Is there anything Mod Podge can’t do? This amazing glue, sealer, and varnish can be used to decoupage everything from furniture to picture frames to clothing.
But what about acrylic paint? Can you Mod Podge over acrylic paint? The answer is yes – with a few caveats. Keep reading to learn more!
Can You Use Mod Podge as an Acrylic Sealer?
Yes, you can use Mod Podge as an acrylic sealer to protect your acrylic paint. If you’ve made a beautiful artwork with acrylic paint and you want to preserve it, you can use Mod Podge as the sealer.
Mod Podge is a type of glue and is usually used for decoupage. Nevertheless, Mod Podge can sometimes be used as a sealer or a finisher. But Mod Podge doesn’t work as a sealer with all paints.
For instance, if you use Mod Podge to seal some artwork, it will end up smudging and/or wrinkling the artwork. Luckily, Mod Podge works well with artwork, paintings, and other designs made with acrylic paints. You can use Mod Podge over your acrylic paint and it won’t interfere with your acrylic painting.
Mod Podge is available either as a brush-on sealer or a spray-on sealer. If you’re painting on a canvas or wooden surface, I’ll recommend that you use the brush-on sealer. But if you’re painting smaller items or working on plastic surfaces, the spray-on sealer does better.
If you choose to use Mod Podge over your acrylic paint, carefully follow the detailed guide below.
How to Use Mod Podge Over Acrylic Paint?
Using Mod Podge over acrylic paint is pretty straightforward. Here is a step-by-step and detailed guide to achieving a great mod podge sealing result. To get started, you need the following tools and materials:
- Acrylic painting
- Colored paper
- Craft knife or scissors
- Paintbrush
- Mod podge
Get Your Acrylic Painting Ready
The first step is to get your acrylic painting ready. You can create your acrylic painting on any material, such as paper, wood, ceramic, canvas, plastic, and so on. Mod Podge can be used to seal acrylic paint on any of these materials.
If you’re painting on plastic materials, you may need to first use a primer on the plastic surface. Acrylic paints don’t stick well to plastic surfaces but priming can improve the adhesion of the acrylic paint. So, once the primer dries, you can go ahead and apply the acrylic paint(s).
Some wooden surfaces may also require sanding and priming before applying the acrylic paint. When painting, add as many layers of your desired acrylic paint(s) as you wish. After you’re done painting, wait for some hours for the acrylic paint to completely dry before you move on to the next step.
Apply Mod Podge Over the Dry Acrylic Paint
Once the acrylic paint is perfectly dry, apply the Mod Podge over the paint’s surface. If you apply the Mod Podge when the acrylic paint is not completely dry, you can spoil your painting – your painting can get smudged or wrinkled.
When applying the Mod Podge, do so in light, uniform coats over the surface of your painting. Be careful not to apply too much Mod Podge over the painting. If you do, it may form bubbles on your paint. Too many Mod Podge will also take a long time to dry completely.
If you apply too little Mod Podge over the surface of the acrylic painting, your painting may crumple. I’ll recommend that you apply at least two coats of Mod Podge over your acrylic painting and always allow enough dry time (20 minutes minimum) after each coat. This will prevent bubbling or at least reduce the appearance of bubbles during the drying process.
Multiple coats won’t only seal the painting but also give extra strength to the material and prevent it from tearing, especially if you painted on paper. Please note that Mod Podge dries fast. So, you need to apply Mod Podge as quickly as possible to ensure that the coats come out well.
If you’re making an outdoor painting, Mod Podge may not be the best sealant. However, if the painting will be outside frequently, I’ll recommend that you apply about 4 to 5 coats of Mod Podge for added protection.
Mod Podge is water-based. This means that you can thin Mod Podge down with water. If you’re applying Mod Podge in multiple coats, it’s a good idea to thin it. This ensures that Mod Podge works effectively without any issues.
Allow the Mod Podge to Dry
After applying the Mod Podge over the acrylic painting, leave the painting to dry. Drying time varies according to the type of material used. Some materials dry within an hour. Paper takes up to 24 hours.
I’ll recommend that you leave the painting for a day to dry. Even if the Mod Podge feels dry to the touch within just a few hours, still leave the painting for some days to fully dry.
Caution
When fully dried, Mod Podge is only water-resistant but not waterproof. This means that any artwork you apply Mod Podge on should be able to stay outdoors for an extended period. But any artwork you apply Mod Podge on must not be submerged, else water will penetrate and possibly destroy the seal.
Conclusion
Mod Podge offers protection, durability and a glossy finish when applied over acrylic paintings. It’s quite easy to apply Mod Podge over an acrylic painting – all you need is to follow the steps above and be careful when applying the sealant. Good luck!
