How to choose the Perfect White for your Acrylic Painting

whiteacrylicpaint

It seems a little far-fetched doesn’t it?

That your white paint could be ruining your paintings.

It’s often the first tube of paint you buy and definitely the most used on your palette … yet it can be the most overlooked paint in your collection.

You can become transfixed by the Quinacridones, save up for the expensive Cadmium, but little old Titanium white stays the same.

Choosing the ‘right’ white for the type of painting you’re creating is a critical step in mastering painting with acrylics.

So what is the right white to use?

Hobby paint vs student grade vs artist Quality

best white acrylic paint

If you use a white that isn’t opaque enough, it can cause real trouble when trying to block out different areas of your painting.

As a general rule of thumb, the less expensive the white paint, the less opaque it will be.

It’s a common misconception to think it’s best to invest in strongly pigmented colours rather than a strong pigmented white.

When you’re first starting acrylic painting, you’ll often start with the student range or hobby range of whites first, thinking you will upgrade or ‘go pro’ when you reach a better level in your work.

However, using a more expensive white paint is a simple fix to easier colour mixing, cleaner mixes and less ‘colour shift’. Your dry paintings stay truer to the wet colour mixes you made, and the fuller body of the paint is perfect for thicker impasto brush marks.

In the video below, I demonstrate with a cross-section of whites to compare the similarities and differences.

Most watercolourists don’t use White.

If you’re coming from watercolours, it’s easy to see where the problems start.

Watercolour painting is primarily a transparent medium.

You build up the painting in layers.

This is called ‘In-direct painting.’

You use the paper’s white to add luminance to your painting, and the white of watercolour paper provides your highlights.

If you’re going super watercolour purist, your aim is to try to create a painting without using white paint at all.

To get a clean, transparent wash in your watercolours, investing in a good quality colour pigmentis the number one aim.

Paler tones are achieved by reserving areas of the white paper.

For tinting (adding white to a colour) in watercolour, Chinese White is used. Chinese white is made from a Zinc-oxide pigment mixed with Gum Arabic (this is closest to zinc-white in acrylics).

If really opaque white paint is needed in your watercolour painting, a Gouache* is usually used.

These final white touches are often only 5% of the painting.

When you’re starting with Acrylics the reverse is true.

The white will be used to lighten your acrylic colours and used in 95% of your mixes.

You primarily work in a ‘direct method’.

You want to have opaque paints that easily cover other colours so you can have thick, impasto, impressionistic marks.

Creating textures in acrylics is one of the medium’s strong points.

For the most common applications with acrylics, you want an ‘opaque’ white. You need to choose your white paint with the same level as care as you would be choosing your watercolour paper.

*Pro tip: Gouache is designed to be an ‘opaque watercolour.’

The binding agent used in Gouache is the same as with Watercolours – water-soluble Gum Arabic, so they can be used together very easily. There is a higher ratio of pigment to water in Gouache, with extra white pigments or chalks added to the paint to make it opaque. These additives give the Gouache a matt, chalky appearance.

What’s the most opaque white Pigment?

Titanium White.

In Oil paint, Titanium white is a slow drying pigment, so Oil painters tend not to use it in the early stages of a painting.

It is also quite a stiff pigment and needs mixing with a medium to give it a good flow and consistency. You can see in the video below how I add medium to Titanium white oil paint.

One of Acrylics’ major advantages is the paints all dry at the same rate – unlike oil paints. This means you have the luxury of being able to use an opaque white throughout your entire painting.

Titanium White vs Zinc White

zincwhite

Titanium White is an opaque white; Zinc White is a transparent white.

If you’re working with more transparent layers or very subtle shifts in tone, such as portraiture,  Zinc white can be extremely useful on your palette. It can give you slight shifts in tone for more subtle mixes. However, when you’re first starting colour mixing or building up vibrant solid blocks of colour, it’s the wrong choice of white to use.

transparency zinc white

Here you can see the comparative covering power of both whites. A swatch of paint is painted over the three black lines manufacturers print onto paint tubes so you can judge the relative opacity/transparency of a pigment.

zinc white mixing white

And here you can see the difference in volume between these two mixes.

