Review of Chalk Finsh Paint and Matte Acrylic Paint

I know .  It has been a while since I last posted. I have had a lot I wanted to post but have not been able to find the time.  I thought I would share one project I have been working on: ultra matte finish/chalk paints.

Chalk paints are not new.  They have been a feature in the interior decorating world for a while as decorators seek to create the "shabby chic" look for their walls, furniture and home decor projects.



When applied, chalk paints give a smooth, soft, matte finish to a surface.  This finish is not to be confused with chalkboard paints, which create a chalkboard-like surface on which you can write.



I was interested in a paint that had a matte finish rather than a satin or shiny finish, which is why I started looking at chalk paint as a possible solution. However, because I wanted to use the paint in my art journal and paper projects, I wanted an acrylic paint formation, rather than a latex- based chalk paint.

There are a couple of different options in the market, ranging from $.59 to $9.99.   While I expected a range of quality in the paints the results were surprising.

ATCs created with chalk finish paint

Various brands of matte finish and chalk paints

First Place: There was a three way tie for my first place vote:

1. Chroma's Jo Sonja Artist Color Matte Flow Acrylic

Here is a description of these paints from the Chroma website:

Jo Sonja's Artists' Colours are flow formula acrylics offering the look and feel of traditional gouache. They offer superb handling and brushing characteristics together with purity and strength of colour. Acrylic gouache is a popular medium for design works on paper and decorative art, providing opacity of colour and a beautiful, matte velvet finish. Unlike traditional gouache, colour layering can be achieved easily throughout a painting, as the paints will dry within minutes.

The  color I tested is Storm Blue.  Storm blue is a muted submarine blue that is very reminiscent of Payne's Grey, one of my all-time favorite neutrals.

Why this paint ties for first:

The Jo Sonja paint went on smoothly and had fantastic coverage.  Some of the tested paints needed multiple coats in for full coverage but the Jo Sonja covered easily in one smooth coat and dried to a even, muted finish with no gaps.  The dried paint had a beautiful soft, chalky finish.  And best of all- no brush lines! The Jo Sonja paint is just perfect.

Swatch of Jo Sonja paint.  Unfortunately, my camera did not do a good job of capturing the true color.  For reference,  the swatch is painted on black cardstock.  In this photo it shows up as brown!

A 75ml tube of Jo Sonja French Blue is $2.60 at jerrysartarama.com

2. Tied for First: Blick Matte Acrylic in Blue Medium.

These paints are available from dickblick.com.  Here is what Blick has to say about them:

Blick’s opaque, matte-surface acrylics are water-based, quick-drying, and permanent, yet non-toxic and safe for everyday use.

Let me just say:  I am a fan of these paints.  They come in a wide range of colors, are affordable and most importantly, the paints do what they say they will. The coverage was not as complete as the coverage I achieved with the Jo Sonja but the paint dries to a smooth, muted finish with no brush lines.

Why this paint tied for first: great colors, easy to use, and smooth application and finish.

A 2 oz bottle is $2.14 at dickblick.com.

3. Tied for First: Americana Decor Chalky Finish

Official description: ... an ultra-matte chalk paint that requires no priming or sanding before using. The color palette includes 29 intermixable colors carefully selected with home decor trends in mind.

Why this paint ties for first: American Decor's description does not do this paint justice. This paint has amazing coverage.  I need only one coat to achieve a relatively smooth swatch, with no blotchiness or gaps.  There was a small hint of brush lines,  but not noticeably so.  The coverage was just fantastic.  Although I used only one coat of paint, it laid down a nice, thick layer of paint with even coverage.  The color I tested, Treasure was a lovely sea blue-green.

This paint retails for $8.99 for 8 fl. oz. at Michaels and Joann's.

I tested four to five other brands that did well but they did not do as  well as the three posted here.  I will post my review of the other paint brands over the next few days.

I hope these reviews you in your selection of a matte finish paint for your project!

Note:  I purchased all of the paints mentioned in this review.  My review reflects my personal opinion.