Acrylics

Painting with Acrylics

Originally developed in the 1940’s in the form of house paints, acrylics soon caught the fancy of artists working on large scale works who wanted a medium that dried quickly. From this beginning came the rich variety of materials based on acrylic and polymer pigmentation. Fast drying along with easy cleanup and low toxicity gave acrylics a huge audience that continues to grow today.

Available in a wide range of textures from scarcely thicker than water to super thick, almost sculptural viscosity, acrylics meet the needs of a wide range of artistic applications. As is often the case, artists often stretch the intended use of a material to meet their ever-curious approach to creativity.

Airbrush artists are accustomed to using very fluid acrylics to achieve their tiny droplet style of work. Airbrush acrylic paints can be used with other tools, too, including detail brush work and works on paper rather than canvas. Filtered and super liquid, these colors work perfectly in any airbrush. Remember to clean your airbrush properly after use or the acrylics will dry to a very stubborn, stuck mass.

These same paints, because they are so dilute, can be used in over-painting of acrylic works. Use liquid colors for shadows, detail and fine brush work. Create works that replicate watercolor with these same liquid paints.

Hard edged, most often abstract subjects can be accomplished easily because the paint dries quickly and allows the creative process to continue almost without interruption. Hard edged paintings require that paint be applied just over the edge of tape placed to create designs, edges and forms. Once the tape is removed, perfectly straight painted areas are revealed.

Tube colors often contain an easily spreadable texture of pigment, while jars offer greater volume and—in some brands—offer thicker consistency to facilitate heavier applications and textural qualities. Thin colors can be thickened by allowing them to dry slightly, and through evaporation, they become more viscous. Thick paints can be reversed by adding a slight amount of water or, preferably, painting medium in finishes of high, medium and matte.

The addition of foreign materials into acrylics is popular with many creative painters. Sand, pumice, grass shreds, small bark chips and many other natural materials can be worked into the paint and applied with knives or wedges. Some materials come already included in mediums to which you can add your color and apply in your choice of methods.

If you work in any water media, you might have tried acrylics in the past. While the creamy texture of tube paints and their wide range of premixed, exhilarating colors might catch your attention, know also that mixing your own colors is super quick and easy. Painting mediums that correspond with the various types of paints can help you maintain a fluid texture or extend thick, knife-ready paint.

Application tools vary from fine, script and detail brushes to two inch, three inch and even wider, to metal and plastic palette knives and rubber-tipped scribes that can cut through a wet layer of paint to the under painting or to canvas. Artists often create tools that create the looks they want to achieve, but the availability of painting support tools is huge. High quality brushes always yield the best results as far as holding and dispensing paint, and learning to use them correctly will permit you to keep them in great shape and always ready to paint.

The surface on which you work when dealing with acrylics can be paper (a variety of thicknesses and textures), canvas, canvas paper, canvas board, ClayBord, matting material, poster board and more. Quick drying makes it especially great for signage. Wood and crafts are also great candidates for acrylic work. If the surface is smooth but not slick, you can paint acrylics on almost any surface.

Experience the speed, fun and ease of acrylic paint – in the form best suited to you and your work. Find a great selection at any art material dealer to experiment and enjoy and ask for acrylics from Grumbacher, DaVinci and Jack Richeson & Co.

Art Competitions & Opportunities

Photographer’s FORUM
32^nd Annual College and High School Photography Contest
Sponsor: Nikon
Early Deadline: Oct. 17
Final Deadline: Nov. 21

Subject matter is open and rights remain with photographers. Cash/equipment awards will be given for College and High School category winners. The top 16 winning photos will be published in the May 2012 issue of Photographer’s Forum and entered into Nikon’s Emerging Photographers Hall of Fame. www.pfmagazine.com .

Ex Arte 5 International Equine Art Competition
Sponsor: Art Horse Magazine
Online Exhibition
Deadline: October 30

Artists worldwide may enter images in the categories of Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Photography and Digital Art. This show strives to promote the horse as a subject of fine art, and equine artists have the opportunity to show their work on an international level. www.arthorsemagazine.com .

