Acrylic vs watercolor
Richard Haynes
Can anyone please explain to me how to obtain fine details while paintng
with acrylics? I understand thinning them down with water to make them
handle like watercolor but they become so transparent detail must be
painted several times.
Rich Haynes
G*rd*n
Richard Haynes <hay...@hicom.net>:
I suppose you could get a higher ratio of pigment to medium
by buying them separately and mixing them yourself.
--
}"{ G*rd*n }"{ g...@panix.com }"{
Larry Seiler
Richard Haynes wrote:
>
> Can anyone please explain to me how to obtain fine details while paintng
> with acrylics? I understand thinning them down with water to make them
> handle like watercolor but they become so transparent detail must be
> painted several times.
>
I went to acrylics in 1980 to compete in wildlife art competition. The
competitions such as duck stamps etc., were demanding great detail and
deadlines put forth did not allow for the convenience of necessary
extended drying times such as oils. I find that acrylics are best
suited for detail.
yes...multiple layers can be built up, but if you make your paint
slightly more saturated with paint pigment than watercolor consistency
it will apply more opaquely. Detail is an illusion like anything else,
for example using contrasts explicitly texture versus lack of texture,
warm versus cool colors, light versus dark..these can be orchestrated so
that a positive element can draw attention.
One trick I do to create highly detailed trees for example, is paint in
the foilage free and loosely, squinting my eyes and sensing
color..blocking the leaves or pine branches in. Then, I mix up the sky
color, squint again at the trees, and paint in the general small patches
and glints of sky poking through the branches. As I paint the much
easier shapes of sky...the negative space, poking through the trees it
automatically sculpts the character of the trees and appears to be
realistic trees without having had to become an elm, oak, Jack pine,
spruce tree expert...etc;
Another easy method for beginners is to paint a slightly darker under
layer..then use white paint..which is opaque, water/thin it down and
build up layers of line hatching or cross hatching in white. Then, mix
a thin wash of color and wash it over the lines tinting it. Then paint
further layers going lighter toward the light source and tinting it
warmer in color. Use color shades of tint washes on the shadowed side,
and you can even mix some darker cooler colors to detail darker tones.
The main thing..is never grow impatient with the acrylics. There is
never a piece that has to be quit on....as long as you hang in there, it
can be altered, painted over, changed...until you get it!
Like any medium of painting there is one unfortunate rule of thumb..you
have to do many paintings to paint. I was told once that you have to do
about 120 paintings that in retrospect will be poor paintings before you
say with confidence you know how to paint, and about 400 more paintings
to develop a style!
Paintings in acrylic that originally when I started out demanded 80-100
hours of work, I can now 15 years later do in about 15-20 hours. It
comes with time.
Some suggestions...find a feather, gesso a panel..tone in the shape of
the feather in about a mid-value and practice the white tint method.
Eventually, you can go right to color and forget the tinting. It is
more about learning to get a feel for how quickly you can work with the
acrylic...the right consistency of water mixed..etc;
Wish I could help more...but text is darned difficult as compared to
demonstrating!
Larry Seiler
lse...@execpc.com