Chroma Paint Talk

British landscape with Tony Hogan

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:26:19 GMT

British artist and friend of Chroma, Tony hogan recently sent us this tutorial to share with Chroma's online community. he contributes many helpful techniques and approaches. Over to you Tony,

"Selecting this seasonal view occurred after visiting the next village to my studio in Kilham, East Yorkshire. I'd identified the field as a potential venue for a group of people attending one of my residential art holidays, so on the day off we went. returned I started to tutor the group in the way of developing a painting plein-air and did some sketches for a composition.

A couple of days later, having time for my own work, I equipped with Atelier Interactive Acrylics, and a stretched, 3ft x 2ft, 15oz cotton duck canvas, which had been primed with 3 coats of Atelier gesso liquid primer. With these acrylics there are many working options available to use from watercolour techniques to heavy impasto.

So, I had the view, now a decision was needed as to my choice of working option. I elected to use a technique that involved blending for the sky and working fat over lean (aka oil techniques) for the rest of the painting.

On the tutorial day we had been blessed with a clear blue sky but of course, on my return visit the sky was sunless and cloudy. This however proved both a challenge and an opportunity as the now grey/blue of the sky enhanced the dramatic effect of the red poppies against the green fields

Stage 1.

Starting the work with a tarpaulin sheet at hand in case of sudden down poor ( and not referring back to the initial sketch) I drew the basic outlines of the picture with diluted paint.The objective here is to make sure the various elements that attracted my eye actually work on a big canvas. Quite often a sketch works in its own right but does not translate directly to a canvas, which is why I do not copy from the sketch but re address the view directly.

Stage 2

By laying down a fairly fat coat of Tinting white across the sky area I then blend the colours selected and paint, very quickly, using the atomizer water spray to keep the paint wet. This allows me to capture the dramatic stormy sky with its fast moving thunderous cloud formations. The trick here is to observe a section and holding that in your mind get it down whilst adjusting and altering as light and dark clouds flit across the sky.

Twice during this part of the work I had to quickly throw my tarpaulin over the work to protect it.

Stage 3

By mid afternoon with a serious thunder storm hitting, I had to delay the next stage until the following day by which time being England the weather was back to blue sky.

A decision had to be made as to staying with the dramatic sky or re painting the much improved one in front of me. I chose to stick with the original and pressed on.

Next painted was one of the main visual aspects the tall tree along with some of the hedges and distant fields.The trees are first formed by establishing dark shapes in indigo and dioxin purple and then developed with various greens eventually moving to the highlights as the light catches the foliage.

Stage 4
Now it was time to establish the first colour mass for the foreground and add touches to distant fields to keep tonal balance. This first application is always effected with the paint more diluted and worked very much wet into wet applying the colours directly to the canvas and allowing them to blend on it. I try to avoid mixing colours on the pallet as it tends to dull the work and loose impact. The earth colour was created by dioxin purple/ red gold and naples yellow being worked wet into wet.

Stage 5

Having settled on my pallet I can now start to work with fatter paint (almost pure from the tube) and develop more detail of hedges and fields in the background.

Stage 6

The hedge to the left of the main tree is now completed with small marks working dark to light along with more touches to the other foliage.

By using a long flat style brush almost flat to the canvas I can build the foreground grasses
with fat paint. Here I will often have three pure colours from indigo to naples yellow on the brush at once allowing them to blend on the canvas producing effective colour and tonal changes. Always being aware of the need to have stronger colour tonality near the foreground which gives ariel perspective to the work and allows a greater degree of visual three dimensionality on a two dimensional surface.

I also paint the first few poppies in to the back of the main field.

Stage 7

Its day four of the painting now and time to cover all the remaining white areas focusing on colour and tone using fat paint.

Where any area needs blending into the background I re-soften the underlying coat with either an atomizer with water or where needed by lightly brushing unlocking formula in.However at this stage little re blending is needed and for the most part it is a matter of finishing the rest of the foreground and bringing in more of the poppies .

Stage 8

Completion is within sight and the temptation to rush must be avoided. Care and time is spent painting the poppies with napthol crimson, cadmium orange and naples yellow. The distant ones are no more than a spot of colour whilst the near ones need painting with observation of their shape/form and where the light catches them.

Sitting back to review and consider the work as it progresses is vital throughout all the stages but now even more important. I sit and look at all elements of the work. The composition-the pallet-the tonal balances-do they all work for me? If so its time to stop and put the work to one side for a day or two.

Stage 9

Varnishing
As with all acrylics and oil paints you will notice some shrinkage as the work dries making the painting look flatter than when painted and often slightly darker in tone.

It is possible to reduce some of this by use of a medium whilst doing the painting but I prefer to wait until the work is completely dry (at least two days) and then varnish with Atelier Interactive Satin varnish/medium. My preference is a satin varnish but others might choose matt or gloss varnish.

List of materials
Atelier Interactive Acrylics ; Tinting white
Titanium white
Indigo Blue/Black
Prussian Blue
Cobalt Blue
Naples Yellow
Arylamide Yellow
Yellow Ochre
Dioxin Purple
Red Gold
Olive Green
Permanent Sap Green
Green Black
Permanent Green Light

Atomizer spray with water, A set of long flat synthetic acrylic brushes sizes 4,8,10 and 12. and a size 2 round.
A stay wet pallet.
Lots of old rag. "

Tony Hogan works as an Artist,Tutor and Demonstrator. He trained at Bradford College of Art in the nineteen sixties. Hogan runs Art Breaks in Yorkshire art holiday courses from his Studio in the Wolds Village of Kilham near Bridlington East Yorkshire and gives demonstrations and workshops for art groups nationally. He also runs specialist Atelier Interactive Acrylic weekend workshops for Chroma Australia and is an OCA tutor and SAA professional

Contacts

Five Pennies, East Street, Kilham, East Yorkshire. YO25 4RE

e Mail; admin@hoganart.co.uk

Tel; 01262-420068 Mobile; 07888852503

www. hoganart.co.uk

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:06:10 GMT

Do you like making gifts and cards?Here is a very easy step by step tutorial on a Christmas card design by one of Chroma's TAPP teachers, Anna Rosa Martin.. After you have done this it will be easy to make variations by experimenting with different colour combinations and stencil patterns.

You will need:
Heavy cotton or linen fabric
a plain 210gsm card
Jo Sonja All Purpose Sealer
Jo Sonja Décor Crackle Medium
A large 1” flat brush
1 x no. 8 or 10 round hog hair brush,
1 x sea sponge
Jo Sonja’s Artist’s Colours, Napthol Crimson, Pine Green, Rich Gold and Warm White or Soft White,
A Kaisercraft Christmas Stamp
VersaMark stamp pad,
White Embossing powder
Thread for sewing,

Anna explains the process in her easy going way,

“1. I pull some threads out of the edges of the fabric because I like the frayed look.

2 .I base coat the card in All Purpose Sealer.

3. Then, using a large flat base coating brush I apply a couple of coats of Soft White or Warm White acrylic paint.

4. I use a stiff hog hair brush and paint the fabric with Napthol Crimson. The hog hair is easier to push paint into the weave of the fabric.

5. When the Soft White is dry, I apply a thick coat of Decor Crackle Medium using a hog hair brush.

6. When the fabric is dry, I use a Kaisercraft Christmas Stamp and pat it into the VersaMark stamp pad. While the stamp is still wet, I gently shake the White Embossing Powder over the top. Then I need to shake off the excess powder and heat the stamped area with a heat gun until I get that shiny, embossed look.

7. When the Decor Crackle Medium is dry I use a dry sea sponge and heavily sponge Pine Green paint all over the card. Using a dry sea sponge loaded heavily with paint, will give you larger more defined cracks. Make sure your sponge is loaded with paint and start in one corner and work your way across the card. Try not to go over wet paint as this will lift paint off rather than make it heavier.

