How to Make Neon Colors With Acrylic Paint

Generally, neon colors have unique properties that can be made only by a manufacturer. However, you can make some basic tones and colors at home by mixing acrylic paints with cheap neon pigment powder. You will get some vibrant and glowy colors, although do not expect them to glow at night.

I have focused this article on the neon colors and their features. Here, I will provide a way to make some neon colors at home, providing that you have the required substances along with acrylics. Furthermore, I have explained some other ways to get you the neon colors if the one with acrylics does not suit your liking. So here it is, How to Make Neon Colors With Acrylic Paint.

Can You Mix Neon Colors Yourself? 

Neon colors are a great way to give vibrancy and energy to your paintings. Therefore using them will mean giving your work a new shape. Neon paints can be used on paper or canvas, and usually, they can be bought in a store for painting tools. However, can you make neon colors with acrylic paint, and what would be the proper way to do that? 

If you want to obtain neon colors, such as hot pink, dayglow yellow, lime green, or vivid tangerine by mixing primary colors, unfortunately, you will not be successful. Usually, this kind of neon paint could only be provided by a manufacturer. That means that if you need colors that will glow in the dark, you will need to purchase them. 

However, neon paint is generally difficult to find, especially if you intend to use it on canvas. Neon paint markers or similar paint tools intended for graphic work are usually much easier to obtain. Therefore, if you have really set your heart on them, you will need to do more detailed research to get a hold of them. 

On the market, there are a few available acrylic neon paints, such as Sennelier Abstract Acrylics. However, finding them would be really challenging, so you might need to search online since local paint stores may not have them in stock. Also, it would help if you remembered that when you search for neon colors online, many colors might differentiate from their real colors on canvas or a similar surface. 

Since the search can be challenging, as I already mentioned, you might need to buy something really close to neon colors. By something ‘close to neon colors’, I refer to really bright colors that will be mixed with varnishes, or glazes, to make the colors pop a little more. You will still not get the true neon tone and glow, but it will be quite close to it. 

However, some ways will allow the creation of neon colors by mixing acrylics. You may not get the tones such as hot pink or lime green, but it will still be better than mixing them with glazes. Once again, the only way to obtain the real neon colors is by purchasing them (if you can find them). 

How To Make Neon Colors With Acrylic Paint 

Nowadays, many artists are interested in neon colors with which they can obtain some vibrant works. Since the interest is constantly growing and neon colors are not easily achievable, artists have started to question the proper way to achieve neon colors at home. Even though neon colors consist of specific and unique features, there is still a way to make some neon paint by yourself.

Mixing a cheap neon pigment powder with acrylic paints, for example, will give you your own neon colors. You will not get the original glowy-at-night ones, but still, it would be something that can bring vibrancy to your paintings. Since many artists opt for making their paints from scratch, this would be their option for neon colors. 

Since I have mentioned neon powder, it is also important to add that this is not the only way. Actually, two main methods will give you neon colors, and I have provided both of them below. 

Making Neon Colors With Neon Pigment Powder

Using a cheap neon pigment powder and acrylic paint is the most common way to achieve neon colors. You can do that by adding the neon pigment powder to a particular acrylic paint from your collection. 

For instance, if you want to get a red neon color, you will have to use red acrylic paint and add red pigment powder. You will get a vibrant neon tone that will mostly work on every surface. Also, this way, you save a lot of money, and you keep your costs low since you are using acrylics that you already have, while the neon pigment powder is quite cheap. 

However, if you really want to achieve the neon effect on your paintings, you can try by providing vibrant color acrylics, contributing to the neon effect. This way, you will spend a little more money, but you will achieve greater results with your neon paints. If you are really determined to get the neon colors, it is better to buy the vibrant acrylics from the very beginning. 

This way, you will play the safe card and not spend a lot of time experimenting and achieving the effect you need. However, it is also fine to use regular acrylic paint if your budget is low since it will get you quite similar results. 

Once you decide what kind of acrylics you will use, it is time to get to the mixing process. Make sure that you should use the same amount of both when you mix the acrylic paint with powder. Therefore, you should take a small amount of acrylic paint and a small amount of the corresponding neon pigment powder and mix them. 

The acrylic paint will act as your base, so the powder needs to be added to it. Nonetheless, if you aim towards the neon glow at night, you should expect that you will have to use quite a large amount of powder. Due to pigmentation, the powder will be quickly absorbed, so for the glow. You will need to double the amount or add powder until you have achieved the desired glow. 