Richeson 75 Small Works 2012 International Art Competition
Richeson School of Art & Gallery/Jack Richeson & Co.
Feb. 6 – March 30, 2012
Deadline: Nov. 4

Artists must be age 18 or over. Artwork images must have an area of 144 square inches or less. Artwork must be 2-D and drawn/painted entirely by hand; and acceptable media include oil, acrylic, oil pastel, soft pastel, water media, pencil, colored pencil, ink, charcoal and hand-pulled prints. $5,000 cash Best in Show Award plus art materials awards. www.richeson75.com/smworkspros.html .

Yosemite Renaissance XXVII
Yosemite National Park and other venues
Feb. 25 – May 6, 2012
Deadline: Nov. 10

All fine art media in both representational and non-representational style are eligible on the theme of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. Submissions are limited to work on the environment, landscape, people and wildlife of Yosemite and its environs. Open to all living artists in all media, and at least $4,000 in cash awards will be distributed at the discretion of the judges. www.yosemiterenaissance.org .

Society of Illustrators
New York, NY
EPIC

Attention all illustration students! Join EPIC—Empowered People of the Illustration Community. Now’s the time when you are in school to meet peeps from other schools who are illustrators, too. Meetings are held at the Society, 128 East 63^rd St., NYC, on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m.: Oct. 15, Nov. 19, Dec. 17, Feb. 4, Mar. 10, Apr. 14 and May 19. RSVP to kb@societyillustrators.org .

The Art Marketplace

Karajen Airbrush Organization Tools from Iwata-Medea

Karajen manufactures the best organization tools in the airbrush industry, and Iwata-Medea is proud to be the exclusive distributor. The new AIR-PORT WORK STATION provides a simple and convenient way to keep you ultra-organized. Easily mount your AIR-PORT with its sturdy mounting magnets anywhere you work. It magnetically attaches to metal surfaces with excellent reliability. Or it can be bolted for permanent mounting. Made of solid steel construction, it holds three airbrushes and all your airbrushing supplies in one place, so there’s no more searching. And the AIR-PORT HANGER will hang most styles of airbrushes. Adjustable hanging positions accommodate various types of airbrush shapes and feed types. It’s also made of solid steel construction and offers the same mounting options. See your retailer and visit http://www.iwata-medea.com/index.php/products/karajen/ .

New Book on O’Keeffe and Stieglitz

My Faraway One - Selected Letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz:
Volume One, 1915 – 1933
Edited by Sarah Greenough
Yale University Press

Between 1915, when Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz first began to write to each other, and 1946, when Stieglitz died, they exchanged over 5,000 letters that described their daily lives in profoundly rich detail. This long-awaited volume features some 650 letters, carefully selected and annotated.

Artist Profile

Pablo Ruiz Picasso 1881 - 1972

There is much that could be written about Pablo Picasso, arguably the greatest artist of the 20^th century. The enormous volume of work he completed stands without question as legend. His influence on several generations of artists and his recognition as the founder of many art periods, most famously that of cubism, attests to his immersion in creativity. For 80 years of the 91 he lived, he devoted himself to an artistic production that contributed to development of modern art of the 20^th century. And, all the while, Picasso was a man who loved women. During his life he had affairs, lived with or married over six women and fathered four children. He abhorred being alone when he was not working.

Aside from the tumultuous personal life, Picasso was devoted to his art. During his early years he abandoned most of the classical training given him by his father and first instructor for his own interpretation of the world around him. Five “periods” are recognized as brought to life by Picasso.

Most have heard of his Blue Period that lasted from 1901 to 1904 in which somber, blue tinted paintings prevailed. These were influenced by the loss of a friend. Images of this period include depictions of acrobats, prostitutes, beggars and artists.

His Rose Period (1905 to 1907) brought out paintings with overall tones of orange and pink, many involving images of harlequins. During this period he was seriously romantically involved and the warmth of the relationship is seen in his palette of colors.

Soon after the Rose Period came an African Period (1907 to 1909) that was influenced by artifacts from his personal collection. Many paintings of this period repeat the use of two figures.

Cubism, the style for which Picasso is most famous, came into being when he and his friend and painter Braque challenged each other to dissect and “analyze” objects, then paint them in terms of their shapes. Color played a large part in this period of work – monochromatic browns and shadow tones prevailed as a common thread. Each artist developed the style in his own way and each had strong similarities.

