Why Is Your Acrylic Paint Rubbery? 

Acrylic paints are highly versatile and can be used in various projects. However, you may discover that its usual smooth texture has suddenly transformed into a sticky, stiff, and rubbery one. 

Your acrylic paint may be rubbery because it was made with lower-quality ingredients, wasn’t stored correctly, or has expired. While this is an unfortunate problem, there are multiple ways that you can bring your paints back to their best quality. 

In this article, I’ll discuss the potential causes of your rubbery acrylic paint. I’ll provide solutions on how to fix your paint so that you won’t have to part with your materials just yet.

Why Is Your Acrylic Paint Rubbery? Four Reasons Your Acrylic Paint Feels Rubbery

No matter the brand, all acrylic paints are susceptible to various conditions that can alter the consistency of the paint. Some factors may change the texture more than others, but it is always important to know what will affect the paint. 

There are four main reasons why acrylic paint becomes rubbery: 

One – The Ingredients are Low-Quality

No two acrylic paints are made equally. However, all types of this paint have the same core components. 

Every manufactured acrylic paint includes:

• A pigment that gives the acrylic paint its bold color. 
• A binding agent holds the pigment together (in acrylic paint, this is usually an acrylic or silicone polymer).
• An extender that enlarges the pigment particles for more color. 
• A solvent that makes the texture of the paint smooth and usable.
• Additives that make the paint texture uniform when in use.

While every acrylic paint includes these ingredients, some may use more high-quality ones that combine better. With cheaper materials, there is the potential for the ingredients to separate or dry out. Cheaper ingredients can cause the texture of the paint to turn rubbery, even if it’s never been used before. 

Two – The Ingredients Weren’t Combined Properly 

For acrylic paint to work as intended, all ingredients must combine uniformly. Not only do the ingredients need to be perfectly measured, but they also must be blended correctly.

If the paint parts begin to separate, you will be left with paint that lacks luster and appears rubbery. The paint will divide into a runny liquid and tacky residue. 

Three – The Acrylic Paint Wasn’t Stored Correctly 

It’s essential to store any kind of art medium supply with care so that they are in their best shape the next time you need them. Storing the items in the wrong area or temperature can harm the quality of your paints. 

The components in acrylic paint are sensitive because many of them are water-based and, in turn, are quickly affected by dry or humid conditions. 

When the air around the acrylic paint containers is hot, it draws out the moisture inside the paint. The remaining parts become dry and sticky when the moisture seeps out or evaporates.

This causes the paint to turn rubbery even if you have never opened it before. Additionally, a puncture hole in the seal or side of your container (whether a bottle or a plastic paint tube) will speed up this process and make it dry out faster. 

Four – It Expired

Even though acrylic paint lasts a very long time, it will eventually expire. The average shelf life of acrylic paint ranges from 3 to 10 years, depending on the brand. Once the paint reaches the point past its shelf life, it is no longer usable and needs to be discarded. 

Expired paint tends to be very rubbery in texture, yet some other signs that mean your paint has expired include:

• The paint is so thick that it does not come out of the bottle.
• It has a sour smell.
• The bottle is bloated.
• Rubbery lumps come out along with the paint.

How To Fix Your Rubbery Acrylic Paint

Just because your acrylic paint is rubbery does not mean you need to throw it out (unless it’s expired). There are many solutions to bring your acrylic paint back to its optimal texture.

However, if you want to go beyond just fixing your rubbery acrylic paint and try altering the texture further for your projects, you can also make your acrylic paint runny.

Mix Your Acrylic Paint

Often, the best solution to rubbery paint is to simply give it a good mix. If your acrylic paint is stored in a bottle or thick tube, you’ll need to make sure the cap is closed and give it a good shake-up and down. This mixes all the ingredients for an even texture. 

If mixing the paint through shaking doesn’t work, you can also try mixing it with a wet paintbrush or a palette knife. Massage the tool throughout the paint on a paint palette until it reaches your desired consistency. 

Combine Your Paint With Another Material

In some cases, just mixing the paint alone may not be enough. You may need to mix it with other materials.

Adding a spoonful of water to your paint on a palette can be enough to revive it. The water adds more moisture to thin out the rubbery texture. 

Additionally, you can use gesso, a plaster-like paste that helps even out the texture of various types of paint. By adding a tiny amount of this material to your thick paint, the surface will smooth out without diluting the colors or making it super runny. 

One thing to be cautious of is that some gessos use animal-based glues in their products to serve as binding agents. However, vegan and cruelty-free options are available at a reasonable price. 

One of the currently available options is Natural Earth Paint’s Eco Gesso Kit, which only uses plant-based and mineral-based ingredients in its medium. It has all the necessary components to help fix your paint without compromising the pigments. 

Store Your Paint Correctly

To keep your acrylic paint from turning rubbery, you will need to store it in a place that is kept at room temperature, or 65 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 to 25.6 degrees Celsius). The area should also be free of airflow or moisture as these factors will also heavily impact the texture. 

Along with this, you must also store your paint somewhere dry and away from water. Some potential places that will keep your paint secure and safely stored include:

• In a drawer away from the kitchen or bathroom sinks.
• In a dry cabinet or shelf.
• In a sealed plastic container inside a closet.

No matter what, do not ever store acrylic paints outside or in a garage. The temperature of these environments fluctuates and may change without you even realizing it. This action is critical if you live in hot or cold areas for extended periods. 

Also, check that there are no holes or broken seals in your paint containers. Dried paint under the lid cap can sometimes prevent the paint container from staying closed. If you see buildup under your cap or it does not click closed, you must pull off the dried paint to ensure it can close. 

Final Words

Rubbery acrylic paint occurs for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it’s caused by something as small as just needing to mix the paint back together. In other cases, you may need to get rid of your old paint and replace it with new. Regardless, rubbery paint is a fixable solution that will allow you to return to creating in no time.