Choosing the Best Paint Between Matte vs. Eggshell
Many painters choose eggshell and matte when painting because these two look good together. However, what are the benefits of matte vs eggshell? Eggshell paintings have an air of rigidity about them, whereas matte looks nice as a pastel or white painting. Let’s take a look at both types.
The paint color is not the only thing you need to consider when choosing the right paint color for your walls. A matte light green can be completely different on an eggshell finish. That is why it’s not just the color you need to take into account. Here, we’ll learn everything about matte vs. eggshell finish.
When talking about residence interiors, people usually find themselves confused about choosing between paint finishes. Though matte and eggshell finish looks great on walls, there are some differences between them.
We invite you to keep reading this blog to learn more about these types of painting finish.
Matte vs. Eggshell: Which Is Better?
Flat or matte finishes are shine-free paintings that provide excellent hide and depth of color. It is mainly applied to low-traffic areas; for instance, interior designers tend to use more matte paints in their creations.
On the other hand, eggshell has a low-sheen reminiscent, and it’s perfect for dining rooms, bedrooms, and high-traffic areas.
Benefits of Eggshell Painting
Eggshell paintings have traditionally been associated with delicate paintings done in watercolors.
They have not stood the test of time, as they are easily damaged by oil, grease, and rust. The most famous eggshell paintings are those made in Willemstad, Holland in the early nineties.
In fact, eggshell was the first painting that people applied with a new oil method, Minoxidil, which is still in use today.
Eggshell paintings have a soft, velvety feel about them, and are suitable for paintings on surfaces with small pores such as canvas.
However, eggshell does not have an extraordinarily rich palette of colors, which is not surprising given that it was created on a painted canvas with a very tight surface.
The benefit of eggshell is that it gives a nice warm feeling to the artwork. If you are considering painting in this style, then you might want to choose something softer and less colorful for contrast.
Features of eggshell painting
This type of painting has a lot of ‘fussiness’ about it and people try to avoid it if they are only planning on painting very small areas of a single picture. It can create blotchy results and is hard to blend.
To create the eggshell effect, it needs that the painter put on a dry, smooth surface such as cotton wool or linen cloth. It also needs that you applied with very light pressure using a brush that does not have bristles.
If this technique is attempted by oneself, it is highly likely to lead to blotchy and patchy finishes.
Eggshell is often associated with more conventional styles of art, especially those painted in the art nouveau movement.
In these paintings, the colors are often quite bright and there is a sense of fluidity about their appearance.
Although they are largely unnoticed by the untrained eye, they do provide a distinctive signature on the final work. A more abstract style of eggshell painting may involve using a variety of mattes to create varying effects.
Benefits of matte painting
There are certain qualities that are present in every painting whether it is an oil painting or water painting.
The main characteristic that makes the painting different from the other is the medium used. There are several different mediums used for paintings; these are brush, pencil, pastels, dry paints, acrylic paints etc.
When we talk about the qualities of matte painting, there are certain things that can be noticed in these paintings. Let us discuss the features of matte painting in a broader sense.
Features of matte painting are:
There is no noise in the painting. Noise comes only when we add any other medium to the paint like solids or liquids. In the case of the painting on paper, the noise is mostly present in the form of wrinkles.
This means that the paper itself has a certain number of natural wrinkles, which helps to give the painting a particular texture.
Features of matte painting are: The colors are of uniform intensity and don’t change much from one point to another. The colors are highly saturated and can be easily seen.
There is little or no streaking or puddles because you can apply the paint very thick. It is easy to blend the colors together. It gives depth to the painting and leaves no doubt about the image.
Pros and Cons of Matte vs. Eggshell
Durability:
When it comes to durability, eggshell takes the lead. When you start a painting job on your residence interior, you need to consider those external agents as excessive moisture, dirt, and others can cause the paint to chip or crack.
Sheen:
In the painting world, sheen refers to how much a paint reflects light when it’s dry. You can get an idea about the high gloss finishes of matte and eggshell paint from their names. Eggshell paint is more reflective than matte paint. Shiny finishes can give your living room or dining room a greater visual depth, and flat finishes are great for areas as playrooms, halls, etc.
Hide Imperfections:
People use paint to make the walls, ceiling, and floors of the buildings look more presentable. Homes or buildings without color would look so unattractive. Can you imagine living in a house not even painted? Of course, the answer is no. Paint’s primary purpose is to hide imperfections, and not every paint achieves it. Some paint colors do it better, while others are not good at hiding imperfections.
According to market reviews, the eggshell paint’s sheen tends to make cracks or divots in the wall. While matte paint, when applied twice, hides any imperfections.
Easy To Clean:
The eggshell paint is easier to clean. It means it is a perfect choice for high-traffic areas that are more exposed to moisture, grease, and dirt. Kitchens and bathrooms are popular choices for eggshells.
Get Professional Assistance When Needed
Now that you know some differences between matte vs. eggshell paint finishes, it’s time to get into action. If you require professional painter assistance with your painting projects, do not hesitate to contact us, and we will gladly help you out.
Also if you’re involved in other projects for your home like bathroom remodeling and you don’t know what drywall for bathroom use, contact us for more information from our experts.