8. To add a bit of luster, I finish it off by using JS Rich Gold Artist’s Acrylic with a dry brush technique marking over the crackled green surface.

9. To attach the fabric to card I sew using a swirly pattern with a mixture of gold and coloured cotton.

I have included a detail of the finished card. I hope you have fun making your Christmas craft.”

All the paints and mediums used were Jo Sonja's . Anna Rosa Martin has her own blog spot here http://annarosadesigns.blogspot.com/2011/11/getting-into-christmas-spirit.htmlif you want to see more of her work and tutorials. Anna is also a contributor to a website called Projects for Crafters which we featured in Chroma’s News section during October where there is a link to the Projects4crafters site.

http://www.chromaonline.com/news_events/projects_for_crafters

Atelier Traditional Mediums with Alan Friend

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:17:21 GMT

I am Alan Friend, an artist from the United Kingdom and friend of Chroma. Jim Cobb asked me to take a look at the new Atelier mediums which Chroma has released, Traditional Gloss Medium, Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss), and Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss). The following article is a comprehensive explanation how mediums function and the purpose of these newest additions to Chroma’s stable.

‘Mediums’ is the term generally, if somewhat confusingly, used to describe both mediums and gels. The word ‘mediums’ has various meanings in art. Marion Boddy-Evans in her Painting Guide at www.about.com notes one meaning as, “… something used to change the consistency of the paint.” www.Artlex.com states, “Medium can also refer to what carries a paint's pigments, and is also called a vehicle or a base.” Such definitions encompass both mediums and gels, and the word ’mediums’ is thus the accepted term to describe both products.

There are two basic types of Atelier Mediums; Interactive Mediums and Traditional Mediums. Interactive Mediums are formulated so as to maintain or enhance the re-wetting properties of Interactive. These are specialist mediums formulated by Chroma with the unique qualities of Interactive in mind. The new mediums are all Traditional Mediums and are formulated to be used not only with Interactive but also with conventional acrylic paint. This means Traditional Gloss Medium, Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss), and Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) will possess all the qualities that traditional acrylic mediums have, including the ability to dry fast and waterproof.

Using the new mediums with Interactive will, therefore, revert Interactive to conventional acrylic paint and allow the artist to employ any technique normally done with conventional acrylic paint. Interactive users thus have the best of both worlds, being able to combine the unique properties of Interactive with the standard characteristics of acrylic paint.

Before examining what the new mediums can do it is worth reviewing some of the properties and qualities of acrylic mediums in general. By so doing the specific qualities of Traditional Gloss Medium, Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss) and Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) can be better understood as can the potential uses of each product. Mediums and gels are made of exactly the same thing, namely, acrylic polymers, which is also the substance that acrylic paint is made of. Both mediums and gels are, in actuality, acrylic paint without the pigment added, or, stated more concisely, colourless acrylic paint. It is the specific individual formulation of mediums and of gels that produces the fundamental differences between them.

The first such difference is viscosity - how thick or thin a product is. Mediums are much thinner than gels, or, put another way, the viscosity of mediums is far lower than the viscosity of gels. The basic difference between mediums and gels can be encapsulated thus; mediums are pourable while gels are not. Within each medium and gel product range, however, there are also differing degrees of viscosity.

Traditional Gloss Medium is thicker, that is, has a higher viscosity, than Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss). The former is labelled mid-viscosity while the latter is labelled low-viscosity. Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) is thinner, that is, has a lower viscosity, than Traditional Heavy Gel (Gloss). The viscosity of gel is indicated by the words Regular and Heavy. Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) has the same viscosity as Interactive and, indeed, any acrylic paint, while the viscosity of Traditional Heavy Gel (Gloss) is greater than that of acrylic paint.

A second difference is levelling, or, more technically, rheology. Rheology is the study of how substances flow. Thus, in art, levelling is concerned with how mediums and gels flow; their feel or resistance on the brush or painting knife, and how they level out on a surface when applied. A medium has a stringy, resinous quality, a bit like honey.

Both Traditional Gloss Medium and Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss) can be applied in long strokes and will flow easily from the brush. They level out to produce a smooth and even surface. Technically, this is known as Long Rheology. A gel, by contrast, has more resistance when brushed out and will retain brushstrokes. This is known as Short Rheology. The consistency of a regular gel is generally described as being akin to butter. Indeed, this is exactly how Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) is described on the label, “An acrylic gel with a smooth buttery consistency.”

Before going on to examine what exactly can be done with Traditional Gloss Medium, Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss), and Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss), some common traits should be noted. Both mediums and the gel impart a gloss finish to the paint that does, as advertised, resemble the sheen of oil paint. The products will all dry to a waterproof finish. Both mediums and the gel have a milky look but dry clear.

All products have an adhesive quality and so can be used to fix small objects and materials such as paper or fabric to the painting surface for collage, though, of course, the gel is better suited for larger or heavier objects or materials. As the mediums and the gel are, as stated above, really colourless paint composed of acrylic polymers they can be added to Interactive and to conventional acrylic paint in any amount.

Uses of Traditional Gloss Medium and Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss).
Adding just a little Traditional Gloss Medium will improve the flow of the paint without affecting viscosity or opacity to any noticeable extent. Adding a little more medium will extend the paint while retaining much of the colour strength but will, as the viscosity of the medium is lower than that of Interactive, decrease the overall viscosity. It will also promote flow and levelling. Adding yet more medium will further decrease the viscosity of the paint and progressively make it more translucent and, of course, further promote flow and levelling. Glazing techniques can easily be achieved.

The artist can choose to lay down a perfectly flat, even glaze without visible brushmarks. The use of a quality synthetic brush or sable and possibly also a blender brush should produce such a glaze without undue difficulty. Alternately, the artist can elect to allow some variation in the glaze for a more dynamic effect. The medium will accommodate either type of glaze technique. It is also possible to build up layers of glazes due to the medium drying waterproof.

Traditional Gloss Medium can also be used on its own to seal a paint layer prior to overpainting. These are just some of the many techniques or uses that are possible with the medium. Overall, Traditional Gloss Medium is an excellent all round medium eminently suitable for any style of painting.

As Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss) has the same formulation as Traditional Gloss Medium save for being low viscosity as opposed to mid viscosity, the uses noted above are equally applicable when employing this medium. However, as Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss) is lower in viscosity - thinner - than Traditional Gloss Medium, it has a slightly longer working time. While, of course, it too may be used for any type of art, Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss) is eminently suitable for realist fine art.

In portrait painting for example, this medium can be used in very thin glazes to build up flesh tones. Equally, it is excellent for delicate blending where light meets shadow on the face of the sitter. Further, many aspects of a still life or a landscape benefit from the subtle nuances of colour achievable with Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss). Incidentally, neither medium runs so it is perfectly safe to glaze while the painting surface is vertical.

Uses of Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss). As implied by the term Regular, Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) is formulated to have the same viscosity as Interactive and, indeed, any conventional acrylic paint. As such, it can be used to extend or bulk out Interactive. By mixing the right amount of gel into the paint much of the colour strength will be retained in spite of the increase in volume of the mixture.

Using up to two thirds gel to one third paint is a rough and ready formula. Interactive, as it is an artist’s quality paint, does not contain extenders or fillers. Thus, the inherent colour strength of Interactive makes it eminently suitable for extension. Gel is normally less expensive than an artist’s quality paint so this can be a useful economy measure. To use an Americanism, by employing gel as an extender you get, ‘More Bang for your Buck.‘

A further use of extension is to control or regulate translucency while retaining viscosity. By adding further amounts of gel and going beyond the point of extension for economy measures, the paint will become increasingly translucent. As there is no limit to the amount of gel that can be added to Interactive, the translucency of any colour can be changed from its original characteristic to near total translucency and to any degree in between.

