GOLDEN Airbrush Medium is used to blend into the acrylic paints to make them sprayable. Also having hard resins, it is designed to most effectively work with the Fluid Acrylics at a 1:1 ratio. Thicker paints will require more Airbrush Medium. Refer to theGOLDEN Airbrush Medium Information Sheetfor suggested starting ratios with other paint lines.
Acrylic Painting from Scratch Workshop – Beginners [SSK]
If you have considered painting with acrylics, this workshop will be the perfect introduction. This workshop will help to build your knowledge and confidence to start painting with this medium.
What will we cover?
The workshop will cover the basics of painting with acrylics to develop an understanding of the use of materials, equipment and techniques. Through a series of learning tasks,
we will cover colour theory for accurate colour mixing before developing skills in paint application techniques. The workshop will be taught through a series of demonstrations, class discussion and one to one support.
Where this course consists of more than one session you will find you make the most progress if you attend every taught lesson and complete any self-directed study opportunities provided.
Who is this course for? Is there anything I need to know before joining?
Complete beginners to painting in acrylics.
As our courses are taught in English, please contact us if you have any concerns about your level of English.
What do I need to bring to the first class? Will there be any extra costs?
1) A3 size sketch pad 250 gsm or higher suitable for acrylic painting (mixed media pads have a smooth paper surface which may be preferable to a canvas texture paper surface when learning to paint). 2) A set of artist quality Acrylic Paints including both warm and cool versions of primary colours (packs are often sold this way). If buying paints separately then colour recommendations are Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Red and Alizarin Crimson. These examples cover both warm and cool biased primary colours. Additional acrylic paints needed are Titanium White & Ivory Black or Mars Black. You may also wish to purchase Yellow Ochre and Raw Umber for your set. It is important to buy artist quality paints from one of the reputable art brands to ensure good pigmentation. 3) Artists quality short handled paint brushes for acrylics. Essential brushes for the workshop are a Round brush with a pointed tip in either a size 5 or 6. If you wish to purchase extra brushes then the recommendation is a size 3 and size 0 which are good to have for finer details. A Filbert brush (flat brush with curved edges) in size ½ inch or ¾ inch. 4) Flat palette or old plate (preferably white). 5) Water pot/cup. 6) Kitchen towel sheets. 7) Pencil, sharpener, soft eraser and a ruler.
Recommended but not essential: 8)Acrylic Paint Flow Enhancer (translucent or transparent liquid). 9) Slow Drying Medium/ Acrylic Retarder Gel (transparent gel).
What can I do when I finish the course?
In discussion with your tutor you may like to progress onto our Acrylic Painting- Techniques courses.
We welcome learners with additional needs and disabilities. When you enrol please let us know if you would like to discuss your extra support needs with a member of the Supported Learning Team who will then contact you as soon as possible. If you are enrolling within 10 days of the course start date, we may not be able to contact you before your first class. Surrey Adult Learning values and supports equality and diversity by promoting fairness and respect at all times.
How to enrol
You can’t currently enrol online for this course, so please call 0300 200 1044 to express your interest or to make an enquiry for further information.
If this isn’t what you’re looking for, then we’ve got plenty more courses to offer!
OVERVIEW OF HOW MANUFACTURERS MAKE PAINT
There are three main ingredients in paints – the pigment (or colouring), the binder (or the glue part), and the vehicle (the thing that makes the paint liquid rather than powder and facilitates the binder and pigments mixing and then being able to be applied to a surface)
Various other additives can be used to: help stop the paint from foaming or creating air trapped in the paint. Additives to stop or reduce separating or to help to matt the colour down and disperse the pigments, slow the drying time etc
Acrylics are a type of plastic (and is the binder/glue part). They are very small beads of plastic emulsified into water (the vehicle), and then in turn the pigments are dispersed into the acrylic emulsion.
Before the dry pigment can be added to the acrylic emulsion though, it will need to be ground or milled to ensure the correct particle size for each colour is reached – this grinding/milling will remove any large “lumps” or roughness to the pigment. However this process would have an adverse effect on the acrylic, so it is done before the pigment is dispersed in acrylic, this is done in either a ball mill or triple roll mill.
Once the pigment is adequately ground and dispersed into a slurry, it is added under high sheer to the acrylic. Other agents may be used, such as dispersants, surfactants, pH stabilisers, anti-foaming agents, matting agents, anti-settling agents etc.
Once the paint is mixed, a series of quality control tests are performed to ensure the colour meets the standards required by artists.
After testing, the paint is released to be filled. The paints may be filled into jars or tubes using a variety of machines; some of the smaller batches are hand filled as the runs are too short of making the use of automated filling machines worthwhile.
PAINT MAKING BY HAND STEP ONE
GRIND THE PIGMENT
Step 1 You need to bring the pigment from rocks and shards down to a fine powder that feels similar to talcum powder. In these photos we use a surgical glove over the mortar and pestle to avoid creating clouds of dust, if you are breaking up found rocks then you probably don’t know exactly what is in them – treat all dust as bad! DO NOT breathe it in – you can use a stocking or even plastic bag to reduce the dust. Once you have your pigment fine enough it is worth sifting it through a sieve or corse cloth to take out any larger pieces.
