced successfully with water, however, the more water added to the acrylics, the greater the subsequent shrinking of the paint layer. Adding too much water will reduce the binding capability of acrylic paints and tends to flatten out their sheen.
• Acrylics are sensitive to solvents. If you want to use solvents, dilute them with water first. Adding solvent too rapidly may cause the acrylic to coagulate.​
• FIND MORE HINTS AND TIPS - CHECK THEIR BLOG

​Can the Heavy Body range be used with other acrylic paint ranges by GOLDEN?

YES!
​The heavy body colours can be mixed with all other GOLDEN paint lines, including the Open acrylics, High Flow Acrylics, Fluid Acrylics, High load Acrylics and Matte Acrylics. By mixing paint lines, artists can produce a wide range of paint consistencies without compromising colour strength. "

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DELVE INTO THE COLOURS AND COLLECTIONS

The Main Set of ColorsProbably the biggest standout of our ever-expanding Heavy Body line is the breadth of unique colorants we offer. The line currently consists of 73 colors, 7 Neutral Grays, 3 Primaries, 7 Historical Colors and 11 Custom Colors for a total of 101 different colors, shades and tints. Only about 30 of these colors are mixture colors, while the rest of the Heavy Body line is produced from single, unique pigments.
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​Colours Available:  101
The range consists of
73 colours
7 Neutral Grays
​3 Primaries
7 Historical Colours
​& 11 Custom Colours
Also:
9 Interference colours
​14 Iridescents
6 Metals

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The website for heavy body paints has an interactive colour chart that provides detailed information about each pigment, including the chemical compounds, opacity/translucency, and lightfastness. It even reveals how colours were mixed to create certain pigments. This can be helpful when deciding which colours to purchase and allows for creating custom mixtures instead of buying the entire collection. One interesting aspect is how historical colours have been recreated without toxic ingredients and without using 'traditional' recipes. The India Yellow Hue has a particularly fascinating history!
​"A modern mixture replacing the pigment originally produced in the early 1800's by collecting urine from oxen fed only mango leaves. Our version is more permanent, more lightfast, totally humane and (best of all) urine-free."

Prussian Blue Hue

Teal

Pyrrole Red

Indian Yellow Hue

Dioxazine Purple

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The mixture colours

The mixture colors within the GOLDEN HB line of acrylics include Green Gold, Jenkins Green, Quinacridone Crimson and Turquois (Phthalo), as well as our Neutral Grays, Historical Colors, Blended Colors and Primaries. Some mixture colors, such as GOLDEN Historical Colors, offer safe and lightfast alternatives for pigments that, otherwise, would be dangerous or insufficiently light stable for artist use.

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Neutral grays

Neutral Grays in the HB line help artists adjust the chroma without affecting the hue. Using a Neutral Gray with the same value as the colour keeps the hue and value consistent. Mixing it with a different value changes both the value and intensity. The Neutral Grays are arranged on the Munsell Value Scale from black to white, with varying shades of grey in between. Use GOLDEN Bone Black as the black (N1) and Titanium White as the white (N10) for best results. GOLDEN Neutral Grays include the values N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N7, and N8. They are formulated precisely to be evenly spaced and completely achromatic. Each batch is monitored with a spectrophotometer to ensure they fall within a tight tolerance range.

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Interference colours

The GOLDEN Interference Acrylic Colors have a unique feature that changes their colour when viewed from different angles. The effect is more subtle on white or lighter surfaces, while on black or darker surfaces, it's more noticeable. Add a small amount of black to the colours to create stronger effects. You can also mix them with GOLDEN Gels (Gloss) and Fluid Acrylic Colors to get a variety of colours and effects.

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• These acrylic resins offer highly reflective metallic variations when mixed with gold colours.
• Shimmering colours achieve their reflective properties by nature synthetically reproduced
• Large shimmering colours are large versions of fine particles of iridescent products.​

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Iridescents and metals

​Used alone or with other colors, gels and mediums, GOLDEN Iridescent Acrylic Colors can create stunning metallic finishes that won't fade or tarnish. For a pearlescent effect, mix the Iridescent Pearl into your colour creations. GOLDEN Mica Flake products offer larger particles for more textured metallic effects. Iridescent Stainless Steel and Micaceous Iron Oxide are made with highly reflective metallic pigments. 

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POULAR MEDIUMS

" ​The GOLDEN fluid mediums, including Polymer Medium, Acrylic Glazing Liquid, the GAC Mediums and the Airbrush Mediums, can be used to thin Heavy Body Acrylics. They also add a myriad of unique possibilities to the working and gloss properties of the paint surface. All GOLDEN mediums retain the film integrity of the acrylic, and in some cases they actually enhance the durability of the paint film. "

GOLDEN Acrylic Glazing Liquid can be used as a slow-drying colour glaze, a thinning medium to improve brushability, a pre-glazing solution before applying paint, and smoother wet-in-wet blending. The slow-drying formula enables the execution of various glaze and faux finishes typically achieved with oils.

The GOLDEN Retarder is an additive that effectively prolongs the drying time of water-based paints. The product is formulated to reduce the speed of the water evaporation process, thus granting artists more time to manipulate their artwork.

Golden Matte Medium is useful for extending colours, decreasing gloss and increasing film integrity. Additionally, it can serve as a ground in place of gesso. This medium is composed of liquid, 100% pure acrylic polymer, and contains matting solids designed to lower the sheen.

