The Acrylic Painting Course Blog

How to Add Detail to the Foreground of your Picture

2012-01-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

This posting is about one technique for adding detail to your painting. It is not something I use a lot, with acrylic paints you can easily paint over any details you want. However it is always good to be aware of painting options for achieving a particular result.

How to Add Detail to the Foreground of your Picture

Adding extra detail to the foreground of a painting helps to make the background look further away and can give depth to a picture.

The closer something is to the front of a picture the more detail you can see. So putting in extra details in this area is a good idea.

One painting technique to achieve this is to scrape out grassy things in a landscape. Or perhaps scratch out a texture in other subjects. For example, indicating the texture of the tablecloth in a still life.

Consider your painting surface

The amount of detail you can achieve will depend on the painting surface you are using. You will be able to add more detail when painting on a smooth surface than you can on a rough surface.

Damp is easier

When using acrylic paints I prefer to scrape out the shapes while the paint is still wet/damp. Although you can scratch the dried paint to make some shapes it is easy to dig too deeply and cut into the painting surface. This can be quite a problem on a paper surface.

What to use?

You can use a range of things to scrape out the shapes you want. With thicker paints it can be handy to use a palette knife. The palette knife can be used either flat or edge on depending on the effect you want.

I often use the end of a paint brush. This can be handy for thinner paints and smoother painting surfaces.

Of course you can always use a finger nail too!

Adding extra detail to the ‘detail’

Once the paint has dried you can also paint in further detail to the scraped out shapes for highlights and shadows. This can help to give the shapes extra definition too.

The amount of detail you put into a painting will depend on the subject matter and your style of painting.

As with any technique it is always worth experimenting on a spare piece of paper to make sure you like the effect before you use it on the final piece.

Packing Stretched Canvases for Sending

2011-12-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be helpful to consider how to pack artwork that is painted onto a stretched canvas.

Holiday times are a good opportunity to look at this as chocolate boxes, especially the large flat ones are very handy packing materials. So if you receive any boxes of chocolates (particularly the ones with just one or two layers of chocolates as they tend to be a good size) you may want to save it for future packing material.

Materials

The way I package stretched canvases uses an appropriate size of box, lots of bubble wrap, a couple of sheets of cardboard with some extra cardboard to reinforce the edges and corners. Also some paper to wrap the box and parcel tape to keep it all secure.

My Method

I start by putting a couple of layers of bubble wrap in the gap at the rear of the stretched canvas. This will fill up the void at the back of the canvas. Then wrap the canvas in bubble wrap. It helps to both protect the painting and keeps any dampness away from the artwork too.

Next put a sheet of cardboard to the front and back of the stretched canvas. Cut these an inch or two larger than the size of the painting including the bubble wrap.

Roll up some lengths of bubble wrap strips to pack the edges around the canvas. Place in the gap between the 2 cardboard layers. Pack the bubble wrap strips out to approximately the edge of the cardboard layers. This will help to protect the edges.

Cut spacers of cardboard

Cut some lengths of cardboard wide enough for the gap between the two layers of cardboard (on the front and back of the canvas). Put these between the two layers. Be sure that the corners are well protected and put the lengths of cardboard the whole way around the artwork. Use the parcel tape or any wide tape to hold this in place.

If there is room add another layer of bubble wrap around all of this packaging, and then place it into the box.

If the box is not deep enough (the bubble wrap will make it quite a bit larger all around) you can add some more lengths of cardboard as a spacer between the top and bottom of the box.

Pack any spaces with more bubble wrap and tape the top and bottom of the box together. (The corners are the area most likely to get damaged. Be sure to check that they are well packed.)

To finish, wrap with paper and tape to secure.

I probably over-pack stretched canvases, but I‘d rather use too much packaging and have the artwork arrive in good condition.

Damaged stretched canvas?

If you are unlucky and the painting is damaged you may be able to repair it.

If the canvas and painting are intact it is possible to get some new stretchers and (having removed the canvas from the original damaged stretchers) re-stretch the canvas over them. However if the canvas or paint is damaged you will probably need to decide if it is worth the trouble of trying to get it repaired.

Should the paint be damaged you may find that you can repaint it successfully. However if the canvas is torn I wouldn’t bother trying to repair it. Perhaps you could cut it down to a good section and re-stretch it as a smaller picture.

Sending a few canvases?

If you have a few canvases to send and they are all about the same size you can buy boxes from sellers on eBay. There are some sellers on eBay that will sell boxes suitable for sending pictures. If you have a few to send this could be a good option for you.

But if you only have one picture to send it is probably easier to use the method described above.

How to Send an Artwork Gift

2011-11-24T03:47:00.000-08:00

With Christmas fast approaching you may be thinking about making a personalised gift and sending it. If you decide to send some artwork you will need to package it fairly well so that it will arrive in good condition. This is even more important for a present.

If the artwork is painted onto paper or canvas panel it will be the more suitable for sending. Stretched canvases need a lot more packaging.

However if you are sending paper, canvas panel or even a picture with a mount the easiest way is to use a board backed envelope.

Board Backed Envelopes

These come in a range of sizes. My local newspaper shop sells them singly so I can buy just one.

Ideally you want the size of the envelope to be about one inch longer and one inch wider than your artwork. If it is too large the picture tends to move about too much and can be damaged.

A board backed envelope can be cut down to size and the cut edges sealed with tape, parcel tape works well for this.

There are different qualities of board backed envelopes. If the one you buy seems too thin and flexes a lot you can strength it with another piece of thin card. I find that a cereal box can be a good size and thickness for this.

Cut the cereal box to the size of the envelope and slide it in to make sure it fits well.

It is a good idea to put the picture into a plastic bag to keep it dry – just in case!

Put a piece of spare paper, then the picture (in its plastic bag), and then another piece of card in a stack. Next slide this stack into the envelope with the good side of the picture facing the board part of the envelope.

Tip

Place the artwork so that it is facing the board of the envelope, so the extra piece of card to the back of the picture. This ensures that if the rear of the envelope is written on it will not mark the painting.

No board backed envelope?

If you cannot get a board backed envelope you can use a large envelope and make up a sandwich of packing to protect your artwork.

In this case you need to have two pieces of strong card both slightly larger than the picture. The cardboard needs to be about one inch longer and one inch wider than the picture.

Place your artwork into a plastic bag to keep it dry and then sandwich the picture between the cardboard layers. Tape the two cardboard layers together to keep the artwork flat.

This can be placed into a normal large envelope for sending.

Tips

Check that the cardboard is both strong and not too heavy. If it is heavy it will really increase the price of sending the packet.

Mark the outside of the envelope as “Fragile Please Do Not Bend” in large letters, on the front and on the back too.

Acrylic Painting, How to buy the Right Equipment for using with Acrylic Paints [Kindle Edition]

2011-09-13T04:09:00.000-07:00

I've just added this new report that you may be interested in if you have a Kindle.

It is a collection of articles and reports I have written. It covers acrylic paints, suitable brushes to use with acrylic paints, the best painting surfaces, acrylic mediums, and colour mixing tips too.

Here's the link if you want to check it out

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LO6REI

You may need to copy and paste the link into your browser, however there is also a link on the right hand side of this page too.

Tips on Painting from a Photograph – Part 3

2011-08-29T04:22:00.000-07:00

In this last part I wanted to mention a few points that are important if you are painting the picture for someone else.

If you are given a photo and asked to paint it then be sure to check what the other person expects.

Expections

1. Perhaps they really want a painting of the photo just as it is, in which case you will have to try and keep the picture fairly true to the photo.

2. They may say that the photo is just a starting point but they want the final piece to be recognisable as the photo. In this case you have a bit more flexibility with the composition and colour of the painting.

3. Or they may say that they are happy for you to paint your version of the photo. This will give you the most freedom with the choices you make.

It is always best to discuss what they expect the final painting to look like. This will avoid disappointment for you both!

An Example

I painted a pet portrait from a very small photo (the head in the photo was about half an inch by half an inch) and felt that the final painting was a good likeness. Although the client was happy with the painting she said that it was her partner’s dog and she had never seen it when it was younger. The dog was going grey and this was not apparent due to the size of the photo.

For myself - I prefer to remember pets in their prime, looking healthy and alert. But I should have discussed the painting more than I had. Maybe a painting of the dog looking older would have been more appreciated by the owner.

Tips on Painting from a Photograph – Part 2

2011-06-07T05:37:00.000-07:00

Here is Part 2 of Tips on Painting from a Photograph. It looks at the composition of your final painting and considers some of the options you have.

You don't need to paint a picture to exactly match the photograph. In Part 1 we talked about choosing just a section of the original photo and not the whole of it. The composition of the final painting is the main subject of this article.

Although you're using the photo for your inspiration it's still necessary to consider the composition of the final painting.

Here are a few points to think about.

What is the focal point?
Where is it placed? (It is better to avoid putting it in the centre.)
You can move it to a better area if you want.

Are there objects to lead the eye into the painting?
These could be paths, branches, or shapes to lead the eye in.

What about the colours? You could change a landscape to a different time of day or a different time of year?
Instead of mid-day you could have a sunset, instead of the bare branches of winter you could have green leaves or even autumnal leaves.

Consider the contrast between the tones used in the different areas too.
Again you do not need to follow those in the photo.
Perhaps you want to highlight a contrast between some light and dark areas of the picture.

You can use the photo as a starting point for your painting.
But if the final painting is for someone else they may want and expect it to look like the photo.

However you still have the option to change things to improve the composition of the final picture. For example missing out a power line in a landscape or changing the background in a portrait.

Tips on Painting from a Photograph – Part 1

2011-03-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Photographs are very handy reference materials. When you decide to paint a picture you can use a photo and you don't need to worry about the weather or time of day. I don't like to paint when it is raining and obviously night time painting sessions can be a challenge. ;-)

However when you have photos to use you can paint whenever the mood takes you.

There are really two main ways to use photos.

1. Using just one photo and painting your version of the scene
2. Using several photos and choosing sections from them to compose a different scene altogether

One main photo

When you are using one main photo for the painting there are a few things you may want to consider.

You don't need to use all of the things from the photo. A photographer has no choice when he takes a picture, but you don't have this problem.

If your photo has a lot of detail you may choose to just use a section of the photo for the painting. You don't have to use the entire photo – just use your artistic licence and select a part of the scene to use.

Often less is more in a painting. If the foreground is complicated and detailed you might want to keep rest of the painting simple.

Simplify for impact.

Putting the majority of the detail in the foreground will help to give depth to your final piece. The further away a thing is the less detail you can see, so simplify the middle and distant areas in your painting to help give it depth.

Tips on Painting from a Photograph – Part 2 will discuss how the composition of the painting can be improved.

How to Make Your Own Rake or Comb Brushes

2010-11-30T03:20:00.000-08:00

Rake or comb brushes are very handy when painting textured effects. These brushes have been cut with gaps between the bristles so that they produce grass like effects. They are really convenient when you want to paint rows of lines quickly and easily.

I find them useful for painting the fur in pet portraits.

However the rake brushes I have do have one problem. The spaces between the bristles are all the same size. This makes them excellent for parallel line areas, but not so good for grassy areas where you want some variety in the brush strokes.

I do have one rake brush that has irregular spaces but the majority of the rake brushes seem to have uniform spacing.

So I decided to experiment

I trimmed some old brushes to see how that would work. Don't use new brushes, but if you have some old brushes that are past their best this could be a good project.

As you can see from the photo I cut the bristles to give uneven spaces.

How to make your own

It is probably easier to do this with flat brushes rather than round brushes, although I tried both. Trim the brush across the width of the brush head. You are trying for a thin line of bristles across the width of the brush; this will avoid the final brush being overloaded with paint.

Then cut into the brush head to give the spaces between the bristles. This is a bit like when a hairdresser is making choppy layers in a hair style.

Test your newly trimmed brush to check that you are happy with the effect. If you aren't pleased with it then dry the brush on a piece of paper towel and re-cut it. Repeat this stage until you have a successful rake brush.

When to use them

If you're only painting a small area of texture it'll be easier to just paint it in using a small brush. However when you want to texture a large area it'll be quicker to use this type of brush and you can add several lines with just one brush stroke.

Having made your own brush you will have a more random look to the texture too.

Using Glow in the Dark Paint in a Painting

2010-10-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

The last posting mentioned that the landscape painting had another secret. As you now know from the title of this post – it included some glow-in-the-dark paint.

I bought a small container from eBay and didn’t know quite what to expect.

However I like to experiment with new materials…

My first try

My first project was to use it on a lighthouse window in a picture I had previously painted. I thought that if the lighthouse window would glow in the dark it would add an interesting dimension to the picture.

The picture is displayed in quite a dark hallway and I was disappointed that there was no glow. I applied several layers of the paint but there wasn’t any improvement.

I have it so I will use it!

Seeing as I had most of the paint left I decided to give it another try. The hallway is fairly dark and maybe the paint wasn’t getting enough light in that position.

This time I applied the paint to the landscape so that the glow would look like a shimmer in the sky that was reflected on the watery section in the centre of the picture, indicated by the marked area in the photo.

As in my first attempt, I applied a few layers of the glow-in-the-dark paint. This is recommended in the instructions that came with it.

Display and Glow

I hung the painting and forgot about it. But this time it worked. :-)
As soon as the lights were out the areas that I used the glow in the dark paint on gave off a slight glow – enough for me to see even without my glasses on!

The picture is displayed on the wall on the same side of the bedroom as the digital clock. I don’t know if this gives enough light to make a difference or not, I only know that it works there.

Green Might be Better?

According to the website the brightest glow comes from the green paint. The one I have is white, which is second in their table.

I can imagine painting a sunset with over hanging trees and using the green on the leaves for an interesting glow look. I might get around to that some time.

For the Full Range

You don't need to look on eBay for this paint supplier. They have a website at www.kilabitzzz.co.uk with their full range.

They also sell some other interesting paints. There is one for UV lights and a temperature changing one too. If you're looking for something different it may be worth a look.

How You can Paint Your Own Colour Matched Artwork (Part 2)

2010-09-22T02:24:00.000-07:00

This is the second part of painting artwork which includes the colours used in your home furnishings.

This topic is covered in the free report that I give away (the link is above). However I always think that it's clearer to see some actual examples.

As in the previous post the colours used in this painting match the bed cover in our bedroom. This post looks at another style of painting using the same colours as before.

Recap on the Colours in the Furnishings

As you can see from the photo the bed cover is a checked design with stone and dark red in the pattern. Trying to buy artwork with these particular colours in it would be very awkward to find.

I used a couple of small pots of pre-mixed colour. As I was going to paint a couple of pictures it was easier to use pre-mixed colours.

The Style of this Picture

As before this picture was painted onto a stretched canvas. The style of this picture is a fairly traditional landscape style.

And as previously the sky was painted using the stone colour with some white for a cloud effect.

The furthest away hills were a mix of the stone and red colours and painted with quite a lot of water for a pale tone.

TOP TIP - If the tone isn't pale enough you can always add some white to the mix, or paint over the dried section with watery white to make it lighter.

The layers of hills coming towards the foreground used more of the red, as well as darker tones to give a feeling of depth.

In the Foreground

The foreground was straight red and some areas were painted with thicker paint (you can use several coats) to give extra detail to this area.

The area in the centre had some of the white and a little of the stone colour added to give the indication of water.

I added a little blue to the red in a few of the foreground areas to give some darker tones which give a nice contrast to the rest of the picture.

Limited Palette

This picture is an example of painting with a limited number of colours or a limited palette. I really like these types of pictures and find the final effect is very pleasing and harmonious.

Surprise Element

However that's not the full story of this picture. There is a surprise element to this painting that I’ll tell you about in next month’s posting.

How You can Paint Your Own Colour Matched Artwork (Part 1)

2010-08-25T03:45:00.000-07:00

Painting artwork that includes the colours used in your home furnishings is a popular project.

It is covered in the free report that I give away (the link is above). However it is always interesting to see some actual examples.

I'm going to show you a couple of examples of pictures I've painted to match the bed cover in our bedroom. This post looks at one style of painting and the next post, which will be in about a month, will show a different style of painting. Both will be using the same colours to paint the pictures. These colours have been chosen to match the fabric of the bed cover.

The Colours in the Furnishings

As you can see from the photo the bed cover is a checked design with stone and dark red in the pattern. Trying to buy artwork with these particular colours in it would be fairly difficult. Also I wanted to keep the colours in the bedroom limited as I find that more restful.

Rather than mix up the colours myself I decided to buy a couple of small pots of pre-mixed acrylic colour. There are a couple of reasons for this.

Firstly I was going to paint a couple of pictures, so mixing up exactly matching colours for both of the pictures was going to be a challenge. (I wasn’t going to be painting them at the same time.)

Secondly when I was looking at the range of stone colours I realised that some shades looked a lot better with the dark red than others. So it was easier to buy my favourite shade.

The Style of the Picture

When using more unusual colour combinations it is often easier to go for a more graphic style of painting rather than something that it too realistic looking. Therefore for the first picture I decided to do a simple sunset, or moon set :-) , picture with some palm trees. This was painted on a stretched canvas.

