Transparent Acrylic Paint Guide: What It Is, How It Works and How to Use It

Author: The Art Shed Team  Date Posted:3 December 2025 

Your quick guide to transparency charts for Liquitex, Matisse, Atelier and more

Transparent acrylic paint guide banner featuring popular artist paint brands.

 

Everything you need to know about transparent, semi-transparent and glazing colours across every major acrylic brand.

The aisles have spoken and we’ve heard you loud and clear. The chaos, confusion and paint-panic over transparent acrylics officially end here. Transparent acrylics, glazing colours, semi-transparent pigments and all the weird inconsistencies between brands can feel like a maze to navigate, especially when you're trying to figure out which colours actually let light through, why some pigments glow like stained glass and others cover like house paint, or how on earth you’re meant to choose the right paint for glazing. This guide puts everything you need in one place. It walks you through what transparent acrylic paint is, how semi-transparent colours behave, why some pigments will never be transparent no matter which brand you buy, how to make paint more transparent or more opaque, and exactly which colours count as transparent or semi-transparent in every major acrylic range we stock at Art Shed. If you’re building a glazing palette, learning how to layer colour properly, experimenting with depth and luminosity in your work or just trying to understand how transparency affects acrylic painting, this is the resource you’ll come back to again and again.


 

 

What Is Transparent Acrylic Paint?

 

Transparent acrylic paint is made with pigments that naturally allow light to pass through the dried paint film, creating luminous, glowing layers where the colour underneath still shows through. This transparency comes entirely from the pigment chemistry rather than the brand, which is why colours like Phthalo Blue, Quinacridone Magenta, Quinacridone Red, Dioxazine Purple, Alizarin Crimson and Transparent Oxides consistently appear on transparency charts across all brands.

These pigments are structured in a way that makes them naturally see-through, allowing the light to bounce through the paint layers and create depth. In contrast, opaque pigments such as cadmiums, metallics, titanium white and most earth colours physically block light due to their particle size and structure. Even when you thin them, they will always retain some level of coverage because opacity is literally built into the pigment itself.


 

 

What Does Semi-Transparent Mean?

 

Semi-transparent acrylics sit right in the middle of the opacity scale. They tint, shift or warm the layers underneath without fully covering them, offering a softer, more subtle effect than a fully transparent colour.

They’re perfect for gentle glazing, building warmth in shadows, enhancing tonal depth and adjusting colour temperature without repainting the entire area. Semi-transparent colours can easily be pushed more transparent with glazing medium or water, and they can also be layered in thin veils to create smoother transitions than opaque colours can typically achieve.

 

 

What Are Transparent Acrylics Used For?

 

Transparent acrylics are used for some of the most visually striking acrylic techniques: glazing, subtle shading, layering, warming or cooling tones, boosting vibrancy, staining raw surfaces, deepening shadows and building that luminous, glowing depth often seen in professional work.

Transparent pigments are also more forgiving and less prone to muddy colour mixing because they allow underlying hues to remain active in the mix. If you’ve ever admired a painting and wondered why the colours seem to radiate light rather than sit flat on the surface, chances are the artist used transparent acrylics layered gently over one another.

 

Explanation of what transparent acrylic paint is and how transparency affects colour and coverage

 

How to Tell if a Colour Is Transparent

 

Most acrylic brands use the same three symbols to show transparency. An empty square means the colour is transparent, a half-filled square means it’s semi-transparent or translucent, and a filled square means it’s opaque. These symbols appear on the tubes or on the manufacturer’s colour charts and are worth learning, because once you understand the markings, selecting colours for glazing or layering becomes incredibly simple.

It’s also important to understand that no brand can “choose” to make a pigment transparent. The pigment itself either allows light through, partially allows light through or blocks it completely, the brand can’t change that. That’s why certain colours (like cadmium red) never arrive in transparent versions, while others (like Phthalo Blue) are transparent across every brand on the market.

 

 

How to Make Opaque Colours Transparent

 

You can absolutely make opaque acrylic paint behave more transparently, and the best way to do this is by adding acrylic medium, especially glazing medium, which thins the paint without weakening its binder. Water also makes paint more transparent, and up to around 30% water can safely be used before the paint film becomes compromised. Transparent paint can be made more opaque too, although it will never become truly opaque in the way titanium white is.

Adding Titanium White instantly boosts coverage but also lightens the colour into a tint. Mixing transparent pigments with an opaque colour in the same hue family increases opacity without bleaching the colour. Opacity-boosting mediums can also add coverage, and simply applying the paint more thickly will naturally increase opacity because of the higher pigment load against the surface.

