Target Tube Paints (Hand Made Modern) Good for Mixed Media?

Target is stepping up its craft game with Hand Made Modern tube paints. As someone who’s always on the lookout for affordable yet versatile art supplies, I had to try these out. Priced at $3.99 per tube, they’re an intriguing alternative to more expensive brands. In this post, I’ll share my thoughts, test results, and a few creative ideas – as a mixed media artist – for using these paints in your art projects.

I bought four tubes of paint to test out and try: Ultramarine, Apple, Orchid, and Orange.

I previously reviewed the Hand Made Modern craft paints from Target (not a big fan).  But don’t worry! I’m keeping an open mind in trying out these paints.  I filmed my experiments and I’m sharing them with you in this video:

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First Impressions

These paints come in a limited but vibrant color palette, and the tubes feel like a step up from traditional craft paint jars.

They have a heavy body consistency, making them suitable for some of my favorite mixed media art disciplines, such as gelatin printing and art journaling. However, a word of caution: the paint has a slight ammonia-like smell, so it may not be ideal for those sensitive to strong odors. I’m not particularly sensitive and I didn’t like it.

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Transparency and Color Mixing

The paints are generally transparent, which can be great for layering and creating subtle effects. It’s also ideal for glazing — one of my favorite acrylic paint layering techniques. I experimented with mixing, combining green and blue to create a rich forest green…

…and then tweaking it with different ratios of white to produce beautiful teal shades. The quick-drying nature of these paints makes them convenient for art journaling but requires speed when blending colors. Those in drier climates might find them too quick-drying.

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Gelatin Printing and Layering

I tested the paints on a gelatin plate and found that they work well for backgrounds, especially when mixed with white for more opacity.

Ghost prints were faint, but adding white to transparent colors significantly improved the visibility of subsequent layers.

The stencils I used are ones I designed for TCW Stencils called Number Scramble and Tangled Vine.

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Creating a Color Chart

To explore the full potential of the colors, I made a color chart with tints, shades, and mixed hues.

Some highlights:

• Skin tones: Achieved through subtle mixes.
• Purples: Surprisingly vibrant, even with challenging colors.
• Oranges and Greens: Produced striking, bright results.
• Browns: Some nice browns that make the other colors pop.

This exercise revealed that while the colors mix decently, they may not be the best choice for precision color mixing due to their transparency.

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Head-to-Head Comparison with Other Craft Paints

For a thorough review, I compared Hand Made Modern paints with Liquitex Basics and Crafter’s Workshop heavy body paints.

Here’s what I found:

• Consistency: Similar across all three brands, though Hand Made Modern felt slightly thicker.
• Pigmentation: Not as strong as artist-grade paints like Golden but comparable to other craft-level options.
• Cost-effectiveness: Hand Made Modern offers great value, especially for beginners or those on a budget.

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Tips for Using Handmade Modern Tube Paints

If you’re a mixed media artist, here are a few tips for getting the most out of these acrylic paints:

1. Embrace Transparency: Use these paints for glazing, layering, or creating soft effects.
2. Boost Opacity with White: Mix in white paint to enhance coverage and vibrancy.
3. Choose the Right Techniques: These paints are excellent for stenciling, stamping, and gelatin printing as long as you understand that the layers will be transparent.
4. Combine with Artist-Grade Paints: For more intense colors, mix them with higher-quality paints. Higher-quality paints generally have more pigment (the expensive stuff) in them. I wrote an extensive post about my favorite acrylic paints HERE.

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Final Thoughts

Hand Made Modern tube paints are a solid option for crafters, art journalers, and anyone looking to explore new techniques without splurging on premium supplies. Overall, good value for the price (about $3.99/tube at my Target).  Not my favorite paints (mostly because of the smell), but nice bright colors and totally comparable to other craft brands.

Have you tried these paints? What did you think?

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My Other Hand Made Modern Product Reviews: