I occasionally see paintings in galleries that appear to have one or more layers of a thick clear acrylic like material, sometimes as deep as 1/4- 3/8 inch. There appears  to be layers of paint imbedded between the clear layers. Sometimes is is crystal clear and other times it is frosted. Sometimes sanding is apparent.

I have been guessing there must be some kind of thick acrylic that can be poured on the surface in layers. Possibly requiring damming the edges?

Any ideas would be appreciated. I have been painting for years  www.jeknauf.com using layers of varathane but find myself wanting to work with thicker clear material.

Thanks Jim

I doubt that you're looking at acylic material in the same category as the acrylic artist's paints. More likely this is a thermosetting resin such as epoxy or polyester that requires addition of a catalyst which promotes the hardening. The latter certainly does not lend itself to traditional painting methods, even if used over acrylic artist paints. But it is the type of finish found on restaurant tables and such furniture where the heavy layer is intended to protect the underlying art work.

You might want to search on the term "specialty coatings" to see what you can find online. Also try the term "casting resins."