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Other related articles that may be of interest
​

Acrylics | A guide for beginners

View all our acrylic paint related articles

Try one of our free acrylic tutorials

GOLDEN Mediums - Not currently available

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Colour Chart and Lightfastness

The Lightfastness Ratings are provided by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Colours with a Lightfastness Rating of I are considered Excellent and those with a Lightfastness Rating of II are Very Good. The pigments are subjected to a rigorous lightfastness testing procedure that simulates a century of museum display within a mere 15-week period. The outcomes of this testing process are determined through spectrophotometer testing and mathematical calculations, with colours rated as either Lightfastness I if they exhibit a colour change of less than four units or Lightfastness II if they display a colour change between four and eight units.​

BIG JOB! COLOUR CHART LIKE THE SENNELIER OIL PASTELS - INCLUDE LIGHTFASTNESS AND PRICE RANGE. ANY OTHER IMPORTANT INFO? CROP IMAGES? MAKE SURE YOU PUT EACH IMAGE THROUGH THE COMPRESSOR OR MAKE THEM SMALL ENOUGH IN PHOTOSCAPE.

" Opacity / Transparency We have determined that an eight-point scale is most appropriate for describing the properties of our colors. We have assigned each color in the chart a number from 1 (most opaque) to 8 (most transparent) to indicate the opacity/transparency of that color. "

"Of the 101 HB colors, 94 within the line are considered excellent in lightfastness (the ability to withstand color change due to exposure to light). The remaining 7 are rated very good for lightfastness. GOLDEN does not use any colors within the HB line rated less than very good. Those colors rated as very good include the two Naphthols, Hansa Yellow Light, Permanent Green Light, Dioxazine Purple, Green Gold, and Primary Yellow. It should be noted that of the colors rated as excellent in lightfastness, the Cadmium colors are especially sensitive to the combination of light and moisture, so outdoor use of these colors should be avoided. "

Where lightfastness ratings have not been obtained according to ASTM test protocol, "N/A" is used. In those cases, data from pigment manufacturers and our own test facilities have been used and an appropriate description assigned under Permanency.

Heavy Body acrylics paint information

SUITABLE SURFACES

WHICH SURFACES ARE SUITABLE - CANVAS, PAPER, BOARD, WOOD, ALUMINIUM ETC - MENTION ABOUT PROTECTING WITH GESSO WHERE REQUIRED

CANVAS

BOARDS

Acrylic paper

MDF

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VARNISHING INFORMATION
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Varnishes available in the range include: Matt, Satin & Gloss. The finish desired is purely down to personal preference. The matt and satin varnishes should be stirred well before use. The varnish remover is also available so artists can re-varnish a painting if it gets damaged or dirt becomes ingrained into the surface due to time and exposure. GOLDEN recommends that you apply an Isolation coat to your painting before you apply your varnish. 

Discuss the varnishing process recommended by GOLDEN

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POLYMER VARNISH UPDATE

Mention this here simply to link to the blog post about this product.

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Safety around these paints

​Golden place a high priority on the health and safety of the artists's studio and materials. They feel the artists should be aware of any potential hazards so Golden far surpass the required quantity of health and safety advice on their labels. Their products are not more dangerous, just more accurately labelled.

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pigment strengths

​Opaque paints are more reflective (not to be confused with “shiny”). They cover and hide what's underneath. Transparent (or translucent) paints allow more light to pass through them. They are 'see through'.
Semi-transparent stains offer a subtle, yet more pronounced colour appearance, while still allowing some wood grain and texture to show through.

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Sets available

Open stock - Varying sizes

Introductory set - 6 x 22ml tubes

Traditional set - 6 x 22ml tubes

Mixing set - 12 x 22ml tubes

Essentials set - 6 x 59ml tubes

Colour mixing Modern Theory set - 8 x 59ml tubes

Colour mixing Classic Theory set - 8 x 59ml tubes

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CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

(Via Amazon)
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Positive

" Over the last 15 years, my palette of acrylic paints and accessories had expanded to approximately 50% of Golden products and 50% of 4 other widely available products. I no longer enjoyed acrylics as much as before because I noticed mixing problems, poor flow release, and a growing lack of "zing" in the colours. After some research, it became clear that the retardation and drying properties of the various paints and associated products were not compatible. The less heavy body alternatives were the root of the problem. Therefore, I decided to rationalise my palette to one manufacturer - Golden - for all my acrylic materials. The results have been immediate and impressive, with the colours massively enhanced over my previous paintings and no mixing-related problems.. "
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I love all the golden paints particularly the Heavy body. I am a beginner and the paint covers really well so you don’t have to use to many coats layers unlike other paint brands.

​​This product is awesome. The colour is so beautiful and the consistency is more incredible than I expected. Strongly recommended if you love to express yourself artistically.

" Very happy with the Golden paint. I started out using Liquitex Basics, then started purchasing Liquitex Heavy Body acrylic paints. I've read great reviews about Golden and I am impressed. The only complaint I have is the cap can be difficult to remove. It is hard to get a good grip around the small, metal cap. I still give it 5 stars and will purchase other colors, but won't be leaving my Liquitex Heavy Body anytime soon. " 
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It is more expensive than the average acrylic paint. It will work for beginners as it is easy to apply, but maybe not a starter paint because of the cost.

" Good quality paints, more expensive but you get what you pay for. Flow is good, consistency and pigment is great quality. "
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PERSONAL VIEWS????

Animal friendly information

Do Golden test their products on animals?

​No, we don't test our products on animals. However, many of the raw materials we use have been tested on animals. This is because regulations require that the potential toxicity of chemical substances be determined in order to help safeguard consumers and the environment. The good news is that Europe is leading the world in requiring that companies make such data available to everyone in order to prevent the need for duplicate testing. Because we operate in the global marketplace, our supply chain is positively impacted by this change and we support this philosophy as compared to historical practices.

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GOLDEN Heavy Body acrylics are vegan except for Bone Black, which includes other colours that have been mixed with this paint.