How to Use Solid Solutions Flow Medium
Solid Solutions Flow Medium is a water-based acrylic medium designed to reduce paint thickness (viscosity) so acrylic colour spreads more smoothly and levels more evenly. It dries clear and flexible, helping you create refined, “sleek” paint passages with improved glide and blending control.
Use Flow Medium when you want less brush drag, smoother blends, and more controlled thin layers while keeping your paint mix within an acrylic medium system (instead of relying on water alone).
Recommended Starting Ratio
Start with 2 parts Flow Medium to 1 part acrylic paint, then adjust to suit your paint body (heavy body vs soft body) and the technique you’re using.
Studio Method
- Gently shake the bottle before use.
- Dispense paint onto a palette (or into a mixing cup), then add Flow Medium.
- Mix thoroughly until the blend is completely uniform (this helps the paint apply and dry consistently).
- Test a stroke on a scrap surface. You want smoother movement and easier leveling, not a watery, weak mix.
- Apply and blend as needed for smooth coverage, gradients, and soft transitions.
- Allow extra working time for blending (flow mediums often increase open time compared with straight paint).
Advanced Techniques
- Glaze-style layering: Mix a small amount of colour into Flow Medium and build depth with multiple thin, transparent layers.
- Wet-into-wet gradients: Pre-mix two values with Flow Medium, lay them side-by-side, then blend where they meet for soft transitions.
- Sleek underpainting: Create a smooth, thin mapping layer first, then return with thicker paint for focal highlights and texture.
- Edge control: For sharp edges, let the first layer become touch-dry before adding the next. For soft edges, blend while both layers are still workable.
Flow Medium is intended for smoother brush flow and controlled thin paint passages. If you want classic fluid-art pouring behaviour (very high flow and self-levelling pours), a dedicated pouring medium is usually the better choice.
Flow Medium Questions & Answers
It makes acrylic paint more fluid and easier to spread, helping you achieve smoother application, cleaner blends, and more even leveling.
Start with 2 parts Flow Medium to 1 part paint, then adjust: add more medium for greater flow, or add more paint to regain body and coverage.
Yes. A gentle shake helps ensure the medium is evenly mixed before you dispense it.
Thorough mixing helps the paint apply consistently and reduces patchy drying, streaking, or uneven sheen.
It can give you a longer working window than straight paint, which is helpful for blending and soft transitions.
Because it’s a clear medium, it won’t “re-colour” your paint. However, any time you add medium, you’re increasing volume with less pigment, so very high amounts can reduce opacity. Build in layers for strong colour.
Yes. A flow medium is a reliable way to thin paint while staying within an acrylic medium system. You can still use small amounts of water if needed, but avoid over-watering for best durability.
Generally yes. If you’re combining multiple mediums, do a small test mix first so you can confirm the flow, sheen, and drying behaviour is what you want.
No. Flow mediums are ready-to-mix acrylic mediums. “Flow Aid” / wetting agent products are often concentrated additives that typically require dilution and careful dosing.
Use thinner layers and build up gradually. If the paint starts to feel too slippery or too transparent, add a little more paint back into the mix and re-test on a scrap surface.