Mixing Acrylic and Latex Paints

[BCR751]

I'm about to take the plunge and start painting my backdrop.  It will be 99% forest scenes.  I would like to use latex paint for the foreground 'trees' because I'll need a lot of it and acrylic mixed with the latex for the background stuff.  Question is, do the two paints mix well?

Doug

[Scottl]

I've done it routinely with no issues.  Mike Danneman suggested it in all of his articles and books.

[narrowminded]

I think it's stated but just to clarify, are you talking about literally mixing the two paints before to apply or applying one over the other once the first has dried?  Or maybe applied but still wet?   Or maybe a combination of all? 

[BCR751]

I wanted to mix the two together prior to painting.  Well, I tried it out and it does work very well.  It takes a bit more agitation to get them to mix but it does work.

Doug

[PaulCoats]

On my backdrop I used latex (Behr Gentle Sky Blue) rolled on Masonite (aka "hardboard"). 

The trees were painted with Liquitex artists' acrylics.

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[Vince P]

Was wondering about mixing myself looks great.

[MetroRedLine]

Both acrylic and latex are water-based paints, and they mix well.

[peteski]

Both acrylic and latex are water-based paints, and they mix well.

. . . until you find a combination that does not. 

While water might be used as solvent carrier in many paints, there are also many other ingredients in the mixture.

I also don't like the fact that most modelers call all the water-based or mild-carrier-based hobby paints "acrylics".  There are water-based polyurethane paints out there, and on the other hand, petroleum solvent carrier based acrylic enamels and lacquers.

[Maletrain]

Now that we are getting picky, I'll ask:  The "solvent" of acrylic water based paints is not so much a solvent as it is a carrier.  The idea behind that type of paint is that there are tiny drops of pigment that are suspended in the water, which keeps them separated with the help of some other chemicals.  When the water is allowed to evaporate and the particles are allowed to touch, they fuse into a solid sheet that will no longer dissolve in water.  There are many types of polymers used in "latex" and "acrylic" paints, and some co-polymers in some "acrylic" paints.  So, what I am wondering is whether, as Peteski has just suggested, there are some paints under the "acrylic/latex" water-based label that will not result in good painted surfaces that adhere well, even though they seem to mix well as liquids.  Anybody have any horror stories about bad results from mixing water based paints of different types?

[peteski]

Now that we are getting picky, I'll ask:  The "solvent" of acrylic water based paints is not so much a solvent as it is a carrier. 

That was a brain-fart, that's what I meant.  Thanks Maletrain.