Do Arteza’s outdoor acrylic paints and wood slices stack up? Here is a deep-dive review.
Mamma mia, here I go again! I feel like I have been on a roll lately testing all the Arteza-brand supplies that happen to grace my front door. We have reviewed their acrylic paint, their metallic paints, and now it is time to test out their outdoor acrylic paints AND wood slices! It’s play time, Queen Bees, and I am ready to get my hands covered in paint!
Click the video below to watch my full detailed review!
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When I saw another huge package at my front door, I rushed to get my hands on the newest Arteza arrivals. I ripped open the box and uncovered a big ol’ box of outdoor acrylic paint and a whopping box of 48 individually polished wooden slices!
Wheeeee! With the fervor of a million children on Christmas day, I whisked the contents to the my studio and proceeded to get down to business – to write this review.
SIDE NOTE: Although I am not sponsored by Arteza, they did send me these products free in exchange for my honest review. And, your girl will never say no to playing with more paint…so I simply had to say yes!
How can I not get pumped?
Now, like my previous Arteza paint supply reviews, I will be analyzing these outdoor paints and wood slices against a list of criteria – including an opacity test, organization, and usability, just to name a few.
So, let’s dive in and see if these outdoor paints are really up to snuff!
Criteria 1: Organization + Color Selection
As I excitedly opened up the outdoor paint box, I was surprised to find that their containers are bottles and not their usual tube with screw-top like their acrylic paint cousins.
Each of these 20 tubes has a cap that is individually shrink-wrapped with protective plastic, although a simple unscrewing of the top cap reveals the paint at the ready.
To actually get the plastic off the caps was a bit of a task – mainly because the plastic took some patience and finger dexterity to remove. I eventually moved to scissors to help me successfully remove the plastic.
Now let me just say that these colors are GORGEOUS and highly pigmented. If you are looking for a paint color that is deep, look no further than these paints. In addition each of these 20 tubes are 2 oz in size, which is comparable to other outdoor paint brands.
In terms of paint storage, all paint tubes are arranged vertically to fit the box – no trays like it’s acrylic and metallic counterparts, which isn’t a good or bad thing. It’s good for traveling and storing in your art supply shelf.
I had a lot of good feels here, so I will give their organization and paint aesthetic a 4 out of 5.
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Criteria 2: Paint Tube Labels + Qualities
Then, I moved onto the labels used on the outdoor acrylic paints themselves, I discovered there really wasn’t much to go off of.
The paint label itself is pretty simple.
Paint Name, Paint number….and that’s it.
Out of all the Arteza paints I have reviewed, these labels are by far the most simple – and thereby – most non-descriptive I have used. And after much research of other brand name outdoor paints, I noticed this is a common theme.
Sooooo, I closed the book on that.
I do however, want to discuss the paint qualities as stated on the Arteza box itself.
These outdoor paints do claim to be self-sealing, scuff resistant, water-based, and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. And from what I can see, these paints are thereby suitable for long-term sun-exposure, which means it’s light permanence is probably ASTM I standard. Probably.
And according to the American Standard Test Measure (ASTM for short), paint with a lightfastness rating of 1 will have colors that will last you over 100s of years.
So, in the grand scheme of using Arteza brand outdoor paints versus other brands, there isn’t a clear winner here. They all pretty much follow a labeling standard, so I would assume paint that is suitable for outdoor use means that those colors will also last for quite a long time.
So when it comes to their labeling compared to the industry standard, I give these paints a 5 out of 5.
Criteria 3: Color and Opacity Test
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Now considering there isn’t much to go on with the paint labels, I felt it best to test out the opacity of each of these outdoor acrylic paints – mainly so I can better understand how these paints work. I performed this test by placing a small rectangle of color over a black line and see how the paint dries over time.
When I completed my painting application, I made my assesments. Once again, I was blown away by how vibrant these colors were against the mixed media paper I used for testing. To my utter delight, these colors just popped!
Plus, since the paint tubes themselves are made of clear plastic, the visible paint color in the tubes reflected perfectly how the color swatch looked.
So when it comes to opacity, I give that a 5 out of 5.
Advice for any artist EVER: I always recommend doing color swatching on paper when getting any paint so you can understand how your paint color looks when dried on paper. It’s good practice that will only benefit you later.