At this point it is a good idea to “wash” your pigment – literally mix it in a large container of water, allow to settle for a day or 2 then pour off the water leaving the sediment behind, you would generally repeat this until the water is clear when the pigment settles out, this might be several washes – this removes all water soluble impurities – you then need to let the sediment dry out – and give it a good grind again – and your pigment preparation is done
STEP TWO – HOW MUCH PIGMENT TO VEHICLE?
Usually start with around equal weights – however, this can vary massively depending on the pigment. So it is a matter of adding the your vehicle little by little as you go. “to taste” – The best slurries are developed by adding the least amount of vehicle whilst always trying to keep the slurry moving – in a thick paste-like form – Start first with a pallet or painting knife folding the slurry over and over until there is a uniform mix as you add the vehicle. Then move to your paint muller – or you can use a mortar and pestle to do this however a paint muller is beneficial as one is able to hear as well as feel the grind getting finer and finer as you work. This paste needs to be ground so that absolutely no grittiness can be felt when it is rubbed between thumb and forefinger (better still, find a Hegman gauge and check out the “micron spread”.
Once you have your slurry well ground and uniform it is time to add the binder.
When referring to vehicle above this is generally a mix of: 50 parts drying retarder, and 50 parts water, some artists prefer to use straight drying retarder, however 100% water is generally not advisable as many pigments will repel 100% water. At this point you may wish to add 3-5parts Surface tension breaker, which is a dispersant and will help to chemically break the pigment particles apart
GENERAL AIRBRUSHING NOTES
Filling the Color Cup
As basic as this may seem, many artists have had spills ruin their artwork simply because the color cup was too full, so start by adding small amounts of paint instead of filling it right up. If spilling is a recurring problem because of the spraying angles (spraying down onto a horizontal painting), consider an airbrush with a covered cup, or a larger capacity airbrush and/or cup.
Proper Spraying Techniques
The following suggestions are generally meant for even gradations of color. These application techniques can take many hours of practice to achieve satisfactory results. Learning the right way to spray does not come from reading, but experience. However, these main points should minimize the learning curve:
- Build up paint films very slowly.
- Avoid heavy “wet” films which take long periods of time to dry.
- If a film is wet, use the airbrush (air only) to speed drying.
- Add High Flow Medium if the paint seems to always be too strong, especially colors like Carbon Black.
- Always spray with the airbrush as perpendicular to the surface as possible. Spraying at an angle will result in uneven applications.
- Move the elbow, not the wrist, to keep the spray consistent.
- Start spraying before a masked area, and continue past it to avoid paint buildup at either end.
Masking/Friskit Tips
Masking off areas can produce clean edges when done properly. Learn the general rules of masking techniques on test pieces before using them on an actual artwork.
- Before laying Friskit down, wipe the surface with a soft cotton cloth. This will remove eraser dirt, excess graphite, and body oils (fingerprints).
- Proper drying is essential to avoid color pull-up (see next section).
- Select the proper masking for each substrate. Masking tape can damage illustration board.
- Don”t excessively rub the masking in order to get good adhesion. If they aren”t sticking to the paint surface, lightly spray a coat of High Flow Medium over the film, allow it to dry and then re-mask.
- Weaker airbrush films may lift when water-based masking fluids are applied over them. Spray a light layer of High Flow Medium over very thin films and let cure before using such masks.
- If a paint film is grainy, masking may not adhere well. Apply a thin coating of High Flow Medium over it, or mix some High Flow Medium into the paint to even the film.
ACCELERATED DRYING TECHNIQUES
Proper drying of a film is critical when employing Friskit techniques to an illustration. If the film is not fully dry, paint can lift off of the board as the mask is pulled up. Use tools like hair dryers, fans and heat lamps to speed drying, all of which should be used with caution. Airflow can lift pieces of Friskit. Heat sources can warp illustration board and wrinkle the Friskit. Additionally, the heat can increase the adhesion of the mask to the board. In extreme cases, this can cause paint pull-up, even if completely dry.
For more information about the drying process of acrylic paints, (refer to the GOLDEN Information Sheet “Technical Notes on Drying”).
- Create a drying area in the studio for speeding the curing time of paint films. Adjustable desk lamps with heat bulbs or high wattage bulbs can create a higher temperature/lower humidity environment, that will allow the paints to be nearly cured in the time it takes to flush out an airbrush (see figure 2).
- Speed drying of paint films with hair dryers & heat lamps.
- Be wary of excessive heat. Friskit can soften and cause pull-up, or be wrinkled. Illustration board can be warped.
- Place a small fan alongside a wall to improve circulation. It is not necessary to point a fan directly towards the drying area, especiallyusing a hair dryer (See figure 3).
- Bubbles forming in the Friskit are an indication too much heat is being applied. Allow it to cool off before continuing.
- After using heat to cure an artwork, allow it to cool before applying masking over it to avoid inadvertent adhesion from the heat.
- Airflow is essential for faster drying.
Disclaimer
The above information is based on research and testing done by Golden Artist Colors, Inc., and is provided as a basis for understanding the potential uses of the products mentioned. Due to the numerous variables in methods, materials and conditions of producing art, Golden Artist Colors, Inc. cannot be sure the product will be right for you. Therefore, we urge product users to test each application to ensure all individual project requirements are met. While we believe the above information is accurate, WE MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, and we shall in no event be liable for any damages (indirect, consequential, or otherwise) that may occur as a result of a product application.
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