Gloss Gel Medium vs Liquitex Gloss Medium, Gallon
Buy the Gloss Gel Medium if you want to build texture, slow drying, and keep brush marks. Buy the Liquitex Gloss Medium gallon if you want a pourable liquid for glazing, pouring, and mixing evenly into paint. Both are Liquitex gallons; the gel is the thicker format, the liquid is the standard fluid. Check current prices at your store before buying, since prices move.
Ask our shopping agent
Gloss Gel Medium
5Choose the Gloss Gel Medium if you want a thick gel that holds peaks, extends open time, and can double as a collage adhesive.
- Thick gel holds texture and brush marks
- Slows drying for longer working time
- Doubles as a collage adhesive
- Adds gloss and color depth
- Gallon size suits heavy use
- Too thick to pour or self-level
- Harder to mix evenly into paint
- Not ideal for smooth glazes
What separates them
| Gloss Gel Medium | Liquitex Gloss Medium, Gallon | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Thick gel | Liquid |
| Best for texture and brush marks | Holds peaks and ridges | Levels out and flows |
| Mixing into paint | Stiffer, needs more stirring | Blends evenly and quickly |
| Open time | Slows drying, more working time | Dries faster |
| Glaze and pour work | Too thick to pour cleanly | Pours and self-levels |
| Collage use | Works as an adhesive | Not its main use |
| Finish | Gloss | Gloss |
| Size | Gallon |
Price history
- Gloss Gel Medium: lowest $13.00 on Oct 28.
- Liquitex Gloss Medium, Gallon: lowest $87.73 on Oct 28.
Specs compared
| Spec | Gloss Gel Medium | Liquitex Gloss Medium, Gallon |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Shine Enhancing | — |
| Art paint medium type | — | Acrylic |
| Paint finish | — | Gloss |
| Brand | — | Liquitex |
| Dyes & paints form | — | Liquid |
| Size | — | Gallon |
| Age group | — | Adult |
| Product net content parent | — | 1 Each |
| Product net content uom | — | Each |
| Pieces | — | 1 |
What reviewers say
Gloss Gel Medium
Ratings are thin, 5 out of 5 from 3 ratings, but the feedback is positive. Buyers describe it as a go-to gel medium.
- Reliable go-to gel medium
- Adds gloss without clouding color
- Too few ratings to judge consistency
Liquitex Gloss Medium, Gallon
Acrylic painters rate Liquitex mediums as reliable and consistent, and the gloss medium is a common pick for glazing and extending paint. Complaints center on the jug format and on gloss level rather than on the medium itself.
- Mixes cleanly into acrylics without changing color
- Good flow for glazing and washes
- Clear, glossy dried film
- Economical in bulk
Questions and answers
- Which is better for pouring and glazing?
- The liquid Gloss Medium. It pours and self-levels, while the gel is too thick to flow evenly.
- Which holds texture better?
- The Gloss Gel Medium. It keeps peaks and brush marks that the liquid medium levels out.
- Can I use the gel as glue?
- Yes. The gel medium works as a collaging adhesive. The liquid medium is not made for that.
- Which gives more working time?
- The gel medium slows drying more, so you get longer open time. The liquid dries faster.
- Are they the same finish?
- Both are gloss. The difference is consistency, not sheen.
- Is the gallon worth it?
- For frequent painters, yes. A gallon costs less per ounce than small bottles, but only if you will use it before it skins over.