 

 

 

BRAND-BY-BRAND TRANSPARENCY LISTS

Below are the transparency guides for our most-loved acrylic paint ranges, all in one easy place. These lists include all colours listed by their manufacturers as transparent or semi-transparent, so you can easily build a glazing palette or choose the right paints for layering and luminous colour effects.

 

Liquitex Basics acrylic paint range with transparency and pigment information.

Liquitex Basics – Transparent & Semi-Transparent Colours

Transparent Colours:

 

Semi-Transparent Colours:

 

Liquitex Heavy Body professional acrylic paints showing transparency and texture details.

Liquitex Heavy Body – Transparent & Semi-Transparent Colours

 

Transparent Colours:

 

Semi-Transparent Colours:

 

Matisse Flow and Matisse Structure acrylic paints with transparency ratings and colour options

Matisse Flow + Structure – Transparent & Semi-Transparent Colours

 

Transparent Colours:

 

Semi-Transparent Colours:

 

Atelier Interactive acrylic paints highlighting transparency and fast reactivation features

Atelier Interactive Acrylic – Transparent & Semi-Transparent Colours

 

Transparent Colours:

 

Semi-Transparent Colours:

 

Atelier Free Flow acrylic paint range with transparency and fluid colour performance.

Atelier Free Flow – Transparent & Semi-Transparent Colours

 

Transparent Colours:

 

Semi-Transparent Colours:

 

Jo Sonja acrylic paints showcasing transparency ratings and matte finish properties.

Jo Sonja – Transparent & Semi-Transparent Colours

 

Transparent Colours:

 

Semi-Transparent Colours:

 

Mont Marte Dimension acrylic paints with transparency and thick impasto texture

Mont Marte Dimension – Transparent & Semi-Transparent Colours

 

Transparent Colours:

 

Semi-Transparent Colours:

 

Mont Marte Satin Acrylic paint range featuring transparency and smooth satin finish.

Mont Marte Satin Acrylic – Transparent & Semi-Transparent Colours

 

Semi-Transparent Colours:

 

Mont Marte Signature acrylic paints with transparency and coverage information

Mont Marte Acrylic Colour (Signature) – Transparent & Semi-Transparent Colours

 

Semi-Transparent Colours:

 

Acrylic paint transparency FAQs banner covering opacity, layering, and paint selection

FAQs

 

What is transparent acrylic paint?

Transparent acrylic paint is made with pigments that naturally allow light to pass through the dried paint layer, creating a luminous glow when layered over other colours. These pigments behave differently from opaque colours because they don’t block the surface underneath.

 

What is transparent paint used for?

Transparent paint is used for glazing, warming or cooling tones, adjusting colour without repainting, deepening shadows, boosting vibrancy, staining, layering and building depth through subtle, glowing veils of colour.

 

What’s the difference between transparent and translucent paint?

Translucent is another term for semi-transparent. It allows some visibility of the layer beneath but not as much as a fully transparent pigment.

 

Are any acrylic paints transparent?

Yes. Many modern pigments, especially Phthalo colours, Quinacridones, Alizarin, Transparent Oxides and certain violets — are naturally transparent in almost every brand.

 

Why do some acrylic colours never come in transparent versions?

Because the pigment particles physically block light. Cadmiums, titanium whites, most earth tones and metallics are inherently opaque due to their particle size and chemistry.

 

Can I make opaque acrylic paint transparent?

Yes. Add glazing medium for the smoothest transparency or thin with water to create a wash. Medium maintains paint strength, while water creates more of a stained effect.

 

Can I make transparent paint opaque?

You can increase opacity by adding Titanium White or combining the transparent colour with an opaque pigment in the same hue family. Transparent pigments will never behave like a true opaque, but coverage can definitely be increased.

 

 

Shop acrylic paints online with transparency charts and brand comparisons.

 

Transparent acrylics might look mysterious on the tube, but once you understand how transparency, semi-transparency and pigment behaviour actually work, acrylic painting becomes ten times easier, and way more fun. Whether you’re glazing, layering, colour-correcting or building that soft, glowing depth that makes a painting feel alive, choosing the right level of transparency is the secret to clean colour, smooth transitions and rich, luminous artwork. Every brand handles transparency a little differently, but the pigment rules stay the same across the board, and now that you’ve got a complete list of transparent and semi-transparent colours in one place, you can choose your paints with confidence instead of guessing in the aisle.

Use this guide to build your glazing palette, plan your next colour study, or simply understand why your favourite colours behave the way they do. As long as you know which paints let the light shine through and which ones bring the big, bold coverage, you’ve got all the tools you need to level up your acrylic game.

 

Ready to Start Painting?

Shop the full acrylic paint range and find your perfect mix of transparent, semi-transparent and opaque colours.
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Footer banner with acrylic paint transparency information and links to artist supplies

 

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