I started with the same amount of Phthalo blue (green shade) and then added either Zinc white or Titanium white to lift the paint mix’s value (light or dark).

I needed about 5 to 6 times the amount of Zinc white to achieve a match for the Titanium white resulting in a massive volume of paint – I should point out that these are both Artist Quality grade paints.

So if you want to shift tones quickly with good opacity, use a Titanium white. If you want a more subtle change of colour mixing, opt for a Zinc white.

Price Comparison

titanium white coverage

Hobby Paint

Hobby Craft Hobby Range – 75ml – £3.00 rrp – found for £1.50 online.

Student Grade

galleria

Winsor & Newton Galeria Range – 60ml – A nice range of student quality paints – £3.85 rrp – found for £1.95 online

Artist Quality

winsornewtontitaniumwhite

Daler Rowney Artists’ Acrylic – 75ml – £6.95 rrp £4.20 for 75ml online

Winsor & Newton Artists’ Acrylic £6.75 – 60ml £5.10 online

Golden Artists’ Acrylic paints – 60ml £7.50rrp £5.70 (£4.50 on sale)

So next time you’re at the art store looking longingly at a vivid Magenta, spare a thought for your Titanium white as it can help your painting more than you think!

 

This Post Has 147 Comments

  1. Anne de Roche

    Thank you Will for this. It it very helpful. Anne

  2. Maryl Simpson

    Nice demo on the use of various whites in acrylics. Good comments on the non use of white in watercolor painting. I look forward to more tidbits from you. Wish I could take some of your courses sometime. Need to check them out for cost, etc. I am an art educator who always wishes to do more work on her own! No need to comment back. Just want you to know your video was appreciated. Nicely done! Clear and great knowledge in those comparisons.

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Maryl, really pleased you enjoyed the tutorial.
      Cheers,
      Will

  3. Shirley Griffin

    Hello will, Thank you for the latest video. I find it very interesting,and can study it more later. I am still practicing with acrylics and have done quite well with the latest landscapes. I recently did a cruise on the Ventura and attended a few art seminars. The bonus is I saw your painting of Venice. All The Best, Shirley

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Shirley, hope you’re keeping well, pleased you enjoyed the Ventura cruise!
      Cheers,
      Will

  4. Greta

    A big learning curve for me and will have to experiment until I fully understand, but thank you very much for a new challenge.

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re welcome Greta, there can be a lot to take on board, but just take each painting one step at a time and you’ll be fine.
      Cheers,
      Will

  5. Shoshi

    This is very interesting and helpful, Will. White is not something we tend to think much about – just grab it and use it! I think it is amazing that you share your immense knowledge and expertise with us, completely free of charge! Thank you.

    Shoshi

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Shoshi, nice to hear from you and thanks for your kind words, hope your works going well.
      Cheers,
      Will

  6. Fay Clough

    Thank you so much for your email and all the hints and tips and all the YouTube tutorials.
    I watched them over and over and used my Apple TV in my art room to listen and watch and practice .
    Please continue sending hints and tips .
    Regards
    Fay

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re welcome Fay, pleased you’ve been enjoying the lessons.
      Cheers,
      Will

  7. Adrienne Kemp

    Thank You Will..this has been very helpful!
    Best Wishes
    Adrienne

    1. Will Kemp

      Cheers Adrienne, hope you’re well.
      Will

  8. Margarete Koepfer

    Very helpful Demo.
    Thank you

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Margarete, pleased you found it useful.
      Will

  9. Joan

    Very, very informative to a novice acrylic painter. I really enjoyed the visuals and to actually know the brands you were using was also very helpful.

    1. Will Kemp

      Pleased you found it helpful Joan,
      Cheers,
      Will

  10. Geert Brokken

    Thank you very much Will.
    I was a teacher for 36 years and you are doing perfect.

  11. Yeside

    Superb clarity. Just what I needed. Have been struggling, too with the water drops on some fuschias I’ve been painting so this helps greatly with the final gradation in tone, though I’m still struggling with the pink tones. :)

      1. Yeside

        Thanks, Will. I forgot that you had produced this video – very remiss of me! So appreciative of your time and passion in enabling others. A rare quality. :)

  12. Fatema vanak

    Thanks will ..
    very helpful video..Waiting for another one
    regards,
    Fatema..

