(FAQ) Art Materials FAQ V1.0
R'ykandar Korra'ti
ART MATERIALS FAQ - Version 1.0
Last updated: November 5, 1994
Written and maintained by R'ykandar Korra'ti <ra...@netcom.com>
Sourced from a message in reply to Tygger <tyg...@netcom.com> on alt.fan.furry
Comments and corrections to ra...@netcom.com.
This article, a more formal version of a long post I made on alt.fan.furry,
is intended to discuss materials commonly used in illustrative artwork, and
the durability thereof. It will also comment briefly on how to preserve
the artwork you purchase. The intended audience is comic, illustrative, and
fan artists, the people buying or otherwise acquiring artwork from these
same sources. It is _not_ a fully-comprensive treatment of the subject, but
is intended as a good set of ground rules for how to make artwork -
particularly artwork done on paper - last.
This version reflects changes and contributions suggested by the following:
Conrad Wong <ly...@netcom.com>
Araiguma <arai...@teamhbbs.com>
Dave Bell <dave...@portofc.org>
Hanno Foest <I202...@dbstu1.rz.tu-bs.de>
Sections with significant amounts of new text or information are noted with
individual contributor credits. I hope this is not too confusing.
Section headers:
INTRODUCTION
PIGMENT
DRAWING PAPER
PRINT PAPER
MATTES and BACKING BOARD
THE BUYER'S PERSPECTIVE
A SUMMARY
----- INTRODUCTION -----
In article <tyggerCu...@netcom.com> tyg...@netcom.com (Tygger) wrote:
>Now, here's the interesting part: now I'm being told that an illo coloured
>in marker or an illo with marker and enhanced by colour pencil isn't up to
>par to warrant a min bid of $35-45 in an artshow. It's due to the marker,
>I'm told.
I'm not surprised, at all. I know I adjust my bid based on media - or
rather the durability thereof - and will avoid several processes entirely,
regardless of how much I like the work.
All the materials used to make artwork affect the durability of the
final piece. While this may seem obvious when stated, many artists and
collectors never really think about this when creating, selling, or buying
work.
----- PIGMENT -----
The list of commonly used tools and pigments includes magic marker
(ink), brush (ink), coloured pencil (typically a wax-based carrier, with
embedded pigment), crayon (more wax), oil pastel (a different carrier,
with pigment), watercolour paint, acrylic, and oil paints. All of these
bring with them different issues, both across class of material (magic
marker ink vs. brush ink vs. oil paint, etc) and across brand of
manufacture.
One of the biggest problems, generically, is "drift." "Drift" is a
general term indicating one of several issues, most notably fading, colour
change (or "shift"), or outright spread of the pigment in an unexpected
and undesirable way. The first is most common; the third, least so, but
still happens.
Black line markers:
Markers drift. In fact, they drift _badly_. They're the most ephemeral
of media in common use today. There are a few which are stable (Micron
Pigma pens come to mind; black today, black tomorrow, black next decade),
but most aren't. How much they end up drifting depends upon how much
light exposure they get (and it does _not_ have to be direct sunlight),
as well as the air circulation, the paper they're used on, and probably
half a dozen other things. Plus, as mentioned above, it varies by marker.
(Tip: don't use Pilot Razor Points. :-) )
Known stable: Micron Pigma - technical pens, available from .01 to
.05 mm. I've surveyed a few dozen pens, and this has been the
only one I've found to be considered generally stable.
Do NOT use: Pilot Razor Points. They're hugely popular because they
feel very good. Don't expose them to air or light, though, if
you want to keep your work's black lines _black_. They fade to
grey or green. (On the other hand, if you only intend to keep
the work for a couple of weeks - say, it's a test sketch - then
there's no need to be concerned. I am, right now, carrying around
a test sketch I did on blue-lined notebook paper with a pilot
razor point.)
Thick black markers:
I've encountered none which are stable. I've been told that this has
to do with the delivery method; the constraints put on the pigment by the
felt process prohibit the use of any really durable inks.
Watch out for: Sharpie(R) brand. They produce a _lovely_ black and
are really fun to play with. I still play with them when I'm
touching up a photocopy for submission to a magazine, or when
I'm just screwing around - but I've heard from several artists
that they not only turn green, but produce a yellow bleed on
the paper. This is chromotography in action, and is independant
of the paper used. They also contain a rather nasty solvent.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Araiguma]
Thin colour markers:
I've never seen anyone use these. Micron makes colour tech pens, but
I've not bought any. Ask at an art store.
