Discovering Golden Artist Acrylics

Introducing Golden

Golden has built a reputation since 1980 as one of the leading American manufacturers of professional acrylic colours and mediums.

Founded by Sam Golden, the brand focuses on innovation, high pigment loads and archival quality, working closely with artists to create products that meet the demands of both studio and outdoor work. Every formula is designed for maximum lightfastness, flexibility and permanence, making Golden a favourite among painters who want reliable performance without compromise.

At Broad Canvas we stock a wide selection of Golden lines, from their classic Heavy Body Acrylics to specialist gels, gessoes and mediums.

Golden Acrylic Paints

Golden’s core range includes Heavy Body Acrylics, known for their rich, buttery consistency that holds peaks and brush strokes beautifully while offering excellent coverage and blending.

These are available in dozens of single-pigment colours with outstanding lightfastness, plus iridescent and interference options for special effects. The Fluid Acrylics provide a lower viscosity for smooth pouring, glazing and fine detail work, retaining the same intense pigmentation as the Heavy Body line but flowing more freely.

Newer additions such as SoFlat Matte Acrylics deliver an ultra-matte finish straight from the tube with minimal sheen, ideal for contemporary flat-colour painting and large-scale work.

High Flow Acrylics extend the range further with an even thinner consistency, perfect for airbrushing, staining and detailed line work. Many colours are offered in handy mixing sets or individual tubes and jars, allowing artists to build a versatile palette tailored to their style.

Golden Gel Mediums and Pastes

Golden Gel Mediums give artists precise control over texture, transparency and working properties. Available in Gloss, Matte and Semi-Gloss finishes, they can thicken paint, extend drying time or create impasto effects while maintaining flexibility and clarity.

The range also includes self-levelling gels for smooth surfaces and heavy gels for pronounced texture. Complementing these are the Acrylic Pastes, such as Crackle Paste, which produces dramatic cracked surfaces when used with colour, and other modelling pastes that add body and tooth for mixed-media applications.

All gels and pastes are formulated with 100% acrylic polymer emulsions, ensuring they remain archival and compatible with both Golden paints and other acrylic brands. They are supplied in practical 237ml jars that are easy to dip into during studio sessions.

Golden Gesso and Grounds

Preparation is key to a successful painting, and Golden’s gesso and ground products set the standard. Their White and Black Acrylic Gesso Primers create a flexible, toothy surface that promotes strong adhesion for acrylic or oil paints on canvas, wood, paper or board.

For those wanting a smoother finish, Sandable Hard Gesso can be sanded to an even, enamel-like surface ideal for fine detail or glazing. Absorbent Ground provides a matte, highly porous base that mimics the absorbency of watercolour paper, while Silverpoint Drawing Ground offers a specialised surface for traditional metalpoint techniques.

All grounds are ready-to-use, water-based and available in multiple sizes so you can prime large canvases or small panels without waste.

Specialist Mediums and Additives

Beyond the main lines, Golden offers a selection of useful additives for customising your workflow. Airbrush Medium thins Fluid Colours for spray application without clogging, while Acrylic Retarder slows drying time for extended blending in warmer conditions. Wetting Aid improves flow and reduces surface tension on non-absorbent surfaces, and the Polymer range includes gloss and matte mediums for final varnishing or mixing into paint for specific sheens.

These smaller 118ml or 237ml bottles allow precise adjustments without committing to large quantities.

Whether you are building up thick impasto layers, pouring fluid glazes or preparing a fresh surface, Golden products deliver consistent, professional results that stand the test of time.

Explore the full selection here to find the colours and mediums that suit your next project.