Though there is some shrinkage during drying, Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) will hold moderate peaks. If more pronounced peaks and texture are desired, Traditional Heavy Gel (Gloss) or Traditional Moulding Paste can be used. Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) retains brushstrokes well and is suitable for any technique requiring expressive brushstrokes. As well as producing definite brushstrokes, Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) can also be used with a brush or painting knife to produce interesting paint texture effects. Also, using the gel on its own, a smooth or textured transparent layer can be created and then painted upon.

Possible further uses of Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) are numerous. It may be employed for glazing. A gel classified as Regular is the lowest viscosity gel and, as such, even with its Short Rheology, it is relatively easy to produce a level glaze free of brushstrokes. Much as with the Traditional Mediums, by using a quality synthetic brush, and possibly also a blender brush, the glaze can be laid perfectly flat and with an even spread of colour. Alternately, a painting knife can be employed.

Of course, if wished for, it is equally possible to create a glaze that does show brushstrokes. As stated above, the gel can act as a glue to help create a collage. Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) can be mixed with any other Traditional Medium. It can also be used mixed with moderate, though not excessive, amounts of water.

To sum up, there are really no limits to what Traditional Gloss Medium, Traditional Glazing Liquid (Gloss), and Traditional Regular Gel (Gloss) can do. Chroma’s new mediums are top quality products capable of reproducing any standard acrylic technique and more. The only real restriction as to what can be accomplished is the limit of the artist’s imagination.

I am represented by the Hawks View Gallery, Surrey, England, viewings by appointment only, Tel: 01372 372 561, Mob: 07801 267 679 at hawksview8@btinternet.com.

Some of my work will be temporarily on the web through a friend's site at www.pbase.com . I am getting my own new site built in the interim.

Young Artist making a stir in the UK

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:03:51 GMT

Do you love to paint but struggle to find a really catchy idea or subject? Being drawn to what you love and really finding out about it through research and observation and challenging stereotypes eliminates this issue. Fraser Scarfe is a young man who has put this philosophy into practice. He was inspired by the landscape around him whilst growing up in Lincolnshire and wanted to challenge its common image of being ‘flat and uninspiring’. The way that Fraser works is typical of many successful artists who use drawing as a key element in their practice, allowing them to explore ideas efficiently.

Fraser has always been drawn to painting. Since leaving school in 2005 he devoted his time to the study and practice of art, promoting the beauty of the Lincolnshire countryside. His practice is based upon a strong foundation in drawing and strict observation which aims to capture the energy and dynamism of a place. He then develops his work through paint with a focus on experience of place, and with a view to avoiding the clichés and pitfalls inherent in landscape work.

His work is so engaging that, at the age of 22 He won the “SAA Artist of the Year” award for 2008-09. Following on from his success with the SAA, he won a residency at Lincoln’s famous cathedral. The objective of his residency was to get as many people within the county involved with art as possible. 2009 saw two large community art projects, organised by Fraser in Lincolnshire that brought art to the people.

Fraser’s chosen medium is acrylic paint and he also makes it his business to explode myths and prejudices he finds in the community about the medium. Using Atelier Interactive gives him the freedom he needs to achieve the desired purpose of his work. Fraser also reaches out to people in the painting demonstrations he does, where those watching have often been full of questions.
From a recent Birmingham art show Fraser commented that ‘

'….People seem to have a pre-determined opinion of what acrylic paint is or don’t understand how to go about using it. I think the key words to get them to engage have been versatility and the ability to re-edit. When people have sat down and watched a demo they go away converted ………The ability to re-work the paint still surprises people and as with the demo in Bristol, I was painting some very simple colour blocks both with standard acrylic and interactive and then re-blending the Interactive from dry. This is a very simple exercise but it does show people in clear visual terms what the paint does. “

Participants in Birmingham responded to Fraser that,

‘The paint gives me a so much more freedom to work than I’ve had before’ and
‘This has replaced water colour for me’ – “I (Fraser)like this one!":

“There were a lot of comments of the high quality of the paint both in terms of pigment and consistency and how fun it was to use. It seems that everyone who has tried the paint has been surprised and happy with it which is really nice to hear.”

What techniques have you tried with Atelier Interactive that couldn’t have been achieved with a regular acrylic?

Can you comment on how you use drawing and observation in your work? Do you use paint for drawing? Is the initial choice of medium important for your idea?

Give me your feedback on Interactive or may be I can help answer your questions on the blog.
Don’t forget to check out Fraser’s own website www.fraserscarfe.co.uk. And tell us what you think.

Explore Acrylics

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:09:25 GMT

Lately talking to people about painting is something I've been doing a lot of. So with my team, Nicole and Frankie, we decided to build a new website because I want to demystify the process of painting and embrace the joy of creating. And through the process of exploration and experimentation, help you discover more about your painting skills and yourself.

Painting is probably the second best thing in the world that I've ever done. I love doing it. A lot of information out there these days is kinda serious. Painting to me is fun, and there is already plenty of angst in the world.

Our goal is to make a website that educates, entertains and shares information in as fun a way as possible. I don't like elitism or pretentiousness. I like the idea of standing side to side with people and throwing some paint around. It's a great thing.

I've watched a lot of people struggle with parts of their painting process over a fairly long time. It seemed to me that there were some fairly simple solutions to some of these problems. On Explore Acrylics I help you with a simple approach to the equipment you will need to get started and keep your space well set up so that when the paint starts flying around nothing will get in your way.

http://www.explore-acrylic-painting.com/painting-tools.html If you want more information on this topic take a look at my May 2011 Paint Talk article on the Chroma site, A Painter’s Space here

On Explore Acrylics I explain things like a whole host of painting techniques, what they are and how they can help you create the effects you’re after http://www.explore-acrylic-painting.com/acrylic-painting-techniques.html .

We also explore a range of mediums and help you understand where and how to use them.

http://www.explore-acrylic-painting.com/acrylic-painting-medium.html

There are free painting tutorials to help you get a handle on a set of techniques you’ll need, say to paint a beautiful sky or beach scene. We’ll add more in time.

Let us know what you think so far. about what we are addressing on the site. If I can save some people some angst or solve some problems for people, then that's great. Either click the link above or just add a comment below.

My enthusiasm is infectious- let’s get into it and have some fun!!

Mitch Demo At Frimley & Camberley Society of Arts

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:27:32 GMT

Friend of Chroma Mitch Waite recently took a break from his burgeoning business in the South of France ( www.mitch-waite.com ) to undertake a tour of many Art Societies around the UK. Here is a report from one such venue, the Frimley & Camberley Society of Arts.

It was good to see Mitch again. He had arrived in England on Wednesday, done one demo then, two on Thursday, ours today and is set for another tomorrow. Obviously a man with enviable energy. He is only in England for about 10 days this time - the work involved in painting for (and manning) his gallery in Vence means that the time he can give to demonstrations and holidays has had to be cut.

Mitch again offered us a choice out of some 15 or 20 full size (30" x 40" ) prints from photos he'd taken. We chose a view up the Quai des Etats-Unis in Nice and he clipped this to a board on one of his easels.

Mitch repeated his 2009 description of Interactive Acrylics (see here). Since he likes to paint wet-into-wet, their slower drying and revivability are invaluable.

He has two separate pots of water, one for brush-cleaning and one for painting - although he dilutes the paint hardly at all. He keeps his palette wet while he's working (and the painting as well, most of the time). For brushes he uses the best quality hogs' hair, mostly filberts - from size #12 down to about #4. His palette had been pre-loaded with enough fairly warm colour (two blues, two reds and two yellows) to last the evening, and titanium white which would need topping up more than once.

