If you want to paint on fabric with acrylic paint you may already have in your are supplies, I have good news! You can definitely put your existing supply acrylic artist paints to good use on fabrics. Not so fast, there are just a few things to know before you get started.
While painting on your fabric with acrylic paint is certainly doable, the results may not be as great as you were hoping. There is a simple solution however, to ensure you get results as good as you would if you were to fabric paint. After all, fabric paint is just a special blend of acrylic paint.
All you need to do is turn that existing stash of acrylics into fabric paint with little bit of Liquitex Fabric Medium or GAC 900 fabric medium. This will give you results much like fabric paint and I’ll explain more on that in a bit. If you are set on using acrylics on fabric without adding fabric medium read on to find out what you can expect.
What Is Fabric Medium? Turn Acrylics Into Fabric Paint
Acrylic fabric medium is a liquid acrylic polymer emulsion that you can mix with acrylic artist paints which offers a very soft feel and the stability to be laundered without damaging the designs. Additionally, when added to acrylic paint, fabric medium improves the work-ability and flow of the paint when applying to fabric.
It can also control the bleeding of colors when they are thinned with water. Some other very useful attributes of fabric medium is the ability to achieve watercolor-like effects on fabric and blending directly on the fabric itself giving the artist more versatility.
Fabric medium will also allow artists to take advantage of an expanded color palette and many different paint techniques beyond paint and brush. I know some artist that add fabric medium to the paints and thinned with a bit of water so they can airbrush fabrics. Since textile paints are somewhat limited in color options you can use the medium to utilize an unlimited number of color recipes you may have for artist acrylics.
Acrylic with Medium vs Acrylic Paint on Fabric
One of the most important effects of fabric medium on acrylic paint is to allow the dried paint to maintain a certain level of flexibility and elasticity. Without medium mixed into the acrylic paint, the paint will typically quite stiff and have a bit of a rough texture depending on the fabrics texture. The medium also makes the dried and set paint a bit more durable since it can flex with the fabric, resisting cracking and peeling.
When deciding whether or not you should go the extra step in acquiring fabric medium just consider the project and whether or not it requires the added durability or workability. Will the fabric you are painting be worn as clothing, or do you intend to paint a piece of fabric that will experience a good bit of wear like furniture?
Acrylic paint without medium is an excellent option for decorative tapestry projects since these pieces are usually on display and not subject to the same wear and tear of clothing and furniture. Really any fabric or tapestry art that you intend on being more of display art than functional items are great candidates for acrylic without medium.
Acrylic Paint on Fabric Without Medium
Painting on fabric with acrylic paint is absolutely possible and any artist knows just how well acrylic adheres to fabric. This is why we usually paint with an apron or utilize means of clothing protection as to not ruin our clothes.
I must reiterate that it is always best to mix your acrylic paint in with a medium but if you have neither the means or the convenience to do so there are a few tips that make painting fabric with acrylics a little easier.
Paint Tips for Acrylic on Fabric?
Below are a few tips to give you better results for your fabric painting projects if you are using acrylic paint without a medium. These tips will improve adhesion, workability, and end result of the project.
- Use a mild abrasive like sandpaper to very lightly scuff the fabric to improve the adhesion of the paint.
- Lightly wet the fabric evenly with a spray bottle for a wet to wet application of the paint providing a more even application.
- Thin the paint with a little bit of water before applying. This will also improve application with a more even application.
How Do I Set Acrylic Paint On Fabric?
Heat setting paint after it has been applied to fabric is usually required but if you aren’t using a fabric medium mixed with your acrylic paint, or a textile paint made specifically for fabric then YOU DO NOT NEED TO HEAT-SET IT. There is no benefit to doing so on regular acrylic artist paint.
Now that you have a better understanding of using acrylic paint on fabric, use proper care and extend the life of your newly created art.
Post Paint Fabric Care
Caring for your painted fabric projects is pretty easy. Acrylic paint without a medium is not as durable to laundering so clean your fabric with care. I would recommend spot treating or hand washing the fabric if at all possible and hang drying. If that isn’t possible using the gentle cycle on your washing machine and low heat cycle on your clothes dryer should extend the life of your design as well.
That’s all there is to it. If you can minimize how much you need to wash the fabric it will minimize how much you will degrade the paint and its adhesion by shrinking and expanding the fibers through a repeated wash.
Good Luck!
Now that you have a better understanding of acrylic fabric painting you should be well on your way to creating beautiful designs using the best fabric paints that look great and last a very long time. If you have any questions at all be sure to leave a comment and we will do our best to help out!
Medium ? Do you mean a paint glaze? If not, where does one buy this “medium”?
When you mention acrylic paint, does that include Home Depot type paints or Folk Art craft paints ?
You provided one of the most concise and straightforward explanations . Kudos to you.
Hi Luis,
Paint medium is an additive that can change the attributes of the paint. Mediums can make the paint thinner, thicker, and even change texture or finish of dried paint. Fabric medium improves the workability of the paint on fabric as well as making it more pliable when dried which gives it a better feel on the fabric. In regards to your question about acrylic paint, we are referring to “craft” acrylics which are made for craft projects like illustrations and the like. Mediums can be found at most craft stores, but to learn more about acrylics and mediums used on fabric check out our complete guide to fabric paint!