His Cubist Period ran from 1909 to 1919, and included the use of collage as a fine art form. Heretofore, no artist had used collage and cut paper to convey images. Imagine art without collage?

Picasso had many artist friends and some rivals. Matisse was one of the “gentle” rivalries experienced in Picasso’s lifetime. Both were strong, talented and seemed to challenge one another. A recent collection of works by both artists reveals they had a lot in common, although their styles were personal and not derivative. The bold, outlined and highly decorative nature of both artists’ works is without question.

Historically, a lot happened during the 90+ years Picasso lived, but he remained detached from any personal commitment. He was a proclaimed pacifist, refusing to fight for any side in the Spanish American War, World War I or World War II. If was thought by many of his contemporaries that his dislike of war and his unwillingness to fight was less political and more cowardice. Being Spanish but living in France during these conflicts, he escaped involvement and thus proclaimed and solidified his pacifistic standing. He did, however, remain a member of the Communist Party until his death.

At the time of his death, Picasso had enjoyed wide acceptance as the greatest artist of his time. Many of his works were recognized within his lifetime. Some include The Old Guitarist from Picasso’s Blue Period, on display at the Museum of Modern Art; Las Meninas Series, on display at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, Spain; and Guernica, in Madrid, Spain.

“My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.” - Pablo Ruiz Picasso. Last words: “Drink to me.”

Exhibitions

—Through Oct. 10 – deYoung Museum, San Francisco – Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris features 150 important paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings drawn from every phase of the artist’s career that demonstrate the wide range of artistic styles and forms that the artist mastered. http://deyoung.famsf.org/

—Opens Oct. 15 – April 29 – High Museum, Atlanta – Picasso to Warhol—Fourteen Modern Masters will present more than 100 works of art created by 14 of the most iconic artists from the 20^th century: Picasso, Matisse, Brancusi, Mondrian, Léger and Duchamp, among others. Visitors who purchase opening weekend tickets online by Oct. 14 will be eligible to win a Warhol Weekend Getaway to New York City. An After Party On the Piazza on Oct. 6 at 9 p.m. celebrates the opening with dancing and drinks. Tickets: 404.733.4419. www.high.org .

—Through Jan. 8 – Museum of Arts and Design, NYC – With over 180 masterpieces, Picasso to Koons: The Artist as Jeweler explores works from an array of artists, not known as jewelers, who have created stunning works of jewelry both reminiscent of their existing artistic vocabulary and in other instances representing a striking departure from their oeuvre.

Art Events

Schedules may change so please confirm in advance.

Pacific Standard Time , Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA – Opening on Oct. 1, Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980 will bring together more than 60 cultural institutions throughout Southern California to tell the story of the rise of the LA art scene and how it became a new force in the art world. This collaboration will continue to April 2012. In conversation with the larger Pacific Standard Time initiative, a suite of four exhibitions and various programs at the Getty Center will demonstrate the international significance of art produced in LA during this era. http://www.getty.edu/visit/exhibitions/future.html .

Thursday Night LIVE, Dallas Museum of Art . Enjoy music, drinks and masterpieces every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. Celebrate “Women of Jazz” in October. Included in general admission to the museum; DMA members and students with a school ID receive free general admission. http://dallasmuseumofart.org/Events/ThursdayNightLive/index.htm .

Halloween Mummy-Themed Tours , Brooklyn Museum – On Oct. 6, 13 and 20 at 8 p.m. take a Gallery Tour: “The Secret Lives of Mummies.” On Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. take a Behind-the-Scenes Curator Tour: Exploring the Book of the Dead” (registration required, e-mail museum.guides@brooklynmuseum.org or call 718.501.6229). And on Oct. 30 at 4 p.m., “Mummies, Mysteries and the Book of the Dead: The Halloween Tour” will explore mysterious and practical objects associated with the Ancient Egyptian’s belief in the afterlife, the secret lives of mummies and the power of the Book of the Dead.