How to Paint It

I started with a rough sketch to place the sun and trees where I wanted them.

Then I drew around a large plate for a circle for the sun. The rest of the picture was lightly drawn on.

Top Tip - Remember that once you paint over the surface with acrylics you will not be able to erase the pencil marks. Remove any unwanted marks before you start to paint.

I painted in the sun with Cadmium Yellow and Titanium White. Once it had dried I painted in the sky with the stone colour, adding white to give some cloud effect areas.

The edge between the sun and sky can be repainted to tidy it up once both sections are completely dry.

I used the dark red to paint in the palm trees and foreground. This can be painted in several layers. Extra layers will make the colour look a bit darker too.

Adding additional details to the foreground area helps to add interest and depth to the picture.

Other Ideas

The contrast between the light area of the sky and the darker silhouette of the trees and foreground is handy for this type of colour matched artwork.

Of course you can use other subjects in a similar way. You could use the silhouette shape of anything you like. For example a bridge, city skyline, hills, and so on. Perhaps even a shape taken from the patterns in your furnishings.

Part 2

Next time I will be talking about the other painting which uses the same colours but with a different style and look.

Newsletter Readers

2010-06-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

If you are one of my newsletter readers you may be wondering why you haven't received a newsletter for June.

Unfortunately I am having problems with my provider for this. I'm going to need to find another supplier for this service.

I intend to find a good one and then restart the newsletter. You will eventually receive another Acrylic Painting Course Newsletter.

I appreciate your patience. :-)

Painting on an Oval Stretched Canvas - Painting Tip

2010-06-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

I've had an e-mail about painting on oval stretched canvases so I thought it would be a good subject for this blog post.

Painting on an Oval Stretched Canvas

Oval stretches canvases used to be quite rare but I see that they're a lot more common now.

They give a different look to your painting and many people prefer it.

I got one as a Christmas present last year. I painted a collie picture on it and I think it looks pretty good. :-) It would look pleasing in a traditional style of décor.

What about Framing?

However there may be a drawback if you want to have a framed picture. I spoke to my local picture framer and she said that framing oval pictures was a specialist job. Obviously the frame needs to be the same curved shape as the canvas.

___

Side Note – An oval canvas could be framed into a rectangular picture. The oval shape would be put behind a mount or matt, so the final mounted picture would be a rectangle, and easy to frame.

___

When framing a square or rectangular canvas the framing is sold in straight lengths. The lengths are cut to the correct size for the canvas. The corners are cut at 45 degrees for a tidy finish and the frame assembled.

For an oval canvas to be framed as an oval shape the framing has to match the curve of the canvas which is much more complicated.

This can make getting your oval artwork fairly expensive to frame. A few years ago I saw an oval canvas with a matching frame sold as a kit, but I haven't seen any of these recently.

Any Options?

If you decide to buy an oval canvas look for one with the canvas fixed on the back the picture. This means that the artwork can be displayed without the need for a frame.

I like to paint the background colour around and onto the sides to tidy them up. The photo shows how this looks on the collie painting.

Portraits and Caricature as a Second Income?

2010-05-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

I recently had a query about drawing and painting portraits, perhaps as a second income. As you probably know I don't paint a lot of portraits but I have done a few.

One of the projects in Part Three of the Acrylic Painting Course is a portrait. I chose painting a portrait as I was trying to cover a wide range of subjects. Also, the painting is about working the whole of the picture at the same time. Usually in landscapes I paint in layers from the distance to the foreground. But in the portrait painting the whole of the subject is worked at the same time.

Top Portrait Tip

However one important tip I can give you is to make your subject look good. Pretty much everyone would prefer to have a portrait that flatters them. Don't go too far but make them look nice.

I was watching a program on the television about a famous portrait painter of the 18th century (whose name I cannot remember) and the commentator said that his portraits were sought after because he always made the sitter look a little better than they really did appear.

As the advert says - "You but on a really good day!"

If you want to do portraits as a business you may want to take this into consideration.

Caricature Video Clip

A variation on portrait painting is drawing caricatures of people. These are often a lot quicker to do and you can produce one for sale in a fairly short timescale compared to painting a portrait.

This is something I haven't done. I rather paint than draw! However if you're interested you can have a look at this short video.

It is an interesting video clip of Graeme Biddle drawing a caricature that you may find worth watching, I enjoyed it! He sells a course on how to draw them and has this video on his website. It's only about 6½ minutes long.

Here is the link so you can see it too

http://72c7adq0sfkhh4q2zabc1o7ya2.hop.clickbank.net/

I can imagine that once you master this skill that you'll be a very popular person with all your friends and family asking you to draw one for them.

I also signed up and received the free first part of his course. It has a further video link in it where he draws a more realistic face. This video runs for about 7 minutes and makes the whole process look quite straight forward.

You get further chapters at no cost too. I just received a video on using cartoon software to help with looking at the proportions of the face. I haven't tried it yet but it looks like it will be fun.

Affiliate Disclaimer:
From time to time, I will promote, endorse, or suggest products and/or
services for sale. My recommendation is always based on my belief
that the product and it's author will provide excellent and valuable
information or service. In some cases, I will be compensated if you
decide to purchase the product based on my recommendation.

.

What is in the Acrylic Painting Course?

2010-05-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

How to Paint a Textured Background

2010-04-22T02:07:00.000-07:00

Painting in backgrounds in landscapes is fairly straightforward. However when painting still life or animal portraits the background area is often a cause for concern.

Painting in backgrounds is a common problem. This post is about a way to use cheesecloth to give a lightly textured background.

The following background techniques would usually be painted before the main part of the picture.

***

How to Paint a Textured Background using Cheesecloth

I like the background of a picture to have some texture or subtle colour. This has two benefits.

Firstly, by breaking up a flat background the painting is more interesting.

Secondly, if you smudge the main area of the painting it is a lot easier to repair the background area. When the background is a flat colour, all the background would need to be over-painted. With a textured background you can (often!) touch up some areas without needing to repaint all the background.

Using Cheesecloth is Easy

For an interesting background texture you can use cheesecloth or muslin. This technique can also be effective with voile and lace fabrics too. Try to experiment with whatever loosely woven fabrics you have.

Use the Fabric like a Stencil

Start by spraying your painting surface with water and then place on your fabric.

Next, brush or use a sponge to apply a thinned paint over the fabric. Try not to use too watery paint or it will run underneath it and you won’t get a texture. If this happens just dry everything off with some paper towel and try again.

Let the paint dry for about 10 to 15 minutes (depending on conditions) and then remove the fabric before the paint is completely dry. The impression of the fabric will be left in the painted background.

Alternately use the Fabric for an Impression

Another way to use the fabric is to paint the background and then press the fabric into the painted surface for a different look.

In this case the fabric will soak up some of the paint giving thicker and thinner areas that will provide some texture.

When I Paint in the Background

When I paint pet portraits I have found the easiest thing is to lightly draw in the pet portrait shape and then paint in the background area. When using a stretched canvas I paint around the sides at this stage too.

This way I can leave the majority of the portrait area unpainted. A really textured background would need a thickly painted portrait to cover it otherwise.

Then towards the end of the picture I tidy up any background areas that need it and finally paint some of the fur over the background paint. This blends both areas a little and adds to the texture of the pet fur.

This would work equally well with flowers or other subjects that are the main focus of your picture.

Abstract Themes

These painting techniques will work well for abstract pictures too. However in abstract pictures these techniques could be used at any stage.

They would be handy to use after the whole picture has been painted to add some extra interest. Then you can just define a few of the areas to bring them forward.

That is, paint most of the picture, apply the texture, and then emphasis a few of the areas once the texture has dried.

These highlighted areas would be a good place to use some acrylic mediums to give either a gloss finish or perhaps metallic highlights.

***

I hope you find this helpful.
There is no right way to paint, just different ideas for achieving the look you want. :-)

Using Acrylic Paints for Household Repairs?

2010-03-24T03:23:00.000-07:00

Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paint has no smell, is quick drying and the adhesive qualities make it really handy for minor household repairs.

Wallpaper

A few weeks ago I was wiping a mirror and the cord holding it up snapped. The mirror slid down the wall removing the texture of the wallpaper on its way. I was upset that I didn't catch it first, but that is life. :-)

After a quick check I knew that I didn't have enough wallpaper to redo the whole wall.

I thought about it for a couple of days and decided that I'd use some acrylic paint and texture paste to see if I could repair the worst of the damage.

I hoped to paint on some texture to blend in the areas were the textured pattern had been scraped away.

I started with a mix of texture paste and acrylic paint to fill in the deepest parts and once that was dry I applied a few coats of straight paint to fine tune some of the areas.

I wish I could say that the whole thing is wonderful, but that would be a lie. However it does hide most of the problem and I can live with it for now.

Wood

I did use acrylic paint before to blend in some wood grain on a fireplace that was chipped. If you decide to try repairing or disguising the filler on wood it is a good idea to consider whether the wood will change colour with age and adjust your wood graining to take that into account.

I was painting some wood grain onto a pine area. Pine and redwood darken quite a bit with age so I needed to make it quite a bit darker. I found the easiest way was to add a knot to the area and it worked very well.

There is often no need to buy touch up paints when you can use your acrylics.

Painting in the Evening - Daylight Bulbs

2010-02-23T02:24:00.000-08:00

I like to paint in the daylight, I think it makes it easier for mixing the colours and you can see if the dried paint is the colour you wanted. However you may have your painting time in the evening and painting by artificial light can make the colours look quite different.

I received a gift of a couple of daylight bulbs one birthday many years ago. They look very odd; I did wonder why I got a couple of blue light bulbs! They are unusual looking. But once I tried them I was very happy and found that I enjoyed painting in the evening as I could see the true colours of the paint I was using.

A Bit about Daylight Bulbs

The science part…

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

‘Full-spectrum light is light that covers the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared through near-ultraviolet, or all wavelengths that are useful to plant or animal life; in particular, sunlight is considered full spectrum, even though the solar spectral distribution reaching Earth changes with time of day, latitude, and atmospheric conditions.

"Full-spectrum" is not a technical term when applied to an electrical light bulb but rather a marketing term implying that the product emulates natural light.

Products marketed as "full-spectrum" may produce light throughout the entire spectrum, but actually do not produce an even spectral distribution, and may not even differ substantially from lights not marketed as "full-spectrum”

(They are often said to appears similar to noon daylight)

Use in art and in color matching

Full-spectrum fluorescent lamps are used in the art studio by artists who paint pictures on canvas when they paint at night or inside (ideally, during the day the art studio should have north sunlight, but many artists don't have access to north sunlight so they use full-spectrum lamps instead) in order to make sure that the colors they are using appear in their natural hue as they will appear when the painting is displayed in a home or in an art gallery.

Full-spectrum lamps are also used by color scientists or color matchers in paint stores to match colors at night or inside when they don't have access to north sunlight.’

The daylight bulbs that I have are over 20 years old. They look like a normal light bulb that has been painted blue. They seem to last very well, but maybe I've been lucky!

As I looked online the newer versions appear to be clear. And come in a range of shapes and sizes.

Want to try one?

If you want to try one I would recommend buying a bulb that will fit a lamp that you have already. That way you will just be paying for a daylight bulb and can see if you like them.

If you find that they suit you there are a wide range of lights made especially for painting and crafts, from ones that clip onto your easel to desk and floor lamps.

Not just for painting

If you decide to get a daylight lamp be sure to use it for any other crafts or hobbies you have, they are not just for painting. So that will make it a better investment for you too.

Painting Tip for Artists – Dented Canvases

2010-01-22T06:17:00.000-08:00

In this post I wanted to share a tip that I had to use recently. If you store your equipment better than I do you may not need this tip!

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How to Repair a Badly Stored Stretched Canvas

I have a range of different sizes of stretched canvases. This is very handy as I can choose the size I want for a particular painting. Usually I store them so that all the same sizes are together and resting on an edge (normally leaning up against a wall). This way they support each other and everything is fine.

However as I was looking for a particular size I discovered that I had mixed a small stretched canvas in between two large ones. It must have been there for a while as the small one had put dents into the larger canvases. What a nuisance!

How to Fix Dents in a Stretched Canvas

I find that if you get a bulge or dent in the canvas surface you can remove it by thoroughly spraying the entire back of the stretched canvas with clean water.

The canvas will usually dry smooth. However you need to let it dry naturally for the best result.

Another Use for this Spraying on the Back Technique

Another use for this technique is to slow the drying time of a painting.

If you want to slow down the drying time of your paint you can spray the back of a stretched canvas with a water spray before you start the painting. This will slow down the drying time without affecting the paints on the front of the canvas.

I like to spray the rear of the canvas before setting out the rest of the painting equipment so it gets time to soak into the canvas a bit.

Obviously the amount of extra time you will get depends on some other factors too. For example how much water you sprayed on the back of the canvas, how wet the paints are that you are using, room temperature and humidity, and so on.

However it is a handy thing to know. Be sure to try it sometime to see how it works for you.

How to Change the Season of Your Snowy Painting

2009-12-15T06:17:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of painting with acrylics is that further washes of colour do not disturb any previously dried paint. Unlike watercolours where if you add additional washes of colour you can loosen any existing underpainting.

This means that it is simple to change a snow scene into another season. However it does not work well for changing other seasonal painting into a snow scene. :-)

How to do this

This is a really easy technique. Apply washes of colour over your existing snow scene (the top painting is the original one). All the shading will still be visible and the white of the snow will change to the colour of the wash you are applying, as shown in the second picture

Increase the detail in the foreground

In a snow scene a lot of the vegetation is covered with snow so the amount of grassy things you will have in the foreground is reduced. However, when you change the season of the painting you can add a lot of grasses and plants to the foreground to enhance the picture. This will also add to the feeling of depth. A few extra grasses have been added to the third picture.

This is also a good chance to introduce more colour using flowers which will add to the change of season feel of the picture too. You can add as much foreground detail as you like.

Another Plastic Wrap Painting Technique Especially for Collages

2009-11-25T02:56:00.001-08:00

I have been trying another plastic wrap technique, but without too much success this time. However maybe you will have more luck than me!

I read about another use for plastic wrap. This one is done by applying acrylic paint thickly to crumpled plastic wrap and letting the paint dry.

The paint can then be peeled off in a layer. You can cut it up for use in collages and mixed media paintings. It can be ‘glued’ on using acrylic gel or medium as an adhesive.

(I thought using thin rectangles for fence posts in the foreground of a picture would work well.)

Depending on your picture you may wish to use a blend of colours.

Another ideal could be to add some beads or other small items to the wet paint. Remember that you will probably want to use the rear of the paint as the good side so push the beads right down so you will be able to see them once you remove the plastic wrap.

You can use old paints or colours you do not particularly like to try out this idea.

My Attempt

My attempt was not too successful. I applied some of my old paints to the crumpled plastic wrap hoping for some wood-like texture. Once the surface of the paint was dry I tried to peel it off the plastic wrap.

It came off OK but it was only the surface of the paint that was dry. As the centre was still soft I left finger prints in the sections that were pulled off.

So I decided to leave it to dry fully. But then the plastic wrap was really stuck onto the paint and the crumpled areas were embedded into the dried paint. So no success this time either.

I think the trick is to judge the ‘dryness’ of the paint so that you can remove it from the wrap while it is firm enough not to dent from the pressure of your fingers but before it sets too much.
This may required a bit of trial and error to get it to work successfully. :-)

Maybe you will have more luck than I did with this technique. I think it would be really useful if you can get it to work!

Eagle Painting Using the Textured Background

2009-10-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the final picture using the textured background from the previous blog posting.

I think these backgrounds work really well with strong graphic images.

The eagle is inspired by eagle tattoo designs and is painted using a mix of Prussian blue (the same blue used in the background) and Payne's grey.

I have just listed it in my eBay store, I hope it sells :-)

How to Use Plastic Wrap for Texture with Acrylic Paint

2009-10-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

Using Plastic Wrap for Texture

This idea is to seal your painting surface, apply a second coat of a different colour or tone, then place some crumpled plastic wrap on top to make a texture in the second coat of paint.

The Method

So the first thing to do is apply an undercoat colour to your painting surface. Make sure that the painting surface is sealed; apply a second coat if you need to.

Next mix a second colour with some gel retarder.

The gel retarder will slow the drying time a little, which is handy for this technique.
Try 1 part colour to 1 part retarder.

Apply thinly to the painting surface and do not let it dry. Then you scrunch up some plastic wrap (we often call it cling film in the UK). Unfold loosely so that it keeps its wrinkles.

Lightly press into the glaze and pat gently, and remove before the paint dries.

There are two important points for this stage.

If you do not like the effect you can brush over it and try it again until you achieve an effect you like, at least until the paint dries!
Do not press the film too firmly or you will leave finger impressions in the texture, if this happens you can refer to point one above. :-)

This technique will give a random background texture. It can sometimes look a bit like leather.

In my example I used Prussian blue and some white for the base coat, this was painted onto a canvas panel. I used a darker version of this colour for the second coat with the texture. This gave quite a delicate textured look.

However, as it was difficult to see the effect in the photo I let the second coat dry and painted a third coat using mostly white. I think you can see the texture more clearly in the photo for this one.

