If you want more body and texture, start in the “paint without pigment” family with a Tri-Art Gel Medium; if you want more flow and detail, reach for a Polymer Medium; if you want a brushstroke-minimizing final layer, look to varnishes like Final Finish or Top Coat, all found in the Tri-Art Acrylic Mediums collection. Practical tip: change only one variable at a time, mix a small amount into your colour, test it on a scrap, and let it dry fully before committing, because many mediums look different wet than dry.

Tri-Art Gel Medium is essentially high viscosity acrylic without pigment, it looks white when wet, then dries clear and flexible, and it can hold high peaks and fine texture detail, which makes it ideal for impasto glazing and extending colour without collapsing texture; Tri-Art Polymer Medium is essentially Liquid Acrylic without pigment, it will thin thick-format paint, increase flow, and is especially useful for controlled brushwork and detail. Practical tip: if you are losing crisp texture, you probably want more gel; if your paint is dragging and you want smoother strokes, add polymer medium in small increments until the brushwork relaxes, then stop before it gets too runny.

Use a self-leveling medium meant for that job, Tri-Art Self Leveling Gel is described as ideal for thick, level glazes or string-like extrusions without brushstrokes, and it is very slow drying, so you get time for it to settle. Practical tip: apply it with a spreading tool (not a scrubbing brush), lay it down once, then leave it alone so it can level, overworking reintroduces texture.

Some “clear” texture builders are designed to dry matte and semi-opaque in thicker films, for example Tri-Art Modeling Paste Clear is described as drying semi-opaque and matte, while Gel Mediums are described as drying to a clear, flexible film even in thick coats. Practical tip: if you want maximum clarity, build texture with clear-drying gels and keep each layer thinner; if you want a matte, chalky, body-building underlayer you can carve or sand later, modeling paste clear is the right tool, just plan for its dry appearance.

Tri-Art’s own guidance is that Crackle Ground is brittle and generally unsuited to flexible supports like stretched canvas, so start on a solid, inflexible support, prime first with an artist-quality acrylic gesso, then spread Crackle Ground with a palette knife to an even thickness so the crack pattern forms predictably. Practical tips from Tri-Art: you can dilute Crackle Ground up to 20% water by volume to encourage a finer pattern, avoid going thicker than about 1/16 inch, and give thicker applications several days to develop full adhesion before you paint or seal the surface; the full method is laid out in Tri-Art’s Crackle Ground education article.

For an intentionally granular feel, Tri-Art Nepheline Gels are described as semi-transparent mediums used to create granular textures, and they mix easily with Tri-Art acrylic colours and mediums while keeping the flexibility and adhesive qualities of the gel family, which makes them useful for textured grounds and mixed media. Practical tip: apply a thin “tooth” layer first, let it dry, then glaze or scumble colour over the top so pigment catches the high points, or mix colour directly into the gel for a tinted, gritty paste.

Tri-Art describes its gesso as a pH-neutral ground suitable for both acrylic and oil paints, and recommends applying 2 to 3 water-diluted coats, which is a practical approach when you want good sealing and an even paint response. Practical tip: use a slightly diluted first coat to help it flow and seal, let it dry fully, add one or two more coats for uniformity, and if you want a smoother painting surface, lightly sand between coats once dry.

Tri-Art frames these as different finishing outcomes: Final Finish is a self-leveling polymer designed to unify the lustre of a finished painting and is applied in thin coats with about 12 hours between coats, while Top Coat Hard is intended for rigid surfaces, can be brushed, poured, or sprayed, but should be built in thin layers with 12 to 24 hours between coats and is not recommended for flexible, pre-gessoed substrates; Top Coat Soft is positioned for flexible surfaces. Practical tip: whichever you choose, apply thin, even coats, use a larger soft brush for fewer passes when brushing, stir before use, and if you see streaks, stop overworking and let the coat level and cure before deciding whether you need another.