Acrylics please, bring me up to speed

[pipetrepid]

hi everyone, i`ve just gotten back into painting after a 15 year absence. when i left the hobby the accepted technique for figure painting was undercoat in acrylics and shade and highlight with oils which rendered more time to blend. now that i`m back and looking around, here especially, it seems that there are quite a few people painting totally with acrylics. to my experience, acrylics dry too quickly for effective blending. are extenders being added to acrylics to slow the drying time? i can see where it would be advantageous to work exclusively with acrylics, faster drying time and flat finishes. any light shed on this would be appreciated. let me just close with saying that this is a great website and i`m glad to have been accepted as a member. i`m impressed with the willingness of members to help each other and the participation of professional painters, sculptures and retailers. thank you all. bill

 

[Marcel]

Hi William,

With acrylics you don't blend like you do with oils. But instead you use transparent layers to get the smooth transitions. The thin layers dry very quickly so you can keep working in the same area. There are still a lot of people painting with oils or mix both styles. You can find some tutorials in the article section.

Cheers,
Marcel.

 

[housecarl]

Here's a couple of links that may help.http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38386&highlight=blending
http://www.planetfigure.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38306&highlight=blendinghttp://www.planetfigure.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38306&highlight=blending
Hope you find the site useful Bill,
Carl.

 

[Einion]

to my experience, acrylics dry too quickly for effective blending. are extenders being added to acrylics to slow the drying time?

Some people do use retarders of various kinds (both commercial types and alternatives like glycerine) as well as things like blending medium which usually slow drying somewhat. But you can paint successfully with water alone, particularly if you're doing the standard layering technique. The temp and humidity where you are can play a big part in how useful additives can be to help with achieving smooth graduations, as well as the absorbency of the primer you're working on.

The replies in this recent thread might help with the typical way acrylics and similar paints are blended,
Advice on blending Model Vallejo color paints better. (Edit: I see Carl has already linked to this thread.)

i can see where it would be advantageous to work exclusively with acrylics, faster drying time and flat finishes.

Oils have their advantages too, worth remembering that

To help ensure a matt finish lots of oil painters speed-dry with heat, which can be used in combination with soaking out excess oil on a piece of card or paper. You can also resort to sprayed on matt finishes like Dullcote if required too, although it's a good idea often to avoid them unless really necessary.

Einion

 

[megroot]

Oils have their advantages too, worth remembering that
To help ensure a matt finish lots of oil painters speed-dry with heat, which can be used in combination with soaking out excess oil on a piece of card or paper. You can also resort to sprayed on matt finishes like Dullcote if required too, although it's a good idea often to avoid them unless really necessary.
Einion

Totally Agreed.
And i find oils look that they have more life....Acrylic is so:::::::matt without life.
Hope you know what i mean.

marc

 

[Gary D]

I once read a comment that said oils tend to show depth where acrylics don't. Truer words were never spoken in my opinion.
Oils over acrylics is the way I plan on staying.

Gary Daugherty

 

[chailey]

I have been experimenting lately with acrylics and have given up in despair, I cant get the colour graduation to look right no matter how much I thin the paint, back once more with 'good old' Humbrols.
Deepest respect to the painters who have mastered this medium.

 

[Andrew Craft]

Hi Bill, I haven't been painting too long but I started with acrylics and haven't tried oils yet. I have just started to use the feathering technique with my figures. It's hard to get the hang of because of the speed you need to work at and you can only do small areas at a time. I need both the brush with paint on it and a slightly moistened brush in my hand at the same time, apply the paint then quickly change brushes and work the edges of the area with the moistened brush to help blend ( I guess it actually further dilutes the paint), I don't use any extenders.
I think it has made my painting better but I'm nowhere near as capable as other planeteers.

Andrew.

 

[jcichon]

I too am branching out into acrylics and they are a real struggle!!! Oils for me is so much easier! But that being said, there is a use for acrylics. I do enjoy the challenge but all to often get very frustrated. I just enjoy blending over layering. To me its easier. But I would say dont give up on them. I think a combination of both mediums is very helpful. Each figure I do has a combination of both

 

[davidmitchell]

I have respect for painters who can master acrylics, but I will stick with oils as they give lots of time to do subtle blending.I think Bill that if you used oils in the past to stick with it.


Cheeers David

 

[frank h]

Hi
I used to paint in oils I now paint in acrylics as for depth yes oils will
give you that

With acrylics you achieve depth by the more thin layers of colour you put on

Working with acrylics I have found it is not quicker by virtue of the paint drying faster ... but it gives a chance for more experimentation to get the effects.... also mistakes are easily covered up... this is what i am working on now .... lots to do .... and lots of mistakes to be made ...LOL

Frank