It's also a good example of how you can build up the texture using several coats if you want.

This is a handy way to paint in a background for a silhouette style painting, or for a graphic with a strong outline.

How to Paint a Simple Sky Video

2009-09-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a video clip that shows how to paint a simple sky

This simple sky is an excellent starting point for a range of pictures.

There is a good rule - if you have a complicated foreground be sure to keep the sky simple. When you want to paint a 'busy' sky keep the foreground plainer for a pleasing result.

Snow Scene Using 3 Colours - 2 CD set

This video clip is the start of the video I sell showing how to paint a Snow Scene Using 3 Colours. It is an interesting project and using a limited palette is a useful technique.

If you would like to see further details on this item please go to the Learn and Do website

http://www.learnanddo.com/

and click on the Acrylic Painting Course link and then the order page. The details of the Snow Scene set are further down that page.

Why do I not just put in a link directly to this page?

If I am having any problems with the website, supplies, my holiday :-) or illness then the home page is changed to the 'this website is being updated page'. This means that if there is any reason why I cannot give you the best service, you will know when you get to the home page.

This doesn't happen very often but I want to ensure that if you trust me enough to try my products that I'll give you the good service you deserve.

The Easy Way to Paint a River

2009-06-22T05:39:00.000-07:00

This is an easy and effective technique for painting rivers. When you are painting a river it can be a bit daunting trying to get all the details in. This method paints the river in two stages so there is less to concentrate on in each stage.

The idea is that you paint the riverbed and some of the riverbank area first and let it dry. Next you over paint the area with some washes of colour then add details to enhance the final result.

Start with the underpainting

I like to use neutral tones for the stone, rocks and gravel that make up the bottom of the river or stream. It will depend on the stones natural colour whether you'll want to choose colours to the brown or grey tones for the main colour.

In either case it usually looks best if you include some of both colours. Once you have decided on the colour of the local stone you can add more of it to your base painting if necessary.

I like to underpaint some of the river banks as well. My favourite way is to include the middle and distant areas. (This can help to unify the look.) The main detailed area will be in the foreground sections which will be done later on.

At this stage you're just painting in the stony areas in the neutral tones and concentrating on getting the shapes and modelling of the rocks looking good.

Add some colour

Once the underpainting is fully dry add washes of colour to show the water and highlights on the river.

I think it is easier to start with pale washes first and then darken in the areas along the banks.

Then paint in any bank areas using thin washes of colour. There will probably be areas in the water that will reflect the grasses, so you can add them at this stage using the same wash as the riverbank.

If you are painting a sunset then the sky colours may be reflected in the water too.

Add some thick paints for definition

After you are happy with the washes use some thicker paints to give some of the areas a bit more detail. For example you may want to add ripples to the stream. The riverbank vegetation will look more interesting if you take the time to paint in some grassy shapes.

Don't forget the Highlights

I like to add the highlights in the water at the end of this process. They can be where the sunlight is hitting the water or perhaps where the water is disturbed by the rocks underneath.

The highlights may be short strokes for a sparkly look or long smooth lines for a calm ripple effect.

This will work for...

This will work for pictures where the water flows between the rocks too. Just use the same method but leave some of the rocks ‘out of the water’. You can add extra detail to these stones if you want.

Top Acrylic Painting Tips

If you only want to see a bit of the riverbank then add some white to the wash colours. As acrylic Titanium White is an opaque colour the wash will be less transparent.

Highlight with ripples of darker colours as well as lighter ones for lovely effect.

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This is a really effective technique that I hope you'll try. Remember you don't need to do a whole painting to test it out. You can try it on a spare piece of paper to see if you like the look of it.

This example is just a quick painting, if I was doing a proper painting I would probably add in some tall grasses to the foreground.

How to use Fabric to Produce Colour Matching Artwork

2009-05-21T01:34:00.000-07:00

When you’re decorating a room you will often replace the curtains, cushions and other soft furnishings. You can use some of the new fabrics to create your own colour (and pattern) matched art.

What size?

Choose your stretched canvas so that it is the size you want for the completed picture. This choice will probably depend on where you intend to display the canvas.

Then you have a couple of options...

1. You can stretch the fabric over the canvas, and staple it on at the back. Seal the fabric with a clear acrylic medium and leave to dry. You now have a completed piece for displaying.

When you’re using a medium to heavy weight fabric (cotton works best) you can fix it over just the stretchers. (In the same way as a stretched canvas, but without the canvas)

If you’re good at woodwork you could make up a wooden frame to stretch the fabric over.

2. Or once you get to this stage you can prime the fabric with a matt acrylic medium and once it is dry you can add some paint to enhance the look and make a totally original piece of art.

If you’re using a fabric with a pattern you will need to use transparent or thinned colours if you don’t want to cover up the original fabric pattern.

Use your imagination

This is an interesting way to make matching artwork when you are decorating.

You can use some of the leftover fabric and add additional colours or patterns. This way the artwork will match those colours and patterns used in the room without being exactly the same.

Top Tip Be sure to buy some extra fabric it you want to try this idea.

You could add some metallic paints to decorate the fabric, or paint some thicker paint onto certain areas to make it more three dimensional.

Fabric weights

If you wanted to do this with a thinner fabric you can glue the fabric onto a stretched canvas. However if the fabric is strong enough you can just staple it onto a stretched canvas instead. Just stretch the fabric and staple it onto the back of the frame for the best result.

To do this start in the middle of the opposing sides and work out towards the corners. I find it best to do just the middle section of the top and bottom sides, then the middle section of the left and right sides before getting all the way to the corners. It helps to get the fabric smooth and flat.

If you have trouble getting a tidy result you can always remove the staples and start again.

As I mentioned already if you’re using a strong cotton type fabric you have the option of fixing it to just the stretchers (without the canvas). However I like to use a stretched canvas as I think that having the canvas underneath the fabric makes the final piece stronger and it’s easier to paint onto as well.

You could sew

If you wanted to use a few different fabrics you could always sew them together to make up a fabric section big enough to cover your stretched canvas. And then carry on from there.

You can really use your ingenuity to produce something wonderful.

Other additions

This idea works really well with patterned fabrics. You can just pick out some of the pattern to enhance, either with additional paints or adding some of the unusual acrylic mediums. Some of these acrylic mediums have things added to them (like small beads) to produce an interesting look.

Acrylic paint also acts as an adhesive so you could add small objects to the wet paint.

The Best Top Tip

Be sure to staple the fabric onto the back of the stretched canvas so that (when the canvas is hung) the stapled area will be facing the wall. Spend a bit of time getting the corners looking neat and tidy too. This means that you can hang the artwork without a frame and it will look great.

This is a modern look and (with no need to pay for framing) it will save you some money too.

Making your own original artwork can be easier than you think.

Acrylic Painting Technique – Make a Print Unique (Part 2)

2009-04-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

The top photo is the black and white photograph I cropped from the original photo.

The lower image is my completed painting.

Using acrylic paints and mediums

In this second part I'm trying a mix of two painting techniques.

I'm still using the same photo of my parents that I used in last month's posting, but this time I printed it onto a thinner photographic paper. The photo paper is a matte General Use one of 120gsm, for using with inkjet printers. As before, if you want to try this you need to make sure that your printer ink is not affected by water once dry. My printer uses pigmented inks that are waterproof when dry.

This time I started with the same photo and cropped out the part I wanted to use. I didn't like the background in the photo so I cut it off. Last time I painted it out but this time I want to try to use the paint as thin washes.

I then printed out the cropped photo in black and white. I'll add the colour using the paints.

Seal the Back of the Paper – First Technique

As this is fairly thin paper I sealed the back of my (cropped) print with Acrylic Gesso. Once dry I'm hoping that it will stop the paper from buckling too much when I apply the washes. This technique is explained in the blog posting of the 20 January 2009.

I left this overnight to make sure that it was fully dry.

Use washes of colour

I used washes of colour to paint the print. This makes painting the faces a lot easier as the lines and shading are already in place. No worries about getting the faces looking good either. :-)

In this example I still wanted to change the black of my mother's top to something lighter and this had to be painted with thicker paints. However the rest of the painting was put in using thin washes of colour.

I used a light random wash for the background as the portraits are the main focus of the picture.

The Result

I didn't spend too long on this painting. The original print was very low resolution so the printed image is not too clear, which I really like. So when I added the colour I did not want to be too precise. I think that it makes the final result look more like a painting than a coloured photo.

Using the gesso on the back helped to stop the paper from stretching too much but it still buckled a little bit when wet, however on the whole it was fine.

I'm fairly pleased with the result.

***

This example used a 'budget' weight of photographic paper compared to the one in last month's example. If I hadn't put the acrylic gesso on the back of it the paper would have stretched too much to get a good result. The paint would have puddle in the lower areas and looked terrible.

I prefer the painting from last month as it looks like a 'proper' painted portrait. However this example using washes gives a very good likeness and was painted in a fraction of the time too.

It really depends on the look you want and the photo you are using.

Acrylic Painting Technique – Make a Print Unique Example

2009-03-23T04:05:00.000-07:00

Example using acrylic paints and mediums

Here is an example of starting with a print and painting over the top of it. This is an easy way to paint an original picture without needing to draw! (This is an example to go with the article of the same name below.)

I don't paint a lot of portraits (human ones). I paint a lot of pet portraits and I must say I find painting fur a lot easier than skin. :-) Anyway I thought this would make a good example.

This is a photo of my parents. I don't have many photos of them together in their later years. This particular photo was taken on a holiday to Saudi Arabia. It's a fairly typical holiday ‘snap’.

There are a couple of things that are unfortunate. The top of the wall being in line with Dad’s head is the aspect that I think needs most attention. Also Mum never wore all black outfits; she wore it on this occasion due to the customs of the country they were visiting.

What I did

I printed out the photo on 190g/m² photographic paper; this is a thick quality paper. My printer uses pigmented inks that, once dry, don't run if they get wet.

Even though I made the print 9 by 7 inches (about 22 by 17 cm) I found it was quite small when painting some of the detail. So the picture needed to be done in a loosely painted style.

The Background

Titanium White is an opaque colour so I used a lot of it in the mix to paint the background and to get rid of the rear wall. I used the paints with the minimum of water so the paper wouldn’t buckle too much.

Keep a Copy of the Print for Reference

Once the background was dry I painted in my folks. I used the print to know where to paint the darker and lighter tones.

At this point I had to get a copy of the original print for reference and for fine tuning the picture. I couldn't see the original print once it was painted over as I had used the paint quite thickly.

Changing the Black

It took several layers of paint to change Mum’s outfit to a colour that she would normally wear.

Dad’s shirt was over-painted with a thin wash of colour and a little bit of shading.

I feel I got a reasonable likeness and I know that they would be happy that I made them look a little younger than the photo. ;-)

This technique can be used with any subject; it doesn't have to be a portrait. It would work really well with landscapes of local scene too.

You could also try it on any prints that you may have to make them more interesting and unique.

Acrylic Painting Technique – Make a Print Unique

2009-03-23T03:58:00.000-07:00

Using acrylic paints and mediums

This is a different way to update a print into something more unique. It can make an ordinary print look like an expensive original painting.

You can use this technique on a store bought print or you can print out one of your own pictures or photos.

Be sure to check that the print colour is not affected by painting on top of it.
Note - Some computer inks will not be suitable for this method.

Paint on extra colour and texture

The idea is to paint onto the print. This will allow you to add extra colour, perhaps making it a better match for your décor? This will make the final picture unique to you as well, your own custom artwork.

You can use some of the various acrylic gels or texture mediums to show up the brush strokes too. Adding extra texture to the foreground will help to add depth to landscape pictures.

Depending on the result you want you could paint on some texture paste (which is white), then over-paint the dried texture paste with colour. This works best where you want a strong texture.

Or you could use one of the gel mediums to give texture without changing the colour too much; I find this most effective for medium texture effects.

You have the option of adding a different colour to any section of the print you want. You control the strength of the colour as well. If you do not like a particular area you can change it.

You could also add some metallic colours, it really is your choice!

Sunflowers?

An example of this technique could be over-painting a print of Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh. You could use this technique to add some distinctive brush stroke textures, in the same fashion he used in the original painting.

This can make a regular print into something much more interesting to look at.

Holiday Photos

If your computer ink is suitable you could print out a holiday photograph and add some paint and texture so that it will look like you painted a wonderful picture from your vacation!

Key Points

* Be sure that painting on the print will not dissolve the colours in the print.

* Adding texture to the foreground will make the distance look ‘further away’.

* You can use just paints to alter the colours, or just add a little texture.

* Use the gel mediums and texture paste for more exaggerated textures.

Tips on Painting Snow

2009-02-23T05:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's hard to know where to start when painting snow. Using a lot of white just will not work.

Titanium White acrylic paint is an opaque colour; this means that you can over-paint with the white to add lighter areas. This takes away a lot of the worry about painting the 'wrong area' and not being able to fix it!

**Start with the Medium Tones

When starting to paint snowy areas I like to start with a medium tone.

In my example I started with a little Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White mix. Vary the tones a bit when you paint the snow. Think about any hollows and make them a bit darker (bluer). I like to use blues in snow scenes, I think the cold look it gives is appropriate for the subject. However you can also use other colours depending on the result you're after.

In other paintings I've used a brown (Burnt Sienna) instead of blue. It works well and gives a warmer look to the finished picture.

In my example you can see that I have some warmer tones of brown in the tracks in the foreground, this helps to add depth to the painting (warmer colours to the front). I also added some purple tones for a bit of variety.

Snow will reflect other colours so if you were painting a sunset or sunrise you could add some of the sky colours to the snow. This will add a unity to the final picture and it's fun to be able to use all the colours too. And, as before, if you paint on too strong a colour you can always pale it down by over-painting with white.

**Only the Highlights are Pure White

Save the pure white for highlights. You can paint the highlights several times to cover up any existing colours and to get a bright result.

I find it best to leave the completed painting and come back to it the next day and add the highlights, and often I darken a few areas for contrast too.

Sometimes it'll take several layers of paint to achieve a pure white highlight; it's handy that acrylic paints dry so quickly. :-)

Doing this really gives the picture a lift and makes it sparkle.

Snow Scene using 3 Colours

2009-02-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

See how to paint this lovely snow scene using just three colours of acrylic paint, available from the Learn and Do website.

Computer video files

This is a computer video file on two CDs. The first CD shows how to paint this snow scene. The second CD shows the finishing touches and has the e-book guide to painting the picture.

The guide is a .pdf file showing photographs from the video at the various stages so it is easy to follow when you paint the scene yourself.

These files are viewed using Windows Media Player – if you have one of the newer versions of Windows you probably have it already on your computer.

Using computer video files means that, unlike DVD, there are no problems with regional variations.

Get your copy

To buy your copy just visit the Learn and Do website (link at the top of this page) and go to the order page for The Acrylic Painting Course. This item is listed at the bottom of that page.

A Different Use for Acrylic Gesso?

2009-01-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

I recently read an article about using acrylic gesso to prime the back of a paper painting surface. It said that you do not need to stretch the paper if you used the gesso.

I tried an experiment of this technique and it worked really well.

What is gesso? Here is a quick definition

Acrylic gesso (from Wikipedia)

“Modern acrylic "gesso" is actually a combination of calcium carbonate with an acrylic polymer medium latex, a pigment and other chemicals that ensure flexibility, and ensure long archival life. It is sold premixed for both sizing and priming a canvas for painting. While it does contain calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to increase the absorbency of the primer coat, Titanium dioxide or titanium white is often added as the whitening agent. This allows the "gesso" to remain flexible enough to use on canvas.”

Or my basic definition is – Acrylic Gesso is like a thick white paint and is applied with a brush to prime a surface before painting a picture.

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Using Acrylic Gesso instead of Stretching Paper Surfaces

Priming surfaces with acrylic gesso

Using gesso is the normal way to prime a painting surface; it is usually used to prime a stretched canvas before starting a painting.

It can also be used to prime card and paper. Priming the front of a paper or cardboard painting surface with gesso will change the absorbency of the surface, this means that the painting surface will not behave in the same manner as an untreated surface.

Gesso is applied with a brush so there is a surface texture and this seems to hold more paint than an untreated surface does.

You can apply gesso to the back of the paper?

If you don’t want the properties of the paper surface to change you can prime the back of the painting surface. This will also keep the paper from curling while you paint.

In my test piece I had to hold the paper onto a board with masking tape while I painted on the gesso and let it dry. It did curl a little when I removed the tape as you can see in the top photo. So I found it easiest to use some more masking tape to hold the paper in place on a board while I painted the picture (on the side with no gesso) as shown in the bottom photo.

During the painting the paper only buckled slightly when wet, and dried back flat. I think that this was very successful and I will definitely try this technique again.

I found it to be a successful alternative to conventional stretching paper.

Also, I've had a container of acrylic gesso for many months and this is a good way to make full use of it too. :-)

Add Cotton Buds to your Painting Equipment

2009-01-05T05:31:00.000-08:00

Using Cotton Buds

I was recently painting a landscape and the middle distance area was too bright. It needed to be subdued to help give the picture a sense of depth.

