| How to choose between oils, acrylics, | | | | difficulty if brushes dry prior to washing |
| watercolours and pastels | | | | Watercolours: |
| One of the very first decisions you must make | | | | Â- mixed with water giving transparent colour |
| when you start painting is what sort of paint (also | | | | Â- dries fast and requires pre-wetting of the |
| called medium) to use. The following information is | | | | surface in hot environment |
| intended to be informative and help you decide | | | | Â- strong tendency to bleed so good for |
| between the most commonly used paints. | | | | general wash techniques but can be difficult for |
| What is paint and what is the difference between | | | | fine definition |
| each type of paint? | | | | Â- transparency makes it hard to rectify or |
| The brief technical bit! | | | | hide mistakes |
| Paint is a dispersion of pigments, resins and fillers | | | | Â- colours dry lighter than when applied so can |
| in a liquid carrier. By varying the basic ingredients | | | | give problems with colour matching if left |
| the different types of paint can be created. | | | | Â- no white in watercolour painting, the white |
| Oil Paints | | | | comes from the paper you are working on. So |
| Oil paints as the name suggests contain oil. This is | | | | can be difficult to produce prominent white |
| usually a natural vegetable oil such as linseed or a | | | | high-lights without preplanning or masking |
| synthetic hydrocarbon made from oil. | | | | Â- paint can be lifted off by rewetting so can |
| The oil is the carrier used for the pigment and | | | | be useful in some techniques, but can be difficult |
| resins (alkyd). The pigments provide the colour | | | | to use in wet conditions or in hot/dry conditions |
| which can be in the form of a soluble dye or an | | | | where rewetting is necessary |
| insoluble powder finely dispersed in the liquid. The | | | | Â- brushes are cleaned easily with water and |
| various colours are produced from one or several | | | | paint is reusable when dry by adding water |
| pigments mixed together. By varying the different | | | | Â- colour intensity is less when compared with |
| amounts, not only the different colours, but | | | | other media and tends to bleach in direct sunlight. |
| different shades and hues can be produced. | | | | Problems with dis-colouration to the support and |
| The resin is dissolved in the oil and acts as a | | | | the media can occur in damp conditions |
| binder for the different ingredients and to, and | | | | Â- very difficult to clean the surface without |
| also binds the paint to the surface that it is applied | | | | damage so has to be protected from the |
| to. | | | | elements under glass or other suitable material |
| When the liquid evaporates after application, the | | | | Pastels: |
| resin and the pigments remain and form a skin | | | | Â- colours are mixed on the paper/support by |
| which sticks to the painting surface. | | | | over-laying or blending so no drying time |
| Acrylic Paints | | | | Â- easily used and require no brushes |
| Acrylic paints are similar in make-up to oil paints, | | | | Â- oil based pastels can be thinned and blended |
| i.e. they are similar in appearance and contain a | | | | with turpentine, or scrapped off to reveal colours |
| liquid carrier, pigments and resin. However, the | | | | underneath, known as sgraffito |
| liquid used is water. | | | | Â- a wide range of colour are available, |
| The resin is not the same type as in oil paints, | | | | however, usually a greater range of colours are |
| because it has to combine with water. The acrylic | | | | required to create a picture when compared with |
| resin does not dissolve in the water but forms an | | | | other media |
| emulsion (forms globules). When the water | | | | Â- different brands and pigments tend to vary |
| evaporates the globules of resin stick together to | | | | in softness so difficulties can arise when obtaining |
| form a skin. The pigments used must also | | | | supplies from varying suppliers |
| combine with water and so are chemically | | | | Â- soft pastel works tend to be liable to |
| different than oil pigments. | | | | smudging and the colour coming off the support |
| Watercolours | | | | unless precautions such as fixatives or mounts |
| Watercolours consist of pigments, filler and water | | | | are used to keep the surface away from frame |
| if they are in liquid form, or just pigment and filler | | | | glass |
| in they are solid. As they have no resin | | | | Other considerations: |
| component to bind the pigments and form a skin, | | | | Cost: |
| they rely on the surface they are applied to, to | | | | Â- Watercolours are the cheapest to set |
| be absorbent. A filler is a fine powder which can | | | | yourself up with and most budding artists start |
