Liquitex

Liquitex was the first water-based acrylic paint invented. Having this historically significant past, we thought it would be interesting for readers to have a timeline detailing how Liquitex came to be. Under the history section you will find a timeline of achievements for Liquitex from the beginning to present day. We have also included other types of information that might be useful, like registered trademarks and information about the paint making process. The Liquitex mission is to provide artists with the highest quality acrylic paints and associated products representing the best value. Our focus is the artist. Our purpose is to stimulate the imagination, to create a moment, to provoke fresh ideas, to deliver and foster innovation, to help artists explore the unknown and exploit the unexpected. In a word, creativity. THE HISTORY OF LIQUITEX ACRYLIC ART MATERIALS 1933 Henry Levison establishes Permanent Pigments, Inc., a small, family owned enterprise that makes artists’ oil paint. 1942 Permanent Pigments plays the leading role in the introduction of the first quality standards for artist’s paints, established by the federal agency, the Bureau of Standards. Permanent Pigments becomes the first art material company to test paint for lightfastness. Permanent Pigments becomes the first company to list pigment identification and lightfastness ratings on artists’ paint container labels. 1950 Henry Levison and other founding members created the National Art Materials Trade Association. The first trade organization dedicated to the advancement of artist materials. 1955 Permanent Pigments develops the first commercially available water-based acrylic paint. The paint is called: Liquitex ("liquid texture"). The first water-based acrylic mediums and varnish are developed: Gloss Medium & Varnish, and Matte Medium. The first water-based acrylic gesso is developed. The first modeling paste is developed. 1963 The first high viscosity, heavy body, water-based acrylic paint, with a consistency similar to oil paints, is developed: High Viscosity Artist Color. The first high viscosity, heavy body, water-based acrylic gel medium is developed. 1964 Binney & Smith (the manufacturer of Crayola crayons) acquires Liquitex (Permanent Pigments, Inc.). 1965 The Lecture Demonstration Program is established: The first program of lectures and demonstrations given by practicing artists, to artists at colleges and universities throughout the U.S. Technique Sheets and Project Sheets are developed: Designed and written specifically for artists, describing product attributes and applications. 1967 The first removable acrylic varnishes are developed: Soluvar Gloss Varnish and Soluvar Matte Varnish. Develops the first use of an Isolation Varnish. 1970 The first machine to test paint for lightfastness is developed. 1971 The first pre-mixed acrylic colors are developed: Modular Color System. Becomes the first acrylic paint to label its colors according to their hue, chroma and value. Develops the first Cadmium Replacement Colors. In 1980 these colors are re-labeled: Cadmium Hue Colors. The first neutral gray colors are developed: Neutral Gray Colors The first acrylic retarder mediums are developed: Retarder Medium and Slow-Dri Medium. The Color Map and Mixing Guide developed. 1977 Becomes a member of the original ASTM sub-committee that develops the test standards for artist paints and related materials. 1980 Becomes the first paint to be packaged in Glaminate tubes. These tubes (laminated layers of plastic, metal and paper) replace all metal tubes, which are prone to corrosion, cracking and other problems. Iridescent acrylic paint is developed: Iridescent Artist Colors. Cadmium Hue color line expanded to offer non-toxic substitutes for hazardous and/or expensive colors. The Art Purchase Program developed: A program, which purchases artwork from artists nationwide for the corporate collection. 1983 The How to Use and Mix Color Book is written: Designed and written specifically for artists. 1984 The first paint to be labeled for ASTM standards, for toxicity, quality and lightfastness. Liquitex tests all acrylic paint, for ASTM standards, for the entire art material industry. 1985 Matte Gel Medium and Heavy Gel Medium are developed. Fine Arts Council is created. A group of influential artists and art educators from colleges and universities who meet once a year to discuss the needs of art students, professional artists and art educators. 1986 Fabric Medium is developed. Interference Acrylic Paints are developed. 