Acrylic art has been an exciting form of expression since the invention of the synthetic paint in the early 20th century. Earliest forms of acrylic paints were made with a mineral spirit base, and artists such as Mark Rothko and Roy Lichtenstien created historic acrylic art by experimenting with this early form of the medium. By the mid-1950s, the first water-based acrylic paint was on the market, and many artists of the day embraced its versatility. With a medium that could produce soft shading as well as hard lines, these artists began to experiment and quickly realized they could use it to produce works of mixed-media, layered painting, and thick, paste-like impasto. With the added bonus of the medium's rich pigments and fast drying time, the potential for acrylic art was vast.