MEEDEN Acrylic Paint Review: Lightfast Test + First Impressions
Why I’m Testing MEEDEN Acrylics
I have avoided acrylic paints for years.
As a watercolor artist, I always had this idea in my head that acrylics weren’t for me. I imagined them feeling too plastic-like, too different from the transparent layering that I love in watercolor.
But recently that started to change.
After watching artists like Christian Hook use acrylic as a foundation before building with oils, I became curious:
Could acrylic actually become a bridge between my watercolor background and my first love — oil painting?
That question became the start of this Artist Lab experiment.
Disclosure
MEEDEN sent me these supplies to test:
MEEDEN Metallic Acrylic Paint Set
Acrylic brushes
Canvas
MEEDEN did not review or approve my conclusions before publication.
These products were gifted, but this is not a final review. I don’t think using something once tells the whole story.
Instead, I want to actually test them.
The Question I’m Testing
Acrylic paints are often judged immediately:
How creamy are they?
How pigmented are they?
How do they feel?
Those things matter — but I wanted to know something longer term:
How will these colors hold up over time?
Especially because many artists create work they hope will last.
So before creating a finished painting, I started with a lightfastness experiment.
Setting Up the Lightfast Test
I created swatches of all the MEEDEN acrylic colors on a prepared panel.
My plan:
☀️ One half (Right):
placed in my south-facing studio window where it receives several hours of daylight/direct sun.
🌑 The other half (Left):
stored away from light
Over the next several months, I’ll compare them and look for:
color shifts
fading
changes in vibrancy
This test started: June 2026
I’ll update this post when I have results.
First Impressions
My first surprise was honestly how much acrylic has changed from the idea I had in my head.
The paints felt smoother than I expected, and a few colors immediately caught my attention:
the blues, especially the cobalt/cerulean family
vermilion red because of the warmth I love seeing in portrait painting
some of the metallic shades, especially gold and copper
The metallic set was interesting because not every color gave me the same reaction — which is exactly why testing matters.
The Bigger Experiment: Acrylic + Portrait Painting
The lightfast test is only the beginning.
The real question I want to answer is:
Can my watercolor experience transfer into acrylic painting?
I want to experiment with:
charcoal underdrawings
acrylic base layers
eventually combining acrylic with oil techniques
I’m curious whether learning another medium will change the way I see watercolor too.
Final Thoughts (For Now)
This is not my final verdict on MEEDEN acrylic paints.
It’s the beginning of the experiment.
One of my biggest goals with Artist Lab is to stop collecting supplies just because they look exciting — every material needs a question.
This one is:
Can acrylic become a useful part of my portrait practice after avoiding it for years?
I’ll update this page as I find out.
MEEDEN products used in this test
Heavy Body Acrylic Paint 24 Colors
Metallic Acrylic Paint Set
Acrylic Brush Set
100% Cotton Stretched Canvas
12% off MEEDEN with code: WHATIF
