Some acrylic paints are perfectly functional. Matisse looked at that concept and decided functionality alone was wildly uninteresting. For decades, this Australian-made powerhouse has earned global respect through intensely pigmented colours, archival-quality formulas, and paints capable of surviving everything from delicate glazing to aggressively emotional palette knife sessions.
At Art Shed, you’ll find the full Matisse range ready to cause significant temptation in the acrylic aisle. Structure, Flow, background colours, mediums, varnishes, and the iconic Australian-inspired pigments that made the brand legendary all live here together. Happily.
Matisse Structure vs. Matisse Flow: Choosing Your Consistency
Our range of Matisse sets essentially split acrylic painting into two equally dangerous creative paths.
Matisse Structure is thick, buttery, and built for artists who enjoy the visible strokes of their synthetic-brush, dramatic texture, and palette knife work capable of looking almost sculptural once dry. It holds peaks beautifully, making it ideal for impasto techniques and expressive surfaces where every movement stays proudly visible on the stretched-canvas like artistic battle scars.
Matisse Flow moves in the opposite direction. Its low-viscosity formula glides across surfaces effortlessly, making it perfect for smooth blending, flat colour fields, fine detail, glazing, and airbrushing. Where Structure feels physical and textured, Flow leans cleaner, softer, and incredibly precise.
The beauty of the system is that both ranges are fully intermixable. Artists can customize consistency freely without sacrificing pigment strength, colour vibrancy, or archival quality, which opens the door to a frankly dangerous level of experimentation once the mediums enter the conversation.
Professional Mediums and Unique Australian Pigments
Matisse mediums are where artists start behaving like slightly manic paint scientists. MM2 Impasto Medium builds dramatic texture and body, MM4 Gel Medium alters flow and transparency, and gloss mediums create finishes shiny enough to make colour look almost illuminated from within. Every formula is designed to push acrylic paint further without weakening its structure or brilliance.
Then there’s the colour palette itself. Matisse has become famous for uniquely Australian pigments inspired by the landscape surrounding the brand’s origins. Colours like Australian Sky Blue and Australian Red Gold carry the kind of warmth and intensity that feel immediately recognisable once they hit the canvas. They don’t just look vibrant; they feel sunbaked, atmospheric, and distinctly tied to place in a way many paint ranges never quite achieve.
FAQs
What is the main difference between Matisse Structure and Matisse Flow?
Structure is a heavy-bodied acrylic designed for texture and impasto work, while Flow is a low-viscosity acrylic suited to smooth blending, glazing, and fine detail.
Is Matisse acrylic paint professional-grade and lightfast?
Yes. Matisse acrylics are professional-grade paints known for strong pigment concentration and excellent lightfastness.
Can I use Matisse mediums with other brands of acrylic paint?
Generally, yes. Many Matisse mediums work well with other acrylic paint systems.
Are Matisse paints made in Australia?
Yes! Matisse paints are proudly Australian-made and have strong ties to the local art community.
Which Matisse medium should I use for a high-gloss finish?
Gloss mediums and varnishes within the Matisse range are designed to increase shine and enhance colour depth.