Agony and Ecstasy of Acrylic painting...
Val N. Tyne
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Painting with Acrylics...
I wrote the following in response to last month’s Letter to Editor
comment from someone wanting to begin a dialogue about painting in acrylics.
(This was written for an artist's publication that I am a
frequent contributor to. Thought it might also help some newbie
visiting this forum).
My advise to anyone taking up painting for the very first time is to begin
with acrylic paints. There is not a more versatile painting medium available
to the artist today. On the other hand, more experienced painters who began
painting with oils often find that acrylics take some getting used to. So,
let’s explore the pros and cons.
Similar to watercolor paintings, acrylic paintings have yet to command
prices comparable to oil paintings. I’m not sure why that is, but it’s
changing if you know anything of the contemporary gallery scene. Watercolors
by nature are less durable than oils, which may account for their lesser
value. Acrylics have yet to withstand the test of time, and since the medium
is a derivative of the various plastics, perhaps acrylic will prove to have
as finite a life as most plastics. But for the present, acrylics do rival
oils in both color fastness and presentation. As anyone who has seen my oils
and acrylics hanging side-by-side will attest, it’s difficult to impossible
to tell the difference. I write on the back of my paintings which medium I
worked in because after a time even I forget and cannot tell my paintings
apart.
Simply put, paint consists of a pigment (color) suspended in a vehicle (oil
or acrylic). Pigments are relatively the same in all types of paint. It’s
the vehicle that distinguishes one paint from another. In the case of
acrylic, the acrylic vehicle is a milky-white fluid that dries clear as
glass. In fact, acrylic is often used in place of breakable glass for
windowpanes and for framing watercolor paintings. Durability, the quality
that makes acrylic ideal as a substitute for breakable glass, makes it such
a great medium for paints. Acrylic’s second significant quality is
flexibility. You can’t bend a piece of glass far without it shattering. A
thin sheet of acrylic can be bent almost double before cracking, but it
won’t shatter into shards as does glass.
Acrylic vehicle (hereafter referred to as acrylic “medium”) is super glue.
Decoupage glue is nothing more than acrylic medium. And to top it all off,
cleanup is with water! No hazardous mineral spirits (paint thinner), nasty
turpentine, or toxic accelerators to deal with when you paint in acrylic.
And, whereas oil paints require a final protective coating of a clear
varnish, acrylic medium IS a varnish so that no final varnish is needed. But
if one chooses to add a final protective coating, the acrylic medium is used.
Lastly, acrylic dries quickly! Fast drying is both a blessing and a curse,
depending on the artist’s working methods. As with any water-based medium,
as soon as the water evaporates the painting can continue without fear of
lifting the previous paint layers--the warmer and drier the air, the faster
the drying time. On the other hand, oil paintings can sometimes take days to
dry to the touch since 'drying' of oil paint involves complex chemical
reactions.
Probably the most-heard complaint is that acrylic dries 'too fast.' But
that’s something that can be both modified and taken into account as one
gains experience. Drying time of acrylics can be slowed by use of various
retarding agents. I use simple auto anti-freeze (ethylene glycol) for this
purpose. This does introduce a toxic substance to an otherwise non-toxic
painting material. Art supply stores sell retarders that may be less toxic.
Or one can buy propylene glycol from a pharmacist. It is supposedly safer
than anti-freeze since it’s used in facial cosmetics. A recycled aerosol spray
bottle makes an ideal spritzer for keeping the colors on my palette
wetted down during a painting session. I can keep paint on my glass palette
workable a full day even in our arid desert climate using a combination
of the above methods. I often find globs of paint left on my palette
overnight to be useable the following day after I break away the dried crust.
Another most-heard complaint about acrylics is the color shift that occurs
from wet to dry. All watercolor artists know what this is about. Watercolors
that look rich and dark when wet are weaker and lighter when dry. Acrylic
colors tend to darken and become matte as they dry. There is no way to
modify this effect that I’m aware of. Just as watercolorists learn to live
with the shift between wet and dry, so the acrylic painter learns to
compensate.
Acrylic medium has become the accepted material for manufacturing the
artist’s gesso used for priming canvas for both oil and acrylic paintings.
Artists now prime their canvas (or other support) in a one-step process
compared to the multiple-steps formerly required for oil paintings. Oils
will readily adhere over acrylic, but the reverse is not true. Acrylic will
not adhere well to an oil-based surface and use of acrylics over oils is not
recommended.
