Artist’s paint media is made by grinding pigment and dispersing it in a binding medium which binds the pigment to a support or substrate.

Wax was the earliest known medium and was used mainly by the Greeks and Romans. It lasted in favor until around the eighth century. During the middle ages, the main type of paint was tempera in which the pigment was bound by eggs. In the fifteenth century, oil became popular as a medium.

Oil had a slow drying time and, despite the addition of drying agents, was both an advantage and a disadvantage. The disadvantage was the slow drying time but this could not overlook the advantage of a medium much easier to handle and correct. Oil has dominated painting ever since.

Early in the 20th-century, the acrylic medium was created. It is made from polymerized resin and has become popular for its quick drying time, and flexibility.

Watercolor is bound using gum arabic. When you mix it with water, it can be applied smoothly and will adhere to the substrate when dry.

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