I avoided acrylic paints for years because I thought they weren’t for me — until curiosity finally won. In this Artist Lab experiment, I’m testing MEEDEN Heavy Body Acrylics for lightfastness, handling, and whether they can become part of my portrait practice alongside watercolor and oils. Follow along as I document the results over time.

I put rare Kusakabe charcoal watercolors and Holbein granulating paints through a studio stress test to see which tools earn a permanent place in my professional portrait workflow — and one color completely surprised me.