Before putting brush to canvas it's essential to decide what you are trying to do, what emotions you have about the scene. If you can't paint en plein air a little of this has been done for you by the photographer but, especially if the canvas is not the same shape as the photo, you still have to decide about cropping or adding extra space.

Here he cropped a little (top and left). Because there was no central point of interest he wanted to keep the eye circling clockwise round the picture, landing on the headland, on the people on the beach, on the walkers and back along the promenade to the starting point.

With a big brush and thin yellow paint Mitch very quickly dashed in the outlines. Then he started really scrubbing in an ultramarine blue sky (lots of white, of course), introducing more and more red and yellow as he got to the horizon.In the area of green trees he added some ochre to the sky blue, plus burnt sienna in the darker parts.

The palette may look a mess but it shows him the colours he has been using and he is usually able to pick up a mix that is just right if something needs moving a little.

Relative colour matters much more than absolute (think how the eye copes with different coloured lighting). In these early stages Mitch gets the colour he wants by looking at what is on the palette and deciding what needs to be added.

Although it inevitably leads to greys, this use of the colour circle is a vital skill.Greys are really needed here because once you have strong colours it is very difficult to adjust anything. So he added different amounts of red and yellow for the beach and the pavement and adjusted further for the hotels.

Once the white of the canvas is completely covered Mitch starts to look at smaller areas (not forgetting to keep spraying the canvas and the palette to keep it wet). This included putting some richer blue/white into the sky, pushing it down to define the tree-tops better and then immediately, with a smaller brush, blue, ochre and red, brightening and pushing the trees up again.

Although too early to get really specific, it was necessary to start thinking seriously about relations between different objects, the perspective, how vertical and horizontals relate, pulling (still wet) background in as negative space to define objects, dots for heads and quick slashes for bodies and legs and using cloth or brush to lift out lighter areas (better than piling white on top).

Notice here, after the coffee break, how both the foreground figures were raised, how a tree trunk was moved so it didn't grow out of the man's head, how the sand colour was reddened (temporarily removing some figures), how shadows were strengthened and how colours became brighter (frequent rinsing and wiping of the brush and less use of the mud on the palette).

He advises that when you look at work in progress you should deal with "errors" only in order of severity. Some are so unimportant that the viewer just wouldn't see them.Only hint at people, unless you're doing a portrait. Think back to what the picture was for and decide what is actually still needed, really needed.

He makes it look so easy - you couldn't complain at the non-stop flow of information and advice but as he made some of his apparently random dabs with the brush there must have been much more going on in his subconscious.

The painting looked fine to me, but Mitch was obviously not happy about some of the colour balances (at the very last minute he'd almost entirely re-glazed the sky, the sea-wall and parts of the beach).He planned to look at it again before deciding what, if any, extra work was needed.

For a second time he had given us a most inspiring and enjoyable evening. Thank you, Mitch!

To learn more about the Frimley & Camberley Society of Arts, please visit their website .

New Atelier Mediums!

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:01:15 GMT

Painting mediums are wonderful, and when you incorporate them into your practice you will find that you can alter and enhance the properties of paint in a myriad of ways. Determining what you want to achieve (more transparency, more texture, less sheen, less brush strokes, more working time, faster drying time, etc.) will help you decide which mediums to try. Based on numerous artists’ request, we are very excited to introduce a new range of mediums for Atelier Interactive that make traditional acrylic painting techniques even more successful, and even more fun. After all, Interactive was designed to be used by all acrylic artists, not just those who want to rework paint, and these new mediums round out the line.

By traditional, I mean standard, fast-drying techniques, such as glazing, building texture, and rapid layering. You certainly can do these techniques successfully without using any mediums, but these new mediums make the painting process much easier. These traditional mediums will make Interactive act like a conventional acrylic paint - once dry, you will not be able to get back into the layers and rework. I encourage you to try some, because although some may sound similar, they all have a different feel under the brush!

Matte, Satin and Gloss Mediums: Sometimes you may want your paint to have a particular sheen throughout a painting session - perhaps you are working plein air or "alla prima" (at one sitting). Using a medium that alters the sheen from the beginning can help you build your painting and compare color against color accurately. In addition to changing the sheen, these mid-viscosity mediums add translucency and promotes flow and leveling.

Acrylic Glazing Liquid: Glazing, the method of applying a transparent layer of paint on top of another layer of paint, is a tried and true method of painting. This low-viscosity medium is perfect for glazes, and it slightly extends open time and is waterproof when dry with an oil-like gloss sheen.

Regular Gel (Gloss and Matte): This acrylic gel medium has the smooth buttery consistency of Interactive, so it is great as a paint extender, while adjusting gloss. It be mixed with paint for translucent textural glazes, or applied directly on top of a dry paint layer for a transparent textural effect. The milky color is transparent when dry.

Heavy Gel (Gloss and Matte): This gel medium exaggerates structure and sharpens textural edges of the paint. It can be used as a very strong adhesive for bonding objects in mixed-media work. It can be mixed with the paint, overpainted once dry or applied on top of a paint layer for a translucent textural effect.

Look for (or ask for) these mediums at your neighborhood art store - they will be coming soon!

The above descriptions are merely suggested uses, as we artists like to experiment and use mediums in multiple ways. And don’t worry, you can still use all the other mediums, like Slow, Thick Slow, Clear and Unlocking Formula, in your process. For example, you could mix Satin Medium with color to create a fast drying underpainting, and then use Thick Slow Medium to give the next layers even more time to be adjusted. Or you could use Interactive mixed with Clear Painting Medium for your first few layers, and when dry, apply a coat of Gloss Medium to even out the sheen, and then add textural translucent glazes with Regular Gel (Gloss). Or you could mix Matte Medium with Interactive to make a fast-drying base coat of color, and then apply a straight layer of Heavy Gel (Matte) with a palette knife to create an interesting surface, and then apply glazes made with Slow Medium to get into all the nooks and crannies, and then some more wiped back later after spraying some Unlocking Formula on your painting. As you can imagine, the possibilities are endless!

The attached image was created using the new mediums. I made extensive use of the Acrylic Glazing Liquid in "Sonshine," and you can read about the painting’s progress here. Look for more articles and videos highlighting ways to use these mediums over the upcoming months, and be sure to tell us how you use them too!

Oiling Out for Archival Oils

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:39:18 GMT

Have you ever noticed how some areas of an oil painting may appear “sunk” or go dull weeks after they are finished? This is a common issue with oil painting yet much neglected technicality in modern painting knowledge. There is a process called “Oiling Out” which rectifies this and is best undertaken before varnishing a fully cured painting,

“Sinking” in colour happens when lower layers of an oil painting or its support are more absorbent than the upper layers. So, this “dullness” is caused by insufficiently prepared supports, or little or no medium mixed in with the oil paint.

As the painting dries, the oil in the upper layers drains out of the top layers to the lower layers or ground. As this occurs, the oil paint closer to the surface becomes “rough”. If you imaging it in detail cross-section, think of it as pin holes appearing in the paint surface. Vapourisation of the oil mediums also results in an uneven oil paint film which is “rough”, where pin holes are left in the upper layers leading to the lower levels of the painting.

Dullness is caused because light reflectance is lowered on rough surfaces, more so than from smoother ones which produce greater sheen. The aim of “oiling out” is to fill these holes and restore a smooth surface which unifies sheen within the paint colour. In addition “oiling out” provides a thin layer of protection prior to varnishing the fully dried painting. If and when varnish needs to be removed to clean a painting at a later date, it can safely be done without removing any paint.

With traditional techniques linseed oil has been used for “oiling out”, which however tends to yellow. Neither should linseed oil be used with Archival paints as it introduces yet another element which is more brittle than its underlying structure. For traditional oil painting techniques Heat Treated Linseed oil (faster drying) may be used mixed with 50% solvent which will reduce the tendency to yellowing. Alkyd mediums of any type, including Archival Fat, Lean or Classic are not suitable for this process.

