Understanding the drying times of our acrylic paints

One of the main reasons for choosing acrylic paints is their ability to dry quickly. This is a guide to Winsor & Newton acrylic drying times.

Galeria Acrylic: Thin films of colour will dry in 10 to 20 minutes, whereas thicker films can take an hour or more.

Professional Acrylic: Thin films of Professional Acrylic will dry in 20 to 30 minutes and thicker films can take an hour or two. This will vary according to environmental conditions.

How long does Professional Acrylic remain workable or open?

Professional Acrylic colours remain usable on the palette for slightly longer than many other acrylics. A longer working time allows artists to reduce waste on the palette, and gives them an extended period for blending on the canvas, as colours will remain workable for more than 30 minutes.

The working, or “open”, time can be extended further by mixing the colour with Winsor & Newton Fluid Retarder.