Golden : Open

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Golden Open Acrylics are a unique acrylic paint range. They are formulated with a relaxed set of working characteristics which give them a prolonged drying time. This means that they are workable for a similar length of time as professional oil paint, with the benefit of not having to use solvents when working.
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Golden : Open Acrylic Paint

84 colours available in 60ml and 236ml, and 1 colour available in 150ml

From $20.00

Golden OPEN Acrylic Paint: Popular Questions from Artists

Golden OPEN Acrylic Paint is a professional acrylic paint formulated for artists who require more time to blend, layer, and manipulate colour on the canvas.

Launched in 2008, OPEN represented years of research and development aimed at bridging the gap between the handling qualities of oil paint and the practical advantages of acrylics, such as water clean-up and flexible paint films.


Unlike standard acrylic paints, Golden Open acrylics remain workable for significantly longer periods, staying wet on the palette and painting surface for 30 minutes to several hours.

Under ambient conditions of 70°F/21°C and 30% RH, Open acrylics have an average working time approximately 10 times longer than standard acrylic paints. Thick applications can dry extremely slowly, so Golden recommends that artists only use Open acrylics in thin layers (< 1 mm). Drying times are dependent on environmental conditions, so individual tests are recommended.


Aside from the open drying time, Golden Open acrylics offer a smooth, buttery consistency that’s slightly softer than Golden Heavy Body acrylics. This makes them perfect for a wide range of techniques, including wet-on-wet blending, glazing, portraiture, and fine detail work.


Golden Open acrylics can be used straight from the tube, thinned with water or Golden Open Thinner, and extended further with Open Mediums. You can also use regular acrylic mediums; however, the open time of the resulting mixtures will be reduced, depending on the ratio.

The relaxed working characteristics allow artists to explore a wider range of painting techniques, such as portraiture and landscape painting, that rely on softening, shading, glazing, and creating fine detail. They are also popular for printmaking techniques, such as monoprint.