| Acrylic Mediums | |
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Callie Moderator
Posts : 1233 Join date : 2009-11-21 Location : St. Louis, MO USA
| Subject: Acrylic Mediums Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:50 am | |
| Anyone who's used oils/ws oils for any length of time knows there's a variety of mediums to accommodate just about any painting style. I find it curious that the acrylic painters I know seem reluctant to try anything other than water or retarding medium, even though there's so many useful (and fun) products available. I mainly use oils now, but still dabble with acrylics from time to time. I especially like being able to build up textures and glazes (without the drying time that oils require), so love experimenting with different pastes and gels - even using them for some texture under oil paintings.
So, what acrylic mediums (if any) do you use? Share your likes/dislikes and recommendations for acrylic mediums, and post examples of your work that show how you use your favorite mediums (if you would like to). | |
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judyfilarecki Moderator
Posts : 2685 Join date : 2009-11-16 Location : Northern NY and Southern Arizona
| Subject: Re: Acrylic Mediums Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:13 pm | |
| I've been using acrylics of all different brands for years, but have become frustrated by the quick drying characteristic which is real problem here in the arid desert.
Recently, I have started using Golden Open Acrylics and am really pleased with them. They are workable for several hours, mainly because you can reactive them simply by using a damp brush to add water back into the particular area you want to rework.
In my water soluble oils, I have been adding walnut alkyd reduce their drying time. Unfortunately, the alkyd is aggravating my asthma, so I am going to start trying to use a combination of the GO and Holbein Duo's to get a drying time which will meet my needs without the breathing problems I'm getting with the alkyd. I have used that combination successfully.
I'm going to try it with other WSO brands, specifically Artisan Brand which is what I have the greatest amount of.
Judy | |
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Callie Moderator
Posts : 1233 Join date : 2009-11-21 Location : St. Louis, MO USA
| Subject: Re: Acrylic Mediums Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:46 pm | |
| Judy - the Artisans won't play well with acrylics - you can paint over a completely dry acrylic layer, but don't mix them. The Duo Aquas are the only ones that can be mixed (so they claim) with other types of paints. I've been tempted to try Golden Opens. They have some specific mediums made for them, including a thinner. Not to mention they have trad. oil paint names for their colors Here's some info at Golden's site about mediums: http://www.goldenpaints.com/products/color/open/index.php I like the idea of being able to skip the retarding medium and just use them straight from the tube if I want to. I don't paint fast enough for regular acrylics! | |
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Sofie Moderator
Posts : 713 Join date : 2009-11-27 Location : Courtenay, BC, Canada
| Subject: Re: Acrylic Mediums Sat Feb 06, 2010 2:34 pm | |
| I painted primarily with Golden acrylics before I tried the WSOs. I've tried the GOs, but what I like about acrylics is the shortened drying time. I do find myself getting the hairdryer out at times so I can get on with my painting. In the heat of the summer, however, the GOs are great. I've used both gloss and matte mediums with my acrylics for glazing, and I've also used the retarder. The problem I have with using the retarder is that colours don't blend nice and evenly. The paint can get patchy and streaky, and I found the best think Icould do was work with it and use this tendency to my advantage. The medium I like best is the soft gel (gloss) I use it to make an isolation coat, so when I'm painting in layers I can protect the underneath layer and remove what I've added on top (while still workable) if I need to. When using it this way I mix it 50/50 with water. I also use it for a final varnish, to give a painting a nice glossy finish, knowing that if need be I can still work on top of it. If I want a more satin finish I mix some matte with it. | |
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Callie Moderator
Posts : 1233 Join date : 2009-11-21 Location : St. Louis, MO USA
| Subject: Re: Acrylic Mediums Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:55 pm | |
| Thanks, Sofie! That's the kind of stuff I want to hear about. Great idea about the soft gel as a final (or not so final) varnish | |
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judyfilarecki Moderator
Posts : 2685 Join date : 2009-11-16 Location : Northern NY and Southern Arizona
| Subject: Re: Acrylic Mediums Sat Feb 06, 2010 5:09 pm | |
| Thanks for the link Callie and great idea about he soft gel, Sofie.
I've been using the GO for about a month now and I really like them. I have not added any mediums to them, but have mixed them with holbeins when I did the cat challenge and it worked very well.
Yesterday, I taught my first beginning acrylics class for the season, and I used my regular acrylics for the class so I can use them up and switch completely to the GO's.
Boy, what a difference. Here in the arid desert, they just dry instantly unless you keep spraying the palette and re-wetting the brush. The last session of the class, I'm going to let the students try a little of the GO's so they can make some decisions before they start buying too many supplies.
When I'm painting for myself, I usually use the Masterson Wet palette, but for class we always just use disposable palettes. I just shoiw them the wet palette and explain about using it.
Judy | |
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Callie Moderator
Posts : 1233 Join date : 2009-11-21 Location : St. Louis, MO USA
| Subject: Re: Acrylic Mediums Sat Feb 06, 2010 5:19 pm | |
| I was relieved to read that it's OK to mix all the other mediums, gels and pastes with the GOs. Even here with our usual medium to very high humidity, the regular acrylics dry way too fast for me. | |
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Dale
Posts : 573 Join date : 2009-11-17 Location : Near Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
| Subject: Re: Acrylic Mediums Tue Jun 15, 2010 6:13 am | |
| I have been using an extender with regular acrylics but am dissappointed. I tired to make a nice gradiant sky and get lousy blending. I thought about a gel but I want a consistant looking painting without sheen in some places and matt in the others so I need a recommendation. I was tempted to try the Golden Open with a quick dry medium as most of my acrylic painting is done when I am at the cottage for a weekend or painting out with friends so I need the paint to be fast drying. Here in the Maritimes, I don't need to worry about anything drying too fast. | |
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Janet Moderator
Posts : 2050 Join date : 2009-11-15 Location : North Bay, Ontario Canada
| Subject: Re: Acrylic Mediums Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:43 am | |
| I have used the Golden Open Acrylics and they worked ok but I didn't like the way water lifted the paint. They now have mediums for the Golden Open which I haven't tried so that may resolve that issue. | |
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judyfilarecki Moderator
Posts : 2685 Join date : 2009-11-16 Location : Northern NY and Southern Arizona
| Subject: Re: Acrylic Mediums Tue Jun 15, 2010 6:40 pm | |
| I haven't had problems with the paint lifting with the GO because I usually give it a little time to dry before painting over it and I use almost no water. I have used water to my advantage when I want to rework an area and for smoother blending of a newly added color. Within the first 12 hours or so, if you wet the "dried" Goldens with a damp brush, they reactivate and you can blend the existing color in with the new one you are adding as if working wet-on-wet. It works pretty well.
Judy | |
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| Acrylic Mediums | |
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