Thick colour markers:
Colour markers drift overall more than B&W, since colour shift
becomes a more crucial factor. Letraset makes a Pantone line which
claims a fair degree of stability, but watch out for that lovely
smell of solvent (Xylene; mildly carcinogenic; work in a well-
ventilated area) - it's bad fer ya. Plus, they bleed (upon application,
_not_ later - at least, so far) more than any other marker I've ever used.
Work I've done with these (and touched up with Marvy brand small-points -
I know, eew, but the name isn't my fault) has held up so far, when
maintained properly. However, I'm not holding my breath on the Marvy
durability, and have been informed [by Araiguma] that the pigments
therein are not particularly lightfast.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong; Araiguma]
Brush pens [Data and suggestion to include provided by Conrad Wong]:
These are similar in behaviour to other colour markers - i.e.,
they have fading problems and should be considered ephemeral. Further,
they are not known for producing initially solid blacks.
Black brush ink:
All "india" ink-based inks should be durable. I've never heard
otherwise. In fact, most brush inks will be more durable than most pen
inks, given the above commentary on delivery systems; you _can_ deliver
a durable pigment with a brush. I've been using Higgins Black Magic,
but you can shop around; again, any india ink should do.
It is also possible to find pens which can be used to apply india
inks; the traditional dip pen should handle most kinds of inks. Some
engineering pens can do this as well.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Dave Bell]
Pen-style brushes, preloaded [by Conrad Wong]:
There are some pen-style brushes. Japanese stores may sell them;
they will have reservoirs inside. Many brushes contain a special
transparent liquid which turns black on a special paper. Artists will
want to look for brushes that work on 'regular' paper. Watch whether
it's a sable tip or a synthetic tip; the synthetic tips are stiffer,
the sable tips are very soft and, consequently, harder to control.
Colour brush ink [by Araiguma]:
Depends on the pigment. I wouldn't hold my breath. Darker reds
and blues _tend_ to be more lightfast. Yellows are the worst, oranges
and greens aren't far behind, _very_ loosely speaking.
A lot of artists' media these days has lightfastness ratings
on the packaging. If that's not available, it's always worth asking
the store staff.
Graphite (grey/black pencil):
Extremely durable if appropriately maintained. The only problems are
ruboff and smearing. Protect the piece from direct sunlight and direct
contact and you should be fine. Workable spray fixitive will solve most
of the ruboff and smearing problems, but these, too, bring other durability
issues into play. (So far, I have had no problems with higher-quality
spray fixitives.)
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong]
Charcoal [by Araiguma]:
Charcoal, like graphite, is elemental carbon and immune to color
change or degradation. It poses a more serious problem in other areas,
though, as the only thing holding the charcoal on the paper is friction.
As such, it is very vulnerable to static electricity, if not fixed. And
I'm highly dubious about spray-can fixatives, since the ones intended for
the general public (i.e. not museum and conservation professionals) are
"mystery fixatives in mystery solvents" - unknown longevity, stability,
and safety for both the artist and the artwork.
Colour pencil:
So far, so good. I haven't had any fade problems with any of my
colour pencil works. The delivery system is bonded with the pigment,
so there's no limitation imposed that way. Stay with the better brands;
I'm sure the K-mart school supply section store brand will have the
cheapest (and least durable) pigment available. I primarily use
Prismacolour markers.
[Additional by Araiguma]
They do, as a class, tend to be a lot more stable than markers,
if only because the carrier (wax) doesn't volatilize very much over
time, and carry pigment off with it. Prismacolors give lightfastness
ratings for the various colors.
Chalk pastel [by Araiguma]:
Ones with natural pigments are pretty stable, ones with synthetic
pigments are anybody's guess.
Oil Pastel:
Again, so far, so good. Oil pastels I've done have held up wonderfully,
even in suboptimal conditions. The only problem with this medium that I've
found is the ease with which it smears and rubs.
Hint: _never_ have the work in contact with _anything_ but air. If you
frame it, use a matte. If you don't, it'll rub off.
[Additional by Araiguma]
Problems: They never really dry, and the oil in them can bleed out
into the paper. And if they're really gunked on thickly, the weight can
actually disort the paper they're on. This is a medium that's really best
on surfaces other than paper.