| be used as a carrier for the pigment and provides | | | | this way. However, watercolour requires different |
| texture/body. | | | | techniques to other media and can restrict |
| Pastels | | | | development |
| Pastels are a solid paste form of water-colour. Far | | | | Â- acrylics are not as expensive to buy as oils |
| less water is used in their manufacture (when | | | | and can bridge the gap between oil and |
| compared with liquid paints), and water soluble | | | | watercolour |
| binders are used to maintain their solid paste | | | | Â- oils are more expensive to buy initially; |
| form. Oil based pastels are similar with far less oil | | | | however a little goes a long way when painting |
| used than used in making oil paints. | | | | thinly. Several paintings can be produced from a |
| What are the practical differences between the | | | | single tube of each of the base colours |
| different types of paints? | | | | Hazards: |
| Oils: | | | | Oil Paints: |
| Â- dry slowly allowing time to work and to | | | | Some people are put off by oil paints because of |
| blend colours. The temperature of the air you are | | | | the solvents involved; they may be allergic to the |
| working in, and the proportion of thinner used | | | | solvents or may not want solvents lying around |
| dictates the drying time | | | | when young children are about. However, oil paints |
| Â- can be used to produce texture by building | | | | themselves usually contain linseed oil as the carrier |
| layers | | | | which has low odour and is essentially non toxic. |
| Â- once dried sufficiently, can be over-painted | | | | The pigments themselves are bound by the oil |
| without disturbing underlying layers | | | | and are not available to cause hazards. White |
| Â- rich, deep colours which maintain their | | | | spirits and turpentine used as thinners or brush |
| intensity when dry, so can be left unfinished and | | | | cleaners are flammable and should be used |
| returned to later without a change of colour | | | | sparingly. However the volume used is very small |
| Â- can be used thickly or in thin, smooth | | | | and the hazards are many times less when |
| washes increasing the scope for different painting | | | | compared with the use of domestic household |
| techniques | | | | paints. Saying this, low odour versions of paints |
| Â- colours are resistant to bleaching by sunlight | | | | are available. |
| and surfaces can be cleaned of dirt with | | | | Acrylics: |
| methylated spirits | | | | Acrylics are the least hazardous as there are no |
| Â- completely water proof and resistant to the | | | | solvents used and the pigments remain bound in |
| elements | | | | the paint. |
| Â- require brush cleaner/white spirits to clean | | | | Watercolours: |
| brushes | | | | Can be hazardous if traditional pigments are used |
| Â- usually applied to non absorbent surfaces | | | | because they are not bound by resin and dry to |
| including board, wood, coated paper and canvas | | | | a fine powder. However the quantities used are |
| Acrylics: | | | | so small that hazards are very minimal. |
| Â- dry fast but still allows time to work and to | | | | Pastels: |
| blend colours. Can be a disadvantage when | | | | Similar to watercolours, however soft pastels can |
| working with thick applications in hot environment | | | | produce a lot of dust so care should be take to |
| Â- less viscous than oils so easier to mix but | | | | minimise the amount you inhale. For example, do |
| tend to produce less texture and brush strokes | | | | not blow on your work to remove loose pastel. |
| Â- can be mixed with water or other mediums | | | | Your choice of paint |
| gels which are compatible with water | | | | Choose whatever paint suits you. Try them out |
| Â- can be used thickly (impasto) like oils, or in | | | | and you will soon discover whether you enjoy |
| thin washes, like waterclours, so can be used on | | | | working with it and the results you get or not. If |
| both absorbent and non absorbent surfaces | | | | you like certain properties of different paints, you |
| Â- once dried can be over-painted without | | | | can try working with a mixture of paints (known |
| disturbing underlying layers | | | | as mixed media) in one painting. The variation is |
| Â- water resistant when dry | | | | both challenging and rewarding. |
| Â- colours dry darker than when applied so can | | | | The advice and information above is meant as |
| give problems with colour matching if left | | | | guidance to the properties of the different paints. |
| Â- less resistant to sunlight that oils, surfaces | | | | The only way you will know if you like a particular |
| can be cleaned of dirt with methylated spirits | | | | paint is to try it. |
| Â- requires water to clean brushes, but can give | | | | |