Personal Insights

Jim Cobb, owner of Chroma and paintmaker for over 40 years, talks about using Interactive.

As the inventor of Atelier Interactive, I have been more than pleased with the results. I feel that artists’ acrylics have, after 40 years of subservience to their house paint origins, reached maturity as true artists’ paints.

I hope you will get as much pleasure out of exploring and using them as I have.

J. Cobb
Paintmaker.

Beginners Classes or Beginning by Yourself at Home

We would suggest starting out with Fast Medium Fixer and making yourself familiar with the fast techniques first, then do some Interactive overpainting when you feel you are ready.

• If you work in dry, low-humidity conditions you will need to use a water spray and Slow Medium, which will keep your painting “open” all day. You will be able to keep going after interruptions, such as lunch breaks, if you use the spray.
• If you do not use a spray you will probably find blending is easy, but your painting will tack up quickly if it is deprived of water. You can use a wet paint brush instead of spraying if you prefer.
• If you work in very humid conditions you will notice the paint takes longer to dry, even without a spray.
• Atelier Interactive + Fast Medium/Fixer = existing “old” formula behaviour for thinner layering. For thicker, fast drying paint use Binder Medium.
• Printing: The long open time makes the clean-up of equipment used in all printing processes much easier.
• Atelier Interactive used with a water spray and Slow Medium makes outdoor painting comfortable.
• Atelier Interactive is not suitable for outdoor murals.
• Our in-house trials have convinced us that Atelier Interactive is how acrylics should be for the 21st Century – there are so many possibilities to investigate that it will take quite some time for artists to exploit them all.
• We believe that the connection with fast drying house paint technology since the 1960’s has sorely limited the scope and aesthetic possibilities of artists’ acrylics. We hope you will notice a new sensitivity and responsiveness when you use Atelier Interactive.

Atelier Interactive behaves quite differently from old style acrylics. Anyone who is used to oil paints will quickly take advantage of the new opportunities. However if you have only ever used acrylics you will need to have some starting-point information so that you can learn to use the advantages as quickly as possible.

Palettes

You can use whatever you are currently using, but you still have to guard against water evaporation - the paint won’t form a skin, but it will clump up and become thicker if it loses moisture - so spray from time to time.

A water spray will rejuvenate paint on a flat slab-type palette, while paint in plastic food jars is easier to keep going from one day to the next.

Surfaces

Any surface well-sealed with gesso makes wet–in–wet blending over long periods of time easier. If you paint on watercolour paper, the paper will absorb moisture, and the paint will become too thick. You can simply balance this out with a water spray or medium in order to keep the paint from forming a skin and becoming unusable.

The Paint Rag and Blending

Acrylic blending is a new experience to be enjoyed by everyone because it “comes naturally”. While Atelier Interactive lets you carry out the same process as oil painters, you will need to use a paint rag and scraper like oil painters to remove unwanted paint when making changes to avoid muddying your colours.

Acrylic painters are used to overpainting their mistakes, so using a paint rag is a routine habit you can train yourself to acquire.

Painting

This is water-based paint so it won’t “go off” as it loses moisture, but you still need to keep the situation “in balance” as you work. It works well to start with fluid paint as one would with oils, spreading the paint to block in areas.

In a humid climate you can just keep going, but in dry conditions you sometimes need the water spray to replace moisture which is evaporating. It is also a good way of controlling the use of more fluid paint on the painting instead of adding water or medium to your palette.

You do not need to worry about spraying before the paint “goes off”, because it does not form a skin and will simply absorb the moisture it needs to keep going. By the time you have noticed that you need added moisture the paint will still “accept” it, so you don’t need to be too aware of it.

Weather Conditions

Typical weather in Australia is hot, dry and windy. Even in these demanding conditions the paint remains workable.

Indoor conditions are much milder, but both air-conditioning and central heating create a dry atmosphere in which your painting may need “balancing” with water use.

Drying Your Painting and Overpainting Decisions

In a studio with long painting sessions you will need to consider how to proceed through different stages. Any painting may reach a stage where it is incomplete yet you decide it would be better to proceed later wet-over-dry.
You also have to decide what to do the following day when your painting will no longer be wet, but not fully cured either.

Mediums

Mediums can be extremely useful in achieving your vision. Your choice in mediums can effect the viscosity, sheen and the drying time of your painting.

Chroma Solvent Varnishes and Surface Finish

The cured paint is probably less shiny than you are used to, but note the colour saturation and strength. We wanted to emphasise colour and avoid the dipped–in–aspic plastic look by making a richer paint.

Solvent Varnish choices are:

1. Invisible (no sheen)
2. Satin
3. Gloss

All of these varnishes are removable and solvent-based to protect against mould.