Chroma recommends using the Archival Odourless Solvent for oiling out Archival Oil paintings. After the paint surface is dry, moisten a rolled up wad of clean cloth and rub over the surface of painting. Excess may be wiped off It may be gently wiped off. it may be necessary to repeat this process a few days after or again a third time. A single layer of solvent rub is also a good way to lubricate the top and edges of a painting, bringing back the “wet” colour, to match fresh paint into.

Try this process on your work between layers to help match colours or after dry its dry and see the difference. It’s a really good way to prepare paintings for exhibition when you don’t have the drying time to varnish them in. Remember to wait between 3-6 months before varnishing a painting. Post stories and images of your experiences here.

Acknowledgment to www.peggyflanders.com/Information/oiling_out.htm, accessed on 11-10-2011 as technical reference.

Paint Talk Gallery 2011 & 2012

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:36:21 GMT

The paint talk Gallery so far this year and during 2010 attracted a fantastic variety of work.We at Chroma are very gratified when work is shared freely in this way. It enriches us all in our creative journeys when amateur and professional artists alike contribute to the pages in the spirit of commraderie and exchange of ideas.

We want to encourage this further so have decided to open a new gallery for the remainder of this year. The 2010 gallery is now closed for comments but you can still view works in the gallery as before. The head line image comes from Western Australian artists Jean and June Pastore whose work has ventured into the experimental this year. They create in mix media and glass using Jo Sonja’s acrylic paints. Further details about their work and images can be viewed in the first entry below.

Mixing Colour Part II

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:19:32 GMT

The previous article we hadn't even dished up any paint. This time we are actually going to put some paint out. There is a couple of things that we need to look at:

Let’s set ourselves up so that the process of moving paint around is as easy as possible. We've touched on looking at setting ourselves up so that we can stay in “the zone”. We are going to stay in that theme, but we are going to look at it in greater detail. We'll look at our working space and our table. This time we are actually going to look at where we put our paint; how that helps us with the process of mixing colours.

Let's start with the palette. I mentioned that big is good, and that having a back up palette/s is a good thing. This is something that needs to be taken into consideration when working with acrylics - it can make or break the process. Most of us have some form of pot or tub in which to wash our brushes. Have a look at yours. How big is it? In this case, size does matter. (Sorry gentlemen).

Imagine for a moment that you're engrossed in a particularly intricate part of your painting. You're completely in the zone. Paint is flying off your brush; you're not thinking what you are doing. You need a ?ash of a particular colour. You still need to use the brush that you’re using now. You put it into your paint pot to quickly clean it. You drag your brush out, stick it in the colour and........MUD!!!!!!!!

A large pot allows you to clean out your brushes repeatedly, without the colours tainting the water. It is very frustrating having to go back and clean out your pot every 5 minutes; but nowhere near as frustrating as Fixing the mess you just made. My advice is, if you can comfortably carry a 44 gallon drum, that is possibly a good place to start. Seriously though, I use a 4L bucket; one that is deep enough to hold plenty of water, but not so deep that I belt my hands on the sides. It is vital when being particular about mixing colours, that you can control every possible tint or hue that may alter the colour you are striving for.

You need to eliminate contaminants to your colour. A small pot will pollute quickly and will taint your paintings. The more water you have in your pot, the more dilute the muddy water will be, therefore the less likely it will be to taint.

Whenever I run an art class, the students all love to play a game. They love to roll their eyes every time I say “pretend someone else is paying for the paint”. DO NOT PLACE A PEA SIZED DROP OF PIGMENT ONTO YOUR TINY PAPER PLATE PALETTE. Again, size does matter in this case. Placing tiny amounts of paint onto an inadequate sized palette is guaranteed to have me do that thing where twitch uncontrollably, mutter and mumble in a corner, prior to breaking something (usually the palette). Dish out more paint than you think you need. Almost certainly you will still find yourself dishing out more, eventually. For me the process of painting on its own is enjoyable; but let's face it, completing a painting that I'm proud of is a big part of the buzz. I believe you can't do that if you are constantly struggling between your creative and your logical brain.

Dishing up more paint than you think you need, and in fact mixing more colour than you think you need, will stop that jarring sensation where you are brought back into reality because you've run out of a colour. Having lots of paint out is a bit like going into an exam fully prepared & having the answers at your fingertips. (TIP: When I use acrylics, I waste much less paint because I use the Atelier Interactive range. Being able to reactivate and re-work the paint gives you time and opportunity that you may not otherwise have got). Of course, working with oils, it is slightly less important because a little paint can go a lot further. And of course, the slow drying time means your concerns about conservation are less immediate. You can wake up tomorrow morning and push the oils around again. I've devised a system which allows me to keep my acrylics moist and accessible for days. This of course makes it easier to justify dishing out large amounts of paint.

Almost time to mix colour. I dish out paints in a particular order; and for most colours, use a cool and warm version. For example, with the Atelier Interactive series, I use Ultramarine Blue and Pthalo Blue. Warm and cool. I use Cadmium Yellow Medium, and Cadmium Yellow Light (warm and cool). Cadmium Red and Alizarin (warm and cool). I will have each of these colours side by side. For my less experienced students, I will often mark on the palette in chalk, lines extending down from each colour. (This works well for very simple pieces). I encourage them to mix all the cool red colours, in the cool red column. All the colours that tend towards a warm red are in the warm red column. Etc, etc. Having a big palette makes this strategy easier.

Managing your palette is vital. You either need to organise it well, or have an excellent memory. Marking out your palette with chalk lines can possibly seem a little pedantic - but it does teach you to keep all of your colours in precise places. One of the benefits of this, is that if you do happen to mix a new colour over the top of something such that the paint is reactivated, it is not so far from the colour you are attempting to create, that it pollutes it entirely. I'm probably not the person to say this, but mixing colours requires some organisation; and using some of the strategies that I've mentioned go some way to doing that.

Next issue we are going to go further into detail of mixing colour and managing the process using the chalk lines.

Mono Printing with Lynn Norris

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 02:20:44 GMT

When one thinks of printing we usually think of etchings, aquatints or lithographs that require specialized equipment, hazardous chemicals and most importantly a press. However there are many techniques that can be done simply, quickly and are great fun. Artist Lynn Norris from the U.K shows how you can take the mystery out of printing and produce lovely work. This demonstration is accessible to everyone; pressing is done with the hand and uses paint rather than inks.

Lynn sent us the following demonstration to share with our Chroma viewers:

Equipment

1. You will need Atelier Interactive Acrylics, a couple of acrylic brushes, Atelier Interactive spray mist with water, Palette, water spray, some kitchen towel or tissue and an orange stick or twig.

2. You will also require a piece of hot press water colour paper and a shiny surface to mono print off. This can be done on glass, perspex or plastic. I created mine by laminating a piece of white card and masking a taped square on the card as a guide to where I would paint.

Process

3. Apply the paint onto the shiny surface, create interesting brush marks, this is what makes an interesting print, apply the paint quite thickly to cover the surface. If you apply less thickly you will see different affects with the paint, it will be a lot more transparent on the print.

4. Use the tissue and stick to create marks in the paint, the tissue and stick can be dampened to lift off paint or blend.You can also over paint areas to create more texture, I’ve done this with the coastal area in the distance.

5. When you are ready to print, remove the masking tape guide, this will give you a nice clean edge. Then lightly spritz the paint with the water spray. You want a very fine mist coating over all the paint to reactivate any which may be drying.

7. Apply the paper directly over the top of the paint being careful not to move the paper once applied, (otherwise this will create a smudging). Using the bottom part of your palm where you thumb meets your hand, apply a firm pressure and use circular motions to go over all of the painting, take your time and hold the print and paper with your other hand to steady everything.