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re welcome Fatema, pleased you found it helpful.
      Will

  13. Pauline

    THANKS WILL I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET I FIND YOUR HELP AND ADVICE REALY HELP ME LOOK FORWARD TO MORE THANKYOU YOUR FOLLOWER PAULINE AGED PENSIONER

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re welcome Pauline,
      Cheers,
      Will

  14. Maureen Pisano

    Thank you for another valuable video. I do have a question. Could it be that adding titanium white to lighten colors is causing my paintings to dry “chaucky” and dull? Should I be using mixing white or zinc white to prevent this? I use Golden acrylics. Thanks!

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Maureen, the white will often cause the lighter colours to appear chalky, and the more white added the more chalky they can look. If you want to bring a lustre back to the surface it is best to do it with a gloss or satin varnish.

      Cheers,
      Will

  15. Chuck Gurley

    Thanks Will for sharing your knowledge in a very clear and precise exercise. I have appreciated and shared all of your tutorials with my grandchildren who are very interested in art. I have spent a lifetime in the US Marines painting all over the world varied subject matter and still find that I am constantly learning.

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Chuck, pleased you’ve been able to share the tutorials with your grandchildren, thanks for passing them on!
      Cheers,
      Will

  16. Gloria

    Will Thank you. You help me sou much. I learn any time . Thank you for demo video.

  17. Marion

    Thanks for the info Will. I made a bit of a mess up on a canvas recently that wasn’t a great quality. Could I just paint over it a few times with white to re-use the canvas? I’d probably need to use a good opaque white for the job?
    Best,
    Marion

  18. Bobbi Schreiner

    From you videos I already knew that a “good” or “the best” titanium white should be used; it was so informative to visually realize the ‘why.’

  19. Kelly

    Thanks, Will, for doing the hard work (like reading the details and texts and experimenting). Then, you generously share the info with the rest of us artist-types who don’t have a natural affinity for those more time-consuming aspects of becoming a good artist. (We would all rather be painting as, you probably would also.) You are a good man and wonderful artist. It seems like many share that opinion. Your videos are clear, well demonstrated and useful. Again, thanks for all you do.
    Best regards,
    Kelly

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re more than welcome Kelly, thanks for your kind words. Pleased you found the lesson clear and easy to follow.
      Cheers,
      Will

  20. Patricia O'Connor

    Thank you, again, Will!

  21. Kathleen Stoll

    Thank you Will,
    this demo came in just in time. My summer has been packed with the kids swimming/tennis/dive competitions. Now Iam back in the drawing room. This demo is a great refresher course, thank you! I never really paid that close attention to Zinc white vs titanium white, now this demo makes sense.
    Thanks for your generosity, Kathleen

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Kathleen, pleased you found it helpful,
      Cheers,
      Will

  22. Linda Powell

    I am a new subscriber to your You Tube page and I am also devouring much knowledge from this website also, I would like to thank you for the clear and patient way you explain things which is so good for a complete beginner such as myself. I have yet to even do my first canvas and I am very much excited that I am going to try some very simple techniques as explained on this site. I am not looking to be a master painter but simply to enjoy learning a new past time at my own pace and develop my skills as I progress.

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Linda, nice to have you onboard! so pleased you’ve been finding the lessons helpful as you develop your skills as a painter.
      Cheers,
      Will

  23. John Conway

    I’ve been doing lots of tonal studies using Burnt umber, ultramarine blue and titanium white in oils and couldn’t understand why the paint was so difficult to apply to the canvas. This tutorial is brilliant and I can now sleep at night with a way forward and will certainly try a few studies using a white with mediums added as per your demonstration. A huge thanks from me.

    Regards,
    John

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re welcome John, yes a little medium mixed into your titanium white can work wonders with your oil paint, so pleased you’ve found it helpful.
      Cheers,
      Will

  24. Sherrie Richard

    Thanks again for a very well done demo on the whites. It answered a lot of my ‘mixing’ questions!!
    Keep these tips coming, they are so valuable for us beginning painters!

