Product Review - Matisse Acrylic Paints

Here is the write-up about the Matisse brand of acrylic paint via Jerry's Artarama: "Now you can try brilliant Matisse Flow low-viscosity artists' acrylics with these fantastic sets! Well-balanced color selections and included mediums make for virtually limitless application choices, and are excellent for learning color mixing or for taking on the road! Matisse Flow Acrylics are a superb choice for any number of techniques, from folk art and detail work to glazing and even watercolor-like washes, and their high lightfast rating and pigment content mean your art is sure to stand the test of time. Try Australia's premier fluid acrylics with these terrific sets from Down Under!"

Paramount canvases 6" x 12"

There is nothing, NOTHING, like getting a fresh batch of supplies. I am a one stop shopper when it comes to supplies - either going in person to the West Hartford, CT branch of Jerry's Artarama to check things out in person, or just buying from them online. You cannot beat the prices and their customer service is second to none. I used to frequent some big name art supply stores in Boston and New York when I was in college - they were cool in their own way, but Jerry's gives you all of the knowledgeable staff, all of the quality materials as the others, PLUS a positive personal experience that sticks with you (and crazy good prices) - it creates a sense of well earned loyalty - and in this business, that is something that I greatly admire and appreciate.

Matisse Primary Set of Acrylic Paint

The Mattise set comes with a good selection of colors - your basics "plus", if you will. Titanium White, Phthalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Brilliant Alizarin (Alizarin Crimson with bells on), Mattise Red Light (Cad Red as far as I'm concerned), Yellow Deep (this is the yellow I've been waiting for all my life, btw), Yellow Light Hansa (I've never been one for the Hansa Yellow, but that's just me - I think in time I'll grow into its mellow yellowness), and a solid Mars Black. Mixers know you don't need any secondary colors in there - multitudes of mixable purples, oranges and greens are there for the taking if you know your color wheel. ;) (Do you? Should I do a blog post about mixing colors? Let me know - no judgment!).



I began my painting session with a light wash of color (with no water or mixers by the way) to lay down an underpainting. The first thing I noticed was the thinness of the paint in the best way possible. It's smooth as silk without being too translucent. It isn't as thick as some paints I'm used to but it packs a punch nonetheless. I admire that in paint - I've dealt with cheaper acrylics that require you to layer and layer to gain the opacity you are looking for all the while being quite a thick paint to work with so it's not an easy process. This paint makes it easy...



Here's the first painting I made using the Matisse brand about half or 75% finished. I will say this... I like it... I like it a lot. My one warning would be to be careful squeezing it out - it comes out fast and a little goes a long way. You'd be surprised.

Amorous - Acrylic on 6" x 12" canvas, 2011 - SOLD

Here's the finished piece I called Amorous because, well, it reminds me of love (insert "aww" here).

Tranquility - Acrylic on 6" x 12" canvas, 2011

And here is another piece I made with these paints. All in all, I will definitely be using these paints in the future. I am also eager to try them on paper. Have you tried any new products lately? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!