However, always make sure that you do not add the powder all at once. It is recommended that you do the addition in stages or little by little. This gives you control over the paint you really want to achieve, even though it might take some more time. It is usually way easier to add more pigment to the acrylic paint than to add acrylic to the powder since it can mess up the color. 

A decent neon pigment powder will surely not mess up the whole process using the application to canvas or any other surface. Be aware that there are a lot of neon pigment powders that come at quite low prices. However, they can cause issues in color or during the process of application. Therefore, make sure that you choose something that is already proven to work well with acrylic paint. 

Making Neon Colors With Acrylic Gesso 

Another way of creating neon colors is by using clear acrylic gesso. With it, you will be able to achieve that glow-at-night effect that you are aiming towards. You can use white gesso that you probably already have in your set of acrylic paints. However, a clear acrylic gesso will get you to better results with neon colors and glowing effects on paintings.

Mixing acrylic paints with gesso is similar to the process with pigment powder that I have explained previously. You need to take a small amount of acrylic paint and a small acrylic gesso and mix them. If you decide to use a clear acrylic gesso, you do not need to add too much of it to the acrylic paint since a quite small amount will do the trick. 

On the other hand, if you decide on white gesso, make sure that you add enough of it to get a solid neon color. If you do not add a lot of it, you will end up with bad results, meaning that you have just wasted your time and resources. 

Depending on the project or the painting you are working on, you will know exactly what number of neon colors you need. That way, you will also know how much acrylic gesso you will need for the mixing process. Whichever type of gesso you choose, remember that the clear one will always provide you with better results. 

How to Keep Neon Acrylic Colors Bright? 

Now that you have already learned how to achieve neon colors with acrylic paint, you should learn how to keep them bright. Neon colors are effective when they have a certain amount of brightness. Therefore, you should always aim to keep them that way. Otherwise, you will end up without the glow all artists desire in their paintings. 

One of the most common problems when it comes to acrylics is retaining the true colors as much as possible and avoiding their fading as much as you can.  However, there is a cheap and easy way to prevent the fading, usually all of the tools you need you most likely have at home. 

The best option, in this case, would be the usage of Liquitex varnish on top of the neon colors once they fully dry up. This kind of varnish is proven to be great protection for painting, no matter the surface. The varnish will keep the artwork protected, enabling the preservation of the original bright colors. 

Liquitex is considered one of the best varnishes out on the market. However, you might choose something cheaper if you are still experimenting with neon colors. It is always better to try your options first and then opt for those you consider working best for your artwork. 

Whatever you choose, do not forget to use varnish since this is the ultimate protection for the colors on paper or canvas. Without any varnish, the colors will definitely fade quickly, and you will end up with a messy painting that has lost its value. 

Best Neon Colors With A Glow-In-The-Dark Effect 

If you still decide to opt for purchasing neon colors, you should know what the best brands are, so you will surely get the ultimate glowing effect in your paintings. Even though some of them would be difficult to find, you still need some direction because you will end up with many options that might not work as you expect. 

Below, I have listed the best neon colors you can choose if you decide that mixing your own would be complicated for you. 

PEBEO Phosphorescent Gel

This thick acrylic gel is amazing for studio work and is suitable for application with a palette knife. It is highly pigmented, and it will give your works an excellent satin finish. 

Last update on 2024-04-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

FolkArt Neon Glow Acrylic Paint Set

FolkArt offers you a set of four neon colors that provide the glow-in-the-dark effect even in the daytime. The creamy texture enables a simple and easy application while providing full coverage. In the same way as regular acrylics, you can use them on paper, canvas, wood, plastic, glass, and similar surfaces.

Last update on 2024-04-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Neon Nights UV Fabric Paint Set

Neon Nights Paint Set is characterized by bright colors and tones, and they will give you the glow you are looking for in your artwork. The colors that come in this paint set are mostly suitable for canvas. However, they will work properly on canvas as well. 

Last update on 2024-04-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Final Words

Making neon colors with acrylic paint is a simple and cheap process. However, you can not achieve all the original neon colors. If creating neon colors is not enough for you, i.e., they do not give you the desired effects, you should always opt for manufactured neon paint.  

Sources

• Can I Mix Fluorescent or Neon Colors of Paint?
• How To Make Neon Colors With Acrylic Paint! (Glow In The Dark) – Picky Pens
• The Best Glow-In-The-Dark Paint for Striking Effects