Criteria 4: Natural Pine Wooden Slices
Ok, let’s talk wood slices for a hot minute. Similar to my absolute lustful love of Arteza’s mixed media pads, I fell in love with their wooden slices too!
These 45 pine wood slices came neatly packaged in a tidy box, wrapped in plastic, along with some twine. Each slice is pre-sanded and polished for a smooth workable surface, and I will add they may still have some dust on them, which requires a quick wipe prior to painting.
Plus, each wooden slice has a pre-drilled hole for future easy uses as ornaments or wall decorations, without having to pull out a drill.
Upon closer inspection of the slice surface, there is a tad bit of texture, which I am guessing occurred from the cutting process. If you are looking to work using very fine details, you may want to do some light sanding to get a smoother surface.
I totally give these wooden slices a 4 out of 5!
Criteria 5: Spreadability, Blending, & Drying Time
After those initial tests of both outdoor paints and wooden slices, I decided to dive into artist mode and sketch and paint to test for spreadability, blending and drying time.
This was also my opportunity to test out how well the wood slices play with the paint, so I was about ready to burst with creative excitement!
I first sketched on the wooden slices with a regular sketch pencil, which was very easy and enjoyable. I was easily able to erase any unwanted lines and start again without sacrifing surface quality. Then once my sketch was complete, I made the risky decision to skip gesso-ing the wood surface and instead I grabbed the paints and went to town.
Wah-wah-wee-wah! The way the colors popped out from the wooden surface was nothing short of incredible. I was a little worried that not applying gesso first would create some pigment issues, but I was pleasantly surprised.
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Each of the paint colors I applied glided effortlessly onto the wooden surface at full, un-adulterated pigmentation. And I was also happy to see any addition of colors I used for blending and mixing played so well together. I created ombre-style blends and even a cool galaxy sky look to really see how much I could play with this medium.
Plus, the drying time was relatively the same as my experience with other high-quality paint brands, so I had plenty of time to mix and play without having to start over every time. My hat goes off to you, my dears!
I totally give mixability, blendability, and drying time a 5 out of 5!
Are These Outdoor Paints Actually Worth it?
There was a lot floating around in my head as I did my test. I had lots of surprises and a few let-down moments. So let’s recap what I discovered in my acrylic testing.
The Good Qualities of Arteza Outdoor Acrylic Paint & Pine Wood Slices
- Paint pigments are deep and highly pigmented
- Amount of Color availability is great
- Organization kit is GREAT.
- Paint sizes are decent (2 oz) which is comparable to other paint brands available.
- Most of the paint tubes had decent opacity.
- Easy to handle, squeeze, and mix with a palette knife
- The pine wood slices are awesome!
The Not-so-Great Qualities of Arteza Paint
- Paint labels leave much to be desired. Not very descriptive
- Lots of colors to choose from – can be a bit overwhelming for someone just starting out.
Who are these Paints are good for?
-If you are any of the following, Arteza outdoor paints and wood slices are the best choice for you:
- A beginner who doesn’t want to worry about wasting money with paint while practicing
- A professional artist looking to add some pizazz or expand their work to the outdoors
- Looking to get a whole variety of paints for a beginner price
- In need of an adventure in the world of wood or rock painting!
Read More: Acrylic Art Supplies All Beginners Should Have
Concluding thoughts about Arteza outdoor paint and wood slices
All in all, Arteza’s outdoor acrylic paints actually do have quite a bit to offer to many artists on varying levels of experience. Whether you are a first timer looking to play with some outdoor mediums or a professional artist looking to branch out, you can definitely find some value with this paint set on a decent budget.
Click To Get 20% Off When You Spend $75 at Arteza
So, there we have it. That is my honest-to-God review of Arteza outdoor acrylic paints and their pine wood slices. I enjoyed the whole experimentation process, and I will definitely consider them for other art supplies!
What are you thoughts about my review? Have you tried these paints before? Comment below and let me know.
Related Arteza Art Supply Posts
- Are Arteza premium acrylic paint worth it?
- Will Arteza metallic acrylic paint outshine the competition?
- What everyone ought to know about Arteza paint markers review