With acrylics it is easy to just add a wash of a grey or blue grey to achieve this. However I wanted to keep a few lighter areas as well.

You can remove paint with paper towel but paper towel was a bit big for the areas I wanted to lift out.

Get organised before you paint

So I made sure that I had a couple of cotton buds handy before I painted on the wash. Acrylic dry quickly so you do not have time to go and get the cotton buds once the wash is applied!

Using the cotton bud I could easily lift off the colour in quite small areas, and it was much more controllable too. In this particular painting the wash was over a wooded area so I lifted off the colour to highlight just a few of the trees.

Keep a few with your brushes

I think that you will find it a good idea to add a couple of cotton buds to your painting equipment.

How to use Texture Paste and a Stencil for a 3D Painting

2008-11-19T06:20:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting an easy technique for using a stencil to make a lovely picture. It is a handy way to add a 3 dimensional look to your paintings.

In my example I used a stencil of a Celtic knot that I'd cut a few years ago. So this is a good way of using any old stencils you may have too.

Celtic knots are usually cut into stone so I wanted a fairly rough looking result. By applying the texture paste and not being too tidy I got the rugged look I wanted. It is simple to do.

Just place the stencil on the painting surface, I used a canvas panel, and use a palette knife to fill the gaps in the stencil with texture paste. You can hold the stencil in place with some masking tape if you want.

Then remove the stencil while the paste is still wet and let everything dry. Be sure to wash the stencil straight away if you want to keep it for using again.

Apply the paint

Once the paste is dry you can paint the picture in any way you want. Depending on the result you want you can apply the paint with a brush, sponge, splatter it on with an old toothbrush, or whatever will achieve the look you want.

In my example I did all the above except using a sponge!

Another use for Stencils – Just Paint

You can also use a stencil and just spray paint through it.

Place the stencil on the painting surface and spray with paint. Thin coats will work best.

Acrylic paints dry quickly so you can build up to a stronger colour by using several thin coats, letting each coat dry before adding the next.

This is a very convenient technique for complicated shapes too.

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Stuck for Christmas Present Ideas?

Some people are difficult to buy for but I sell a few items from the Learn and Do website that would be great gift ideas. As a special service to you if you order any of the items below I will gift wrap it and post it with your message to whoever you specify (this will save you needing to send it your self). Most of these items include worldwide delivery, please remember the shipping time and do not leave it too late.

What about...

1. The Learn to Crochet CD has two computer video files as well as four books of crochet patterns and information. The video files are viewed on a computer and so anyone in the world, with a computer, can see and learn how to crochet. This is a wonderful gift

2. The Learn-to-Crochet DVD and Manual shows how to crochet and comes with a 47 page printed manual full of crochet information and patterns. However, this item is only for the United Kingdom due to the DVD PAL format, but it is ideal for anyone who does not have a computer.

3. The Acrylic Painting Course on CD and Acrylic Painting, the First Steps Video CD. This is a two CD set, one with the four part painting course and bonus reports. The second CD has a computer video file that shows the painting equipment, how to load brushes and set up your painting area as well as how to paint two kinds of trees. Perfect for beginners

If you would like any of these items posted to your family or friends please e-mail me when you buy them with the delivery address and the message you would like to include.

A Warning about Artist's Paint Brushes

2008-11-04T05:43:00.000-08:00

I'd like to tell you about a major mistake I made this summer.

I'd a longer than usual summer vacation and decided that it would be a good idea to “properly” tidy away all my painting equipment (for a change!). I usually leave my paint brushes with their tips soaking in a little water as dried acrylic paint will ruin the brushes.

So I carefully cleaned all my brushes and shaped the tips into nice pointed shapes before putting them handle end down in a jar. All properly done and went away on holiday.

I thought it would be better than just leaving them in water - but this was a huge mistake.

Oh NO...

All my brushes, including all my favourites, are not the same. They look alright but when I paint with them they are different. Instead of going to a lovely point they seem to have a mind of their own. They'll be handy for foliage I suppose. :-(

Needless to say I'm really disappointed. However you can learn from my mistake, and I can learn from my mistake too!

A Better Way

Looking back I should have given them a proper clean and left them in some water. I was concerned that the water would dry up before I came back and the brushes would be ruined.

In hindsight it would have been better to put them (and the container I store them in) into a flat air tight box. Some of the boxes for storing food would have worked well for this.

You can get Seconds?

Anyway I've been to buy some more brushes and found that my local art store sold paint brushes that are seconds. Many of the brushes are of excellent quality with a bash in the handle or a couple of the bristles out of alignment.

I bought a couple of brushes to try and they're really good. I've not seen paint brush seconds before but I am delighted with them. However unlike my old favourites I will need to get used to them.

I hope this stops you from making the same mistake with your brushes!

Painting Tips for Painting Effective Forest Areas

2008-09-24T02:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of handy tips for painting forest and woodland areas. Like so many tips once you think about it, and consider the reasoning, it is obvious. I always find that when I understand the reasoning behind a tip or technique it is a lot easier to remember it too.

Forest Lighting

When painting a woodland or forest area the darker shades are towards the centre of the wooded area. Therefore the lighter shades are on the outside trees, which are away from the centre of the forest. This is the obvious part!

When painting a forest scene if you just concentrate on the main source of light (probably the sun) you will usually have a lot of shadow areas all to the same side of the trees. However once you remember that the trees to the outside are lighter it will remind you to paint any trees further into the wooded area in darker tones. It will be murky in there.

Scrape out the Tree Trunks

Once you've painted in the trees, and the paint is still wet, you can scrape off some of the paint to indicate tree trunks or branches. A cocktail stick can be handy and a good size for this.

It usually is more effective if you only scrape a few trunks or branches. Too many trunks can add too much detail into an area in the distance. Remember there is less detail as you get further into the distance, when things are farther away you cannot see so much detail. So just doing a few scraped trunks and branches will be more effective.

Scraping away the paint will leave a light area; this is particularly good for silver birch tree trunks. You can always paint in some lighter trunks later if you want to as well.

I have heard…

I read that one artist uses a pencil sharpener to sharpen the end of his paint brushes. He uses this sharp end to scrape out the trunk shapes. I can see that it could be convenient but I think I'd end up poking myself in the face. (Ouch!)

Tree Shadows

If you have shadows from the trees that fall onto grassy areas at the edge of the woodland be sure to paint the shadows to show the angles of the ground.

If the land is sloping away from the tree then paint the tree shadow on an angle to show how the ground is dropping away. This is a great way to add interest to your picture as well.

Painting Tip for Checking the Colour of the Paint

2008-08-25T04:16:00.000-07:00

This post contains a handy tip about testing paint, to check the colour, before applying it to your picture. I have to admit that I don't always do this, but if you can get into the habit of checking the colour first it can prevent some ugly mistakes.

I recommend testing colours on a spare piece of paper before applying it to your painting. This can save you both time and stress. Mainly because acrylic paint can dry almost immediately, so often you cannot just wipe it off. Here's a tip that you might want to try.

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Painting Tip especially for Square Paintings

This is a handy tip for pictures painted on paper. Often you'll be painting a picture that will not fill the size of paper you are using. A good example would be a square picture on a rectangular piece of paper.

Mark off the painting area

It can be useful to draw in a light line to mark the edge of the picture.

When you do this you can use the spare section to test colours on. You'll be trimming the paper once the picture is complete anyway, so you can use this part as a colour testing section.

One of the main benefits of this tip is that the tested colour is very close to the painting and it is easier to see how it will look. Also, as it is on exactly the same painting surface there is be no variation.

Mainly for paper surfaces

Obviously this tip will be best for paper surfaces that are easy to trim. It wouldn't be suitable for stretched canvases. But you could probably use it on a canvas panel if you were going to trim it anyway.

However it's usually easier to trim a canvas panel before starting to paint. When you trim a canvas panel before it is painted you don't need to worry about marking the painted surface.

Try to get into the habit of testing the paint colour, it can save a lot of time and make your painting more enjoyable!

Acrylic Painting Technique - Use a Credit Card

2008-05-22T02:47:00.000-07:00

A new way to use your credit card – when you’re painting

Do you remember in the Karate Kid movie the part about Polish On and Polish Off to build up his muscles? Well this technique it a Paint On and Paint Off one.

Trying different painting methods to achieve a good effect is one of the most interesting aspects of painting. So here is another one for you to try.

Paint on

Remember you don't always need to apply paint with an artists brush. There are other options like using a palette knife or even your fingers.

An alternative method for highlights

Try this on a test piece first. You simply apply the paint thickly and then remove some of the paint for the highlighted area. One of the best things to use to remove the paint is a credit card. This is quite a common watercolour technique but it works just as well with acrylics.

Paint Off Example

You can paint some stones in a fairly flat way, they don't need to look particularly three dimensional, and then use a credit card to scrape off the paint for the lighter or highlight area. Some of the paint will be left on the painting surface giving a paler section.

I think that the final result works very well, especially for rocks. It can also be very effective for the texture on tree trunks.

As acrylics dry quickly you need to be speedy! If you want to have a bit more time to work the paint you can add some gel retarder to the paint to slow down the drying time.

I've seen the scraping off of the paint done using a razor blade too, but that's a bit too sharp for me! You could try using a palette knife instead of the credit card; it will give a slightly different result.

Painting surfaces

This technique is most effective when you're painting on a paper surface, particularly a rough textured one.

However you can practice it on any painting surface you're using to see what effect it will give you. Then you can decide if you want to include the effect in your picture.

I found that it was disappointing when used on a stretched canvas unless the paint is applied really thickly.

However on a suitable painting surface it can be very effective and is another technique to add to your painting arsenal.

The Easy Way to Mask off an Area in a Painting

2008-04-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

There are often sections of a painting that will need a hard edge. Although you can paint up to the edge, keeping a definite line can be difficult.

It is usually a better idea to mask off an area, paint the section that borders it, remove the mask and complete the painting.

Masking Options

When masking an area you have a few choices.

Masking Fluid

You can use masking fluid which is like a liquid plastic and is painted on.

Top Tip use an old brush to apply masking fluid as it can be difficult to clean completely from the brush.

Let the masking fluid dry then paint the surrounding area. Once the paint is completely dry remove the masking fluid. Do not leave it on overnight or it can be hard to get off without damaging the painting surface.

Masking fluid is handy for curved and irregular shapes.

Masking Tape

I like to use masking tape. It is especially good for horizon lines in seascapes. The best part about masking tape is that you can remove it once you are confident that the paint is dry enough not to run.

However if you are painting on a paper surface it can sometimes pull the painting surface if you are not very careful when you remove it. Be careful when removing it.

I find it works very well on canvas and canvas panels. In this sketch I used it around the edges to give the finished painting a clear border.

Card Mask

Another method, and probably the easiest one when you are using a paper painting surface, is to use a piece of card. I usually end up using a piece of card from the breakfast cereal packet!

This method works best when you are using a dry brush technique, you do not want the paint too thin or it will flow beneath the card mask.

You could use it for painting in hedges in between fields in a landscape. This makes painting in hedgerows really quick. Just place the card, paint in the hedges, remove the card and paint in the field. Paint in the field while the hedge is still damp and you can blend the bottom of the hedge with the field colour for a lovely effect.

Another good example is using it to mask off the roof when you are painting shrubs and trees behind the roof line of a building. (This is shown in the illustrations).

All you need to do is cut a piece of card and hold it to mask off the roof while you use quite a dry paint to indicate the trees to the rear of the building.

Tip I find that that a card mask works best for short distances, using a large piece of card can be a bit awkward. I prefer to use a shorter piece of card and move it along as I paint.

Both of these examples use a straight edge on the card; however you could also cut the card into any shape you want for different uses. The key is not to use too wet a paint which would bleed behind the card and ruin the effect.

Which is best?

Your final choice will probably depend on the painting surface you are using.

A Word of Warning

Remember that acrylic paints are adhesives once dried. If you use a mask with very thick paint it may be stuck into the painting. Perhaps not the look you were trying for!

This is most likely to happen with masking fluid because it is removed once the paint is dried.

However, masks are very useful when using the paints more thinly and especially when using watercolour techniques.

In this quick sketch I used masking tape around the picture.

I used a card mask (second picture) for the hedges in the fields and for the building to keep the paper where the building will be clean. This is very handy when using the paint in thin washes of colour.

How to Draw a basic Daffodil

2008-03-19T04:38:00.000-07:00

I saw this really easy way to draw daffodils and wanted to share it with you.

Steps

1. Draw a circle the size you want the flower to be

2. Draw a triangle in the circle

3. Draw a second triangle as shown

4. Draw a circle in the centre

5. Draw around the points of the triangles to give the petals. Use an uneven line to draw around the circle and add a second ring for the outside edge of the trumpet.

6. Depending on the size of the daffodil you may want to add stamens. You would not see these if the daffodil was further away.

If you want to draw a daffodil that is not ‘straight on’ here’s how to do it.

Draw a Daffodil on the angle

Steps

1a. Start with an oval instead of a circle. Draw in the 2 triangles as before. Draw an oval instead of a circle in the centre.

2a. Use the top and bottom of the small centre oval and draw short straight lines to form the trumpet. The end of the trumpet is a slightly larger oval.

3a. Draw around the points of the triangles to give the petals. Use an uneven line to draw around the ‘trumpet end oval’ and add a larger second ring for the outside edge of the trumpet.

4a. Again adding stamens will depend on how far away the flower is.

Important Points and Tips

These steps are for a basic daffodil shape. Notice that all the petals of one of the triangles are to the front of all the petals on the other triangle. In other words every second petal is to the front and drawn to the base of the trumpet part.

Daffodils come in a wide variety.
Things you can change for different looks are –

* The shape of the petals

* The width of the petals

* The diameter of the trumpet

* The length of the trumpet

* The colour of the flowers. Daffodils can be white, shades of yellow, orange and combinations of these colours. Have a look at some gardening books or catalogues for ideas.

In my garden

I have some small yellow alpine daffodils open in the garden just now; they have very narrow petals with a round end. There is hardly any overlap of the petals. The trumpet is narrow but quite long.

On the other hand I have some taller daffodils that have short wide petals and a very short wide trumpet. There is a great variety in both shape and size. This makes them easier to draw.

If you wanted to add leaves to your drawing just add some straight narrow leaves with rounded ends.

Top Tip

For a more natural look - angle the flower so that it is ‘looking’ to the ground slightly. The weight of the trumpet usually causes a lot of the flowers to be on this angle.

Try drawing a bunch of daffodils and see how easy this is to do.

Colour Tips and Techniques - Pale Red??

2008-02-25T05:34:00.000-08:00

Paler Shades and Highlights.

What about Red?

There are a couple of ways to get a paler colour when you are painting. These pale colours are normally for the highlighted areas or areas where the light is hitting the object you are painting.

1. You can paint a thin layer of paint and let the white of the painting surface show through. This works well as long as you are painting on a pale surface. Generally speaking you will be. ;-)

2. You can add white to the colour to make a pale version of it, called a tint. This works well except when you try to do it with red. Adding white to red will give you pink, which is probably not what you wanted!

Highlights when using Red

When you are painting on a non-white surface you can paint the area of the highlight white, let it dry and then over paint with a thin layer of red to get the same effect as in Point 1 above. (This will work with other colours too.)

If you are trying to add a highlight, for example, to an area that you have already painted then let the paint dry before adding a thin layer of white to the area for the highlight. Use quite a watery mix if you want some of the red to show through. White is an opaque colour in acrylics and the area can look a bit chalky if the white is applied too thickly.

Or....

An alternative method is to apply further layers of red to the darker areas of the object. When you add extra layers of paint the colour looks richer and deeper. These richer coloured areas will enhance the highlight effect in the area with just the one layer of paint.

Try this on a spare piece of paper; it is a very good effect. The highlight area has just the one layer of paint, and the middle and darker areas will have more layers of paint to give a richer colour.

If you go on to add shadow shades of red as well you will be able to achieve good results.

Shadow colours for Red

The shadow shade for red will depend on what you are painting. It could be a purple made by adding some blue. However if you wanted a more neutral look try adding a little of the complimentary colour (for red that would be green) to dull the colour down. We looked at this use of complimentary colours in a previous posting.

Maybe try using several techniques?

Of course you could use a mix of these different options too. Maybe a thin layer of white for the highlight, plus some extra layers of red to the middle tone areas and then some darker shadow tones. It will really depend on your subject and the effect you are trying to paint.

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Ready to Learn to Paint?

Beginners Acrylic Painting Report and Video File on CD

The Acrylic Painting Tips and Techniques for the Beginner Report tells you

* What equipment to buy
* How to set up your painting supplies
* And there a couple of easy projects to start you off

And there is more

As well as the Acrylic Painting Tips and Techniques for the Beginner Report there is Acrylic Painting Equipment and Techniques computer video file that runs for about 19 minutes. It shows how to set up your palette, how to load artist brushes and a bit of colour mixing too.

Both these items are sent to you on a CD so there are no downloading worries.
Visit the link below to find out more. (This will only be available for a couple of months.)

http://www.geocities.com/cathcald

A Different Way to Paint Trees, Ideal for Beginners too!

