Retirement: Online Art Workshops

Info I wrote up awhile back on Acrylics, Acrylic Mediums and the like:

I hope this helps clear up the confusion on acrylics, gel mediums, etc...I wrote this several years ago on various acrylics and acrylic mediums. If you have more questions, drop me a note.

Gel Medium-you can use this as a "glue" or as a sealer. I prefer the Soft Gel Gloss or Regular Gel Gloss. The "Matte" has a substance in it (to dull the gloss) so if it is built up it can look cloudy. You can also use it as a texture gel. The best way to apply it is THIN and to the back of your image. I place the image then on the surface I am gluing onto & rub w/ a paper towel or rag. If working in a book, i do not place glue over the top of the image. This will help to prevent pages from sticking. Also, you only need ONE kind of gel medium. To thicken it up, scoop some out and put it on your palette. Let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes-voila heavier gel medium! To thin it down if it is too thick, put some gloss medium (fluid) into it.

The companies I buy from are Nova Color (www.novacolorpaints.com/) in L.A., Golden Paints, Lascaux and Winsor Newton. Invest in a few tubes (5 or 6 colors at most) of acrylics. You do NOT need every color. I teach a class called the Wonderful World of Color Theory where we make every color of the rainbow using about 6 colors: Quin Magenta, Phthalo Blue, Azo Yellow Medium, Titanium White, Burnt Sienna and Black. My personal palette adds Paynes Grey & Titan Buff to those colors...

The best way to apply acrylics is thin and in layers. If you want it thick, make sure you can leave your book open and let it dry properly. Acrylics dry fast if applied thinly. Remember: waxed paper between the pages. The way I paint is to apply the paint in layers and wipe each layer w/ rags or paper towels. I actually scrub and swipe the page!!! Then place waxed paper between each page.

The only difference in the paints-tube vs. jar is the consistency. If the tube paints or jar paints are too thick, put some gloss medium into them. Gloss medium will also "extend" the amount of paint you have (DO NOT buy extender though that will extend the drying time). 50/50 with the acrylics is a good ratio. You won't lose pigment if you buy a good quality acrylic.

Terms:

Fluid Medium-available in matte (matte has a substance in it to dull the gloss. If you apply it in layers it has the tendency to look 'cloudy'), gloss (if you get a high quality product like Golden or Nova Color, you have to add several layers for it to look high intense gloss), polymer medium, fluid matte medium, fluid medium-you can use these for collage but I have found them to be too 'wet' of a glue. What I like to do is to add any of these (my fave is either gloss medium or polymer medium) to my acrylics to 'extend the amount of paint' that I have (but do not buy what they label as extender as that extends the drying time-eek!).

Glazing liquid-available in satin, matte or gloss. I have a hard time telling the difference between all 3. Use these with any kind of acrylic to create transparent, colored glazes.

Acrylic Gesso: An acrylic ground that is flexible and is used for prepping or priming surfaces. Available in several colors including white, black, beige, brown, etc...

Acrylic Gel medium: Used to thicken or thin paints. Also used as a collage adhesive. Available in a variety of 'thicknesses' most students seem to prefer soft gel gloss or regular. Remember you can buy just one kind and if you want to thicken it, leave it on your palette for an hour or so. If you want to thin it, add polymer/gloss or matte medium to it.

Acrylic varnish: available in 3 finishes: gloss, matte and satin. Seals the surface to protect it. I use gloss medium (several coats) as a final varnish instead.