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Sherrie, hope you’re keeping well.
      Will

  25. Noeleen

    Fabulous and important information! Thanks so much Will,
    Cheers,
    Noeleen

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Noeleen, hope you’re well.
      Will

  26. Fatima

    Very informative & helpful.

    Thanks !

  27. Gale

    Will,

    I had just asked my art instructor this week about using titanium vs. zinc whites and she could not answer! Thank you for a clear answer that makes sense.

    I am a skilled watercolorist and have recently switched to acrylic. Due to my skill with washes, I was advised to work on unprimed canvas which is very challenging to attain luminosity and clarity of form. Can you recommend a medium or a gesso base to attain luminosity and beautiful washes?

    You are a fantastic instructor! I am grateful a friend sent me your website. Thank you for your generosity! You are making a difference in our world with your generous spirit!

    Best,
    Gale Gassiot

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Gale, pleased you found the lesson helpful, personally I wouldn’t be working on an unprimed canvas with washes, it will make it very tricky to achieve an even wash. A couple of coats of a white acrylic gesso will work well. For a more absorbent ‘watercolour paper like’ surface then you can apply an absorbent ground over the gesso, such at this from Golden paints, it will create a paper-like surface. Daniel Smith also makes a lovely Watercolour ground, that can be used both with watercolours and thinned acrylics.

      Hope this helps,
      Will

      1. Gale

        Thank you for the great information on acrylics whites, manufacturer’s products, and creating a nice ground for gesso.

        I appreciate your amazing and gifted instruction

        Best, Gale

        1. Will Kemp

          You’re welcome Gale, very kind of you to say so.
          Cheers,
          Will

  28. Gaynor

    Hi Will,

    Thanks once again for sharing your knowledge in such as easy to digest manner. One question for you, Winsor Newton make a mixing white, I assume that this is a less powerful white so that the colours do not suddenly become pastel, is it Zinc White?
    Many thanks and I have nearly finished my first still life with your acrylics course.

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Gaynor, yes the mixing white will be based on zinc white based white, looking forward to seeing your finished painting!
      Cheers,
      Will

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Jeanne, pleased you enjoyed it,
      Will

  29. Elaine Miller

    Thank you Will for the information on white paint. It is very helpful to be aware and ‘knowing’ when replacing used tubes.
    Elaine

    1. Will Kemp

      My pleasure Elaine, great to hear it helped,
      Will

  30. Janny Taylor

    A huge thank you Will for the video and tips on the Titanium Whites which was very helpful. As a painting novice it is so easy to be drawn to the cheaper brands and then wonder why you don’t get the results you had hoped for. In future I shall be much more selective in my choice brands. Many, many thanks!
    Kind regards,
    Janny

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Janny, you’re welcome, pleased its helped to illustrate some of the differences between brands.
      Cheers,
      Will

  31. Pantelis

    This was very helpful. Thanks for posting.

    1. Will Kemp

      Cheers Pantelis, pleased you found it helpful,
      Will

  32. Julie Weston

    Thankyou! V helpful :)

  33. Anthony Gout

    thank you for your email about white paint have I been using the right one. I have been using Winsor & Newton Galeria range Titanium White. I am not really a beginner I have been painting for about 3 years, I was just looking for new ideas

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re welcome Anthony, hope it was interesting the compare the White to others.
      Will

  34. Monika

    This was very helpful to see the differences in brands and the different uses of them. Thank you for your wonderful lessons!
    Monika

    1. Will Kemp

      My pleasure Monika, pleased you found it helpful.
      Will

  35. Pratima Patel

    Will,

    Thank you so much for this very informational tutorial. This cleared some of my doubts about white color in acrylic painting. I too use a lot of white, however I always felt that when I make much lighter color and use on canvas when it dries it looks chalky. One day I saw a white color in the store which was described as mixing white. It was heavy body from Liquitex. I bought it right away, thinking probably now if I use this mixing white, which is supposed to be transparent I will not have that chalky look in my paintings.

    I have used that white very rarely. Soon I realized It does not work when you have to cover larger areas with paints that has clear white in it. Than there was a question why do someone would buy transparent white? Now I know why. I have plans to do some portraits and I will be able to do better job than before with clear white. Thanks to you.

