Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas: What It Is and Why It Matters

Every painting in my studio is described as 'acrylic and mixed media on canvas'. Collectors often ask what that actually means. Here's the honest version.

Acrylic is the base

Acrylic paint is a water-based pigment bound in acrylic polymer. It dries fast, holds its colour for decades without yellowing, and can be layered thick like oil or thinned like watercolour. It's the workhorse of contemporary painting.

Mixed media is where the personality comes in

'Mixed media' means I add other materials to the surface — ink, charcoal, gold leaf, torn paper, gesso texture, sometimes even fabric. Each layer catches light differently. Photographs of these paintings rarely do them justice; they change as you walk past them.

Why canvas

Canvas is stretched cotton or linen over a wooden frame. It flexes slightly, which lets the paint breathe over time and prevents cracking. All my works are on gallery-wrapped canvas with a 2 cm painted edge — they don't need a frame to hang.

What this means for you as a buyer

You're buying a physical object made by hand, one layer at a time, that will outlast you. Care is simple: keep it out of direct sunlight and off exterior walls that get damp. Dust with a soft dry brush once a year.

You can see the medium at work across the collection at babasehgalart.com.