Tempera [Suggestion to add by Araiguma]:
Classically pigment in an egg binder, these days it's "loud stuff
of dubious origin and composition." It cracks and peels at the slightest
flexing or fluxing in relative humidity. I've used it for a couple of
temporary projects, and definately would not recommend it for anything
intended to be preserved. Even when new, it flakes; and worse - at least,
the brand I used - "dusted," with some colours dusting off on touch.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma]
Watercolours:
Watercolours are generally considered the most ephemeral of the paint
media. Windsor and Newton claims solid durability, and I believe rates
durability by colour. Warning: be prepaired to pay for it; I remember
that these more durable watercolours cost about twice as much as other
brands.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma]
Acrylic and oil paints:
Oil paints, on average, tend to be slightly more durable than acrylic
paints. This will vary by brand, and by colour within a brand. It is much
harder to make a really bad choice in these media, however, than in markers
(where it is very difficult to make a _good_ choice).
Photocopier toner, dry [Suggestion to add by Hanno Foest]:
Most dry toners are elemental carbon combined with some binding agent
to allow the carbon to be bound with the paper. This method, in almost all
cases, is heat.
The toner colour itself is stable. Unfortunately, the binder is not
always so, and will often become brittle and flaky with age. Further,
toner binding is particularly sensitive to heat, as anyone who has left a
photocopy in a looseleaf binder exposed to the sun or a heat vent; the
toner will transfer off the paper and onto whatever else it may happen to
be touching.
I've also been told that some toners will sometimes contain significant
amounts of impurities. The impact of these impurities will depend upon their
exact composition, and would be impossible to predict in advance.
For more commentary on photocopiers, see below, under "print paper."
----- DRAWING PAPER -----
Let me rant again about paper and backing (some of my favourite
subjects :-) ) ....
Many artists will go out of their way to use a solid, high-quality,
durable pigment for their work - and will then proceed to paint or draw
on anything they find lying around. Where durability issues are concerned,
however, paper is of prime importance. This is due to the acid content
found in most papers, leading to paper discolouration, pigment
discolouration, and even breakup of the paper.
Fortunately, this is a recognized problem, and you can purchase
paper which has been pH neutralized. This paper will sometimes be
referred to as "acid free," and sometimes "pH neutral." If it doesn't
say, assume it has _not_ been pH neutralized. Strathmore bristol is
a favourite paper for many artists.
It may also be worth your time to check even paper which declares
itself pH neutral, as some companies have been caught shipping high-
acid paper as "pH neutral." Testing can be done in a crude, but
cheap and easy, way by using a pH testing pen, available for three or
four dollars from multiple suppliers. Likewise, stay away from the
cheapest papers; some which are indeed "acid free" may, if short-
grained (like deacidified newsprint), retain a great deal of lignin,
and be accordingly short-lived.
[Araiguma]
Your _very_ best bet would be a paper that's not just pH neutral,
but which is actually buffered with alkaline salts to offset future
degradation. The paper should have a high rag/cotton or alpha cellulose
content; longer fibers, less of the lignin and hemicelloloses that
contribute to acidity in paper.
[Araiguma]
As a side comment, let me rant about hemp prohibition. Hemp,
the non-psychoactive portion of the plant which produces marijuana,
produces a _naturally_ pH neutral paper which is of significantly
higher durability than any wood pulp paper. It would also be cheaper
in mass production, and be more suited towards making really large
pieces of illustrative paper. And thanks to the longer fibre length,
it's noticably more recyclable than wood-pulp paper. Yet another
example of the stupidity of the drug war. End of polemic.
Drawing books containing pH neutral paper only cost a few dollars
more than drawing books with regular high-acid paper. Buy them. Even
if you're just planning on doodling in it, spend the extra three bucks.
That way, if you come out with something you decide you really like and
want to keep, you've got a good chance of doing so.
Of course, not all high-acid papers are equally bad. Newsprint is,
of course, the least durable, and is marketed as such. It's great for
temporary purposes - say, throwing together a couple of composition
sketches, or warming up before figure drawing - but just remember that
it won't last.
----- PRINT PAPER -----
First off: I will almost never buy anything done in any way on a
photocopy for more than $4. The paper is almost guaranteed to be high-
acid rot-o-rama material which will be turning brown inside five years.
(_Some_ colour photocopier paper is pH neutral. Not all. But I've
_never_ seen paper in a B&W photocopier that was.)
Other than that, the same basic rules listed above apply here, too.
Paper suppliers are generally pretty good at labelling pH neutral papers
as "acid free," so if you're going to make prints, all you have to do is
ask for the right materials. Even in low-volume print runs, this won't
add much to your cost.