8. Peel your completed print off the mono printing surface. Peel carefully and gradually, taking a little peek as you go. If not enough paint has transferred, carefully place the corner back and apply more pressure. This takes practice so don’t be disheartened if it does not go right straight away.

Lynn has her own website at www.lynnnorris.co.uk

or Contact Lynn at lynn.norris@talktalk.net

Focus On Flesh

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:10:03 GMT

There are so many ways to interpret and to represent the many colors of flesh. Ask 10 artists, and each will have a different palette and approach. For this portrait study, I decided to use a traditional method, called “the Flemish Technique.” This technique is based on ways that Flemish painters in the 14th -16th century developed highly realistic paintings using egg tempera, and later, oil paints. It is easily adaptable for acrylics, and this painting was created using Atelier Interactive Acrylics.

The Flemish Technique is also called “7-Layer Technique,” because it traditionally incorporated 7 layers, or steps. The steps are the initial drawing; the “imprimatura” or value washes; the umber layer for shadows; the dead layer for values; 1-2 opaque layers of color; and the final layers of transparent glazes and opaque highlights. Since Interactive dries quickly, but still gives me time to soften edges, it’s a great medium for this technique.

First I did a drawing (called a cartoon) the same size as my surface. I used graphite for my drawing on Strathmore Drawing paper. When I was happy with my drawing, I applied charcoal on the back, and transferred the drawing to the surface by tracing the major lines and shapes with a sharp pencil. Because Flemish paintings are typically very smooth, I used an Ampersand Gessoboard for my surface.

I next established values by using a mixture of Raw Umber and Titanium White, using Clear Painting Medium to create a mid-viscosity paint. I combined the 2nd and 3rd steps (the imprimatura and the umber shadow layers) because in this particular painting, it made sense. And after all, I am a contempory 21st painter – not a 16th century painter!

For the dead layer, I used Naples Yellow, Light Red Ochre, French Ultramarine Blue, Raw Umber and Titanium White. My goal was to create a painting that was complete in its tonal values, with minimal color. By focusing on value, I was able to concentrate on getting the subtle tonal shifts correct without worrying about color. I found I had to add a bit of color, because in this portrait study of my son, he looked so “dead” in the dead layer that a bit of color added some more life! I used Clear Painting Medium for my mixtures, and once it was dry, I sealed this underpainting with a coat of Atelier Matte Medium so I would have a flat painting surface for the next steps.

The next steps were my favorite ones – adding transparent color glazes, scumbles and opaque highlights. If you follow the steps and developed a solid underpainting, this is when your painting comes to life, fairly quickly. I used the new Atelier Glazing Liquid for my glazes, with Tinting White, Permanent Alizarine, Transparent Yellow, Burnt Sienna, Arylamide Yellow Deep, Cadmium Red Light (Scarlet), Light Red Ochre, Raw Umber, Jaune Brillant, French Ultramarine Blue, Toning Grey Pinkish and Transparent Red Oxide. The Toning Grey Pinkish and Jaune Brillant worked particularly well for my 18-month old son’s skin tones, and are well suited for that rosy glow in all colors of flesh. As you can tell from the list, these colors are a mix of transparent, semi-transparent and opaque colors. With the Atelier Glazing Liquid, the glazes and scumbles dried fast and did not lift when I applied another glaze on top. All I need to do now is varnish this painting (probably a Satin or Gloss) and it is good to go!

The Flemish Technique is just one approach to painting flesh. At times, I’ll use a limited palette of Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Medium and French Ultramarine Blue for quick alla prima studies, while at other times I use my full spectrum Impressionist palette of Titanium White, Transparent Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Indian Yellow, Transparent Perinone Orange, Cadmium Red Medium, Cadmium Red Light (Scarlet), Permanent Alizarine, Quinacridone Magenta, Quinacridone Red-Violet, Dioxazine Purple, French Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Permanent Green Light, Permanent Sap Green, and Yellow Ochre, building up through complimentary colors. To read more about other artists’ palettes and approaches, click here.

So go ahead and try new approach to flesh tones, and post your colors - and your paintings – here!

Magic of Mediums: Modelling Compound

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:25:15 GMT

One of the reasons I paint with Atelier Interactive is because there is a range of mediums that I can use in order to create a certain effect or achieve a certain look. Modelling Compound is one such medium, and whenever I am looking to make a strong textural statement, it’s my medium of choice.

Modelling Compound is a very thick, textural paste that is flexible and is used to create strong textural interest at any stage in a painting’s process. It is white and dries white. This mixture is normally applied with a palette knife. It can be mixed directly with Interactive or it can be applied directly to your surface and painted on. If you mix Interactive with Modelling Compound, it can affect your values because it is white. It is considered a traditional medium, which means that if you mix it directly with Atelier Interactive, you will not be able to reopen your touch-dry paint.

“Blueberry Muffin” used Modelling Compound directly mixed with the paint, and was applied with a palette knife. This is of my favorite paintings, inspired by Wayne Thiebaud’s famous cake paintings. Because the freshly baked pastry was so appealing, I wanted to have a painting that would reference the muffin’s crumbly texture. I used lighter colors, like Thiebaud, that became even lighter in value when I mixed them with the Modelling Compound.

Another painter from the United Kingdom, Tony Hogan, used Modelling Compound to establish an underlying structure at the beginning of his painting of a wave. As the painting progressed, he used Modelling Compound to create depth, and even at the end of the painting, he added some for a bit of foam. You can see the step-by-step progress of this painting on his website here.

Try using a bit of Modelling Compound in your next painting – you will not be disappointed!

Magic of Mediums: Clear Painting Medium

Tue, 31 May 2011 13:10:29 GMT

The magic of mediums is that there is a painting medium for just about every type of application, especially with acrylics. Want to paint very texturally? Impasto Gel or Modelling Compound. Want matte paint? Matte Medium & Varnish. Need more working time? Slow or Thick Slow Medium. But sometimes you’ll find that there is one medium that you use, time and time again. For me, the workhorse in my studio is the Clear Painting Medium.

I love this medium. Why? I just love how it makes Interactive feel – it’s a creamy mid-viscosity medium and when added to the paint, Interactive becomes very easy to apply. The paint goes on smoothly and sensuously, and it adds just enough working time for my style – not too much, not too little. After all, one of the reasons I paint with acrylics is because they dry quickly, so I can layer and progress in a relatively fast manner. The Clear Painting Medium works great for glazing, as well as for wet-over-dry applications, which is a traditional acrylic technique. An added bonus – it works great with other professional acrylics too.

Early Evening, Summer , is a recent painting of mine, and I used the Clear Painting Medium extensively in this piece. This is 24 x 36 on canvas, and was painted in my very hot studio, which means Interactive was drying very fast because of the warm air and fan! In the first stage, I added a liberal amount of medium to the paint on my palette so I could block in the major light and dark masses. Next, I added it to the color mixtures so I could establish my values and local color. Then, as I was adjusting each mass for warm and cool temperatures and to adjust values, I would often apply some paint, and then dip my brush into the medium to help extend it and merge the edges. I also applied medium to my painting first, and then painted into the couch to get very soft transitions of color. Because the Clear Painting Medium is a mid-viscosity medium, it does not drip. I used it in the last stages for glazing, using about 80-90% medium to 10% paint. If my glaze was too strong, a little spritz of water and I was able to wipe the glaze back and soften it, too.

This wet-over-dry painting technique, using medium to help blend and fuse the edges, worked great in the water reflections and in the background trees, where I wanted a soft look. By using the Clear Painting Medium, I avoided having the sharp edges that are often a characteristic of a fast-dry acrylic painting. Of course, if I decided that I could best adjust the color by working wet-in-wet, I used the water sprayer and was able to blend the colors together.

