Dry fast but still allows time to work and to blend colours
Dry fast but still allows time to work and to blend colours. Can be a disadvantage when working with thick applications in hot environment
less viscous than oils so easier to mix but tend to produce less texture and brush strokes
can be mixed with water or other mediums/gels which are compatible with water
can be used thickly (impasto) like oils, or in thin washes, like waterclours, so can be used on both absorbent and non absorbent surfaces
once dried can be over-
painted without disturbing underlying layers
water resistant when dry
colours dry darker than when applied so can give problems with colour matching if left
less resistant to sunlight that oils, surfaces can be cleaned of dirt with methylated spirits
requires water to clean brushes, but can give difficulty if brushes dry prior to washing
Watercolours:
mixed with water giving transparent colour
dries fast and requires pre-wetting of the surface in hot environment
strong tendency to bleed so good for general wash techniques but can be difficult for fine definition
transparency makes it hard to rectify or hide mistakes
colours dry lighter than when applied so can give problems with colour matching if left
no white in
watercolour painting, the white comes from the paper you are working on. So can be difficult to produce prominent white high-lights without preplanning or masking
paint can be lifted off by rewetting so can be useful in some techniques, but can be difficult to use in wet conditions or in hot/dry conditions where rewetting is necessary
brushes are cleaned easily with water and
paint is reusable when dry by adding water
colour intensity is less when compared with other media and tends to bleach in direct sunlight. Problems with dis-colouration to the support and the media can occur in damp conditions
very difficult to clean the surface without damage so has to be protected from the elements under glass or other suitable material
Pastels:
colours are mixed on the paper/support by over-laying or blending so no drying time
easily used and require no brushes
oil based pastels can be thinned and blended with turpentine, or scrapped off to reveal colours underneath, known as sgraffito
a wide range of colour are available,
original oil paintings for sale, however, usually a greater range of colours are required to create a picture when compared with other media
different brands and pigments tend to vary in softness so difficulties can arise when obtaining supplies from varying suppliers
soft pastel works tend to be liable to smudging and the colour coming off the support unless precautions such as fixatives or mounts are used to keep the surface away from frame glass
Other considerations:
Cost:
Watercolours are the cheapest to set yourself up with and most budding
artists st
art this way. However, watercolour requires different techniques to other media and can restrict development
acrylics are not as expensive to buy as oils and can bridge the gap between oil and watercolour
oils are more expensive to buy initially; however a little goes a long way when
painting thinly. Several
paintings can be produced from a single tube of each of the base colours
Hazards:
Oil Paints:
Some people are put off by
oil paints because of the solvents involved; they may be allergic to the solvents or may not want solvents lying around when young children are about. However,
oil paints themselves usually contain linseed oil as the carrier which has low odour and is essentially non toxic. The pigments themselves are bound by the oil and are not available to cause hazards. White spirits and turpentine used as thinners or brush cleaners are flammable and should be used sparingly. However the volume used is very small and the hazards are many times less when compared with the use of domestic household
paints. Saying this, low odour versions of
paints are available.
Acrylics:
Acrylics are the least hazardous as there are no solvents used and the pigments remain bound in the
paint.
Watercolours:
Can be hazardous if traditional pigments are used because they are not bound by resin and dry to a fine powder. However the quantities used are so small that hazards are very minimal.
Pastels:
Similar to watercolours, however soft pastels can produce a lot of dust so care should be take to minimise the amount you inhale. For example, do not blow on your work to remove loose pastel.
Your choice of
paint
Choose whatever
paint suits you. Try them out and you will soon discover whether you enjoy working with it and the results you get or not. If you like certain properties of different
paints, you can try working with a mixture of
paints (known as mixed media) in one
painting. The variation is both challenging and rewarding.
Dry fast but still allows time to work and to blen
Linear Mode
