In the history of art, acrylic paintings have been around for a relatively short period of time, compared to the classic choices of oil paintings and watercolours. Acrylics as a medium became wildly popular in the 1940s as artists preferred their quick-drying properties and permanence to the slow, ephemeral quality of oils. Acrylics also proved successful when applying thin glazes to a canvas in the manner of watercolours, or conversely, achieving thick textures like oils. All of that without fading or cracking, as watercolour and oils are prone to do over time.
Read MoreThe use of acrylic paint on canvas gave way to newer, diverse techniques and styles of art. Experiments in acrylics and synthetic paints led to mixed media works that continue to be popular today. For instance, layered textures could be created because of how the paint dried on the medium, and varied consistencies could be achieved by mixing sand, water, or other elements into the paint. The medium allowed various degrees of softening or intensifying in colours and pigments, offering an overall favourable effect. The simultaneous glossy appearance with a matte texture retained itself long after the acrylic painting dried.
But before they became tools of the artistic trade, acrylic resins were strictly intended for industrial purpose. In 1901, German pharmacist Otto Röhm published a dissertation on the “polymerisation products of acrylic acid”, and secured a patent for its industrial use as a paint binder in 1915..
Acrylics quickly became popular in the mid-20th century, gaining momentum as a medium in several artistic trends, including photorealism, abstract expressionism, and pop art. Of the latter, Andy Warhol in particular employed acrylics in his 1962 Campbell Soup Can series. The 32 canvases in this collection, measuring 20 x 16 inches, were vivid representations of every flavour of soup the company had to offer. A decade earlier, Mark Rothko, who was at the forefront of American abstract expressionism, became famous for his 1950 painting White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose). The rectangular blocks of contrasting colour on a large canvas became Rothko’s signature style, along with a generous use of acrylics in his other works..
Likewise, David Hockney (A Bigger Splash) and Robert Motherwell (Open No. 121) were some of the many artists in the 1960s who spearheaded the acrylic painting trend..
Among Indian artists, a large body of S. H. Raza’s works is dominated by acrylics. Raza began using this medium in some of his early expressionist landscapes, which later became rigid, geometric representations of French towns and villages in the 1950s. Two decades later, Raza’s focus turned to pure geometric forms to express a metaphorical mapping of the mind by using sacred symbols from Hindu metaphysics. His Bindu series is a great example of acrylic paintings on canvas among modern art works in India..
Here on Story LTD, we offer a myriad of acrylic paintings on canvas, ranging in style, theme, period, and genre, for you to choose from..
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