If you are looking for a new go-to medium, the one you can always count on, try the Clear Painting Medium. I bet it will quickly become a favorite of yours, too!

A Painter’s Space

Wed, 25 May 2011 03:22:16 GMT

Painting and colour mixing can be a ”can of worms”. We are going to start at the very beginning and I will suggest how to set up a couple of physical structures to make the process a lot easier. Hopefully we will diminish some of the fear and mystique around mixing paint and give your creativity space.

Firstly we need to address our work area. Some of us have the luxury of a large workspace in which we are free to make as much mess as we want, throwing paint around. Even if you don’t have your ideal space, my point is to remove some of the internal background chatter by taking the time to make one that frees you from concerns about making a mess so that you can paint freely. Throw down some old carpet. Hang up a sheet. Annoying and time consuming as it may be, creating a "free" workspace for me is worth it.

Lighting is a big subject and it is important because light effects colour. It’s as simple as that. A piece I placed in the Southern Cross Arts Festival was turned what I thought was a horrific purple, by the lights. Admittedly I had used plenty of French ultramarine and Dioxazine Purple through the painting, but the effects the light had on it were astounding. I was terribly disappointed with how it appeared and was completely surprised when it won something!

Try and set up your work space where there is fairly consistent lighting throughout the day, and avoid harsh direct light. If I work at night I try to leave the completion of the painting until the next day or do work that is not light critical.

Now lets look at the your paints, what have you got? Microscopic tubes of a range of obscure colours that are half empty? The first suggestion with mixing colours is to keep your palette simple. Choose a selection of colours that meets your needs and work with them until you understand all of their properties and characteristics.

I work with Atelier Interactive when using acrylics and Chroma Archival Oils when using oils and know pretty much what they will do when I add almost any of the colours. This is because I keep my palette simple and work almost exclusively with my selection. The fact that the Interactive paints remain workable for much longer than other acrylics, keeps the process even simpler than it once was.

Generally my palette is as follows and is set up in order from right to left:
Titanium White, Alizarin, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Forest Green, Pthalo Blue, French Ultramarine, Dioxazine Purple, Burnt Umber.The next thing to consider is to purchase decent sized tubes or pots. Mixing colours is mind bendingly frustrating when you just need a touch of ???? and you can't scrape up the tiniest hint. I like the Atelier Interactive range because it gives you more time working with acrylics (you can actually spray mist on the palette which is absorbed into the paints), particularly on a hot dry day. Have lots of paint at your disposal.

Palettes are possibly one of the most important points. Big is better, and three is better than one, and by big I mean 50 cm x 70 cm or bigger. Don’t get caught, like I have seen happen to people a million times, attempting to mix a beautiful clean colour and disaster, …the edge of the brush touches a lump of pigment and ... gone. You were so close to having that mix perfect. That feeling of being "in the zone" is gone.

I use one palette for setting out paints and often a couple of spares, which I use only for mixing colour so that I can quickly move large amounts of paint around without fear of contamination.
Lastly for brushes, I use a small selection of chisels (2,4,6,8,10, 12 and a couple of house paint brushes). Have an entire selection of your brushes in reserve, and have them within arms reach. The first thing I do before I begin painting is to have a look at the state of them and condemn all dodgy ones to the local school. I like to have them within arms reach so I can change brushes quickly without thinking too much.

These are all things to consider before attempting to even make a mark. Some of them may seem pointless and overly pedantic and some of my suggestions may not suit because of space, cash or time constraints, but do your best. It will help, I promise. This whole process is designed to have you feeling freer and in greater control.

Mark Waller is doing a workshop which is coming up on June 4, 2011. 9.30-4pm at Lennox Art Space, next to the butcher's in Lennox Head. Cost is $110 for a day of tuition. Click here for more detail.

Courageous Color

Tue, 03 May 2011 16:44:14 GMT

It’s easy to get into a rut when choosing colors for a painting. After all, there is something to be said for using the same colors, so you know exactly what to mix in order to achieve the combination you need. But if you are finding your paintings are getting a bit stale, or you want to stretch yourself, simply changing the colors you use can be a great exercise.

For example, in the Archival Oil and Atelier Interactive range, there are 11 colors of a red hue, not including earth tones. Many artists paint with a split primary palette (2 of each primary, each with a warm or cool temperature). Simply replacing 1 of your reds will result in a host of new oranges, violets and other toned mixtures. Furthermore, you will learn more about how the pigments, and color itself, operate in the real world of painting.

The earliest colors were based on inorganic elements from the earth, stones and natural elements. Colors such as Burnt Sienna, Indian Red Oxide, Light Red Ochre and Vermillion can all be used for “red.” These reds do not have the intensity associated with modern pigments, but are part of the “classical palette” that was prevalent up until the mid-19th century.

During the time of the Industrial Revolution, new colors were made based on metals, like cadmium, cobalt and chromium. These colors are more intense than those based on inorganic elements. In the hands of the Impressionists through the colorists of today, these colors help capture the natural effects of light. Some choice reds are Cadmium Red (Scarlett), Cadmium Red Medium and Permanent Alizarine.

Developments in technology during the 20th and 21st century have created new pigments. These “organic” pigments, based on carbon, are highly intense as well as transparent. Colors with names such as quinacridone, arylamides, pthalos, dioxazine and napthol are of this era. These colors have an additional tendency to keep their intensity (or chroma) even when mixed, unlike the older colors, which shift in value and intensity. This knowledge is very helpful if one wants to make a color that is light in value but with a high intensity. Quinacradone Magenta or Napthol Red Light plus Titanium White would create such a color, but Cadmium Red Light or Vermilion would not.

When it comes to using Black, did you know that there is a delicious family of toned blacks? Green Black, Blue Black, Red Black, Brown Black – any of these will give your shades more depth and work beautifully for chiaroscuro effects.

So for your next painting, try some new colors – you will be glad you did!

Chroma Demonstrations

Tue, 03 May 2011 07:02:57 GMT

Have you ever found yourself searching around for the right medium or paint to give a specific effect to your work? Here at Chroma, we go out into the art community to share our manufacturer’s materials knowledge that assist artists in all stages of their creative process. At art schools, art societies and shops we give many demonstrations to help in the materials learning which may otherwise take years of experience to acquire.

As specialists in the performance of paint and mediums, we receive many enquiries from individuals about the ways in which a particular product will work. A more time effective way for artists to build up knowledge of the materials they work with is by attending demonstrations.

These can be tailored to the medium or information type that your group is most interested in.

During a typical demonstration topics such as ground preparation, curing, use of mediums, paint quality and composition and varnishing can be covered. We engage artists who have been trained in the use of our products and are familiar with different painting techniques. They are able to take participants across a range of issues in relation to their art work. These sessions also give students and artists the chance to ask questions about different processes and get to know lines of product that they may not have purchased or experienced.

If you feel your group, school or retail outlet could benefit from a demonstration you can request one through this blog. Similarly if you have experienced a Chroma sponsored demonstration, we are always looking for feedback and would love it if you join in the discussion below. You can also the relevant offices in either the United States, UK or Australia; the contacts and the contacts tab can be found at the bottom of this page.

Magic of Mediums: Image Transfers

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:19:08 GMT

In recent workshops, I’ve led artists in a series of exercises exploring acrylic mediums in traditional, as well as non-traditional, ways. In the simplest terms, mediums generally are added to paint, added to the surface or applied on top of paint. Mediums enhance or alter the properties of acrylic paint, and there are many exciting ways to use them!