2008-01-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

I was watching a TV programme where the man was painting trees, or tree shapes to be more accurate. It was a technique that I hadn’t seen before so I thought you would find it interesting too.

He started by painting in the trunks and some branches then added the leaves using a piece of towel. Just a normal fabric towel, the kind you dry your hands on. He bunched it up in his hand and used a smooth section, not a crumpled part.

As you can imagine by dipping the surface of the towel into the paint and then just touching it onto the painting surface gives a random texture. The result was very effective too.

The key point is to keep within a tree shape with the towel texture. You can add some detail with a brush to tidy it up if necessary.

Be sure to try it on a spare piece of paper with an old bit of towel or an old face cloth to see if you like the look before you add it into your painting!

Making Green for the Trees

We discussed this before but it seems relevant to revisit this handy colour mixing tip here.

If you have mixed up a blue and yellow to make a green, or used a premixed colour, you can often find that it is too bright. Try adding a little red to the green to make it more subdued.

Why this works

When you mix two complimentary colours together you get a neutral colour. A complimentary colour is the colour on the opposite side of the colour wheel, to your original one. An example would be yellow and purple.

So by adding just a touch of red to your too bright green you are making it more of a neutral colour and therefore less bright.

This type of colour mixing information can be found in the Colour Mixing Tips and Thoughts Special Report at the Learn and Do website. At present it is a bonus with The Acrylic Painting Course. :-)

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New Beginners Acrylic Painting Report and Video File on CD

I have a new item on CD that is suitable for anyone ready to learn how to paint.

(If you already have The Acrylic Painting Course this is NOT for you.
You will have all this information in the course.)

The Acrylic Painting Tips and Techniques for the Beginner Report tells you what equipment to buy, how to set up your painting supplies and there a couple of easy projects to start you off.

And there's more…

As well as the Acrylic Painting Tips and Techniques for the Beginner Report there is Acrylic Painting Equipment and Techniques computer video file that runs for about 19 minutes. It shows how to set up your palette, how to load artist brushes and a bit of colour mixing too.

Both these items are sent to you on a CD so there are no downloading worries.
This information will be available for the next month or two before I remove it.
Visit the link below to find out more.

http://www.geocities.com/cathcald

Painting Technique - Painting the Negative Space

2007-10-24T02:18:00.000-07:00

When using acrylic paint you can add layers of light colour to increase the definition of a pale area. However another option is to paint in the negative area to highlight the pale area.

This is a very good technique and can make your paintings more interesting. It is also an easy way to add detail to a flat area of colour.

The example is just a small section of a painting but it shows how this simple technique can quickly add interest with the minimum effort!

In this example

Always try to contrast light and dark areas in a picture. When you have this kind of contrast it is easy to paint in some of the negative areas because one of the adjoining sections will be in a darker colour.

(I think that it is more successful to paint in negative areas with a darker colour, but if you want to try to use a lighter colour over a darker one be sure to use the paint more thickly.)

In this case the dark colour is used to make the top of the pale area jagged; this makes the pale area look more grass like.

In the example the darker colour was used to paint in the negative area behind the grasses and then faded into the background area. The unevenness of the stone wall made this easy, but if the negative area was smooth you can just blend the colour using water to thin it. By leaving a darker edge next to the pale colour you get a nice contrast too.

Use this technique

To add definition to any areas you feel needs it. It would be good for darkening the area to the side of a tree trunk and make the trunk stand out a bit more. Ideal for the trunk of a silver birch, just add some extra dark shades to the area at the side of the trunk to give the trunk more contrast and this helps to make the trunk more three dimensional too.

It is great for forest paintings as you can hint at more trees in the background without giving them too much detail.

Top Tip – the greatest contrast areas are always in the foreground of a picture. Make sure you have the contrast between the colours suitable for the distance in the painting, i.e. not too much contrast for areas in the distance.

Visit the Learn and Do website at http://www.learnanddo.com/ to find out more about The Acrylic Painting Course. Check out the free preview of the course too.

Titanium White and the Meanings Given to the Colour White

2007-10-02T03:15:00.000-07:00

This post is a look at Titanium White and the meanings given to the colour white.

It is interesting to see that we have probably all eaten this colour’s usual pigment!

Titanium White

At Wikipedia it says – “The main modern white hiding pigment is Titanium dioxide. (A naturally occurring oxide of titanium)

Some pigments are toxic, such as the lead pigments that are used in lead paint. Paint manufacturers began replacing white lead pigments with the less toxic substitute, titanium white (titanium dioxide), even before lead was functionally banned in paint for residential use.

Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania, is the naturally occurringoxide of titanium, chemical formula TiO2. When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6, or CI 77891.

It is noteworthy for its wide range of applications, from paint to sunscreen to food colouring. It is employed as a pigment to provide whiteness and opacity to products such as paints, coatings, plastics, papers, inks, foods, medicines (i.e. pills and tablets) as well as most toothpastes.

Used as a white food colouring, it has E number E171. In cosmetic and skin care products, titanium dioxide is used both as a pigment and a thickener. It is also used as a tattoo pigment and styptic pencils

This pigment is used extensively in plastics and other applications for its UV resistant properties where it acts as a UV reflector.”

White paints can also be made from other white pigments such as chalk (not in oil) and zinc white, as well as titanium white.

This explains why white acrylic paint is opaque and not suitable for a lot of the watercolour techniques, as discussed in The Acrylic Painting Course. And how it can be used to over-paint any areas that do not turn out!!

Do you want to learn to paint? Find out more about The Acrylic Painting Course at

http://www.LearnAndDo.com/acrylic.asp

Some Meanings for White -

The white flag is the universal symbol for truce.

The ancient Greeks wore white to sleep in so that they would have pleasant dreams. The ancient Persians believed that all gods wore white.

A white sale is a sale of sheets, towels and other bed and bath items.

In the 20th century western brides have worn white to symbolise innocence and purity.

In China white is the colour of mourning.

It is worn by doctors and nurses to show that cleanliness is important and to ensure that their garments are clean and dirt-free.

A white knight is a rescuer.

To whitewash over something is to make it seem presentable when it is not!

White reflects light and is considered to be a summer colour. It is popular in fashion and decorating as it is light and neutral.

Making Your Own Custom Artwork using Aperture Frames

2007-08-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

Original painting and the final framed picture

Some of the options that could be used from the original painting.

Making artwork to match your décor is an interesting and easy project. This article looks at different options when using aperture frames. Aperture frames are widely available from home furnishing shops and other household stores.

An aperture frame comes complete with a mount (mat) cut to display photos. The size of the aperture can vary but usually they are photograph size, often 6 by 4 inches. The frames can be suitable for a single photo or for a number of photos to be displayed in the one frame.

These frames are a handy way to make your own artwork to display in your home. There are a number of options when using these frames, not including the intended method of using photos!

Landscape Option

For this idea you paint one piece of paper that will fill the whole of the frame. This works particularly well with frames that have more than one aperture. Once your painting is placed behind the mount it will give the effect of a range of matching landscapes.

You don’t need to get too worried about the actual landscape because the final piece will only show a few sections of the painting. I like to use a horizontal looking landscape with the sky, distant hills, closer areas painted in very simply.

Once the paint is dry you can place the mount on top to check the result. You can always add more detail if you want.

Top Tip – Make your painting larger than the final picture. This will allow you to move the pre-cut mount around your painting to give you a range of options to choose from.

Abstract Version

Using the same technique you could use just horizontal stripes instead of a landscape. If you include similar colours to ones used to decorate your room you will have a quick and easy method for creating matching artwork.

Paper Version

If you don’t want to paint anything yourself you could use a piece of gift wrap instead. Find a wrapping paper you like and use it, in the same way, in the aperture frame instead.

You could always try a piece of wallpaper from the room.

Fabric Option

It doesn’t have to be paper! Try using a thin fabric behind the mount for a different effect. Perhaps you could try some of the upholstery fabric from your room if it is not too thick.

Another option is buying an off-cut of a fabric you like or that has the colours you want to include in your picture.

The Final Finish

These ready made frames provide a range of possibilities for making your own unique artwork. The frames come in a good range of colours and woods too. Select the frame that will match the style of your room for a pleasing result.

The best part is that once you put the frame back together it is beautifully presented too. Amaze your friends with this easy way to make an original display. This would make a great gift too.

Using Texture Paste - an Acrylic Painting Technique

2007-06-22T04:12:00.000-07:00

Use texture paste to add extra interest to your pictures.

Impasto Pictures

For impasto pictures it can be very cost effective to use texture paste rather than huge amounts of acrylic paint.

Texture paste is a white product. While you can add colour to the texture paste to colour it, a better way is to apply the white paste to the picture, let it dry and then add the colour over the dried paste. This technique uses a lot less colour too.

You would need to use a lot of paint to achieve a dark colour of texture paste!

Not Just Impasto Pictures

However, you can use texture paste in ‘normal’ paintings as well. I like to use it for things in the foreground and help to give more depth to the picture.

In the photos you can see where texture paste has been used in quite a subtle technique. I could have used straight paint for a similar result, but I find that using a palette knife and taking the paste from its jar–like container a lot easier. I think it gives a better result as well.

In this example I used the paste to add texture to different sections of the front edge of the stone pillar. This particular picture is painted using the acrylics in a watercolour style, but because I’m using acrylics it is possible to add this extra quality to the picture.

(This painting is “The Old Man of Hoy in the Sea Mist”. This stone stack is found in the Orkney Islands at the far north of the UK.)

Other Ideas

You could use this technique for bushes in the front of your landscape pictures. It is handy for stony foregrounds too.

Top Tip - When you paint over the dried paste add darker colours to the hollows to give added depth. A good effect for the minimum effort ;-)

This is a great technique for adding interest to your pictures.

Top Tips for using Acrylic Paints – Number 10

2007-05-28T02:21:00.000-07:00

Use Acrylic Mediums to Extend the Range of Effects

Adding an acrylic medium to the paint allows you to create a further range of effects.

For example – the glaze medium can help to produce watercolour effects. Glaze mediums are available in both gloss and matt finishes which will give different results to the final picture. A good idea is to use a gloss medium on the highlights, especially on water, for a lovely finish.

There are also gel mediums and texture paste which will give extra body to the paint for three dimensional effects. Rather than use a lot of paint to achieve a 3D look you can add the gel medium to the paint and it will bulk it up, this is a lot cheaper than using straight paint.

When using the texture paste is easiest to apply the texture paste to the painting surface and let it dry. Then paint the colour you want on top of the dried texture paste. You can add a darker colour to the ‘valleys’ to add to the textural look too.

Using 'Light Reflecting' Paint

2007-05-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

The How to Paint Abstracts for Pleasure and Profit report discusses how to use water-based paints to make your own unique artwork. This free report is available using the link above to the free report on painting. In the report I talk about how to use the same paints (that were used for decorating the room) in the painting so that your final picture will be a perfect match.

I’ve found that mixing different types of water-based paint works well. I usually seal the final picture with a thin coat of matt acrylic varnish or acrylic medium. This will ensure that the artwork can be wiped with a damp cloth to remove any household dust.

A New Paint

I recently discovered a Dulux paint called Light & Space. They say it “reflects up to twice as much light around the room using our unique LumiTec (tm) technology. It’s an amazing effect …”

I wondered what effect it would have in a landscape painting. Could it make the light glow and add to the impression of the reflections on the water?

What I Did

I bought a tester pot in Pacific Breeze (tm) - they seem to have trade marked all the names! I painted this (quite roughly) in the centre section of a stretched canvas. Hoping to be amazed I let it dry and then took it indoors to see the effect. ;-)

To be honest it isn’t a huge effect but there is a little more light reflected in certain low light levels. I was hoping for more but decided to carry on with the painting in any case.

Limited Palette

I like limited palette painting - that means just using a few colours and adding white and black to get the range of tones.

In this case I wanted a subdued blue. I mixed some ultramarine blue with some black in a small container. This was my main colour and I only added white and black to the main colour for this painting.

Technique

With this technique it is best to mix up a good amount of the main colour so that you don’t run out and have to remix your main colour. Trying to match the original colour can be a real nuisance.

The Result

There is a difference in the water and the cloud areas where the original Light & Space paint is still visible. In low light levels it gives off a slight glow, and I think this is what keeps you looking at the painting. It is not an obvious effect but it is something that seems to catch your eye.

Why not invest in a tester pot and try it yourself? You could use it in an abstract painting too if you wanted.

Top Tips for Painting with Acrylic Paints – Number 9

2007-05-08T02:05:00.000-07:00

Using thick paint

Try applying acrylic paint thickly to get an effect similar to oil painting. Applying acrylic paints thickly will give a textural oil paint look.

Use it for foreground definition

The closer a part is to the foreground of the picture the more detail you can see. So put more detail in the sections in the foreground of your painting to help this illusion.

One way to do this is to use the paint thickly in the foreground of a picture for texture and increase the detail. The painting will look more interesting too.

Top Tips for Acrylic Painting – Number 8

2007-04-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

Acrylic paints are very versatile. You can use them both in thin coats of colour or thickly depending on the result you want.

Water Colour Effects

Thin coats of acrylic paint can be used to give a watercolour look to a picture. The thin layers of paint will have the transparent quality of watercolours.

A point to remember when painting using transparent coats is the white acrylic paint is an opaque colour. To paint a pale colour do not add white to make it pale, instead add water to thin the colour and apply thin layers of paint.

On a white background the white of the painting surface will show through the colour making it appear paler.

Useful Info about Mounts or Mats used in Picture Framing

2007-04-24T01:37:00.000-07:00

This months post looks at mounts, or mats, used in picture framing.

When you are framing a painting or print it can look better if you add a mount to the painting before having it framed. This can make a small painting look larger and more important when hung.

The mount is the paper or card border around the picture. You would use a mount on a picture that is painted on paper or one of the thinner painting surfaces. If your picture was on a stretched canvas having it mounted would not be an option.

I’ll use the term mount throughout this newsletter rather than saying mount or mat the whole time, but you will know what I mean!

Cut Your Own?

There is a local craft and artist shop opening up in the town and I will be displaying some pictures for sale there. So I need to mount them for display.

I have a mount cutter and sometimes cut my own mounts, but I find it all a bit of a chore. I bought the mount cutter about 15 years ago when it was unusual to see ready cut mounts for sale.

As I will need a few mounts I thought it would be easier to buy them ready cut. The ones that are available now are “cut on computerised mount cutters for quality and consistency”. That sounds really good. ;-)

Of course the mount needs to be on good quality heavy paper or thin card which is acid free.

Aperture

The window cut in the middle of the mount for the picture is the aperture. This is normally made with a 45 degree angle cut for a better finish. This has 2 benefits. The sloping cut gives a lovely finish, and if you are using a coloured mount this cut edge shows the centre of the mount material (normally white) and gives a white line around the picture. This is a very pleasing look.

Of course you can always add lines on the surface of the mount to highlight the edge around the picture. Sometimes people paint a border on the mount to match the colours used in the painting.

Double Mount

Another favourite is the double mount where there are two mounts and the aperture of the top mount is a bit bigger than the bottom mount.

Often the bottom mount is in a dark colour and the top one in a pale colour.
So when you look at the painting there is the picture, and then around the picture is the white of the cut edge, next the surface of the dark mount, the cut edge of the top mount (white line) and finally the top pale mount.

This style of mounting gives a double edge which highlights the painting and can really enhance the final look of the picture. I like this style of mounting a picture.

Of course this is then framed with a glass fronted frame to keep it clean.

Landscape or Portrait

Landscape or portrait refers to the layout of the picture. If it is wider (than tall) than it is in the landscape format and if the picture is taller (than wide) it is in the portrait format.

A standard framing technique says to cut the bottom side of the mount a bit wider than the other three sides. This is makes the final framing look better. It has to do with the way our eyes see things. By making the bottom section of the mount a little wider the final framed painting looks better. (I have heard this described as adding weight to the bottom.)

However, when buying ready cut mounts the aperture is placed in the centre so that the mount can be used for both landscape and portrait layouts.

This is not a major problem but one to bear in mind when deciding whether to buy a ready made frame and mount for displaying your paintings and doing it yourself, or if you want to pay and have it professionally framed.

Is this a problem?

Not really.

I think that this would be important on larger pictures where the mount would have quite a big area, and so it would be more noticeable.

The other time this would cause a problem would be if you wanted to use a very wide mount. (I am sure you have seen small paintings with mounts bigger than the picture itself.)

Otherwise I think that ready cut mounts will work fine. If your picture is A4 size or smaller using a ready cut mount should be alright.

Traditional or Abstracts

Although framing using a mount is normally seen on traditional pictures it can also enhance abstract artwork too.

Abstract art often works best with stronger colours for the mount. A black mount on a vibrant painting can be very effective.

I recently saw an abstract picture with a black mount and a metallic strip added to the mount to match the metallic paints used in the picture. Stunning.

I hope you find this useful.

The Black Canvas Project - Paint Something Different!

2007-04-17T04:23:00.000-07:00

This is a good idea for the times when you want to try to paint something a bit different. The final result can be stunning.

