Acrylic Paint Review: Atelier Interactive Artists' Acrylics

The 'big deal' about these acrylic paints is that, according to the manufacturer, they "dry differently", that they don't form a skin as they dry so you can rehydrate them to keep working wet-in-wet by spraying some water on the paint or using a wet brush. The 'good news' is that I found I could indeed work back into the paint with a wet brush, which makes blending colors less of an urgency and easier.

Overall I liked Atelier Interactive acrylics: the colors were intense; the paint didn't smell strongly; it applied smoothly; colors mixed together thoroughly and easily; and there was more time to blend colors.

One of the things I love about acrylic paints is their rapid drying time. But sometimes it can be a problem, especially if I'm trying to blend colors and haven't worked fast enough. So I was intrigued by the Chroma's claim that its Atelier Interactive acrylics enables you to rehydrate (rewet) the paint to facilitate working wet-in-wet.

The sample colors Chroma sent were titanium white, Prussian blue hue, cobalt turquoise light hue, cerulean blue hue, French ultramarine hue, and toning grey yellowish. Straight from the tube the paint has a soft butter consistency that holds brushmarks well, but spreads easily.

The opaque colors were most definitely opaque, with a very strong covering power, while the transparent (Prussian blue) behaved just as I'd expect and were great for glazing, i.e. applied thickly you can make them opaque, but spread thinly they're definitely not (see photo).

In terms of drying time, Atelier Interactive matched what I'd expect from other brands, but by taking a damp brush and going over the paint as it went tacky, the working time was indeed extended as the manufacturer said it would be. And without the paint getting stringy or lumpy or doing anything other than being wet paint.

Getting used to the limits of just how dry the paint can be and how soon it will get to that stage will take some experimentation in your specific conditions. I still need to try the paints with a water mister^* and the "unlocking medium" Chroma produce, but the potential for smooth, leisurely blending and working wet-in-wet is definitely there.

Working with glazes also took a little adjusting, to ensure that a layer was totally dry before I glazed over it, that it was not going to absorb water from the glaze and reactive itself, ruining the effect. Again, experimentation is the key.

If you want a longer working time, I'd definitely try this brand.

^*Update: Since I wrote this review, I have used these paints with a fine mist spray, and found it's an easy way to keep the paints workable and facilitates blending. These acrylics dry by thickening up, rather than forming a skin over the top, and you learn to feel through your brush that this is happening and know to spray to keep them workable.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.