One of the techniques that I taught, and the one that I received the most questions about, was using Atelier Mediums to create image transfers. Image transfers are a process of getting ink absorbed into an acrylic film. Most printed or toner-based images can transfer. Newspaper, magazine and computer laser (not ink jet) prints work well. Some things like newspaper, laser print and old catalogs on uncoated paper will transfer directly without the need of a photocopy, but some images such as photographs and coated magazine pages will need to be photocopied. Because of all the variables involved (such as image type, surface and medium) transfers are not always clean. Instead, being open to the process gives one freedom to explore and manipulate the beauty of the transferred image. Be sure to use your own images, or ones that are in the public domain, to avoid any copyright issues.

Transfers work with a variety of mediums. The ones I like the best are Binder Medium, Matte Medium/Varnish, Impasto Gel and Modelling Compound. I encourage you to experiment with these mediums to discover what you like best, as each has its own features. The Binder Medium works quickly; the Matte Medium/Varnish creates an almost invisible transfer; the Impasto Gel is more translucent but textural; and the Modelling Compound is textural and dries white. How long you wait before removing the image, and the image itself, are all factors in the success of the transfer.

To apply an image directly to a surface, use Binder Medium, Matte Medium/Varnish, Impasto Gel or Modelling Compound

Apply your chosen medium directly to your surface using a brush or palette knife. If you are using a heavier medium like Impasto Gel or Modelling Compound, you do not want the medium to be too thin or too thick, about 1/16-1/8” is good. The more medium you use, the more opaque the transfer will be. I find that brushing horizontally and then vertically helps to eliminate brushstrokes. I also use my fingers to smooth these heavy mediums out.
Closely cut out the image you want to transfer. Remember to flip (make a mirror image) of any text you want to read correctly.
Apply the image face down into the wet medium and smooth it out so you don’t have wrinkles. Try to leave an edge that is not in medium, so you have something to pull when it comes time to remove the paper.
Let dry. Binder Medium and Matte Medium/Varnish dry in about 15-30 minutes, while Impasto Gel and Modelling Compound dry in 8-24 hours. (The Impasto Gel will be clear when dry). Using hairdryers to force dry does not produce good results. Only time does.
If you have an edge, pull to remove as much of the paper backing as possible. Do not be discouraged if not a lot comes off! That is normal.
Wet the paper backing. I often apply a wet (not dripping) washcloth and let it sit on the paper for a bit, or use a water sprayer to wet the paper. Next, very carefully begin to rub the paper away with your fingers in a circular motion. Apply more water as needed to remove the paper backing. As the water dries, you’ll see a white haze where some of the paper is left behind. Let the transfer dry, and repeat the process until you don’t feel any more paper.

To create a separate transferred element to be collaged, use Impasto Gel:

Apply Impasto Gel directly on top of the printed image using a brush as described above. Using this method, you won’t need to reverse any text.
Let dry overnight (about 8-24 hours). The gel will be clear when dry.
Wet the paper backing and remove as described above.

Commissions, a working methodology

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:18:40 GMT

Many artists are often asked by friends or through referrals to paint commissions of specific subjects. Negotiating that area between artistic expression, visual license and expectation when painting for a client with a specific idea, can be tricky. Stress commonly accompanies art making when the artist is mindful of the need to produce something pleasing to the client. Colin Christie, UK artist, recently sent us a description of his working methodology for landscape commissions which he has developed so that the painting process is stress free.

The brief for this commission was to produce a painting of his client's yacht set in their favourite bay on the west coast of Scotland.

The first task is always creating a pencil sketch of a pleasant composition but to develop it in such a way that it makes a convincing view of the subject. Getting the scale of the yacht right here in relation to the landscape was achieved by tracing and reworking an actual photo of the yacht in an initial pencil outline on top of the landscape sketch and then transferring it to a pencil sketch on canvas.

This is then followed by a pastel colour sketch to determine the colours to be used in the painting. He uses this method as the quickest way to work out colour relationships, saving a lot of time when the major painting begins.

Following this, step 3 is to create a slightly more detailed colour painting to present to the client as the basis for the major work.

Colin has written,

“The ability of Interactive Acrylics to be reworked by re-moistening saves so much time compared with traditional acrylics……. I can slow up, rework, work additional colours into a section, wipe off if I want. It's very liberating not to feel driven by the paint.
I (used to) do an acrylic under painting to work out all the compositional and colour problems and then complete the work in oils. However, since starting to use Interactive Acrylics I have found the need for an oil finish to be diminishing. Not only are the pigments so good but the flow of the paint allows a great deal more fluidity - the fluidity I used to require oils for.”

After viewing the preliminary painting the client wanted a change in the yacht's presentation. To work out this change in the angle of the yacht, Colin went back to step 1, doing a fairly technical construction to get the angles sorted out, before transferring the amended and enlarged pencil sketch to the final board, 500 x 600mm, gessoed in a warm black ground.It helps a great deal in the final resolution to know that most of the compositional and colour problems have already been resolved.

About Atelier Interactive acrylics Colin says, ” I am also extremely impressed with the colour range. I can develop my pastel sketches safe in the knowledge that I can get the same tones and hues from the paint - Interactive Acrylics are now a core element in my working process.”

Further examples of Colin’s work and contact details can be found in Chroma’s News and Events section,

http://www.chromaonline.com/news_events

or Chroma Teacher’s site,

http://www.chromaonline.com/teachers/colin_christie

We’d love to hear from you about your experiences of doing commissions and thoughts on the process. Add a comment below.

Going Green!

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:40:07 GMT

With spring just around the corner here in the USA, I thought it was a good time to address the subject of “green” in regards to colors. As a landscape painter, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of greens out there. But with careful observation, and a few general guidelines, it’s easy to get the green you need.

As you probably remember from early painting days, blue and yellow, when mixed, make green. However, what green you get will depend on what blue and what yellow you use. Pigments are what gives paint its color, and each pigment has its own particular tendency towards being “warm” or “cool.” You can determine what pigments are used in Archival Oils or Atelier Interactive be looking at the back of the tube, or on a color chart. The pigments are denoted by a standard code: PY. # (yellow pigments), PB. # (blue pigments), etc. Each number stands for an individual pigment. Some yellow and blue pigments (and therefore paint color) have a bias towards red or orange, leaning towards the warm side of the color wheel. Other yellow or blue pigments have a bias towards the cooler side of the color wheel, and lean towards green or violet.

So what does this mean? In practical terms, it means that if you choose a warm blue and a warm yellow, you will get a warm green. If you choose a cool blue and a cool yellow, you will get a cool green. But if you mix a warm blue and a cool yellow, or a cool blue and a warm yellow, you will get a duller, muddier green.

For example, French Ultramarine Blue is a warm blue, Cadmium Yellow Medium is a warm yellow, Pthalo Blue is a cool blue, and Cadmium Yellow Light is a cool yellow. When I physically mix French Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Yellow Medium, I get a range of warm greens. Mixing Pthalo Blue and Cadmium Yellow Light gives me a range of cool greens. When I mix French Ultramarine Blue and Cadmium Yellow Light, I get green but it is duller and not as intense, because I am mixing a warm and cool color. By looking carefully at your subject, and determining its color temperature, you can figure out what colors to use.

You can also get a wonderful range of earth greens by mixing black and any yellow. Yellow Ochre and Carbon Black or Mars Black create muted greens often found in nature. If you create a mixed green that is too punchy, try adding a bit of its compliment to tone it down.

And don't forget about using a convenience color! Although mixing your own greens is a good way to achieve color harmony and to learn your palette, Archival Oils and Atelier Interactive offer a wide range of greens, including Permanent Green Light, Permanent Sap Green, Olive Green, Cobalt Green, Cobalt Green Hue, Forest Green, Chromium Green Oxide, Terre Verte and Pthalo Green. There is also Green Black, a beautiful toned black. These greens can be a great starting point, and can be modulated by adding yellow or blue.

So this spring, experiment with mixing your own greens, or try a new tube of green. Be sure to post your results here – we’d love to see your work!