Instead of starting with a white background why not try a black one?

Although I call this the Black Canvas Project it does not need to be a canvas! It works just the same on any painting surface, like paper or canvas panel.

What to do

This is really easy; just paint the whole of the painting surface with black acrylic paint. OK, I know this can look a bit drastic to start with but it really is an interesting option when starting a painting.

What then?

Usually you need to paint in the middle tones, shadows and then highlight the objects in your painting; however with this technique you already have all the shadows in. In this case you are picking out just the middle tones and highlights.

You may need to apply the paint a bit more thickly than normal, depending on your painting style.

This is useful when painting sunrise/sunset type pictures that have a lot of shadow. It is great for stormy pictures too.

Abstracts too

This technique works well with abstract style paintings too. It is especially effective when you want to include some metallic paints. The dark background shows up the metallic colours and makes them more vibrant.

What about adding an acrylic medium?

If you have one of the acrylic mediums that give a metallic effect to the paints you will be able to make a range of metallic colours. I have an Interferance Medium in Gold that works really well.

For a more subtle look you could try the Pearlescent Tinting Medium, which is my favourite of the moment.

When you use a medium you still get the colour but with a metallic effect. The metallic colours, like gold and silver, just look like metal. Your choice will depend on the result you want to achieve.

Next time you fancy trying to paint something a bit different look out the black paint!

Top Tips for Acrylic Painting – Number 7

2007-03-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Acrylic paints are water based and should not be used over oil paints.

Oil paints, or any other surface that is oily or waxy, will repel the water in the acrylic paint and the acrylic paint will not stick to the surface.

Never try to use acrylic paints on top of oil paints. Be sure to check that any painting surface you use is suitable for acrylic paints. Some painting surfaces are made for oil paints and will not be suitable for painting on with acrylics.

Top Tip for Acrylic Painting – Number 6

2007-03-05T02:07:00.000-08:00

You can save yourself a lot of time and make painting even more enjoyable if you get into the habit of always placing your colours in the same order on your palette.

This is a simple technique and probably one of the best. When the colours are always positioned in the same area of your palette it makes setting out the paint colours a quick process.

During your painting session when you want to use a particular colour you know exactly where to find it on the palette. Otherwise you will be holding the paint brush over the palette as you search for the colour you want to use.

Painting is a calming hobby, use this tip and make your painting a pleasure.

Cadmium Yellow - Pigment Information and Meanings of the Colour Yellow

2007-02-26T02:00:00.000-08:00

The pigment in Cadmium Yellow is based upon cadmium sulphide which produces a golden yellow pigment.

The pigment was first discovered in 1818 and is still in use today.

How it was made

Cadmium sulphide was prepared with an acid solution of cadmium salt which was heated with hydrogen sulphide gas until a powder was formed. The hues range from a lemon yellow to a deep orange.

Permanence of this pigment is excellent. The deeper varieties of cadmium yellow and orange are the most permanent.

Not for murals!

However Cadmium Yellow does discolour with combined exposure to the light, water and carbon dioxide by forming cadmium carbonate. For that reason it can not be used in mural painting techniques.

Pigment exposed to the same amount of light used on canvas or panel will not change. Therefore cadmium pigments are classified as absolutely permanent with the exception that they are not suitable for the exterior applications and for mural painting techniques.

The pigment is used in both oil and watercolours.

Some Meanings of Yellow

Although considered an optimistic colour people lose their tempers more in yellow rooms and babies cry more often, not the best colour for a nursery then. ;-)

Yellow has good visibility and is used as a colour of warning. It is also used as a symbol of quarantine or for an area marked off because of some danger.

Spanish executioner once wore yellow – they sound quite dangerous!

In Egypt and Burma yellow is a sign of mourning.

Yellow enhances concentration and speeds up your metabolism.

Yellow is the colour of peace for holistic healers.

In ancient Rome yellow was the most popular wedding colour.

A yellow ribbon is a sign of support for soldiers.

In India it is a symbol for a farmer or merchant.

In the Middle Ages actors portraying the dead in a play wore yellow.

In 10th century France the doors of traitors and criminals were painted yellow.

If someone is considered a coward it is said that they have a yellow streak.

As with the other colours we have looked at there is a range of meanings and symbolism.

Top Tips for Acrylic Paints – Number 5

2007-02-19T02:00:00.000-08:00

The fast drying of acrylic paints can mean that a lot of paint is wasted when it dries on your palette.

The way to avoid this is to use a Reservoir Palette. You can either buy or make up a reservoir palette. (Making your own palette is described in the Acrylic Painting Course.)

A reservoir palette has a damp reservoir topped with a paper palette for mixing the paints on. The reservoir keeps the paints damp and stops them from drying out during your painting session.

At the end of your painting session you cover the reservoir palette and the paints will stay wet. That means when you want to continue your painting you can still use the paints from the previous painting session that have been kept damp on the palette.

I find that the paints will keep well for a couple of weeks however I keep my palette in a cupboard in between uses. Don’t leave it out in the sunshine!

A reservoir palette is a good economy measure. Also any colours that you’ve mixed will still be useable when you go back to continue the painting.

Top Tips for Acrylic Painting – Number 4

2007-02-05T02:11:00.000-08:00

The Type of Brushes to Buy

Previous painting tips have mentioned that acrylic paints dry very quickly. If the paint dries on your brush it will ruin the brush and you’ll need to throw the brush away.

The way to avoid this problem is to keep your brushes wet during the painting session. This can be done by storing the brushes in a shallow container. An old ice cube container is ideal as it allows the brushes to be stored on their sides, which stops the brush tips from getting damaged or bent.

Fill the container with enough water to cover the brush tips. Rinse your brush and then store it in this container until you need to use it again.

Choose Nylon Brushes

Buy good quality nylon brushes. Good quality brushes give a better result and are less likely to shred.

Nylon brushes can be stored (on their sides) in water, but other types of brushes would be damaged by this treatment. In particular, sable brushes would not put up with this kind of treatment.

At the end of a painting session you can spend a bit of time and thoroughly clean the brushes before storing them. However I usually just leave them in the container of water until the next painting session, and that works too.

I was inspired

2007-01-29T02:27:00.000-08:00

I recently watched a TV programme about Rolf Harris.

(I always remember him for doing large paintings; they must have been about 8 by 6 foot size, using a 6 inch paint brush. When he was painting he used to say “Can you tell what it is yet?”

When he finished the painting he would stand in front of it and sing a song. Of course the painting was the same subject as the song he sang, and provided a good backdrop for his performance.)

It was a very good programme and he talked about coming to London from Australia in the 1950s.

He went on to say that his mentor (painting mentor) showed him how to cover the whole canvas in paint and then pick out areas and refine them. The approach was to work on the whole of the painting rather than focusing on a particular section.

How about trying a different style?

Of course he was an accomplished artist already, but it can be interesting to try to paint in different styles and try various methods of applying the paint. It can be easy to get caught up with the idea that you have to paint in a certain way or have a proper picture at the end of it.

I know this happens to me! It is not always easy to allow yourself the freedom to experiment on a painting surface. However if you do not like the final result you can always cover the canvas or canvas panel with a layer of gesso or thick white paint and reused it. If you are painting on paper you can throw the paper away or cut up parts of it to use in a collage.

Trim it to a good bit!

If you are painting on paper or a canvas panel you might have a particular section that you really like. Using these painting surfaces means that you can trim down the surface leaving you with just your favourite section – another masterpiece!

Do not stress about painting something wonderful. You can learn a lot by just playing around with your paints, and having a good time too.

No time like the present

In Rolf Harris’ case he had stopped painting for about 10 years before he was offered a painting TV programme to do. So even if you have not picked up a paint brush for a while there is no excuse.

His enthusiasm was contagious; he was having a great time. He said that he likes to turn off the TV and do things instead. I have to admit on a dark winter night I tend to just sit and watch The Box.

Perhaps you will think about doing something more interesting, I know I will be!

Top Tips for Acrylic Painting – Number 3

2007-01-22T05:41:00.000-08:00

Do NOT let the Paint Dry on the Brush

Acrylic paint dries very quickly and it is important not to let the paint dry on your brush.

If the acrylic paint does dry on the brush, the brush will be ruined. If this happens you will need to throw away the brush. This is really disappointing if it is a favourite artist’s brush, and can be expensive!

During a painting session rinse the brush and store the brush in a shallow tray of water, on its side to avoid damaging the tip. This way any residue of paint in the brush will be kept wet.

Give the brush, or brushes, a good clean at the end of the session.

Top Tips for Acrylic Painting – Number 2

2007-01-15T02:14:00.000-08:00

Cover surfaces and yourself!

Acrylic paints are water based, and the brushes are cleaned using water. However, once the paint is dry it forms an impermeable skin.

If some of the paint dries on your hand you will see that it looks like a thin layer of plastic.

Therefore when acrylic paints are dry they can be almost impossible to remove (depending on the surface).

If you are painting be sure to cover any important surfaces that you do not want to have marked with paint.

Acrylic paint will also stick to fabric so it is a good idea to wear painting clothes too!

Top Tips for Acrylic Paints – Number 1

2007-01-08T03:26:00.000-08:00

Always replace the top or lid of your acrylic paint.

Acrylic paints dry very quickly so always replace the top back on the tube of paint, or the lid if you are using containers of paint.

If you don’t replace the lid the acrylic paint will start to dry. Once acrylic paint is dry you cannot re-wet it. Therefore it will need to be thrown out as you will not be able to use it in your painting.

Also paint drying in the tube is annoying! The bottom of the tube could be cut off and some paint rescued that way, but it is easier to get into the habit of replacing the top every time you open up your acrylic paint.

Replace the top of the acrylic paint and it will last for a long time.

The Pigment used for Making Emerald Green Paint

2006-12-18T05:55:00.000-08:00

This article looks at how Emerald Green paint used to be made and how dangerous it was to be to be a painter!

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Emerald Green

This shade of green is particularly light and bright, with a faint bluish tint. The name is derived from the typical appearance of the Emerald gemstone.

However it is chemically unstable and very poisonous.

The colour of Emerald Green pigment can range from a pale, but vivid, blue green when very finely ground, to a deeper true green when coarsely ground.

A Bit of History

Chemical name: Copper(II)-acetoarsenite

This copper aceto-arsenite pigment was first produced commercially in Germany in 1814.

A quote from the time tells how green paint was made –

"Verdigris (or acetic acid) was dissolved in vinegar and warmed. A watery solution of white arsenic was added to it so that a dirty green solution was formed. To correct the colour, fresh vinegar was added to dissolve the solid particles. The solution was then boiled and bright blue-green sediment was obtained. It was then separated from the liquid, washed and dried on low heat and ground in thirty percent linseed oil. "

The Choice of Famous Artists

Emerald Green was Cezanne's favourite pigment, and it dominates many of his paintings. In his watercolours, the thin washes of this colour have turned brown but thicker applications have remained bright green. Cezanne developed severe diabetes, which is a symptom of chronic arsenic poisoning.

This pigment was also a favoured by other artists of this era, such as Van Gogh. Monet's blindness and Van Gogh's neurological disorders are likely directly related to their use of Emerald Green, as well as lead pigments, mercury-based Vermilion, and solvents such as turpentine.

I bet they wished they only needed to nip out to the store to get some more paint ;-)

Some Green Facts and Meanings

Ireland is sometimes called the Emerald Isle because it rains frequently and the vegetation is a very lush green. Green is the national colour of Ireland.

Libya is the only nation to have a flag that is solid green.

Green means ‘go’.

Jealousy is said to be the ‘green-eyed monster’.

You can also be ‘green with envy’.

If you are ‘green about the gills’ you are looking sickly and pale.

Green is the healing colour, and the colour of nature.

Green is the easiest colour on the eye. So it is a popular decorating colour.

It is a calming and refreshing colour. People waiting to appear on TV wait in the ‘Green Room’. Hospitals often use green (uniforms and walls) to help patients to relax.

In the middle ages brides wore green to symbolise fertility.

In ancient Greece green symbolised victory.

Dark green is said to represent masculinity, conservatism and wealth.

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I hope you have a lovely holiday season and that Santa is good to you!

Card Making - How to Paint Your Own Backing Papers - Part 2

2006-12-11T03:18:00.000-08:00

Part One described how to use pre-stretched paper and acrylic paints to paint backing paper for card making. This article looks at ways to make your backing papers even more individual.

Use Acrylic Mediums

There are acrylic mediums that can be added to the acrylic paint to extend the range of effects you can achieve. The acrylic mediums can make the paint dry to a glossy or matt finish. Other mediums can give beautiful metallic effects or add textures like sand or small glass beads.

(The metallic mediums are especially effective on dark colours.)

There are a wide range of acrylic mediums that you can use. Be sure to check out the range I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Apply the Paint without a Brush

You could also try applying the paint with crumpled paper towel or thin plastic for a random textured finish.

You can paint your backing paper to co-ordinate with your other card making materials which will save you both -

* time spent looking for just the ‘right’ paper
* money as you can use the paints that you already have.

Rip instead of Cut

Another idea is instead of cutting the backing paper you could rip the background paper for a different look.

You’ll find that ripping towards yourself will give a different effect compared to when you rip away from yourself.

The size and shape of the exposed edge will be different. On dark coloured surfaces exposing the white ‘centre of the paper’ will give a white border that can be very pleasing.

This all adds to the variety of effects you can achieve. This is a great way to make your cards individual and special, so that they stand out from the crowd.

Card Making – How to Paint Your Own Backing Papers - Part 1

2006-12-04T02:16:00.000-08:00

Recently there has been a huge interest in card making. Card making is a hobby that can cover a wide range of different crafting techniques.

The use of acrylic paints in card making will add another cost effective and interesting option to the materials you can use in the final card. If you already have a range of acrylic paints you’ll be able to use these paints to enhance your card making materials.

A popular style of card making uses layers of different papers to give the final card more interest and/or extra height.

Paint Your Own for a Perfect Match

You can paint your own backing paper to suit the other materials you wish to use in your card.

The simplest way is to apply a wash of colour or colours to some pre-stretched paper. Let the paper dry, remove the paper from the pad and cut it to the size you want to use for your background paper.

One effective method is to dampen the paper with a spray bottle of water and drip on the colours you wish to use – letting the colours spread and blend together. This can be subtle or dramatic depending on your choice of colours.

Use Salt for a Textured Effect

A variation on this method is to sprinkle on some salt after applying the colours. Leave the paper to dry, and then brush off the salt. The final result will have a lovely speckled, textured effect.

The Easy Way to Make a Club Logo

2006-11-27T02:29:00.000-08:00

Are you a member of a club or association? Have you ever thought how much better your letterheads would look with your own club logo? How about a sign for your club with your logo and club name on it?

Well, it is really very easy to make up your own logo. It will be unique to your club too.

Use Your Computer

By using your computer and some copyright free clipart you will have a huge range of material to choose from. Here’s how to begin this exciting project.

You are going to select suitable objects from the clipart package and use these to design your logo.

Choose things that relate to your club's activities. For example, cameras, tripod, and film for a photography club. Or perhaps a checked background with a few chess pieces for a chess club.

The easiest way is to open an art/graphics program - most computers come with one. This does not need to be any particular program just whatever you have available.

Clipart for Ideas

Have a look through the clipart. This can be the ones that come with the art/graphics program or one of the many clipart CD that are for sale. Try to use copyright free clipart, most clipart is. You will be combining various clipart objects in your final logo so there shouldn't be any copyright problems anyway.

I like to copy and paste the various clipart objects onto one page in the art program. It saves going back and forth to the clipart. Collect together suitable objects that relate to your club.

Next decide on the shape you would like the logo to be. It could be square, round, arched, even heart shaped.

Assemble the Items

Open a new page then start with the logo shape and fill it in with a suitable color. This will depend on the colors of your other objects. If the objects are dark then a light background will be better, and if the objects are mainly light try using a darker background.

Use copy and paste to move the objects onto the page with the logo background. Place your objects onto the background. Resize them to suit the background if necessary.

I like to have some of them overlapping; I think it looks more interesting. When you do this select the one you want to bring to the front, then click on Arrange, then Layer, and bring forward. Your program may be a bit different but it will let you do this - use the Help menu if you need to.

Adding the Club Name?

If you want to include the club name, leave room for it when you are placing the objects.

To add the club’s name, add a Text Box. Type in the club’s name. You can use any font you like - there is almost too much choice. Move the text box into the correct position.

You could use a banner shape from the options in the program and place the club name on it if that would suit your layout.

Once you have an arrangement you like use the Edit menu to Select All, and then Save it.

You can make several logos with different objects and different layouts. Be sure to Save the ones you like!

Print them out, and take your new logos to the club so that the club members can decide on the best one to use.

It has never been so easy to create your own logo. How about one for yourself or your family?

Add the logo to all your club stationery. Use it on your letterhead, cards, and activity programs. You could even make your own sign.

A good logo will make your club standout from the crowd.

Check out the Acrylic Painting Report "The Easy Way to Brighten Your Community" for more information on this interesting project. Just visit http://www.LearnAndDo.com for further details.

