Five questions about SOLO GOYA Acrylic Medium Structure Pastes and Gels
05/21/2025 |- SOLO GOYA Pastes and mediums
- Ideen für Künstler
What is the difference between Structure Paste and Structure Gel?
Structure Paste like, for example, SOLO GOYA Acrylic Medium Structure Paste Universal comes out the tube in a firm paste-like consistency. It is suitable for creating defined relief substructures in an artwork. Pastes are generally white and opaque. Special pastes like SOLO GOYA Acrylic Medium Structure Paste in Granite Silver and Brilliant Gold even give you a metallic look.
Structure Gel has a creamy consistency and only becomes firm after they have dried. SOLO GOYA Acrylic Medium Structure Gels are transparent so the surface underneath remains visible. They dry glossy and transparent.
What’s the right way to mix Structure Gel and Paste with acrylic paint?
Structure Gel dries transparent and does not change the colour or the drying time. If you mix acrylic paint with a gel like, for example, SOLO GOYA Acrylic Medium Structure Gel Glossy, then besides the volume, the coverage of the paint also changes. We recommend a maximum mixing ratio of 50:50, so that the properties of the Structure Gel aren’t changed too much.
Structure Pastes should not be mixed with acrylic paint as they lighten the colour and make the paint look “chalky”. That is unless you want pastel-coloured structures in your acrylic art. Our tip: apply a structure paste like, for example, SOLO GOYA Acrylic Medium Structure Paste Raw Sand to your canvas first, then let it dry. Once it has dried, colour the structures with acrylic paint.
Can you use Structure Paste and Structure Gel straight on their own?
Of course! For structure pastes like SOLO GOYA Acrylic Medium Structure Paste, this is a good idea then otherwise they would change the colour of an acrylic paint. Our structure pastes come in a light white colour for a neutral look. You can use Granite Silver and Brilliant Gold to create a cool metallic look. A structure gel like SOLO GOYA Acrylic Medium Structure Gel Glossy applied straight adds visual highlights to individual areas of your artwork.
How thick can you apply structure pastes?
Even if it looks good when you apply them you should not apply structure pastes any thicker than 1 cm. Otherwise the structure layer could crack. Just to explain: structure pastes dry from outside in and from top to bottom. If the layer is too thick, cracks could form as any residual moisture in the paste can no longer escape through the already dried uppermost layer.
The air should not be too dry either. We recommend airing the room well before you start your creative project. You can speed up the drying of structured pictures with a hairdryer. In this case, it is best to use the hairdryer to dry the picture from the back.
What surfaces are suitable for structure pastes and structure gels?
Structure media stick best to even, solid and primed surfaces. Canvas, wood or MDF are ideal. Paper is too flexible and would curl up. Better are cardboard, photo card or art board. For priming, we recommend SOLO GOYA Gesso or a matt acrylic paint like SOLO GOYA Acrylic.
The application of structure pastes works best with a palette knife, squeegee or spatula. If you want to use a paintbrush, then a firm bristle brush is best suited. The brushstrokes remain visible after the paste has dried. Structure gel looks best if you apply it with a palette knife or similar. Only this way do you get a smooth and even surface.
