Thank you everyone for your kind support with the last posting.
A lot of the questions I am asking seem inappropriate to acrylics: masking fluid for example. So I had better try to explain what I am trying to do.
I bought a book about six top acrylic painters and their techniques. The book is in the studio and I'm upstairs and too lazy to go all the way down to get the book ... and I forget the artists names! Nevertheless, there's this woman who is a famous American who painted in watercolors and one day she ran out of a colour right in the middle a a big painting. In desperation she used an acrylic which she watered down to give a watercolour type wash. She was amazed at the result. It seems that acrylic stands up to many washes in a better way than watercolours - she said.
Okay, so I used a gesso board and tried to replicate her technique, using only Rose Madder for the many tints of 'red' in the samovar: the more washes the deeper the tone.
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| Samovar with the background kicked about! |
You get a rough idea from this miserable photograph!
She paints fantastic watercolor paintings on paper using only acrylics. Rather than water down the acrylics she now uses Golden Fluid Acrylics exclusively ... her work knocks me out.
BUT THEN......
.......... Celeste Bergin (see the Celeste Bergin blog here) gave a link that showed me the work of Nicolai Fechin. It blew my socks (sox) off. That is the way I want to paint; obviously not as well as him (that could take weeks :0))) ), but that's the direction that inspires me! Time will tell ... but first I want to try the watercolour technique with the Golden Fluid Acrylics that arrived today. I used watered down acrylics for this samovar and want to see how her system works out for me with the Golden stuff.
Great fun isn't it?
OK, John, you have two weeks to get up to snuff with Nicolai Fechin! :)
ReplyDeleteDear John I think I have that book you mentioned, yet none of those painters used the technique that I learned from my teacher. I'm using acrylics Liquitex heavybody... when used with the techniques of the classical masters they look like oils, with a perfect surface.
ReplyDeleteThe first layer is always the grisaille and then get ready colors (even 6 or 7 or more for each thing, which is the leaf, or a grape) which are carefully laid out according to the tones of grisaille, maintaining brightness. I have not found anything that I'm doing with acrylics on the books,for now.
Liquitex and Golden, leaders of this market, produce different dilutions of acrylic (liquid, soft and heavy) just because the acrylic can be used in many way.Many mediums produce effects of all kinds with these colors.
Exploring this world seems even more complex than watercolour...Have great fun with your faboulous art works!
Lovely painting - and it has a feeling of oil about it!
ReplyDeleteI found the Nicolai reference - and fab work. Look forward to seeing you paint in the same style :) x
Experimenting to find your best fit is indeed always fun, John.
ReplyDeleteWow John, your paintings are amazing! I've been playing with acrylics now too and it reminds me of the time in college when I had been playing golf for some months pretty poorly and then invited my brother along one day saying "you've got to try this" and he blew me away, although it was his first time! At this rate you will be painting like Fechin in weeks!
ReplyDeleteYes - it is great fun, lol! Acrylics can be used like watercolour and they don't fade like watercolours do either. I must admit I haven't used them in that way before though so I can't offer you anything here!
ReplyDeleteKeep at it John - you are ploughing ahead! :0)
Personally I always thought that the most important thing for an amateur painter, is to have fun when he paints. I see that, beyond the results, that's what you're doing. Ciao John!
ReplyDeleteHey John--I like that--weeks. That Fechin article was absolutely incredible. I may have a new hero. I'm not going to lick my pallet knife though.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you resolve the background issues in the painting--the out of focus glazing experimentation sure will provide lots of fun indeed. The detail in the subject is quite captivating. I like the line-work remaining in the mix.
I found Nicolai Fechin's work: wow! What a great inspiration! I like the way you are experimenting with acrylics, looking forward to your next discoveries and adventures!
ReplyDeleteIt IS great fun! This is the best one yet, methinks.
ReplyDeleteSo fun to see WIP:s! This is nice, with the red in the background.I will come back once more to read all, links etc... I´m kind of in a hurry now! Cherrios!!