----- MATTES and BACKING BOARD -----
These are also often overlooked, even by people who take the
care to use pH neutral paper and lasting pigments. Mattes are less
damaging, since they have limited contact with the piece in question -
but you can still get a nasty brown bleed coming off the edge of a
high-acid matte. This is because the acid in the matte can leak into
the paper it touches.
This is especially true of those evil mattes with the "acid-free"
face and back with pure junk cardboard filler in between. The acid
migrates out of the mat bevels, producing mat burn, and the "acid-free"
face and back can only endure for a little while before they become
acidic, too.
[Araiguma]
The backing board matters more, since it's in contact with all
of your piece. I will often find that people have used cardboard
as backing for their artwork. This is a very bad idea, as cardboard
is _extremely_ high-acid - and fibrous, and likely to shed - and
_will_ degrade the life of your piece if you don't isolate it from
the art paper. If you must use cardboard, separate it from the artwork
by a layer (or two!) of pH neutral paper, or, if you can find it, pH
basic paper, buffered to pH 8.5 or so.
Most pre-made mattes I've found have, much to my shock, been
pH neutral. Most backing board material, on the other hand, has _not_.
And it costs half again as much as standard backing material, too.
Foo.
----- THE BUYER'S STANDPOINT -----
When I consider buying a piece, I look for a note from the artist
which explicitly states that pH neutral paper was used. If I don't
find that, I adjust my willingness to buy accordingly. If I do buy, I
immediately take apart the matte and re-back the original with pH neutral
paper. (This stuff is cheap, not exotic. You can buy a sketchbook full
of it for $7.) My hope is to leech off some of the acid before it can
affect the artwork. I don't know whether this will work - I have received
commentary which says thatit probably won't - but I figure it's worth
trying anyway. ["Deacidification is a "Don't Try This At Home Unless
You REALLY Know What You're Doing" technology. And it will only remove
acid; it won't restore (much) strength to deteriorated paper. - Araiguma]
If the picture is backed with cardboard, that's another materials
strike; cardboard is very high-acid material. That, too, always gets
ripped out and replaced. The more of this I have to do, the more the
picture ends up costing me before all is said and done.
I have some originals work by a particular artist hanging in my
bedroom. It needed to be ripped apart, layered in back with pH neutral
paper, and backed with new material. I love this artist's work, but I
wonder whether much of it'll be around in 10 years, given some of the
materials used; the paper is short-fibre and (I suspect) high acid,
and was backed it with cardboard. I think _my_ copies will last, because
I've worked to insure it. But most people aren't going to know to do
this.
My _requests_ to all creators and sellers of artwork are:
1) Know your materials. Use stuff that'll last. I'll know, and pay
more for it. This includes your paper. Acid-free illustration
board tends to cost a couple of dollars more, I know, but I'll
make that trade. Consider all markers to be ephemeral unless
proven otherwise, and always remember: photocopies flake,
doubly so when hot.
2) Don't forget that mattes and backing boards are (typically) paper
too, and affect the things they touch. Most pre-made mattes I've
seen _have_ been acid-free (much to my shock!) but most backing
material is _not_. Be warned, and act appropriately. If you don't
know when buying, _ask_. And if you make prints, make them on good
paper. (I've seen people get everything but that right...) It won't
cost you that much more per print (I've priced it for some of my
own material :-) ) and will be worth it in five years.
3) Show me that you knew what you were doing when you prepped the work.
Tell me that the paper, backing, mattes are pH neutral. If they
_aren't_, tell me that, too; I'll correct where I can. Give me
clues about the permanence of the media you used - I'll presume
the answers are bad, if you don't speak up.
People have been becoming more aware about these things. Slowly.
----- A SUMMARY -----
For my own work, I use low-cost pH neutral paper (see the above
$7) for most work, or pH neutral illustration board for anything I expect
to want to do on something like that and keep. When I sell, I either
back with pH neutral board (about 50% more expensive than the typical)
or, if I can't (rare circumstances), I isolate the print/drawing/whatever
from the bad backing board with layers of pH neutral paper. And, of course,
I use pH neutral mattes.
When drawing, I only use markers I have reason to believe are stable,
if I intend to keep the work for more than a couple of months. I've yet to
find a thick, black, controllable marker which I trust to stay, so I use
brush and a permanent well ink instead. For colours, I use the
aforementioned Letraset/Pantone markers or coloured pencil, and hope
the Pantones live up to their billing.
For submissions, on the other hand - they're not supposed to last
more than a couple of months. I use whatever's handy that looks good.