    I still have a question. I used a lot of titanium white to make color to depict snow, mist and splashed snow that filled the air in one of my early paintings when I started to paint. I feel that it looks chalky. How do you avoid the chalky look? or any coating over it can mar the chalky look?

    Is there any other white other than titanium and zinc out there?

    And yes I discovered your site about a few months ago when I was looking for some information online on varnishing. I read your articles on varnishing and protective coatings. I was extremely happy not only for finding those articles but for this website that is a treasure of tons of information for beginners and infact for all the painters. Now I know any time I can go to your site for answers to any of my questions and doubts.

    You are a wonderful teacher and I am very grateful for finding help I need from your site.

    Pratima

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Pratima, pleased you enjoyed the tutorial, there are other types of white out there but they are mostly related to oil painting (such as lead white).

      The white will always make your colours appear chalky, and in some paints chalk is added to give the opaqueness to the white (such as the Gouache mentioned in the article). You’ll often find chalk being added as a filler to more more student grade whites.

      Chalk isn’t necessarily a bad thing though as ‘Whiting’ (calcium carbonate) has been added to white oil paints for centuries to help it have a more opaque finish.

      If you want to add a lustre of gloss back to the paint, simply apply the desired sheen when you varnish the painting – the varnish will mimic your ‘wet white’.

      Hope this helps,
      Will

  36. Cecilia

    Hello Will !
    I was so happy to see your demo about different whites and how they work ,you are really good teacher and give great help.Thank you so much!
    Cecilia

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Cecilia, so pleased you found the tutorial helpful.
      Will

  37. eamish

    Hi will! Im used to making art with pencils, & painting is kind of new to me.
    I want to practise alot, but apparently there is a great shortage of cavases in my area. I live on a scatter of tiny islands in the south pacific ocean known as Fiji Islands, which is a third world country infact.
    Recently i made a few raw canvases myself, n i used good quality “white acrylic house paint” for the gesso substitute. But the surface is too slippery! My brush strokes are too obvious and just slide around by the brush. The paint was actually a “semi gloss” n fairly expensive. I really want to continue painting, on good surfaces too, so what can i do to this white acrylic slippery surface for a much better painting surface?
    Thanks alot sir.

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Eamish,

      Great to hear from you all the way from Fiji!

      Unfortunately once you have applied a thick, semi glossy paint to the raw canvas it would be difficult to apply anything onto to rectify the slippy surface.

      My advice would be to start again, if you can’t find acrylic gesso then you can try with a matte paint which would give a more absorbent surface, but be aware that you might yet slight yellowing of the paint over time.

      Hope this helps,

      Cheers,
      Will

      1. eamish

        Hi Will, thanks for your advice.
        Super helpful as always!
        Good luck.

  38. Leigh

    Hello,

    I understand why the artist qualities are better than the student and hobby paints but I suppose I don’t get why the zinc white is required? If you don’t want whatever colour your mixing into to become too light can’t you just use a very small amount of the Titanium? And if you need more transparency can’t you just mix in a bit of medium/water?

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Leigh, for most paintings you don’t need a zinc white but there are certain painting techniques that is can be an invaluable white to use, for example, painting transparent white clouds over a blue sky.

      Cheers,
      Will

  39. Tamara Torres

    Thanks Will, very helpful as usually!!

    Tamara

  40. Dan

    Hi will I have recently purchased a portrait book where the colours recommended are burnt sienna . Cad red . Yellow ochre . Ultramarine blue . Raw umber . Titanium white and ivory black . Although I know skin tones can be muted with ultramarine , raw umber and ivory black I was wondering in what order if any , you would use them to tone a colour down and why are all three needed if they all do the same job ?

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Dan,

      It all depends on the colour you’re trying to achieve, the different colours would achieve a different hue, but to start with you could either just use the ivory black, or the ultramarine blue.

      Cheers,
      Will

      1. Dan

        Thank you will

  41. Dan

    Hi will I recently read somewhere that adding a touch of raw sienna to titanium white in acrylics will get you a colour very close to flake white . Do you know if this is true .?