A Coat of Arms – An Easy Way to Design and Make It

2006-11-20T06:38:00.001-08:00

Designing and making your own Coat of Arms is an interesting and enjoyable project. The Coat of Arms could be for your family or as a present. It will make a distinctive and original gift.

You can choose whether it will be funny or more traditional. A Coat of Arms can be an unusual leaving present for a co-worker.

What theme?

The Coat of Arms can be themed to a particular event or hobby –

Hobby or special interest – golf, fishing, cooking
Life event – graduation, winning a particular contest
Humorous – funny episodes in life, the person’s quirks

Begin by choosing a background shape for the Coat of Arms. A shield shape is traditional; however choose a shape that matches the person it is for. You could have a heart shaped one for a young girl or for someone who is getting married.

Then select the items that will be included in the Coat of Arms. This could be very simple - for example a couple of crossed tennis racquets - or fairly elaborate depending on your theme.

The final size of the Coat of Arms will restrict the number of items you can include. A smaller ‘letterhead’ size Coat of Arms may only have one or two things, but one painted onto a canvas could include a lot more items and extra detail.

Placing for a great result

If you’re only using one item it would probably be placed centrally. For two items you could place them side by side or one to the top and the other to the bottom. When a Coat of Arms has four items they are often placed in the four quadrants which have been sectioned off with lines.

Clip art is a handy way to select the different things to include in your Coat of Arms. Copy and Paste a range of suitable items onto one page and then make your final selection from these.

When you are making a Coat of Arms for a particular person you can include the things that they like to do. My husband is a teacher, he likes golf, fishing and does a lot of DIY. A traditional Coat of Arms for him could be a shield shape divided into four quadrants. The sections could have –

A mortar board
Golf clubs
Fisherman
A cross shape made from a hammer and screwdriver

For a smaller, less formal one I could use a golf ball shape background with a diagonal cross made of a fishing rod and a golf club. There could also be a motto like “Life’s too short to work!” or something similar.

A good theme for a funny Coat of Arms would be to choose things that represent silly episodes in their life. You can really get creative with your items!

Making it up

To make up your Coat of Arms draw in the background shape and place your items for a pleasing result. You could add a motto at the bottom as well. Using computer fonts for this will ensure that the lettering, and the spacing between the letters, is perfect.

If you have done this in a computer program you could print it out. Remember that most computer inks will fade over time if left in the sunlight.

Alternatively you could trace and paint the Coat of Arms onto a canvas panel. For a larger one you can print out sections of the Coat of Arms onto several pages of computer paper and join them together. Trace this onto a canvas panel or stretched canvas and paint it – I like to use acrylic paints because they are water based and quick and easy to use.

**A large Coat of Arms on a stretched canvas is an impressive gift.**

If you have made a family Coat of Arms you could add it to your letterhead, or print it onto the front of cards for your own personalized stationery.

This is a great project that you will enjoy doing either by yourself or with others. Be sure to give it a try.

Do You Have A Healthy Brain?

2006-11-13T06:19:00.000-08:00

The Secret to Mental Agility

We all know to exercise our bodies to keep fit, but how often do you think about exercising your brain? And what type of exercise does it need anyway? What are the facts? What is the secret to mental agility?

Keeping mentally active will keep your brain in good shape. Getting older does not mean that you have to be forgetful!

Recent research into Alzheimer's disease found that people who were less active between the ages of 20 and 60 years are almost 4 times more likely to develop the disease. The brain, like the rest of the body, needs to be kept active to keep healthy.

You exercise your body to keep it in shape. Now it has been shown that exercising your brain can keep it in shape too.

Brain 'Exercise'

That leaves us with the question of what to do to keep our brains active. The research discovered that how you spend your leisure time can affect the health of your brain.

Leisure activities can be divided into -

Passive activities, which include watching TV, participating in social activities, and listening to music

Intellectual activities are reading, painting, playing a musical instrument, woodworking.

Physical activities, for example, gardening, playing sport, working out at the gym, walking, jogging.

The only 'activity' that the Alzheimer's patients had performed more frequently than the control group was watching TV!

The research team was lead by Robert Friedland, professor of neurology, University Hospitals of Cleveland. He said "A relative increase in the amount of time devoted to intellectual activities from early adulthood (ages 20-39) to mid-adulthood (ages 40-60) was associated with a significant decrease in the probability of having Alzheimer's disease later in life."

An intellectual or physical hobby stimulates the brain and may reduce neurodegeneration as seen in diseases such as Alzheimer's. So sitting watching the TV isn't enough for your brain, you need to keep it active. One way is by learning new things.

Learn to Paint

Many of the finalists in the Learning in Later Life Campaign 2000 to find England's oldest and most inspiring learners had art and painting as their hobby.

England's Oldest Learner was Fred Moore who was then aged 107 years. Fred continued with art classes until he died at the age of 109. The manager of his residential home said "Fred was a remarkable chap. He kept his memory, going back to the death of Queen Victoria, and always retained his great sense of humor."

So it's official then, learning a new hobby is good for you. Fancy learning to paint? Painting can be done indoors and outdoors, as well as by yourself or in a group.

It is never too late to start. Local night classes offer a range of options. Have a look in the painting section at http://www.learnanddo.com/ You can see free painting tips, as well as a free preview of step-by-step instructions to completing your first painting.

Remember you can have a healthy brain and enjoy a hobby too.
Don't leave it until tomorrow, begin today!

Beginner’s Acrylic Painting - Paper Painting Surfaces

2006-11-06T03:37:00.000-08:00

Paper Painting Surfaces – What You Need to Know

Have you ever gone in to buy some paper for painting and been overwhelmed by the choice? You would think it would be a simple thing to buy a sheet of paper, wouldn't you? Well, it can be if you know what the different choices mean and how it can affect your finished painting.

A Beginners Guide on Acrylic Painting Paper Surfaces

Manufacturers have created a whole range of paper products for the artist. So many choices that unless you know what some of the terms mean it can be very confusing.

When you want your painting to last for a long time always go for acid-free. This is the type of paper used in archives.

The next thing is the surface texture of the paper, whether you want a fine texture or rough. You may be asking “How do I know? I’m just beginning with acrylic paints and I want something to paint on!”

The texture you choose will depend on your style of painting and the kinds of paintings you like. If you like to have a lot of detail in your paintings you will need a smooth textured paper - in which case you want one that is ‘Hot Pressed’.

If you use a lot of watercolour (or watercolour style) washes then the paper you should choose will be ‘Not’. That means 'Not hot pressed'. It has a bit more texture than Hot pressed papers.

If you paint a lot of landscapes and/or like granulation (which happens when the colors separate while they dry) you will probably like using Cold pressed papers. These have the roughest texture.

Papers are sold in weights. This affects the thickness of the paper. Papers that are less than 300-lb or 640gsm (grams per square metre) will need to be stretched before painting. If you don’t stretch the paper it will buckle when wet making painting difficult and the paint will dry in the hollows giving a disappointing result.

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Painting Tip

Stretching paper needs to be done in advance and the paper allowed to dry before you use it. You will need a clean drawing board, some 1½ inch wide gum strip, and water to soak the paper in (the bath is handy for this).

Soak the paper in the water until it is saturated, this will take less than a minute. Place the paper onto the board and smooth it out from the centre to the edges.

Cut pieces of gum strip to fit the length and the width of the paper, plus a couple of inches. Dampen the gum strip and use it to stick the longer edges of the paper to the board, and then do the shorter edges. Smooth out the paper and the gum strip and leave it to dry naturally and on the horizontal. Do not place it near a heater!

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If you just want to paint without needing to prepare the paper, there are pads of ready stretched paper that save you having to do this yourself. These pads have the paper glued around the edges and you paint on the top of the pad. Once you've finished the painting and it is completely dry, a knife is inserted at one of the edges and moved around the sides to cut through the glue and free the top layer.

It is a good investment to buy good quality paper. It is much easier to use which is important when beginning with acrylic paints, and gives a better result.

Next time you need to buy paper think about how you like to paint, and it will be much easier to decide on the type of paper to buy.

Look out for other Beginners Acrylic Painting articles on buying the rest of your painting supplies – palette and brushes, and acrylic paints.

Visit my website to find out How to Acrylic Paint.
http://www.LearnAndDo.com

The Acrylic Painting Course is the step-by-step way to learn how to paint. Quick and Easy!

The Easy Way to Make a Special Present

2006-11-03T01:18:00.000-08:00

We all know someone who is difficult to buy a present for. Someone who has everything they need and would not appreciate ‘normal’ gifts. Often this will be your parent or an older relative or neighbour, and they can be a problem to buy something for.

Well, this is a simple way to make a unique gift that they will be happy to accept. When you take the time to produce something that relates only to them and their interests it will always be happily received.

Use their Interests as a Theme

The idea is to make a picture that includes something that they are especially interested in. This could be a hobby or any other interest they have.

This is a quick and easy technique. You simply choose your theme (their hobby or interest), paint a silhouette of it onto a coloured background and frame it.

You could paint a coloured background onto a canvas panel or use already coloured paper. I noticed my local art store had coloured card that had a range of colours merging into each other, this would be ideal for this technique.

The theme of your silhouette is really the creative part. The easiest thing would be to use their hobby as the theme.

Look through some copyright free clip art until you find an image that you could use for the outline of the silhouette.

If they like fishing it could be a fisherman/fish/fishing fly. For a golfer it could be a set of clubs/golf hole with flag. For someone who likes to cook it could be related to cooking. If they are keen church-goers a silhouette of their church may be appreciated.

A lot of people like to receive a silhouette of their home. For car enthusiast a silhouette of their car is a good idea. In which case you could use a digital camera and take a picture of their church, home or whatever you have decided to include in the picture.

You really can use your imagination for this. When using clip art you have a huge range of options (probably too many!) to choose from. You don’t have to be great at drawing!

Also, you can use a computer graphics package to blend together two or three images for your final silhouette shape. Be sure to adjust the size of the final image to make it the correct size for the painting surface you have chosen, and print it out. As this is a gift you can make it whatever size you choose.

Once you have painted or found a suitable background, then trace around the outside edge of the image for your silhouette shape. Use carbon paper for this.

Fill it in

The silhouette shape can be painted in using acrylic paints – don’t make the paint too thin though! Another alternative is to use a permanent marker, not a normal marker as it will fade over time, and that would be disappointing for the person receiving the gift.

Silhouettes look very effective and traditional in black. However you could use a darker shade of one of the colours in the background for an alternative look. For example if the background was a pale green the silhouette could be in a dark green. This all adds to the uniqueness of your gift.

If you are using a coloured card it will be better to use a permanent marker as the water in the paint may cause the card surface to buckle.

Fill in the silhouette shape and leave to dry. Then frame the silhouette picture.

**A distinctive gift for a special person**

This type of personalized gift is always appreciated and shows that you have put some thought, time and effort into the present.

Another major benefit is that no one else will be giving exactly the same gift!

What about a card?

This is an excellent technique if you can’t find a suitable card.

You can make your own special card. It is most effective if you choose a very simple shape for the silhouette when using this method in card making. Cards are generally a lot smaller and look best when you use less detailed shapes.

Use this system and say goodbye to gift buying problems for that hard to please someone.

How to Make 3D Artwork

2006-10-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

This article is about making a three dimensional piece of art.

I mentioned this to a couple of people in the last month or so.
It is such a good idea that I hope you find it interesting.

How to Make 3D Artwork

Here is a simple way to use old items you have lying around the house to make a stunning piece of art.

When you try this method I am sure you will be amazed by your results. It can be hard to visualize how this will look, but it does turn out really well.

What you do is collect together items that have different textures, spray them all a metallic colour, and then arrange them onto a black velvet background. Layer some of the items for an interesting look.

Does this work?

I first saw this style of artwork at college. All the students arrived with what seemed to me to be a load of junk. At that point they did not know why they needed the items, they had only been told to bring in a range of things with various textures.

Some had plastic fruit, old coins, keys, corrugated paper, patterned wallpaper, nuts, sandpaper, hair clips, silk flowers, anything and everything!

The teacher arrived with a roll of black velvet and several tins of spray paint in gold and silver.

Everyone selected some of their things to spray paint and then choose whether to use either gold or silver paint to spray them. They used just one metallic colour for all the items in the final piece.

There were a couple of large cardboard boxes in the room which were used as spray booths.

While the items were drying, large pieces of thick cardboard were cut for the background. Once the background cardboard was cut it was covered in black velvet which was glued and taped onto the rear of the board.

At this point the whole project still did not look too promising, however once the items started to be arranged on the velvet covered background there was a buzz of excitement.

The whole thing looked great and it was easy!

A lot of time went into placing the things, however even the ones which were thrown together looked really good. Once the layout of the objects was finalized the items were glued to the background.

This is an excellent method of making your own stylish artwork.

You can group items that are all on one theme. For example a music theme could include an old vinyl record, CD, old cassette with some of the tape pulled out, child's musical toy, bells, and anything else that will add texture to the final piece.

Or you could just use a range of items that you have to hand.

Other ideas

This works best with a dark background but it does not have to be black, it could be brown or a dark wine colour. The metallic colour could be pewter or bronze; there are a wide range of metallic colours.

Remember that you want to have some contrast between the background and the metallic colour. It looks best when there is a good contrast between the dark of the background and the light of the painted objects.

This artwork will be three dimensional and that means that it will need to have a box frame (where there is a space between the background and the glass at the front).

Framing it will help to keep the dust from gathering on the items and keep it looking great.

Tip - Most of the items were glued, but heavier things were tied on with thin wire. The wire ran around the object through the velvet and cardboard and tied or twisted on the rear.

As the backing is cardboard you cannot use very heavy things. Objects that are tied with wire had the wire fed through a large, flat button at the back before tying to help spread the load.

Another object was glued on top to hide the wire.

Painting Technique Inspired by Junk Mail

2006-10-05T03:53:00.000-07:00

Inspired by junk mail?

The latest thing at the moment is high definition TV. The Sky satellite company is really pushing the advertising.

It is quite an interesting problem for them. How can they convey the wonderful new picture when we only have the old technology to view it on?

The actual TV ads have lovely bright colours moving around in fluid shapes. But they still have the problem with printed ads.

Copy this idea

I received an advert in the mail last week and thought it was inspired.
This was a master class in paint finishes!

They used still photos from the TV ads but the printed version was in a matt finish (and on very thick paper to give a feeling of luxury!). They selected a few sections to highlight using a gloss finish. There were very few of these gloss areas and this helped to maximize the impact.

The contrast between the matt and the gloss was lovely. Very eye catching.

It was what we are all trying to achieve, A Wow Moment!

How to Use This Idea

You could use this with your own artwork, especially if you are painting abstracts using acrylic paints. You can get a free report on how to do this by clicking on the link in this blog!!

To make the final picture matt you could paint it with matt acrylic varnish (I use the kind for painting interior woodwork) or you could cover it with a matt acrylic medium. Then once the matt finish is dried select a few areas to highlight with the gloss (varnish or medium).

If you try this and don’t like the effect you can repaint the glossed sections with the matt varnish and have another try with the gloss, choosing different areas.

The final painting will have a lot of interest when displayed because the different light levels throughout the day will change how it looks. Also the surface will appear to vary depending on the angle you are viewing it from.

This is a simple way to get a very special effect.

Beginners Acrylic Painting - Need to Know What Paint to Buy?

2006-09-28T02:53:00.001-07:00

This article looks at buying acrylic paints. Often you need to choose whether you want Standard or Flow Formula paints. This article discusses their properties.

Do not worry about this too much, just buy what you have available locally. There are always acrylic mediums that can be added to make the paint thinner or thicker depending on what you want.

However if you have the choice this is what it means.

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Beginners Acrylic Painting

Need to Know What Paint to Buy?

When you go in to buy acrylic paint it is easy to get confused. There is a huge range and knowing which paints to buy can be difficult.

Here are a few tips to make your choice a bit easier.

The key thing with acrylic paint is that it dries very quickly which can a blessing when you are ready to tidy away. Or a curse if you do not know how quickly it dries and it ruins your brush!

Acrylic paints generally come in tubes of either Standard Formula or Flow Formula. The Standard Formula is thicker and more suitable for oil painting techniques and using a painting knife. The thicker paint can be built up for impasto work where very thick layers of paint give a three dimensional result.

Flow Formula is a thinner paint and is more suitable for brush work and watercolor techniques. It takes a little longer to dry, than the Standard Formula.

However if you want a longer drying time you can add a retarder medium to the paint, and this slows down the drying time and allows the paint to be worked, this is handy for complicated areas.

Paint Smart!

Acrylic paints are water soluble but when it dries on your hand you will see that it looks like a thin layer of colored plastic. This means that once the paint is dry it is almost impossible to remove it from clothes or furnishings. I always paint on top of old newspaper.

Be sure to always replace the top back on the tube of paint. Otherwise the paint will dry in the tube; this is annoying and a waste of money! (If this happens you can cut off the bottom of the tube and get some paint out that way, but most of the tube will be dried out.)

Starter Packs

Acrylic paints often come in Starter Packs and these can be very good value. They are usually cheaper than buying the tubes individually.