ReplyDeleteThat DOES sound like such a fun technique! And the colors you've achieved with it in the red parts is really striking. Nice job John. :)
ReplyDeleteI love how as you learn this new medium (acrylic) you stay "true to yourself". You love detail--and that shines through. Most would shy away from such a complicated subject! You've done a great job on both Samovars! Thanks for the mention on your blog! Most Russian painters seem to love a lot of detail too. (Though Fechin seemed to like to also pare things down). Matthew Innis did such an outstanding article on Fechin! http://underpaintings.blogspot.com/2009/08/color-palettes-nicolai-ivanovich-fechin.html
ReplyDeleteExperimentation is constant in painting. Your love of detail is you. Why should you approach painting any differently than you do your masterful drawings? Accept it. Love it. Play it up.
ReplyDeleteIt's been my experience that Acrylics yeild stronger color than watercolors--perhaps that was what she liked about the medium. If you want to glaze--get a thinner, more transparent effect and build up your color one on top of the other--use one of the glazing acrylic mediums towards the end of your process.That way you can mute colors down. I prefer the semi-gloss mixed with the matte for glazing. You can only water down acrylics so far before you start to weaken them. Those weakened layer will deteriorate easily. To remove acrylic, use rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol pending on the amount of pigment in your paint/water mix. The less pigment, the faster it comes up. The thicker the paint, denatured alcohol gives the best results.
The background still needs work. There's a halo around that samovar. Follow Celeste's advice paint in the backround at the same time you are painting your subject--work it in--carry it out. Break it up with shadows. The strength of the samorvar makes me want to go darker, grayed down muted colors, in the background. The samovar is strong; it calls for a strong background.
Now that you're into painting and excelling as a student. You should pick up a small set of tube watercolors and a sheet of 140 lb paper, (you can divide a large one up into several pieces) and do some more experimenting. You'll quickly see the difference between these two paints and the particularly their color differences. Happy painting my friend.
Hi John - while Julie is away John does play...I nearly fell over when I saw what you have been up to. Still John shining through and I love the juxtaposition of the background next to the detail of the Samovar.
ReplyDeleteWith the Golden fluids you only need the five printing colors to mix everything you need. magenta, cyan, primary yellow and their recommended black and white. When I was illustrating it is what I mainly used. The surface is very important. What are you using?
Forgot to tell you in previous post. Try using rubber cement with acrylics as a mask. it picks up so easy the the RC eraser. I used gallons of it.
ReplyDeleteWow, great work John. I've missed a lot of your progress with acrylics but you've obviously got the hang of things extremely quickly. The only time I used acrylics I made very watery washes with them and used them just like watercolours. Great to see you having such fun.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you at the tea party! Valerie
ReplyDeleteA big hello from T Stands for Tuesday :-). What lovely detail and colours you have created in your painting! It's always fun experimenting and trying out new techniques and it looks like you had such a good time learning about layering acrylics. Wishing you a Happy T Day! J :-)
ReplyDeleteLOVE this tea set. It is an amazing piece. I also loved reading about this book. I bet it is interesting and insightful. Happy T day.
ReplyDeleteHappy T Tuesday! I've only seen a samovar in one place, but it was functional and used to serve in a little book shop. Yours is a real treat :)
ReplyDeleteGreat painting ! The book sound interesting and so does the technique. If my muse ever return perhaps I'll try something like that.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to our weekly T party, John. It's nice to meet you. Since I can't draw anything, I was truly impressed with this beautiful tea set you drew. Who knew red madder has so many tints. I use fluid acrylics for painting my fabrics, but I mostly don't use it on paper, since I am not good with drawing. You will definitely love the fluid acrylics and they hold up so well under as much water as you care to throw at them. They keep their deep pigmented colors regardless.
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining us for T this week. We welcome you back any Tuesday.
Hello John. I enjoyed reading your post, it is an awesome piece of art.
ReplyDeleteHappy T Day.
Yvonne
Wow! I really love this samovar! Great that you joined in for TSFT! Chrisx
ReplyDeleteA fabulous piece!
ReplyDeleteHappy T-Day!
Gorgeous work...look forward to seeing your work with the fluid acrylics as well!
ReplyDelete