Clearly there is something important going on about the drying time of acrylics, but the discussion in some case does not give fully accurate information, or help the user to choose between competing products in this new category.

Standing apart from this “me-too” bandwagon is Interactive and Golden “Open.” Open really is different, and is very slow drying. It should be ideal for special needs such as alla prima plein air painting but “Open” can only be used for slow techniques, and should not be confused with Atelier Interactive, which can be used for slow and normal fast acrylic techniques.

Atelier Interactive is the first real tried and tested advance on acrylic artists’ paints since they were first developed back in the 1960s. This revolutionary acrylic does not form a skin permitting the paint to be rehydrated even after it has become touch dry.

The real starting point of this trend was 2003 when I invented Atelier Interactive, which was subsequently put on the market in 2005 and Chroma holds a patent pending on its formulation.

In 2005, Atelier Interactive replaced Chroma’s ordinary artists’ acrylic called Atelier in Australia and New Zealand. It was designed as an improvement to ordinary acrylics, not a complete departure from them. Atelier Interactive is not a slow drying paint; it is a universal use paint, which the artist can easily control so that it dries either quickly or slowly.

Atelier Interactive performs well as a fast drying paint, and many people choose acrylics because they are fast drying, yet when a fast drying paint “controls you”, and won’t let you extend the open working time when you need more time to finish what you are doing, it is a great advantage to be able to use the “slow” side of Atelier Interactive’s “character”.

Because it is easy to use either fast or slow, there are fast painters who use the slow side occasionally, and there are slow painters who set themselves up for progressive slow painting sessions with extensive blending, like with oils, except that at the end of a session the painting can be dried out rapidly if necessary.

By simply adding water to your paint brush or spraying your canvas, you can extend your wet blending time indefinitely during a painting session. The next day, or even days after, if you choose to continue with your wet-in-wet blending, simply use our Unlocking Formula.

My personal experience extends over 5 years and public use covers 3 years, which means that it is very worthwhile to download the how-to-use information we have accumulated from actual use over this period.

Interactive Basic Information Sheet

Thick Slow Medium (for a more impasto style) and Slow Medium (for a more thinned syle) have been specially designed for this product line. Both dramatically extend the workability of Atelier Interactive.
Many questions have already been asked and answered about Atelier Interactive.

You can find more information by reviewing our FAQs or signing up for Chroma Link. A video demonstration is also available for viewing and does a terrific job of showing how Atelier Interactive works.

Chroma Link

Common Interactive Questions Paint Talk Topic

Interactive Demonstration Video