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Dan, a touch of yellow into a white can often give you a ‘warmer white’ it isn’t so harsh in highlights or as blue as pure titanium white.
      Cheers,
      Will

  42. mohamed sesay

    Thanks Willie for helping me realise the qualities of white acraylic paint.You are doing a wonderful job God bless you abundantly

    1. Will Kemp

      Cheers Mohamed, hope you’re keeping well and pleased the tutorial helped.
      Will

  43. Dan

    Hi will could you tell me if cad yellow light is called cad yellow pale in some brands ? Thank you .

    1. Will Kemp

      Yes it can be Dan, usually Winsor & Newton can label a light a pale.
      Cheers,
      Will

  44. Dan

    Cheers will .

  45. Robert

    Thanks for a great site, I just started painting and I’ve learned a lot .

    1. Will Kemp

      Pleased to hear it Robert,
      Cheers,
      Will

  46. Patricia A.

    Hello, Will,
    Recently I discovered your website. It’s been soooo helpful. There is a question about your canvas in the videos. What kind of surface did you use for those practice sessions, for example, strings of colors and choosing white? And, what kind of paper did you place over the wet paper in the box palette. Thank you.

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Patricia, the canvas is a cotton duck canvas, the paper is the greaseproof paper that comes with the stay-wet palette.

      Cheers,
      Will

  47. Jan A

    Good afternoon Will, Your website address was passed on to me by a fellow art student. We have just formed a small art group in the great southern region of Western Australia in a small township called Denmark and seeking information that can assist us with our self driven/motivated classes. Your You Tube demonstrations and website are just fantastic. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
    Kind regards
    Jan

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Jan, nice to hear from you and so pleased your art group is going well. Really hope the demonstrations help in your paintings.
      Cheers,
      Will

  48. Jim Menhams

    I have used Winsor & Newton Galeria paints for 30 years and I knew they were 2 different acrylics the one I am using and heavybody but what I want to know is can these be mix artist’s quality and Galeria quality if not I will stick to my own paints the heavybody paints I cannot afford as they are dearer to buy.

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Jim, yes you can intermix different brands and artist /student grade.
      Cheers,
      Will

  49. Reena

    Thanks for the handy tips on Titanium white paints.

  50. Joan Lust

    Hello Will
    I have just found and joined your long list of happy members. I belong to a painting class but have read so many helpful tips from you already. I am in my 80’s and love
    working with acrylics and feel I have so much to learn to progress.
    I look forward to watching your lessons and reading your helpful tips.
    I am so happy to have found you.
    Joan in New zealand

    1. Will Kemp

      Great to have you on board Joan, really pleased you’ve been finding the lessons helpful.
      Cheers,
      Will

  51. Linda Peoples

    Recently came across your videos…Great info. in everyone of them. I’m a beginner in Acrylic painting, and am so grateful that you are willing to share your knowledge of Acrylic painting. You already answered the question I had for you, by answering another posters question, “What is “Mixing White”….they asked if it was Zinc White….. Your answer was, “yes the mixing white will be based on zinc white based white”.
    When you answer one persons question, it helps another. THANK YOU!!!

    1. Will Kemp

      Great to hear it Linda, pleased the comments have helped.
      Cheers,
      Will

  52. Agnes

    Hello Will,

    I always wondered the difference between zinc and titanium white. Thank you for helping me now understand.

    Plug for Golden Paints: It is the only acrylic paint I will use. Their expert advise and quality paints have the best choice for my money! All my paintings and murals in acrylic have been “Golden” since I began painting in 1997.

    Thank you once again Will…I’m off to paint today thanks to your encouragement! Sincerely, me

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re welcome Agnes, pleased you found the video helpful.
      Cheers,
      Will

  53. Maria

    This has been so helpful, thank you!

