How (and Why) to Create a Translucent Glaze with Acrylic Paint

Glazing with acrylic paint is a super easy way to rescue something without destroying all of the layers underneath.  Most of the time nobody will know the magic you’ve done.  For instance, here are some glazes in my art journal:

You probably have no idea where the glaze is or what it’s doing, right? That’s kind of the point!

Here is a before and after with a glaze:

As you can see, glazes are a great way to shift the color story or change the focal point without totally losing your earlier work.  And they can be added at any point during the process — they help you create tons of visual depth in your layering.

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How to Create a Translucent (Glaze) Layer in Acrylic Painting

This is a video from my new online class about working with a Limited Palette, in which I demonstrate exactly how to create a glaze:

2026 UPDATE: My Limited Palette class is no longer available, but that content has been rolled into the class, “Practical Color for Painters.”

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Key Takeaways: How to Create a Translucent (Glaze) Layer in Acrylic Painting

• Opaque Paint Covers What’s Underneath.
  • Opaque acrylic paint blocks out underlying layers completely. When you paint directly with undiluted opaque color, you lose any marks, colors, or textures beneath it. This is useful for coverage—but limiting when you want depth or subtle shifts.
• A Glaze Is About Transparency, Not Just Thinning.
  • A glaze allows underlying colors and textures to show through while shifting the overall color. The goal isn’t to make paint watery—it’s to make it translucent while still structurally sound.
• Gel Medium Is the Key to Creating Glazes.
  • My choice of gel medium (matte medium) is essentially acrylic paint without pigment—just binder and water. When you mix paint with matte medium, you dilute the pigment without weakening the paint film. The color remains stable but becomes translucent.
  • I use Matte Medium for all of my glazes: https://amzn.to/2XPNBUU or https://tidd.ly/3N8Vocj
• You Control Transparency by Adjusting the Ratio.
  • More matte medium = more translucency.
  • Less matte medium = less translucency.
  • There’s no single “correct” ratio—glazing is flexible and responsive. Artists can customize opacity based on the effect they want.
• Glazes Are Ideal for Color Adjustment and Unification. Translucent layers are especially useful for:
  • Toning down strong or distracting colors.
  • Bringing background areas into harmony.
  • Creating subtle color shifts without repainting.
  • A glaze can unify an area without erasing what’s already working.
• Glazing Builds Depth Without Starting Over.
  • Because glazes sit on top of existing layers while letting them show through, they’re a powerful tool for refining a piece rather than reworking it entirely. This makes them ideal for later stages of a painting or collage.
• “Transparent” vs. “Translucent”
  • While often called “transparent glazes,” most acrylic glazes are technically translucent, meaning they allow light and color through but still visibly tint what’s underneath. This distinction helps artists set realistic expectations for results.

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Go Deeper with Color

If you’re interested in learning more about how color works, check out the online class, “Practical Color for Painters.”

Thanks for stopping by!