Acrylic Paint Comparison: Golden vs. Liquitex vs. Novacolor
If you paint with acrylics, you are likely overwhelmed by the many options on the shelves. While I have not tested all of them, I consistently use a few brands in my professional work. I want to share my experience and break down the differences between the best acrylic paint brands that I use: Golden, Liquitex, and NovaColor.
You probably know Golden and Liquitex as they are found in almost any art store, but you might not know about Novacolor, which is a favorite to many. How a paint performs is important to many artists, but so is the price point. My goal is to help you better understand these three different paints so you can decide which might work best for your acrylic painting practice.
To compare these three paints, I painted each one on a piece of watercolor paper. I was testing for how vibrant the colors were in their pure form, if they wiped off after being dry, and their tinting power. After describing each paint, I will discuss my test results.
Golden Acrylic Paints
Reputation: Golden paints is known for its high-quality, professional-grade acrylic paints. They are highly regarded in the art community for their consistency, pigmentation, and color accuracy. Most acrylic artists would consider Golden to be the best acrylic paint brand, and I would agree.
Variety: Golden offers a wide range of product lines, including Heavy Body, Fluid, High Flow, and OPEN acrylics (ideal for artists looking for slower drying times). Beyond paints, they also provide specialty products like acrylic mediums, pastes, and gels to enhance your artwork.
Pigmentation: Golden paints are known for their high pigment load, meaning their colors are very vibrant and rich. This means you’ll need less of one pigment to alter the color of another. For instance, just a small amount of Golden’s blue pigment can effectively turn yellow into green due to its high pigment concentration, unlike lower-quality paints that may require more pigment to achieve the same result, as the pigment concentration is lower. Golden’s wide range of pure, single-pigment colors, makes it a favorite among those looking for precision in color mixing.
Viscosity: Golden Heavy Body acrylics offer a thick, buttery consistency, perfect for textured brushstrokes. For those who prefer thinner paint, their Fluid and High Flow lines provide options for thinner applications.
Price: Golden paints are generally the most expensive due to their professional quality and high pigment concentration.
Liquitex Acrylic Paints
Reputation: Liquitex is another well-known brand, popular among both professional artists and students due to its versatility and affordability.
Variety: Liquitex offers various product lines, from Heavy Body to Soft Body acrylics. Their Basics line, while more affordable, is not reliable in terms of staying power. Therefore, I don’t recommend Liquitex Basics because I find they wipe off even after they are dry. However, Liquitex has an extensive range of mediums and effects, such as texture gels and iridescent mediums.
Pigmentation: While Liquitex paints are well-pigmented, they tend to have a slightly lower pigment load compared to Golden.
Viscosity: Like Golden, Liquitex provides a range of viscosities from the thick Heavy Body to the more fluid Soft Body. They also have spray paints and acrylic markers in their acrylic line.
Price: Liquitex paints are generally more budget-friendly than Golden, making them a solid choice for artists looking for quality acrylic paints without the higher price tag.
NovaColor Acrylic Paints
Reputation: Although NovaColor isn’t as widely known as Golden or Liquitex, it is highly regarded, especially among muralists and large-scale artists due to its high-quality paint at a more affordable price. Personally, I’ve been impressed with NovaColor’s performance, especially for the price.
Variety: While NovaColor doesn’t have as many product lines as Golden or Liquitex, they offer a wide range of colors and a few mediums. Their acrylics are often praised for their vibrant colors and smooth application. Their mediums are quite affordable, and I recommend them over Golden and Liquitex due to their price. The only difference I have noticed is the NovaColor mediums have a bit of a chemical scent.
Pigmentation: NovaColor paints rival Golden in terms of their pigmentation delivering strong and vibrant colors, but at a lower price point. However, their range of single-pigment colors is not as extensive. This is easily fixed, though, as you could buy single-pigmented colors from another brand.
Viscosity: NovaColor paints have a medium viscosity, not as thick as Golden’s Heavy Body or Liquitex Soft Body. This makes them versatile for a range of applications, including murals and fine art. For me, the only drawback is that they are a bit too thin, and sometimes I need to add a gel medium to thicken them up.
Price: NovaColor is more affordable than both Golden and Liquitex, making it an attractive choice for large-scale works and artists on a budget.
My Paint Test Comparison: Vibrancy, Staying Power, and Tinting Strength
Want to watch a video of me testing these brands? Check it out here!
After testing all three brands, here’s what I found:
- Vibrancy: When tested, all three brands performed well in terms of color vibrancy. So no noticeable difference here.
- Staying Power: Both Golden and Nova Color had excellent staying power, not wiping off after drying for 12 hours. Surprisingly, Liquitex’s Quinacridone Red did wipe off, but the Napthol Crimson did not.
- Tinting Strength: I only tested Nova Color and Golden’s tinting strength. I was very surprised that Nova Color matched Golden’s tinting strength, as I was able to mix a yellow-green with the same amount of paint. This proves Nova Color’s claim about their strongly pigmented colors, but I would not have believed it until I tried it. I will personally be using more Nova Color paint in my professional practice!
Best Acrylic Paint Brands: Which One Should You Choose?
- Golden: Best suited for professional artists who prioritize high pigment load and color accuracy. The variety of product options and exceptional quality make Golden the top-tier choice.
- Liquitex: Versatile and accessible, suitable for professionals who are not ready to invest in Golden. Offers a wide range of products and is more budget-friendly than Golden.
- NovaColor: With its great quality at an affordable price, it’s the best option for artists on a budget especially if you don’t mind thinner paints. They have less variety in color options, but very strong pigmentation.
Each brand has its strengths, so the best choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and artistic goals. I hope this comparison helps you to better understand what professional acrylics are best for you! Experiment with different products and see which one works best for you then share with me in the comments which brand is your favorite and why it made the top of your list!
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ABOUT ANDREA CERMANSKI
I am an artist out of Santa Fe, New Mexico who has been painting for almost 30 years. I love to teach first-timers as well as experienced painters who need a creative reboot. My work has been displayed in several galleries around the country, and I have a Bachelor’s in Art History, a Master’s in Art Education, and had my work in a show juried by Judy Chicago. The idea of getting more people painting makes me light up as I want to inspire more people to express their creative selves and tap into a place of joy and calm.