I hope that helps!
Is Latex paint also considered an acrylic paint? I am wanting to add grosgrain ribbon to the edge of a white roman shade, and match the ribbon to the room’s wall color. However the wall color is a unique gray-green, so I wondered if I could add a fabric medium to the latex paint, and use that to paint the grosgrain ribbon? Any thoughts you have will be appreciated!!!
Hi! Yes, typically latex paint is considered to be acrylic paint. That said, you should be able to add a fabric medium to achieve the desired results but it is always best to test it out first. With so many paint formulas it is hard to know exactly how the paint will respond. That said, test it and if you are happy with the test results you are probably ok.
Good luck!
I use plain old latex wall paint for painting furniture with no problems (wood furniture, upholstered furniture, etc.). I’ve done upholstered projects with and without fabric medium and I’m fine without it. The fabric will have a denser feel if you use plain paint, similar to an outdoor patio fabric. That works fine for me and the projects I’ve done. If I was doing a sofa that gets napped on or laid on while watching tv, for example, I’d probably want a medium to soften the fabric, but I can’t see myself doing a piece that large,anyway. My advancing age is probably the reason I find painting upholstered furniture to be a substantial project, enough for me to shy away from something as big as a couch. It’s a very effective and rewarding project, and I love to do chairs, but there’s no sofa in this old gal’s future. Durability has been good, with or without fabric medium….no cracking, peeling or fading, even after 9-10 yrs. I do, however, put 2-3 coats of wax on as the final step, mostly to soften the fabric a bit. (I use a plain paste wax and have tried several brands, whatever I have at the time……..Minwax, Johnson and one other name I can’t think of right now; comes in an orange can. Men often have a can in their stash if you don’t have your own.) I’m a great one to decide on a whim to start a project and want to get going before the urge passes. A sure way to kill the thrill is a trip into town for supplies, so I’ll use what I have in my work room. That’s typically the basics….like latex paint and not much for “fancy add-ins”. 😉
For painting on a canvas drop cloth, can I use acrylic paint mixed with Liquitex Matte Gel medium? Is this the same as fabric medium? Since I have quite a bit of it I used on a project transferring images to wood, I would like to use that if possible rather than buy something I may already have. After my project is dry, do I need to heat set if if using the gel medium?
Hi Rebecca, I honestly have not tried the Gel medium on fabric before so I cannot say for sure. I would just recommend you try it out on a test piece first both heat-set and not heat-set. That said, based on my experience I can’t say how durable it would against abrasion or malleability but I think you would experience similar results to a canvas board. The real purpose of Fabric medium is improved workability and feel after the paint is dried and set.
Hopefully one of our readers can chime in with their own experience of Gel medium on fabric.
You can also apply Gesso to it first too
i didn’t have any medium when I started my project, can I go over my finished project with medium after it’s dried?
Unfortunately, it will not improve the stiffness of the already dried paint if there is any. Depending on the project you are working on if stiffness is not really an issue but you want a softer feel to the paint it possible that putting a coat or two over the existing paint may improve the feel. Really the only way to know is to test it on a small portion of the painted area to see the outcome.
I hope that helps!
Thanks for the great information, we are making shirts on a budget for our girl scouts for a trip they are going on and this helped alot. My question is the girls will be tie-dyeing their shirts so would it be better to paint the letters on before or after? These two activities will be a week apart. Thank you
Hi Kelly, This is a great question. I think you would have the best luck dyeing the shirts first and then painting them. This would ensure the paint doesn’t interfere with the dyeing process as well as the dyeing process not interfering with the paint.
Good luck to you and your Scouts!
I’ve had the best luck at dying the shirts first then painting them.
What ratio should I use with the medium and acrylic paint?
The fabric medium you use should indicate the ratios needed.
So if we don’t use a medium on acrylic paint, we do NOT need to heat set it?
or if we USE a medium for acrylic paint we do not need to heat it?
Correct…fabric paint or acrylic paint used with a fabric medium DOES need to be heat set unless the instructions say otherwise. Regular acrylic paint does NOT need to be heat set.
I painted cotton curtains without any medium, didn’t heat set, washed and dried them with no problems. I did use sea sponges dipped in water, after realizing that straight acrylic / latex paint soaked into fabric quickly. So definitely use spray bottle or sponges. Thay turned out great & to answer your ?, I recently washed the curtains on cold water delicate and ALSO dried on delicate (low) for 30 min. They never bleed & look exactly the same. I waited 30 days to launder just to be sure paint was set. Hope this helps. The main thing I learned is just GO FOR IT! It’s only paint & fabric 🙂
What kind of fabric can you use ??
Acrylic will usually adhere to most fabric, that said, sometimes synthetic fabrics can sometimes prove less than ideal. Always test first in an inconspicuous spot before committing fully to painting your fabric.
Hi, just wondering what temperature to heat set with an iron? Do I need to press hard and hold? Thanks,
Hi! I was just curious.. isn’t there a pretty big chance of the paint coming off after a couple of washes?
Hi,
The wash-fastness of the paint is really dependent on the proper application and the brand of paint used. If using a fabric medium with standard acrylic it should be fairly durable in general.
Thanks!