#115 MASTER CLASS — EXPLORING ACRYLIC MEDIUMS
In this practical Master Class, Assistant Coach Tom Hlas cuts through the overwhelm and shows you what actually matters. Through clear demonstrations, Tom walks through gels, pastes, and mediums, showing how each one behaves, when to use it, and why. You’ll see how to build texture, create transparency, and expand what’s possible with acrylic paint, without overcomplicating your process. Grounded in Tom’s deep experience with materials, this class helps you make smarter choices in the studio and use mediums in ways that genuinely elevate your work.
WATCH THE MASTER CLASS RECORDING
Jump to a section:
Click the chapter icon (the bulleted list inside the video player) to see and select any part of the video.
Chapters and timestamps are also listed below for quick reference.
*Please note that guest presenters are not necessarily Academy members available for commenting.
Wow Tom Thank you …so informative , you have certainly opened my eyes to further my art with new ideas and possibilities
Maree, that is so great to hear. I’m glad new art material doors have been opened for you!
Tom,
I loved your masterclass and have now been super inspired to try absorbent ground.
Your demonstrations were so clear. Thank you for a great Master Class.
Sally, that’s great to hear. Please share your work with absorbent ground with the Academy. We look forward to seeing it.
Sally, that’s great to hear. Absorbent ground is a great product. I hope you like working with it.
Excellent masterclass Tom, that was so clear and comprehensive. Really interesting to know about all these mediums that I haven’t tried and with such great effects. Thank you.
Susannah, please keep us posted on your journey as you use some of these products! Thanks.
Tom,
This was so cool to watch… you gave me inspiration to experiment with some of the mediums, pastes and grounds I haven’t tried yet! I am especially wanting some of the Tar to create a skin of drizzles… OMG… so excited to expand my exploration with these awesome products! Thank you! Precious
Precious, I’m thrilled the Masterclass fired you up and inspired you to experiment with some products you haven’t used before. Keep us posted!
Hi Tom,
I enjoyed your presentation of these products. I would have not known some of them existed. You’ve given us more playthings to experiment with in a very clear fashion.
Questions:
The Clear Tar Gel- Can you adjust its viscosity to slow its drip rate?
Can you mix Glass Bead Gel with Clear Tar Gel? In order to get a bumpy stringy effect?
I think I’ll start with these two along with the Crackle paste to experiment with.
Thanks again Tom!
Kevin, great questions. I have never tried it, but I have been told that you can add a thicker gel to Clear Tar Gel to help maintain a slower drip rate. Most of the GOLDEN acrylic mediums and gels play well together. So you can mix Glass Bead Gel with Clear Tar Gel. Of course, it’s always best to experiment to see if you get the results you want.
Thanks Tom, It’s cause of these kinds of classes that I love being in the Academy!
Kevin, thanks. Keep sharing your art!
Tom, I really enjoyed your masterclass. I learnt a lot and feel inspired to try some new things. Thank you!!
Jessica, that’s good news. Keep us posted in the Academy about what products you try and how they work for you.
Thankyou Tom you did an excellent job of explaining how these products work fabulous will have to try these experiments love how you can stencil and use clear plastic to apply theses mediums for differences in how they work
Jackie, there are so many ways you can use these products. I particularly like creating collage elements using clear plastic as the surface. Happy experimenting!
Wow! What a gold mine of info on all the materials. It takes some of the guesswork out of buying products and figuring out what to do with them. Thanks for such clear explanations and demos.
Irene, I’m so happy you found the masterclass helpful!
Excellent presentation Tom thank you so much for taking us through all of the various options to explore. You’re a wonderful teacher!
Shari, thanks so much for your comments. I hope you’ll try out some of the products to see what you want to add to your arsenal of materials!
This was a wonderful discussion and demonstration of mediums that I am excited about trying out! Thank you Tom!
Dee, my pleasure!
Tom,
I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation which was very informative and well thought out! Now I am more likely to explore the possibilities!!
thanks for your hard work….
robin saliba
Robin, wonderful to hear. Keep us posted on your journey with the products you try and share it with us in the Academy!