  54. Claude

    Great demonstrations and very helpful. Thanks so very much. Claude

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks Claude, pleased you found it helpful.
      Cheers,
      Will

  55. Susan Carbott

    Hi Will,
    I’m struggling to find a white paint, that when covered with varnish, won’t yellow as soon as the varnish dries (I’m painting artwork on wood chairs). I contacted the manufacturer of the varnish I use (water-based spar urethane) and the reply was that “Titanium Dioxide in the white paint causes the varnish to yellow”. Do you know of a good quality acrylic white paint that doesn’t contain Titanium Dioxide? Or another product to protect my painted chairs other than varnish? I’m trying to only use low VOC products. Any insight would be much appreciated.
    ~Susan
    p.s. I love your profile picture. :)

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Susan, nice to hear from you, titanium dioxide is the most opaque white for painting with, you could try using a zinc white in your mixes but this will be much more subtle as it is a more transparent pigment. An alternative to varnishing painted furniture is to use a clear wax, like this one from Annie Sloan, it will be water repellent. I’ve also heard good things about Polyvine Water Base Decorator’s Varnish, they go a gloss and ‘dead flat’ matte varnish.
      Hope this helps,

      Cheers,
      Will

      1. Susan

        Thanks so much Will. I’ll experiment with your suggestions and let you know. :)

        1. Will Kemp

          My pleasure Susan, hope the wax works well, would be interesting to hear if you get any discolouring on the white.
          Cheers,
          Will

  56. Elsie

    Thank you so much ! Very informative . I have been using cheaper paints with them always drying much too dark .,yet I did not know there was a difference with the type of paint and pigment values when they dry . Never took lessons, I just dove in for the love of art . I have recently went and bought a new higher level paints so I am hoping I can lighten a recent painting I have been struggling with to make brighter. My problem has always been fighting with brightness and keeping the colour I thought I had put on the canvas . I really wish they would get rid of cheaper brands …, I am sure there are many who start out and give up due to struggling with how flat they dry with a different hue . I had given it up for a while but thanks to the internet and informative people like you it gave me the will to keep at it . I love to paint so I sure hope this works . I will follow you for great lessons .

    1. Will Kemp

      You’re welcome Elsie, yes some of the colour shift from more affordable paints can be quite dramatic, hope you get some good results with your new colours.
      Cheers,
      Will

  57. Niko

    Thank you, Will, I just purchased your Portraits in Oil videos! Your positivity is simply infectious. Keep on keeping on, and I will try to do the same.

    1. Will Kemp

      Thanks very much Niko, really hope you’re enjoying it, just working on the colour portrait glazing course that should be available in the next couple of weeks.
      Cheers,
      Will

  58. Barbara

    Hello Will, I want to thank you for sharing your knowledge, experience, and time with us. If I’m struggling with a product or technique, the first place I go for help is Will Kemp Art School where I usually find the answer. Not only are you an amazing artist and teacher, but also a kind and generous man.
    Thank you again, Barbara

    1. Will Kemp

      Very kind of you to say so Barbara, so pleased you’ve been finding the site helpful.
      Will

  59. Terry

    Hi Will,

    I’ve noticed that you used both Winsor & Newton and Golden brand acrylics, any specific reason or preference for one over the other?

    Thanks for being so generous in sharing your expertise!

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Terry, it’s often a pigment or coverage choice, but both brands are good. For example, I find the Golden Titanium white to have a thicker body and better opacity, but the Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna is more vibrant and suits my glazing style.
      Hope this helps,

      Cheers,
      Will

  60. Michael Heal

    Thank you for your interesting video. I am very old. I was taught to use “lead white” for mixing and background painting and reserved titanium white for highlighting and to avoid zinc white as it caused ‘cracking’ as time goes by and is probably a cause of the crazy patthing appearance in some old paintings. As it is now difficult to obtain lead white (for health and safety reasons) I suppose we just have to use zinc white, but sparingly? I look forward to your comments.

      1. Michael Heal

        Thanks.

  61. greg herrington

    Very good job on this video. This was my first time to see one of yours. I loved the way you got the info out without a lot of filler. Could you please tell me what brand of acrylic paint, darkens the least when dry. The brand that, when dry, looks the most like what I painted to start with. Also, what do you think about the use of gesso used in place of white? I have read some about this and have seen tv painters use it in place of white paint.

    Forgot to ask, where do you rate Liquitex acrylic paints.

    Thanks
    Greg

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Greg, the Winsor & Newton are pretty good as they use a clear binder to make their acrylics rather than a white binder so the colour shift is super minimal. Liquitex are a good brand and have some nice mediums, I personally don’t use gesso in place of white.