Photocopies touched up with Sharpie pens are my favourite, backed with
a cardboard mailer. :-) (The reason I bring this up: remember when to
spend the money to make it last, and when you don't need to care. :-) )
(Note that none of this costs me any more time or effort than using
high-acid materials. Once you've found a source for all the things you
need, you just remember to go there and buy the right things, rather than
going someplace else and buying the wrong things. It does cost a little
more, but only a very little, and it's a price I'm willing to pay.)
Do these things, and your buyers will appreciate it eventually,
even if they don't know about it at time of purchase.
When buying, I check what the artist has used, and correct where
applicable. If the backing material is cardboard or not acid free, I
replace it, or stick in a layer of pH neutral paper. Same with the matte.
If I don't know about the paper, I stick extra layers of acid free paper
behind it, to absorb as much acid from the original paper as I can. I
then frame; this is more expensive, but limits air circulation (which helps
delay acid problems) and also can block some UV light damage. If a piece
is worth it or will be hanging in a high-light area, I'll get special
clear plastic designed to block all UV, and use that instead of glass
in the frame. _Never_ use shrink-wrap for this purpose; it won't help,
and will leak gasses which are actively bad for the piece. Also, never
hang in direct sunlight; anything that can go wrong will go wrong more
quickly when exposed to the sun, even if you've put plastic or glass in
front of it.
Do these things, and the artwork you buy will last much longer than
it would have otherwise, and at relatively little additional cost. It'll
also look better in the long run. Oh; if you can't frame, do everything
up to that, including the layer of glass or plastic in front, and then
clip (not tape!) it together. That'll save you some money and get you
most of the preservation benefits of a frame.
One final note: I don't pretend that this is a be-all or end-all
treatment on this subject. Reams of academic papers published on the
subject will, in fact, easily demonstrate otherwise. However, I believe
it to be a basically accurate set of rules which, if followed, will
allow a much longer lifespan for artwork, at minimal additional cost
and hassle.
This is version 1.0 of this FAQ. Version 0.1 was my response to
Tygger. Please direct suggestions and error corretions as outlined
above.
- R'ykandar.
--
R'ykandar Korra'ti | REFRACTIONS nr. 2: SHIPPING NOW!
da...@microsoft.com | "STUPID, STUPID RAT CREATURES!'
Foxy
This was actually pretty fascinating.
(No really, I'm not being sarcastic)
Being an attempted artist myself.. made me realise (for about the tenth
time) that I use all the wrong art materials.
But never mind, eh ? *grin*
/------------------------------------------------------
---Foxy--- / "We must infiltrate, integrate with humans, using our
kp...@coventry.ac.uk / superior talents to gain control of their politics,
Artist, furry fan / their media of communication, their legends, their
and Vulpophile! / beliefs, so that, when the time comes, they will have
/ been seduced to the acceptance of the inevitable, the
-----------------/ era of foxes."
Conrad Wong
>"Engineering pens" may not be of much use -- I've been doing some
>checking on this and, while they might handle the inks, they are usually
>designed to draw a line of precise thickness, and have to be held
>perpendicular to the paper.
Sometimes that's what you want... For instance, if you're drawing boxes
around panels or doing technical drawings. Or even if you happen to prefer
pens, and 'double-ink' to create variable-width lines. Different art tools
are suited to different jobs.
-- Lynx
who uses Koh-i-noor rapidographs and the black India ink they make for it
--
__ ___ ___ _/' Conrad "Lynx" Wong
/ \ _/ \----' \-' o`-g 28368 Christopher's Lane
| | / > __/_ / __/_`, _| Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
\__/ \____\`--\____\ ;/' ly...@netcom.com
"If you're happy and you know it, pet the cat!
If you're happy and you know it, then your cat will really show it..."
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(see rec.pets.cats for code explanation or E-mail me and ask)
Dave Bell
RK> Black brush ink:
RK> All "india" ink-based inks should be durable. I've never heard
RK> otherwise. In fact, most brush inks will be more durable than most pen
RK> inks, given the above commentary on delivery systems; you _can_
RK> deliver a durable pigment with a brush. I've been using Higgins Black
RK> Magic, but you can shop around; again, any india ink should do.
RK> It is also possible to find pens which can be used to apply india
RK> inks; the traditional dip pen should handle most kinds of inks. Some
RK> engineering pens can do this as well.
RK> [R'ykandar Korra'ti, Dave Bell]
"Engineering pens" may not be of much use -- I've been doing some
checking on this and, while they might handle the inks, they are usually
designed to draw a line of precise thickness, and have to be held
perpendicular to the paper.
Dave
... Acme Corporation -- Industrial Strength Tagline
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.11