Schematic of two swatches of the same red acrylic: wet, the color looks paler under a milky haze of loose droplets that scatter light; dry, the droplets have fused and the color is seen through a clear film.

Concept · Working With Each

Color Shift as It Dries

Wet acrylic looks milky; as it dries, the binder turns clear and the color shows through.

Getty-published research explains the change. One paint maker says colors dry slightly darker. How binders change color in general is covered in Color Theory.

  • A second, different effect: dry paint can look less rich than the wet paint did.
  • A varnish brings that richness back, conservator Chris Stavroudis notes.

Image: Made for this site · Original work

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