      Cheers,
      Will

  62. Cris

    Dear Will,

    When I have a question, and I type it into google, it is always your website that gives me the best answer. You have done a great demonstration of whites, I really appreciate it. I should stop using google. :)
    May I have a question? I have an underpainting problem. The brand I use gives me a quite “heavy body” mix, normally based on titanium white, and a too thick layer must be applied to cover the canvas homogeneously. I have tried to dilute it with water, that is risky, and add some drops of flow improver, but it is still not loose enough to cover a larger area homogeneously. That is why I thought that buying a student grade titanium white, and mix some professional grate pigments into it could resolve the problem. Do you think it will?

    Many thanks,
    Cris

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Cris, and glad you’ve been finding the site helpful, yes you can intermix student grade and artist quality whites to get a mix that has a better flow, or use fluid acrylics that have already been diluted in the manufacturing process as a mixer for your heavy body white.

      Hope this helps,
      Will

  63. Nurcan

    Hi Will,
    Thank you for all these information. How long can you use a small pile of Golden heavy body titanium white on a dry palette before it dries?

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Nurcan, as acrylics dry by evaporation it depends on three main things, temperature, humidity and air flow.

      So if you’re in a low humidity area outside with high temperatures and wind blowing the acrylics will dry very quickly, if you’re inside with high humidity, low temperature and limited air flow the acrylics will dry more slowly. A small blob will set up within a few minutes, having a larger initial volume of paint will give you a longer working time on the palette. Alternatively, you can use a stay-wet palette to keep the paints workable on the palette for much longer.

      Hope this helps,

      Cheers,
      Will

  64. Tamara Walus

    Hi Will,
    Thank you so much for all you have done to help other artists improve their skills. I have learned from you a lot and I am very grateful for it. Now I struggle to improve my brush strokes. Would you recommend any exercises? Hope you have a great summer. Tamara

    1. Will Kemp

      That’s great to hear Tamara, for improving brushwork it’s a case of practising different techniques with different brushes. So with a soft bristle brush you can practice painting smooth unbroken straight lines, whereas with a stiffer hog brush you can practice brush strokes that have a more of a pushing action to create a broken colour effect.
      Hope this helps,

      Cheers,
      Will

      1. Tamara Walus

        Thank you very much Will, I will practice brushwork with deferent brushes. Have a great summer.

  65. Anne

    This was helpful. I made a comment in another article you did on buying paints re the fact that I do have quite a few student paints, and like them. However, I can see where the color shift can throw things off. I’ve already noticed some of my paintings being darker than I intended. And, obviously, it can throw things off.

    I’ve been looking at quite a few videos on acrylic painting, and everyone seems to have a slightly different technique/take on things. I really like what you do! Thank you so much.

    1. Will Kemp

      Pleased you’ve been finding the site helpful Anne.
      Cheers,
      Will

  66. Dawn

    Thank you so much for sharing this, Will. As a beginner it’s really helped me to understand why my System 3 titanium white is not opaque!

    I’m trying to understand more about warmer and cooler whites. I’m using acrylics and noticed that oil paints seem to have more variations of white paint, warm white, cool white etc. I wondered if there’s any advice you can give to achieve different hues of white. I like Newman’s ‘The Voice’ as it’s so calming but not sure how those tones and the darker zip were achieved. Hope you don’t think me too cheeky to ask your advice!

    Thanks
    Dawn

    1. Will Kemp

      So pleased it helped Dawn, you can get warmer whites in acrylics, they are often called Titanium buff or Titian buff. If you had this as a base and then add a touch of raw umber for the darker zip you’d have your very own ‘The Voice’

      Cheers,
      Will

  67. Matt

    Amazing you are still replying to comments on here. I’ve read through your site, but as someone interested in acrylic black and white painting, I’m not sure which paint to buy. Could you point me to what you’d recommend for BW?

    1. Will Kemp

      Hi Matt, pleased you’ve been enjoying the site. I’d personally go for Golden paints as you can then use the neutral range of greys they have for a more repeatable way of working when working within specific black and white value ranges.

      Hope this helps,
      Will

  68. Matt

    I went with Titanium White, Carbon Black and then a smaller tube of each the neutral greys to start. Makes sense to start with premixed greys for consistency. I have a feeling I didn’t buy enough actual paint, but we will see. Thanks for the quick reply!

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