Heavy Body vs Soft Body Acrylic Paint: What's the Difference?
Heavy body and soft body acrylics are the same kind of paint at different thicknesses. Here's how they differ, which one suits the way you paint, and how to change one into the other with a medium.
Heavy body vs soft body, in short: heavy body acrylic is thick and buttery and holds brush and palette-knife marks, so it suits impasto, texture and expressive brushwork. Soft body acrylic is smoother and creamier, flows more and levels out, so it suits blending, flat areas of colour and fine detail. In professional ranges, the heavy body and soft body versions of the same colour usually carry similar amounts of pigment, so the difference is thickness, not colour strength. You can make heavy body flow with Flow Medium, and give smoother paint more body with Impasto Medium or Gel Medium.
What Is Heavy Body Acrylic Paint?
Heavy body acrylic is a thick, buttery artist acrylic that holds brushstrokes and palette-knife marks instead of levelling out. Squeeze it onto a palette and it keeps its shape. That makes it the paint for impasto (paint applied thickly enough to keep the marks), textured work and visible, expressive brushwork.
Our Professional Artist heavy body acrylic paint is made in Australia in 55 colours, Series 1 to 5, in 80 mL tubes and 250 mL jars. Titanium White and Carbon Black also come in 1, 4 and 10 litre sizes. Product pages list the pigment and lightfastness rating.
What Is Soft Body Acrylic Paint?
Soft body acrylic has a smoother, creamier consistency. It spreads easily, flows off the brush and levels out, so brushstrokes soften as it settles. It suits flat areas of colour, fine detail and larger smooth areas.
In our range, the smooth-bodied option is Professional Matte Acrylic: a Series 1 artist acrylic made in Australia in 21 colours, with a smooth consistency for flat colour and detail work and a matte, gouache-like finish.
Heavy Body vs Soft Body at a Glance
| Heavy body | Soft body | |
|---|---|---|
| Consistency | Thick and buttery, holds a peak | Smooth and creamy, slumps and spreads |
| Brush and knife marks | Stay visible | Soften and level out |
| Best for | Impasto, palette knife, texture, expressive brushwork | Blending, flat colour, fine detail, smooth areas |
| To make it thinner | A little water for brushwork, or Flow Medium for glazes and fluid layers | Flow Medium |
| To make it thicker | Impasto Medium or Gel Medium for extra body | Impasto Medium or Gel Medium |
The Acrylic Thickness Scale: Heavy, Soft, Fluid and High Flow
Acrylic paint is sold at several thicknesses (often called viscosity or body). From thickest to thinnest:
- Heavy body: thick, holds marks and peaks.
- Soft body: creamy, spreads and levels.
- Fluid: runny and pourable.
- High flow: very thin, close to ink.
Paint makers name these bands slightly differently, so check the label or try the peak test below.
Does Heavy Body Have More Pigment?
Not because it's thick. In professional paint ranges, the heavy body and soft body versions of the same colour usually carry similar amounts of pigment. What changes is how thick the paint is, not how strong the colour is.
Which Should You Use?
| If you want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Build thick texture, impasto or palette-knife work | Heavy body, plus Impasto Medium for extra bulk |
| Show expressive, visible brushstrokes | Heavy body |
| Paint flat areas of colour | Soft body (Professional Matte) |
| Blend colours smoothly | Heavy body with Flow Medium, which also extends drying time |
| Paint fine detail and lines | Soft body, or heavy body with Flow Medium |
| Glaze thin, transparent layers | Heavy body in a transparent colour, mixed with Flow Medium |
| Make fluid art and pours | Paint mixed with Pouring Medium (start closer to 1 part paint to 2 parts medium for heavy body) |
Neither is "the" beginner's paint. Choose by how you like to paint: if you love texture, start with heavy body; if you prefer smooth, flat colour, start with a smoother paint. See our acrylic painting for beginners guide for a starter palette.
How to Turn One Into the Other
Make heavy body flow
A little water loosens heavy body for brushwork. For glazes and fluid layers, use Flow Medium: start with 2 parts Flow Medium to 1 part paint, then add more medium for more flow or more paint for more body. Flow Medium also extends drying time.
Give smoother paint more body
Impasto Medium adds body to your colours without changing their hue and dries to a low sheen. Gel Medium adds volume. Both let a smoother paint hold more texture.
Mix them together
Heavy body and smoother acrylics can be mixed with each other and with water-based acrylic mediums. If you're mixing paints from different ranges or makers, test a small amount first.
For more on what each medium does, see acrylic mediums explained.
How to Tell Which Paint You Have
Check the label or product description first: many ranges state "heavy body", "soft body" or "fluid". On our Professional Artist range it's listed as "Body: Heavy body" on each product page. If you're not sure, try the peak test. Lift a dab of paint with a palette knife. Heavy body holds a peak; soft body slumps and spreads.
Drying, Finish and Thick Layers
- Drying: thin layers of acrylic are usually touch dry in about 10 to 30 minutes. Thick impasto takes much longer, from hours to days. The surface skins over first, so it can feel dry while it's still soft underneath.
- Thick layers: acrylic stays flexible when dry, so impasto normally holds up well. Very thick or puddled layers can crack if the top skins over while the paint underneath is still wet. To be safe, build heavy texture over more than one session and use Impasto Medium or Gel Medium for bulk.
- Colour shift: acrylic often dries slightly darker than it looks wet, because the milky binder turns clear as it dries. This applies to both heavy and soft body.
- Finish: the sheen of our heavy body colours varies by colour and pigment. Professional Matte dries to a matte finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between heavy body and soft body acrylic paint?
Thickness. Heavy body is thick and buttery and holds brush and knife marks. Soft body is smoother and creamier and levels out. In professional ranges, both versions of the same colour usually carry similar amounts of pigment.
What is heavy body acrylic paint used for?
Impasto, palette-knife painting, textured work and expressive, visible brushstrokes. It can also be thinned with Flow Medium for glazes and smoother layers.
Can you thin heavy body acrylic paint?
Yes. A little water loosens it for brushwork. For glazes and fluid layers, use Flow Medium, starting with 2 parts medium to 1 part paint. For pouring, mix with Pouring Medium.
Does heavy body acrylic have more pigment than soft body?
Not because of its thickness. In professional paint ranges, the heavy body and soft body versions of the same colour usually carry similar amounts of pigment. The difference is consistency, not colour strength.
Which is better for beginners, heavy body or soft body?
Neither is better for everyone. Choose heavy body if you like texture and visible brushstrokes, and a smoother paint if you prefer flat colour and fine detail. Heavy body can be loosened with Flow Medium when you need it to flow.
Can I mix heavy body and soft body acrylics?
Yes. Acrylics of different thicknesses can be mixed together and with water-based acrylic mediums. Test a small amount first if you're mixing different ranges or makers.
How long does heavy body acrylic take to dry?
Thin layers are usually touch dry in about 10 to 30 minutes. Thick impasto takes much longer, from hours to days, and can feel dry on the surface while still soft underneath.
Paint with texture
Professional Artist heavy body acrylic: made in Australia, 55 colours, 80 mL tubes and 250 mL jars.
