Golden Matte Medium is a viscous, pourable acrylic medium useful for extending colors, increasing translucency and decreasing gloss. It is also useful as a translucent ground.
Product Application
Lowering Sheen
To lower the sheen of a paint color or another medium, begin by adding one of the matte mediums in increments of about 10% of the total volume. It is helpful to brush out each mixture and let it dry on a piece of paper to note the difference in sheen. With some experimenting, it will become easier to know how much of the matte medium is required to achieve the desired gloss.
Use as a Translucent Ground
Both Matte Medium and Fluid Matte Medium can be used as translucent grounds, sometimes referred to as "clear" gessoes. They are thin enough to penetrate canvas and other porous substrates easily, and the matting solids provide an adequate "tooth" for additional paint layers. In thin applications, both products can appear quite translucent, while darkening the canvas to a small degree. The darkening effect, similar to a ’wet look’, is somewhat more pronounced with the Matte Medium. Bear in mind that Golden Gesso will have excellent tooth and is typically suggested for alkyd and oil paintings.
Apply the Matte Medium and Fluid Matte Medium in much the same manner as recommended for the application of a gesso layer. Apply one or more coats, keeping in mind that additional layers will gradually make a more opaque overall film.
Please note, applying a matte product over an absorbent surface may cause a "frosted" appearance. As the acrylic medium penetrates, the matting solids are left behind on the surface. Over highly absorbent dark passages, such as on top of canvas coated with Golden Black Gesso, severe whitening may occur. This can be corrected by applying a coat of Golden GAC 100 or Polymer Medium (Gloss) over the frosted area, which will once again encapsulate the matting solids, returning the transparent look. The frosting can be avoided by applying a coat of GAC 100 or Polymer Medium (Gloss) before a matte medium is applied. Liquid and low viscosity Matte Mediums should be gently stirred or shaken before use, as settling of matting solids can occur.
Additional Information
Use as a Decoupage Glue:
Golden Matte Medium has been used successfully as a decoupage glue by many collage artists. The fact that it has a very low sheen makes it ideal, as it does not impart a "plastic" gloss to the work. If the whiteness of multiple coats becomes troublesome, blend in Polymer Medium (Gloss) to decrease the matting solid level.
Multiple Layers of Golden Matte Medium:
The application of several layers of a matte medium will become increasingly opaque and begin to lighten the colors underneath. Multiple layers can also impart a greyish cast due to the natural color of the matting solids if built up to an extreme. If an artist is using a matte medium as a glazing base for multiple glazes, they should consider using Polymer Medium (Gloss) instead for the best clarity. After the artwork is completed, a matte varnish can be applied to give a flat finish to the work. This will result in better film clarity because there is only one layer of matting solids to look through.
For more information, read our comparison of Golden Acrylic Mediums on our blog.
