I have to confess, I love to hoard art supplies! And also, I love to not overspend. While it is true that Liquitex, Golden and Arteza are popular brands, I find that I have my own preference – Amsterdam paints.
And let me show you why – let’s dive in this concise Amsterdam acrylic paint review. I show colors, tubes and the painting I made.
What is Amsterdam acrylic paint?
Amsterdam Acrylic Paints are a popular line of acrylic paints manufactured by Royal Talens, a Dutch company that has been producing art supplies since 1899.
Amsterdam Acrylics are known for their high-quality pigments, vibrant colors, and smooth consistency. They are widely used by artists, students, and hobbyists for various art projects.
What is the difference between Amsterdam Standard and Amsterdam Expert?
Amsterdam acrylics come in 2 ranges: Expert (artist-grade) and Standard Series (student-grade, more affordable).
Amsterdam Expert has higher pigment concentration compared to Standard series.
It costs more but to be honest is also much less popular. I rarely see it for sale online and offline while Standard series is widely available.
I personally use Amsterdam Standard a lot and I don’t have any reason to switch to Expert and pay more.
While it is true that normally it is easier to mix colors with professional paint, and you will have cleaner results, I’ve never had issues with Amsterdam Standard acrylics and will continue using them and recommending them for beginners.
Amsterdam Acrylic Paints come in a wide range of colors, including standard colors, specialty colors, and metallic shades.
They are available in different formats, including tubes and jars, and they offer various viscosities such as standard, expert, and acrylic ink, catering to different artistic techniques and preferences.
One of the notable features of Amsterdam Acrylic Paints is their excellent lightfastness, which means the colors are resistant to fading when exposed to light. This quality is important for ensuring the longevity of artwork over time.
Their pearl line is one of the most popular color ranges as they are so soft and beautiful! Absolutely in love with them as many painters.
Amsterdam paints are also quite popular for acrylic pouring.
A very good thing about Amsterdam paints, besides the fact that I love them, is the price. They are inexpensive paints!
My Amsterdam Acrylic Paint Review
I consistently use Amsterdam paints for last 2 years and they have never failed me. It is my go to paint when I need to test mixing new colors, or when I feel like practice painting.
In my personal opinion, they are absolutely on the same level for beginners as Liquitex basics.
Consistency
Amsterdam Standard are soft-body paints unlike professional heavy-body paints.
Which is perfect for beginners as it is easier to use and thin.
I love the blendability and how easy Amsterdam paints are to mix:
Waterproof
Just like any other acrylic paint, Amsterdam acrylics are water-resistant once dry but not completely waterproof. You should varnish them to protect from water and moisture damage.
Finish and coverage
Amserdam acrylics have amazing coverage and dry to a satin or semi-gloss finish, very smooth hand even.
For my artwork Amnesia I use Amsterdam acrylic paint and their modeling paste. Amazing archival results:
Lightfastness
How lightsfast is Amsterdam acrylic paint depends on each specific color.
Each tube has a label and a mention of the lightfastness class: absolute majority of colors have excellent permanence.
The brand actually did test the lightfastness and they have grades:
- +++ = at least 100 years lightfast under museum conditions (61 colors)
- ++ = 25 – 100 years lightfast under museum conditions(12 colors)
You can find +++ or ++ directly on the front of the tube:
Drying time
A thin layer of Amsterdam acrylic paint on paper on canvas will dry to touch in 5-15 minutes.
Fully cured it will be in a few days if you want to varnish your acrylic painting.
Opacity and Colors
Amsterdam standard series color chart is 102 colors including amazing pearls and metallics! Some colors also have a few options: L- light color, D – deep color and M – medium.
And despite the fact that it is student-grade paint, the brand still uses 100% acrylic emulsion as binder and high-grade pigments like in professional paint.
Out of the whole color range I find most color decently opaque:
- transparent (8 colors)
- semi-transparent (11 colors)
- semi-opaque (23 colors)
- opaque (31 colors)
To Sum Up
Amsterdam Standard acrylics are closer to professional-grade acrylics being extremely affordable.
For me it is an optimal value for money balance that every beginner seaks. Amazing coverage, blendability, soft consistency and great opacity add points.
If you still can’t decide what paint to buy and think that Liquitex or Golden may be too expensive to start, I highly recommend trying Amsterdam acrylic paint 🙂
If you tried it already, let me know in comment how you like it?
Masha Eretnova, born in 1991, is a Buenos Aires-based certified teacher, artist, and member of the Professional Artist Association with 20+ years of personal painting journey.
She started painting and drawing very early and is now an international abstract artist and educator passionate about acrylic painting, gouache, and crafts.
Her works are part of international exhibitions and contests, including ArtlyMix (Brazil), Al-Tiba 9 (Spain), Exhibizone (Canada), Italy, and many more.
Besides her artistic pursuits, Masha holds a post-grad diploma in Teaching Film Photography and 2 music school diplomas: piano and opera singing.