Being excellent glue, and drying water clear, acrylics lend themselves to
all sorts of experimental methods in painting. One can incorporate
decoupaged elements for example. On the other hand, acrylic mediums sold as
artist supplies do not hold up well outdoors. Since the acrylic medium is
water-based to begin with, it will likewise break down if subjected to
soaking, freezing and other weather effects. Since it is
such a flexible material when dry, it is ideal for painting flexible
surfaces--fabrics for example. I have used artist’s paints on tee shirts that
have withstood repeated washings before showing any effects. The most
popular commercial house paints sold today are 'acrylic latex' formulations.
While these are not considered suitable for fine art painting, they are
certainly acceptable substitutes for all other artistic purposes. The
exterior grades of house paint are further modified to be resistant to
weathering.
One mistake too many artists make is over-thinning acrylics with water.
While water is used as the thinner, too much thinning often leads to
problems. Use water for thinning only if you truly need a more watery
brushing consistency. In order to keep the paint on the palette consistent
with what came out of the tube or jar, I mix my tube and jar colors with
clear acrylic medium. This ability to extend the tube colors with the clear
medium is what makes acrylics such a great glazing medium. You can easily
build layer upon layer in a single day’s painting session. Acrylic mediums
come in different forms, from a watery varnish to thick modeling paste
consistency. This variety adds to the versatility of the medium, allowing
palette knife painting and other impasto effects.
Above all, acrylic mediums invite experimentation. If you’ve never tried
them, do so. There really are no hard and fast rules to worry about. Just be
sure you don’t let your brushes dry out before you clean them. Brushes that
are in use should be suspended, bristle ends down, in a pail of water. I use
a piece of plastic foam large enough to bridge my water pail, with slits cut
into it to hold the brushes suspended. Clean your brushes in warm soapy
water before putting them away. I use a sheet of ordinary glass--not
acrylic--as a palette. Dried acrylic paint soaked with
warm water is easily scraped from the glass .
Rubbing alcohol will also work to soften acrylic that gets onto
clothing where it wasn’t meant to be. But acrylic is particularly hard to
get out of clothing once it’s dried, so do as all experienced artists do and
never mess with paints when wearing clothes you don’t want painted. If
there’s one thing certain about painting, it’s that paint will inevitably
end up where it wasn’t intended to be!
bob_d
> My advise to anyone taking up painting for the very first time is to begin
> with acrylic paints. ...
It seems that the basis for your recommendation is (1) acrylics dry
real fast; (2) you can clean the brushes with water; and (3) acrylics
are flexible after they dry.
None of this seems all that compelling to me. Super fast drying
paints are tough for beginners. Slow drying paints give beginners
more time to do things slowly, correct mistakes, and blend colors on
the canvas.
Oil paints dry a lot faster if you add a little Liquin into them.
Then there is the alternative of using alkyd paints, which are
manufactured by W&N and they work very well.
On cleaning brushes, there is now a non-toxic brush cleaner available
called "Turpenoid Natural" that works very well. There is no reason
to use anything else to clean brushes. Brush cleaning is the biggest
source of getting solvents all over the place. For mixing with
paints, you only need to use small amounts if any. A little Liquin is
all you really need to use.
There is also the option of using water miscible oils.
On the issue of archivalness... if we are talking about beginners, no
one is going to want to look at their paintings 500 years from now
anyway. Scientific evidence also suggests that using alkyds with oil
paints results in tougher and more flexible paint films. So with
modern oil painting techniques, the oil paintings will probably last a
lot longer than the the ones that hang in the museum. Unfortunately,
many oil painters insist on using mediums of dubious archivability,
such as damar varnish.
Jiri Borsky >
Generally, I agree with your article.
Here are two or three quips:
> And, whereas oil paints require a final protective coating of a clear
> varnish, acrylic medium IS a varnish so that no final varnish is needed. But
> if one chooses to add a final protective coating, the acrylic medium is used.
This is the only point where I, and more importantly the paint manufacturers,
differ from you. The acrylic, being plastic, remains fairly soft and thus is
vulnerable to airborne particles of grit, etc., getting embedded in it.
If one chooses an acrylic medium as a final coating, one is no better off. The
final coat is married to previous layers and cannot be removed without altering
them. No gain.
Solution: Either frame under glass, or use proprietary REMOVABLE varnishes
specifically developed for acrylic paintings. One of them uses mineral spirit
acrylic (soluble in turps). There is also a polymer version (thinned with water)
that can be removed (should the need arise) with ammonia solution.
