1. Binder & Filler / Extender
Acrylic paint uses acrylic as its binder. An extender for acrylic paint
is called an acrylic gel medium or acrylic polymer emulsion. The
extender has a milky white appearance that disappears when dry, leaving a
gloss or matte finish to the pigment. Water can also be used as an
extender. With an extender, the drying time increases.
2. How do I thin this paint? (Opacity / translucency).
The acrylic paint is water-based, it can be thinned by adding water. Though water reduces the intensity of pigment, and the paint tends to be more transparent. There are also different types of acrylic mediums in matte, glossy, or satin. Use mediums to change the transparency, viscosity and surface shine.
3. What is the best / most common surface to work on? Does this need to be treated / primed?
For acrylic, surfaces like canvas, paper, wood, de-greased leather, MDF board, or anything which is neither greasy nor too glossy will work. These should be primed with acrylic gesso.
4. Best brushes to use.
Fine-haired, natural hair brushes (hog, badger, horse, goat, human and sable, etc.) when doing detailed work are best for acrylic. Remember to clean your brushes! Acrylic paint dries and becomes plastic (acrylic!), so you do not want the acrylic paint to dry on your brush. While painting, use water to rehydrate and clean off your brushes. When finished with your brushes from a session, clean them with soap and water. There are also brush cleaners in art stores.
5. Different techniques for painting in acrylic.
There are different mediums and additives you can add to acrylic paint. Some include matte, gloss or glazing medium, a gel medium (which is paste-like and will thicken the paint), retarding medium, flow improver, and texture/modeling paste. With texture paste, you can build up a relief and imitate certain textures like sand. You can mix in sand, sawdust, or anything you wish. It can be used in collage as well.
OIL
1. Binder & Filler / Extender
Oil has many different binders, the most common being linseed oil.
2. How do I thin this paint? (opacity / translucency)
Turpentine or similar mediums like linseed oil. For a more opaque color, add loose pigment.
3. What is the best surface to work on? Does this need to be treated or primed?
Stretched canvases work as well as many other surfaces like, wood panels, MDF board, and canvas board. You need to prime the surface to give the painting a foundation and to have it last long. You can use acrylic gesso primer or solvent based primer: oil painting primer.
4. Best brushes to use.
Clean your brushes with turpentine or linseed oil. When using linseed oil keep it in a sealed jar and make sure you shut it tightly. Keep from shaking it too much so that the paint settles at the bottom as well. You can change it about every two weeks depending on how often it is used.
When disposing of the oil DO NOT DUMP IT DOWN THE DRAIN. There are special ways it must be dispensed.
5. Different techniques for painting in oil.
Some techniques include using palette knives, rags to create texture, or you can use the technique of scumbling (applying a fine layer of paint with a very dry brush).
WATERCOLOR
1. Binder & Filler, Extender
Natural gum arabic can be used as a binder for watercolor.
2. How do I thin this paint? (opacity & translucency)
To thin watercolor, just add water until you've reached your desired translucency. Adding more pigment will increase the opacity.
3. What is the best surface to work on? Does it need to be primed or treated?
Paper chosen for watercolor will have an effect on the finished piece. The weight and surface of the paper will determine its characteristics and behavior. Priming the paper is/can be necessary when working with excess moisture (water), so that there is a strong support for the piece. Although, priming changes the texture and absorbancy of the paper. There are watercolor papers sold as well.
4. Best brushes to use.
Natural sable hair. Generic sable work as well.
5. Different techniques for painting in watercolor.
Some techniques include, wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, there are different ways to lay down washes, and salt texture, but there are many more techniques out there to use with watercolor.
3. What is the best / most common surface to work on? Does this need to be treated / primed?
For acrylic, surfaces like canvas, paper, wood, de-greased leather, MDF board, or anything which is neither greasy nor too glossy will work. These should be primed with acrylic gesso.
4. Best brushes to use.
Fine-haired, natural hair brushes (hog, badger, horse, goat, human and sable, etc.) when doing detailed work are best for acrylic. Remember to clean your brushes! Acrylic paint dries and becomes plastic (acrylic!), so you do not want the acrylic paint to dry on your brush. While painting, use water to rehydrate and clean off your brushes. When finished with your brushes from a session, clean them with soap and water. There are also brush cleaners in art stores.
5. Different techniques for painting in acrylic.
There are different mediums and additives you can add to acrylic paint. Some include matte, gloss or glazing medium, a gel medium (which is paste-like and will thicken the paint), retarding medium, flow improver, and texture/modeling paste. With texture paste, you can build up a relief and imitate certain textures like sand. You can mix in sand, sawdust, or anything you wish. It can be used in collage as well.
OIL
1. Binder & Filler / Extender
Oil has many different binders, the most common being linseed oil.
2. How do I thin this paint? (opacity / translucency)
Turpentine or similar mediums like linseed oil. For a more opaque color, add loose pigment.
3. What is the best surface to work on? Does this need to be treated or primed?
Stretched canvases work as well as many other surfaces like, wood panels, MDF board, and canvas board. You need to prime the surface to give the painting a foundation and to have it last long. You can use acrylic gesso primer or solvent based primer: oil painting primer.
4. Best brushes to use.
Clean your brushes with turpentine or linseed oil. When using linseed oil keep it in a sealed jar and make sure you shut it tightly. Keep from shaking it too much so that the paint settles at the bottom as well. You can change it about every two weeks depending on how often it is used.
When disposing of the oil DO NOT DUMP IT DOWN THE DRAIN. There are special ways it must be dispensed.
5. Different techniques for painting in oil.
Some techniques include using palette knives, rags to create texture, or you can use the technique of scumbling (applying a fine layer of paint with a very dry brush).
WATERCOLOR
1. Binder & Filler, Extender
Natural gum arabic can be used as a binder for watercolor.
2. How do I thin this paint? (opacity & translucency)
To thin watercolor, just add water until you've reached your desired translucency. Adding more pigment will increase the opacity.
3. What is the best surface to work on? Does it need to be primed or treated?
Paper chosen for watercolor will have an effect on the finished piece. The weight and surface of the paper will determine its characteristics and behavior. Priming the paper is/can be necessary when working with excess moisture (water), so that there is a strong support for the piece. Although, priming changes the texture and absorbancy of the paper. There are watercolor papers sold as well.
4. Best brushes to use.
Natural sable hair. Generic sable work as well.
5. Different techniques for painting in watercolor.
Some techniques include, wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, there are different ways to lay down washes, and salt texture, but there are many more techniques out there to use with watercolor.
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