The fundamental difference between a tempera and an acrylic is the composition, from which all the different characteristics derive. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOUACHE AND AN ACRYLIC COLOR

The tempera is water-based, formed by pigments combined with agglomerating substances, while the acrylic color has a more resistant formulation and has as its main component an aqueous dispersion of acrylic polymers.

This extra component that is present in acrylic, called resin, gives the acrylic a permanent feature. The paint, on the other hand, is washable.

Are you looking for acrylic color? Find it here!

Tempera performs best on porous surfaces; the acrylic color is suitable for applications on multiple surfaces.

Tempera has mostly opaque colors. In acrylic colors, on the other hand, two types can be distinguished: glossy acrylic with very bright colors and high gloss and matt acrylic with very pigment-laden colors but with a matte finish.

Are you looking for gouache? Find it here!

In both cases, therefore, both with tempera and with acrylic color, we can easily mix the different shades of the same genre.

The drying times of the gouache and the acrylic are comparable, but while in the gouache the final color layer that remains on the sheet is rigid, for the acrylic color it is much more “elastic” and dries without cracking.

If after use you forget the open bottle or tube, the acrylic “dries” much faster than a gouache. Furthermore, the tools used for the acrylic technique must be cleaned quickly after use otherwise the tool will no longer be usable.

The acrylic color is more resistant to the yellowing effect due to the passage of time.