1987 The Art Video Series: Volume I - An Introduction to Color Mixing is developed. 1988 The Art Video Series: Volume II - A survey of Acrylic Techniques is developed. 1989 Iridescent Tinting Medium is developed. 1990 The first and only acrylic opaque extender mediums are developed: Jarpaque and Gelex. Flow Aid Medium is developed. High Gloss Varnish is developed: A gloss varnish designed for rigid surfaces. Satin Varnish is developed: A satin varnish designed for rigid surfaces. 1991 Acrylic Wood Stains are developed. First Acrylic Enamel Paints are developed: Glossies™. Consumer Education Department established, to promote the exchange of information and education of acrylic art materials. 1992 Acrylic Texture Gel Mediums are developed. Blending & Painting Medium is developed. Liquithick™ is developed. Acrylics in Action Video is developed: Designed and written as an introduction to acrylic paints and mediums. 1993 The first U.S. fine art, high quality, economy acrylic paint for beginners and students are developed: Basics. Basics Gesso is developed. Basics Brushes are developed. 1994 The first 3-dimensional, non-leveling, polyurethane paint developed: Structural Paint. Airbrush Medium is developed. 1995 Internet Site is established. Paint for Publication started. 1996 Develops new resin system for all its acrylic colors and mediums. New resin system offers the highest quality acrylic paint and mediums ever made: state of the art color clarity, brilliance, and longevity. Student Paint Exchange started: Up to $1,000 in acrylic paints and mediums are awarded monthly to college-level fine art painting students. Paint A Difference Competition established: A program celebrating the works and benefiting the lives of artists with AIDS. The first national effort to assist artists with HIV/AIDS in continuing , presenting and preserving their work 1997 Liquitex Acrylics are the only acrylic colors that are rated CP (Certified Product) by the ASTM. These are the only acrylic colors that pass specific tests for quality, performance and safety. Excellence in Art Purchase Award program started: Cash and product awards for artists. The Acrylic Book is written. 1998 18 New High Viscosity Colors added to the line. High Viscosity colors (limited palette) available in 16 and 32 oz. wide mouth, clear jars. Basics colors (Ivory Black and Titanium White) available in 16 and 32 oz. wide mouth, clear jars. Primary Mixing Sets are developed. 1999 15 New Medium Viscosity Colors added to the line. 2000 ColArt acquires Liquitex. 2001 Liquitex publishes a New Acrylic Book as a resource for artists 2002 Much anticipated launch of newly designed web site BASICS MATT is developed and launched as the first completely Matt acrylic available in a student range. Includes 36 colors in spectrum. Launch of six new mediums: Clear Gesso, High Gloss Varnish, Slow-Dri Fluid Blending Medium, Slow-Dri Gel Blending Medium, Glazing Medium, Gloss Super Heavy Gel Eight new colors added to BASICS range, along with reformulation of range to include more single pigment colors. 2004 The first professional super heavy bodied acrylic color are developed called Super Heavy Body. 2005 Liquitex Celebrates its 50th Anniversary and re-names its Medium Viscosity and High Viscosity Acrylics, Heavy Body and Soft Body 2006 Liquitex introduces the Prep, Paint, Finish system for Mediums and Additives, simplifying the understanding of these often confused products. As part of this new system, the revolutionary “Sliding Scale” was added to all Liquitex Mediums and Additives Labels, enabling users to quickly and easily understand each product’s category, viscosity, transparency or opacity and sheen. Launch of 8 New Mediums: String Gel, Pouring Medium, Palette Wetting Spray, Super Heavy Gesso, Matte Super Heavy Gel, Flexible Modeling Paste, Soluvar® Gloss and Matt Varnish in Aerosol Spray Improved 7 Existing Products including Gloss and Matte Varnishes, Clear Gesso, Ultra Matte Medium (formerly Jarpaque) and Ultra Matte Gel (formerly Gelex) 2007 A revolutionary line of Palette Knives and Painting Tools that encompass both innovative large sizes and shapes and smaller, more traditional knives is introduced. 12 New Colors are introduced to BASICS® bringing the line to an impressive 48 colors. 24 BASICS® Colors become available in 8.5 ounce tubes. Liquitex introduces a revised version of the Acrylic Book – further improving and expanding that existing resource 2008 The state-of-the-art, intensely pigmented acrylic ink is developed called Liquitex Professional Acrylic ink!