on painting---different media oil, acrylic, watercolour
Melynda Reid
the following is a brief list of different painting media and how i have used
them. different artists may have other experiences with these paints.
oils----these were my first paints.
1. oils are very forgiving of mistakes.
2. the colour can be either translucent
or thickly bodied.
3. thick oils tend to crack and break down
over time causing conservation problems.
4. oils can be expensive.
5. the solvents used to wash out brushes and to dilute tube colours
tend to be toxic. i cannot use turps anymore. i get a pneumonia
type of response to turps and other aromatic solvents. i would not
advise using oils for a young child or an older person who has lung
problems.
6. make sure your painting area is well-ventilated.
7. the grounds required, canvas, untempered masonite pressed wood,
board can be very expensive.
8. oils excite me artistically. i love them.
acrylics---these were not used by me until i was fifteen, nine years after
i began using oils. my technique is thus that of an oil painter.
1. acrylics tend to leave hard edged brush strokes unless a lot of
medium is used.
2. acrylics can be built up very heavily.
3. acrylic acts as an excellent glue for collages and assemblages.
(oils are poor glues.)
4. acrylics are not as expensive.
5. brushes can be washed out with water, reducing the exposure to
toxic solvents.
6. acrylics are hard on brushes. even keeping brushes clean the bristles
lose their resilience almost immediately. i happen to like springy
brushes. acrylic annoys me by rendering my brushes flaccid.
7. acrylics do not require much ventilation.
8. acrylics can be applied on a wide variety of surfaces including
paper. acrylics act as their own primer unlike oils which can destroy
a badly sized and improperly primed surface.
9. acrylics adhere tightly to themselves. thus if moisture gets behind
the paint film the painting can bubble and peel off.
10. the drying time of acrylics can be retarded by adding usp grade
glycerine to the medium. glycerine is mildly toxic so i would not
advise using this tip with children.
11. i use acrylics on fabric and in costume and mask construction.
12. my heart remains in oils but i use acrylics a lot because they are
good glues.
water-colour---oh my this is the most technique dependent medium
1. good water-colour paints with permanent pigements are a must.
2. good rag paper is a must, adding to the expense of the medium.
3. good brushes are essential. i use windsor-newton series seven kolinsky
sable brushes. i have kept my brushes in good shape for over thirty
years.
4. water-colour is easy on the lungs.
5. mixing colours can be frustrating in the red to purple ranges. the
colour saturation and intensity are not comparable to colours seen
in real life.
6. water-colour requires persistence and patience. it is the most unfor-
giving medium. i love it as a sketch tool in the wilds.
i have not done much tempera and absolutely no fresco wet plaster painting.
if someone has experience with those media i would be interested in their
descriptions.
in general i use oils where accurate colour and time are required to produce
a good work. i use acrylic for fast paced deadlines and theatrical work. i
use water-colours for field studies. if i could only afford one type of paint
oh my i would probably invest in acrylics. but i would pout.
hope this helps someone decide to paint. the most important
painting tip is to use the paints you have. melynda
melynda reid who wears hats but does not type caps
eel: mel...@titipu.resun.com or nosc.mil!titipu.resun.com!melynda
snail: p o box 378 greensboro, florida 32330