Modern paints are radically different from traditional artists' paints - made for centuries from plant oils mixed with coarsely ground coloured pigments. The biggest change, over the last 50 years, has been the development of a huge range of synthetic paints. Some were intended specifically for artists' use - most famously fast drying acrylic paints. But artists also soon began to use others, developed for industrial use - such as house-paints and car paints.

Artists can use these modern paints to make almost every conceivable variation of colour, transparency, gloss, texture and consistency. They can also be applied in new ways - rollered, sprayed, dripped and flicked.

Tate's conservation team are constantly developing new expertise in how to study and care for modern paintings - which often use synthetic paints alongside traditional oils. And in this sound tour they're going to look in detail at 10 key modern paintings here at Tate Modern - made between the 1920s and just a few years ago.