The varnishes come in gloss and matt, and can be cut to semi-gloss/matt,
as needed.
Besides offering a removable guard they unify the overall surface sheen of a
particular piece. This is an important asset.
>I can keep paint on my glass palette
> workable a full day even in our arid desert climate using a combination
> of the above methods. I often find globs of paint left on my palette
> overnight to be useable the following day after I break away the dried crust.
Have you not come across a 'StayWet' palette? I can go on a fortnight's
holiday and still come back to workable paint!
The principle is simple and easy to improvise: A tray with a lid holds a sheet
of blotting paper, which is kept very damp. On this sits, in close contact, a
sheet of semi-permeable membrane (hint: a grease-proof paper used for baking
does an excellent job, at a fraction of the price).
> Since it is
> such a flexible material when dry, it is ideal for painting flexible
> surfaces--fabrics for example. I have used artist’s paints on tee shirts that
> have withstood repeated washings before showing any effects.
A story to confirm this. Once, in a heat of creativity I have totally forgotten
I was wearing my new best trousers. Of course I have splashed some of my
artist quality acrylics on them. Discovered it much too late. The wash would not
shift them.
So I had an idea - I mixed acrylic paint to match exactly the hue, value and
saturation of the fabric dye. Using a good sable I have carefully spotted my
trousers.
It worked! The stains disappeared. The wife won't frown.
However, with passage of time, exposure to sunlight and subsequent washes
the colour of my trousers has bleached out. Naturally, the (artist quality!)
acrylic retouch did not. It stood out like a sore thumb now.
You can't win them all.
Jiri Borsky
http://www.borsky.dial.pipex.com/
Val N. Tyne
"\"JiriBorsky\"<borsky"@dialz.pipexz.comz says...
>This is the only point where I, and more importantly the paint manufacturers,
>differ from you. The acrylic, being plastic, remains fairly soft and thus is
>vulnerable to airborne particles of grit, etc., getting embedded in it.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
My article is intended to be an introduction for people who
have never painted before - not a formal treatise
on the subject.
I am simply speaking from long experience.
I have been painting with acrylics since the early
days of my painting endeavors, beginning in the
late 1960s. I've never ever had a problem with
'softness' of the surface and have rarely ever made
any effort to apply any kind of final varnish.
In fact, my experience is just the opposite. I find
acrylics to be much more durable when dry than
are oils or other mediums.
I've had my paintings commissioned to
decorate commercial establishments where they suffer
ketchup and mustard splatters, hand prints, etc and
require frequent cleaning for that reason. The
final varnish is essential in this instance but I've
always used the "Acrylic Varnish" sold by the artist
suppliers. In the article I refer to it as "Medium"
but in most cases it's called "Varnish" by the
paint manufacturers. I chose to use the word "Medium"
since there are several versions of "Varnish"
available to the acrylic painter and I wanted to
use a generic terminology.
I would certainly not argue with anyone
who wishes to use special varnishes. I'm sure
that paint formulations have been much improved
over the years - I'm admittedly not one who follows
the technical nitty gritty of paint manufacturing.
I simply know what I know.
>Solution: Either frame under glass
I can't imagine an instance when I'd suggest
to someone to frame an acrylic painting under glass.
I've certainly never seen this done in all my
years of admiring the art of others.
>Besides offering a removable guard they unify the overall surface sheen of a
>particular piece. This is an important asset.
Once again, and speaking of my own experiences, I've
not seen this problem with finished acrylic paintings.
They usually don't suffer the uneven effect that is
common for oils and other mediums. On rare occasions
I've used a final clear coat over my finished work as
a way of unifying the look. Again, do whatever works
for you.
>Have you not come across a 'StayWet' palette?
Yes, but I felt I was being too lengthy for the
publication for which the article is written as
it was. I could go on and on about commercial
products on the market that one can use. You
may have noticed I did not broach the issue of
brushes to use either. I may do a follow-up to
this article if it gets any kind of response in
the newsletter where it is to be printed.
>So I had an idea - I mixed acrylic paint to match exactly the hue, value and
>saturation of the fabric dye. Using a good sable I have carefully spotted my
>trousers.
>It worked! The stains disappeared. The wife won't frown.
You might try softening up the paint with alcohol.
I don't know if it'll work totally but I've done
it before and managed to salvage the fabric without
bleaching it. Of course, "prevention is worth an
ounce of cure."
Thanks again for your comments expanding on my article.