When you are buying your first set of paints I would recommend buying a starter pack which will give you a range of colors at a good price. If you decide you would rather buy individual colors check out my other articles for tips on the best colors to buy.

Standard or Flow?

Given a choice I would buy Standard Formula ones. If you find you like to paint with a brush then you can add a little water to thin the paint for this purpose. However if you decide you like to paint in a thicker style you have the correct paint already.

But don't worry - with acrylic paints you can add a gel medium to Flow Formula to give it more body. Acrylics really are very versatile!

Beginners Acrylic Painting - What Palette Do I Need?

2006-09-20T04:54:00.000-07:00

What Palette is the Best Choice?

Have you gone into a store to buy some painting equipment and found that the range is huge?

“I’m just beginning with acrylic paints and I only want to buy something to put the paint on!”

Don't despair ;-) Here's the information you need to make the whole shopping trip easier.

The key thing with acrylic paint is that it dries very quickly which can a blessing when you are ready to tidy away. Or a curse if you don't know how quickly it dries and it ruins your brush!

When the paint dries it is impossible to remove it from clothing, surfaces and brushes. So cover yourself with 'painting clothes' and be sure to clean your brushes before the paint dries on them. Once you have the right equipment this isn’t a problem.

Acrylic Paint Palette

Beginners to acrylic painting should either buy or make a reservoir palette. This is a palette with a damp reservoir with a disposable paper on top of it. You mix the colors on the paper. This means that the paint on the paper remains damp and ready to use.

A 'store-bought' reservoir palette often has a separate section for brushes. Usually the brushes will be placed on their sides with the tips of the brushes in some water to stop the paint drying on the brush. There is a cover for the palette that keeps the moisture in and makes sure that the paint doesn't dry out. It’s all laid out in a nice tidy container.

If you feel that you don’t want to spend money on something when you’re just beginning with acrylic paints there is another choice.

Make your own

You can make up your own version of this using a flat dish or tray with a low edge. Place a few layers of blotting paper or a layer of capillary matting (often used in greenhouses to keep the plants damp) in the bottom for the reservoir.

Cover this reservoir with tracing or greaseproof paper. This paper is used as your palette. This is where you will place the paints when you're using them and mix them on top of this paper too.

Keep the reservoir moist - not too wet - and the paints will not dry out. It is important that in between painting sessions you cover your palette to keep the moisture in. A large plastic bag that is big enough to hold the whole palette is ideal.

The rest of your acrylic painting equipment

The rest of your acrylic painting equipment will be discussed in other Beginners Acrylic Painting articles. Happy painting!

I’m Ready to Paint – Where do I Start?

2006-09-14T04:08:00.000-07:00

OK - you have paints, brushes, palette, a painting surface and some water but where do you start?

Every painter has their own process, but I like to start at the back of the picture and work forward. In other words I start by painting the background and things that are furthest away and then work forward from there.

I paint a lot of landscapes and seascapes and it makes sense to start at the farthest away area. Usually this means starting with the sky. Then the distant land areas, middle distance land, and finally the foreground area.

Painting in this order means that the areas that are closer can overlap the further away areas and this helps to ‘push them back’. This helps to give depth to the painting.

In the Acrylic Painting Course we look at all the ways to give depth to a painting, for example having the most detail in the foreground. However working ‘from the back’ is a good method that helps to achieve this too.

Or all at once?

Some painters prefer to work the entire picture at the same time. This helps them to get the balance between the different areas right as the painting progresses.

This ‘all at once’ method is used when painting the portrait in the Acrylic Painting Course. I think it is the best way of working when painting portraits, animal pictures and some still life scenes.

Learning to Paint

However when you are just learning to paint it can be a bit overwhelming to have to think about the whole of the picture. It is easier to just concentrate on the one area you are painting at the time.

Also with acrylic paints it is fairly easy to go back and add some extra color when you want to get the balance of a painting ‘just right’. In watercolors this would be more of a problem.

The best way is probably to try both methods and see which one you prefer!

Beginners Guide on Acrylic Painting - Setting Up

2006-09-12T02:56:00.000-07:00

How to Set Out Your Equipment for Easy Acrylic Painting

OK you have all the things you need to begin acrylic painting, right? You have acrylic paints, brushes, painting surface, palette, and a container of water. Well, by taking a minute to set out your acrylic painting materials in an organized manner you will enjoy your painting session even more.

Ideally when you begin acrylic painting you will have a work space that is level and in a good light. Artificial light can make the colors look different when compared to natural light. It is a good idea to get full spectrum light bulbs from an art store if you have to paint in artificial light. This is a worthwhile investment.

Lay out you palette, paints, brushes and water to the right hand side if you are right handed – or left if you are left handed. It is handy to have some paper towels too.

Acrylic Painting Tip

Try to get into the habit of placing the paints in the same position on the palette every time you paint. This will save you time – you wouldn’t be searching for a color if you always put it in the same position.

I like to group colors, for example, having all the blues together. It is most important to always put the white in the same place.

Tips on Placing Your Painting Materials

I position the palette next to me – I am right handed so it is to the right. Then the tubes of acrylic paint to the rear of the palette. I use a reservoir palette that has a space for the brushes, but if I didn’t I would have the reservoir for the brushes to the right of the palette.

I store the dry, clean brushes I’m not using in a jam jar – with the brush handle ends down so that the tips do not get bent out of shape. This is to the far right of all the other equipment.

I place the water container(s) to the rear of the painting area but within easy reach. The paper towel is there too.

Be sure to cover the work surface as any acrylic paint that dries on it will be difficult or impossible to remove.

And my Top Tip is to put any drink on the opposite side - away from the palette and paint. Otherwise you will end up cleaning your brush in your drink – and believe me it won’t add to the flavor!

For ideas of things to paint check out The Acrylic Painting Course. The beginners guide on acrylic painting with step-by-step painting instructions and a free preview to completing your first painting just click here www.learnanddo.com/acrylic.asp

The Pigment used in Blue Paint

2006-09-08T02:11:00.000-07:00

I find it really interesting how the different paint colours are made.
Here are also some facts about how blue has been used throughout time.

Blue – The Calming Colour

Blue is the calming and soothing colour of intellect. It is regarded as the symbol of devotion to noble ideas. It is linked to spirituality, contemplation and trust.

The blue pigment in paints was originally made from crushed semi-precious stones and was very expensive. Poorer painters never included blue in their paintings. Blue was only included at the request of people who commissioned special artwork and who were willing to pay for it.

The Dutch merchants used this as a status symbol, owning a painting with expensive blues in it was truly a luxury item.

My favourite blue is Ultramarine Blue which is a warm brilliant deep blue. ‘Ultramarine’ comes from Medieval Latin for ‘beyond the sea’.

The pigment was originally obtained from the powdered semi-precious stone lapis lazuli. In 1824 an imitation of this pigment was made from powdered fired clay, sodium carbonate, sulphur and resin. This has nearly an identical chemical composition to the lapis lazuli.

Suddenly the most expensive artist colour became one of the least expensive and most widely available.

The Science Bit

The colour that an object appears is the result of the different light waves reflected by the object. An object absorbs some the light frequencies and reflects others. It is often said that our choice of colour will depend on our response to the various reflected light frequencies.

A Few Facts about Blue

Blue is the colour of the sky and the seas and it is often quoted as the most popular colour. Blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals.

It is a peaceful and tranquil colour for bedrooms. However it can also look cold and depressing – so it is important to get the balance right.

Blue can make a room appear larger.

Studies show that people are more productive in blue rooms.
Weightlifters were able to handle heavier weights in a blue gym.

Wearing blue to job interviews symbolizes loyalty – a good thing if you want the job! It is the colour of police uniforms. In ancient Rome public servants wore blue.

Blue was used a protection against witches who were said to dislike the colour. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt wore blue as a protection against evil.

Blue stands for love so brides carry something blue on their wedding day.

However blue is not an appetizing colour. Blue foods are rare in nature and food that is ‘off’ often appears to have a blue look to it. Faced with blue coloured food most people will lose their appetite! This might be handy to know when you're on a diet ;-)

Beginners Acrylic Painting

2006-09-04T01:45:00.000-07:00

Need to Know What Painting Surface to Buy?

Starting a new hobby can be a bit daunting, don't you think? All the equipment to buy and no previous knowledge – how can I be sure that this is the right thing? Sometimes it's enough to put you off even starting!

You go into a store and the range is huge. Good grief, I only want to buy something to paint on!

Well, when you’re beginning with acrylic paints there are a few things you need to know before you get as far as the store. Also, once you have an idea of what you need to buy it will make the shopping trip a lot easier.

When you are just practicing painting techniques you can use any paper or cardboard you have to hand. Cardboard from packing materials is a good surface for starting. When you paint on cardboard you do not have the problem of the surface stretching when it is wet, this can be a problem with the thinner papers. So cardboard is great for beginners acrylic painting.

All kinds of cardboard are good and the inside of cereal boxes can be very handy too. Painting practice can make good use of your junk mail. You can paint on the thicker pieces of paper before you throw it out.

When you are ready to paint a picture I think the best surface for beginners (and still my favorite) is to use canvas panels. A canvas panel is a thick cardboard that has a painting surface glued to it. It comes ready to paint. You don’t need to do anything else but just start painting. Bliss!

If you paint on paper you will find that many papers need to be stretched before you can paint on them, otherwise the paper buckles while wet and the paint gathers in the hollows. This will give an uneven result to your final painting.

There are pads of pre-stretched paper. The pad has glued edges. The paper has already been stretched – you paint on the top paper and let it dry. Once the painting is finished and it is dry, then you use a knife to slice around the glued edge to release the top piece of paper. These pads are pretty good, but I still prefer the canvas board - it is just so much easier to use and convenient if you want to paint outdoors.

You can use stretched canvases too, although these can be a bit expensive when you are beginning with acrylic paints. You would be better spending the money on buying good quality nylon brushes.

Acrylic Painting Tip

No matter what surface you decide to paint on there is one important point. Acrylic paints will not stick to oily or waxy surfaces. Make sure that the surface you choose is suitable for acrylic paints. Some painting surfaces are made specifically for oil paints and are not suitable for use with acrylics.

Check the details on the painting surface wrapper or pack. It will usually tell you what paints (or ‘mediums’) the surface is suitable for. If you are in any doubt always ask if the painting surface is suitable for use with acrylic paints.

Just Starting to use Acrylic Paints?

Look out for other Beginners Acrylic Painting articles on buying the rest of your painting supplies – palette and brushes, and paints.

For the detailed step-by-step beginners guide on acrylic painting see the Acrylic Painting Course – with a free preview to completing your first painting click here www.LearnAndDo.com/acrylic.asp

The Pigment used in Cadmium Red

2006-08-31T01:48:00.000-07:00

This article looks at the pigment used in Cadmium Red. It also lists some of the meanings for the colour Red.

All artist paints whether acrylic, oil or watercolour all use the same pigments to produce the colour of the paint.

We are lucky today that we can just go to the store and buy the paint colours we want, without the need to prepare the colour before starting to paint.

A lot of the colours used to come from toxic substances and mixing your own paint was a dangerous business!

Red and Cadmium Red

Artists have always wanted permanent bright reds and often this has meant working with hazardous and expensive materials to get them. The colour Vermilion was originally made from cinnabar which is a mercury based ore. Vermilion was then artificially made from mercury and sulphur.

Red earths were used but were dull in comparison. Other reds made from madder root, crushed insects or pomegranate peel were not lightfast and the colour faded.

The mineral cadmium gives the most valuable pigments of yellow, orange and red. It is the chemical compound that produces the range of colours from cadmium. If there was no selenium in the ‘red pigment’ it would be a yellow!

Cadmium Red was first manufactured at the start of the 20th century. It is much less toxic than Vermilion as well as permanent and lightfast. It comes in a range of reds from orange/red to maroon.

If the artist paint you are buying says ‘Hue’ at the end it means that the paint matches the colour of Cadmium Red but does not contain the expensive cadmium pigment.

The Meaning of Red

Red is said to be the most emotionally intense colour and the symbol of an active mind. It increases you heartbeat and breathing. Perhaps that it why it is ‘the colour of love’?

In the Gothte’s colour system red has the highest energy. Its sound is middle C.

It is bold and easy to see, and so used in stop signs, brake lights and fire equipment.

It represents different things in various countries. In South Africa it is the colour of mourning. In China the colour of good luck and used as a holiday and wedding colour.

It is considered good luck to tie a red bow onto a new car. However red cars are popular targets for car thieves.

Red is the most common colour found in national flags.

To ‘see red’ is to be angry. Back to the fast heart beat and heavy breathing again ;-)

A ‘red herring’ is a distraction, something to take your attention away from the important issue.

A ‘red eye’ is an overnight plane journey.

Red clothing gets noticed and can make you look heavier. It is not the best choice of colour to wear for negotiations or confrontations.

The Aztecs of Mexico showed the Spanish explorers how to make red dye by crushing beetles called cochineals.

In decorating red is usually used as an accent colour. It is considered an appetite stimulant and often used in restaurant colour schemes.

Pink

Pale red – or pink is much gentler. It is the most romantic colour and more calming.

This can make you lose energy and sports teams sometimes paint the locker room used by the opposing team bright pink hoping that the opposition with not have the same energy for the match.

Although often considered a ‘girl colour’ before the 1920s it was considered a boy’s colour.

Buying Artist Brushes Information

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Artist Brushes come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and materials.

The artist brush is made up of 3 parts.

1. The Tuft which can be natural hair or synthetic fibres.
The tuft holds and applies the paint.

2. The Ferrule which is the metal part that holds the tuft
to the handle.

3. The Handle, a good quality handle is made of hardwood.
Artist brushes can have either short or long handles. Long
handles are for working on a vertical surface when you would
be standing further away from the painting. Short handles
are more suited to close up work.

The tuft can have soft, medium or stiff hairs.

Soft, this is best used with thin paints for blending and
glazing. It gives more control and has a fine point or edge.

Medium, this will hold its shape and usually holds more
paint. It is good for painting with medium to thick paints.

Stiff, or bristle type brushes, that allow you to push and
move thicker paints. These are especially useful when painting
on canvas.

Natural hair brushes are often made from sable. This is a high quality
(and high price) brush that is very good for using with watercolours.
However there are also artist brushes that use other natural hairs like
squirrel hair, ox hair, goat hair and bristle (which is from the ear of a pig).

Synthetic brushes are usually less expensive than natural hair ones.
Synthetic artist brushes are easier to clean as the cell structure of the
hairs is smoother than the natural hair. Synthetic brushes are usually
more durable and can be used with watercolours, acrylics and oils.
Synthetic bristle tends to soften a bit in water.

*Nylon brushes are the best for acrylics. They can be kept constantly
wet so that the paint does not dry in the brush and ruin it.*

The Size System

The number on the brush is determined by the diameter of the tuft
and by the length of the hair. Most manufacturers use the same
standards.

For example a size 2 round brush tuft is 3/32 inches in diameter
and has a 7/16 inches hair length.

The size of brush you chose is usually a personal preference that
comes with experience.

Brush shapes

There is also a range of shapes of artists brushes.
The main ones are -

Pointed, round brushes, good for highlights and applying smooth
paints

Flat, square brushes, good for covering large areas and tree trunks
Bright are shorter versions of a flat which gives more control and is
good with thick paints.

Filberts (flat brushes with a curved end), good for hiding brush strokes

Riggers or Liners, round brush with long hair shaped to a square tip,
good for lettering and detail

Fan brush (curved end), good for grass, clouds, foliage and blending

2 Main Brush Types

There are two main brush types and your choice will depend on
the thickness of the paint you are using.

Water absorbing and releasing brushes
including sable and the synthetic equivalents. These absorb the water
(and paint), hold it in the body of the tuft and release it through the
brush tip. This type of brush is good with thin, fluid paint.

Paste brushes
Like hog bristle and the synthetic equivalents. These brushes hold
the paint in the tip. Good with thicker paints.

Buying Brushes

Always buy good quality brushes. Cheap, poor quality brushes lose
their hair and the ferrules will loosen on the handle.

Surprisingly, putting the brush head onto a handle gives a company
the right to say that they made the brush!

********************

I paint pet portraits and doing the fur can be fairly time consuming.
Last May I took an old flat brush and cut out sections of the hair. It
was quite successful for painting in cat and dog fur, especially for
longer fur effects.

Of course you can buy brushes like this. They seem to be called
by a range of names; rake, comb and wispy are ones I have see
recently. I bought a couple while we were on holiday and I have
been experimenting with them.

I bought a couple of different sizes and manufacturers to see what
the differences were. One very fine one (meant for decorative painting)
was only suitable for thin paints. The larger ones are more suited to
my painting style.

These brushes also produce lovely grassy effects but this would need
to be used in the foreground of a painting. Remember, there is less
detail in the distance.

I am very pleased with the results. This might be something you
would like to try too.

Welcome

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Welcome to my Acrylic Painting Course blog.

This is the place to get great information about all aspects of artistic painting.

I share ideas and techniques that I’ve learned in my many years (don’t ask how many years!) of painting. I hope you’ll enjoy the articles and insights you find here.