If I had to pick only one essential product for mixed media, Matte Gel Medium is it. I can’t create what I do without it and it’s my most used art supply.
But doesn’t it seem strange that you could choose from dozens of mediums to effectively collage with and yet they’re not all the same?
So, what are matte, gloss, and gel mediums, and why does it matter?
What is Gel Medium?
Gel medium is acrylic paint without pigment added to give it colour. Just like acrylic paint, it comes in a variety of viscosities (fluid, soft or thick) and sheens (matte or gloss). Matte medium, without the word gel in the name, is simply a more fluid version of the matte gel medium.
You can use it:
- to glue with a transparent finish and without tacky residue
- to dissolve water-soluble media in such a way that they become semi-permanent (super handy),
- as a ground to prepare your working surface, especially wood panels or collage backgrounds, or
- to mix in with your acrylic paint colours to make your paint more transparent, more reflective or to change the viscosity (thinner or thicker).
Issues arising using the wrong product in collage:
- tissue or thin papers wrinkle
- thicker papers, ephemera or fabric don’t stick completely and buckle
- bubbles and bumps appear under the collage layer once dry
- art journal pages stick together
- cloudy layer or less professional looking surface on finished work
- paint appears washed out or less lustrous
- other media don’t work well when added e.g., pencils won’t draw easily
Artist or Craft grade products?
The most common crafters’ product used in collage is Mod Podge, so this is the primary focus for the crafting category.
How is Mod Podge different from Matte or Gel Medium?
Mod podge is a glue intended for decoupage, and it gives excellent results when used as intended. However, it is not an artist grade acrylic medium, and it isn’t recommended to mix in with acrylic paint.
This means:
- it is not well-suited to quality art including acrylic painting and collage
- it negatively affects the quality of artist grade acrylic paints
- it leaves a layer on top of your artwork rather than the natural feel of matte medium
- it inhibits other media from behaving as designed on subsequent layers
- it is tacky and can remain sticky, attracting dust on canvas or causing journal pages to stick together in certain conditions
- it is great for decoupage and paper crafting if you’re not using acrylics or aren’t working in a journal e.g., woodcraft, home decorations
Acrylic Mediums
Assuming we’ve chosen to work with artist grade acrylic mediums rather than a glue; how do we know which to choose?
Matte or Gloss?
When choosing between Matte or Gloss Medium, consider the below in determining which type is best for your project.
Matte:
- Papers look natural, which is my preference for an underlayer
- It’s much easier to draw and use other media on top of matte than gloss
- Dries without any tackiness
Gloss:
- Colours look glossy and more vibrant
- If using photos on photo paper, gloss can give a more pleasing finish
- Art journal pages are more likely to stick together using gloss than matte
An extra tip – the sheen can be altered to your taste when varnishing. If you’ve used gloss medium and you wish it was more matte, simply varnish with a matte medium, and vice versa.
Soft Medium or Gel Medium (Fluid, soft or heavy viscosity)?
Fluid and soft mediums:
- Best for lightweight papers such as tissue, deli, and rice paper
- Alleviates the wrinkling that can occur when applying delicate collage layers
- Good when only a light coat over the top is desired
- Avoid bubbles by not shaking the bottle prior to application
Gel mediums:
- Best for book pages, regular papers, and cardstock
- Alleviates the bubbles under the surface that can occur due to not enough product being used
- Good for strong adhesion
- Effective for sealing unprimed wood panels prior to the layer of gesso
Brand Comparison
I have road tested the below products in relation to how they perform for my style of mixed media, and the supplies I use on top, which may be different from yours. Please take the above factors as a guide for the type of medium you might choose.
Listed in order of my buying preference if cost and availability not a factor, with 1 as most desirable and 10 as least desirable.
Top Performance for Mixed Media
1.
Golden Regular Gel Matte
2.
Liquitex Matte Gel Medium
3.
Liquitex Matte Medium
Medium Performance for Mixed Media
4.
Atelier Heavy Gel Gloss
5.
Liquitex Gloss Heavy Gel
6.
Dina Wakley Ultra Thick Gel Medium
Low Performance for Mixed Media
7.
Distress Collage Medium
8.
Porta Craft Soft and Heavy Gel Medium
9.
Mod Podge Matte
10.
Dina Wakley Soft Gel Medium
Find out more about these mediums and how to improve their economy on the Resources page.
Disclaimer
The information here is based on my own experience, and as art is all about exploration and there are many variables in methods, materials, and conditions, I understand this information may not be right for you.