The International Vintage Poster Fair is the world’s oldest and largest vintage poster show, offering over 10,000 original posters for sale by the finest international dealers. The New York fair will be held Oct. 14-16 at the Metropolitan Pavilion; and the San Francisco fair will be held Oct. 21-23 at the Fort Mason Center. http://www.posterfair.com/cgi-local/content.cgi.

Art After 5—Halloween Dance Party – Philadelphia Museum of Art, Oct. 28, 5-8:45 p.m. Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra will perform Halloween hot jazz and cartoon medleys from the ‘20s- ‘40s. Get a tarot-card reading, enjoy a spooky art tour and wear your costume! Free after admission.

Diwali Family Festival – All Ages, The Art Institute of Chicago, Oct. 29, 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Join this celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Create a work of art inspired by Indian traditions, enjoy dance workshops and visit the galleries of Southeast Asian art on a guided tour. This is a drop-in program and registration is not required. 312.857.7161; familyprograms@artic.edu .

IFPDA Print Fair 2011 , Park Avenue Armory, NYC, Nov. 3-6. This is the largest international art fair focused exclusively on the artistic medium of printmaking. It is noted for its historical depth, exhibiting works from the 16^th-21^st centuries. Although known among museum curators and major collectors for its rare and exceptional prints, excellent works can be found in all price ranges from 90 dealers. www.ifpda.org .

Airbrush

Oil and the Airbrush Compressor

There are two types of compressors used in airbrush technique: diaphragm and piston-operated. And there are two types of piston-operated compressors: oil-less and oil immersed. Oil-less models are maintenance free, while oil immersed models require oil in the crankcase to prevent them from overheating and seizing up. Oil immersed compressors are generally the largest of compressors and the most quiet. The oil used is of a special quality and usually comes with the compressor at purchase. Check the manufacturer’s specifications for the type of oil required. New oil can be purchased through your art supply store.

Depending on the amount of use, the oil should be changed periodically. There is normally a gauge on the compressor so the user can view the oil level and the color of the oil. If the level of the oil drops, new oil should be added; and if the oil becomes dark in color, this indicates it should be changed.

Because there is oil in the crankcase of the compressor, there is a possibility of it migrating into the air storage tank and/or the air hose to the airbrush. To prevent this from happening, an oil trap that is usually located on the air regulator should be drained periodically.

Because oil immersed compressors are the largest and quietest of airbrush compressors, they are the most expensive, as well. However, if you do a lot of airbrush spray painting, these models are highly recommended. See your retailer and visit www.silentaire.com and www.iwata-medea.com .

New Airbrush Newsletter

See the latest FREE issue of AirbrushTalk at www.airbrushtalk.com . Articles include Red, White and Bad – Tear Effects Honoring Our Soldiers by Thomas Adams; Journey from Dark to Light—Spray, Scratch and Play! by Shen; Ultimate Air Affair 2011 by Donn Shanteau; Give Them the Boot! by Janean S. Thompson; and more.

ArtPourri

Textile Professional Honored – The George Hewitt Myers Award for lifetime achievement recognizes an individual’s exceptional contributions to the study and understanding of the textile arts and is the most distinguished honor in the field of textile arts. Milton Sonday, the foremost researcher of textile techniques, structure and pattern, is the 2011 honoree and will be presented his award on Oct. 16 at The Textile Museum in Washington, DC.

Art Results in Economic Impact – The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s (NYC) concurrent presentation of four acclaimed and widely attended exhibitions in the summer 2011 season generated $908 million in spending by regional, national and international tourists to NY. A study found that the direct tax benefit to the City and State from out-of-town visitors to the Museum totaled some $90.8 million.

New Acquisitions Made – The Carnegie Museum of Art has acquired two remarkable cut and engraved glass water decanters commissioned as part of a large service by President James Monroe in 1818 and made by renowned Pittsburgh glass firm Bakewell, Page and Bakewell. These two objects resurfaced in a rural auction in 2010 and are now on view in the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Galleries. The objects are significant not only for their presidential provenance but also their rarity as the earliest known fully cut and engraved American water decanters

Artist Honored – The U. S. Postal Service forged ahead with its American Treasures series by issuing the tenth entry, a forever stamp featuring Edward Hopper’s sailboat painting, “The Long Leg.” The 1935 sunlit painting depicts a boat sailing against the wind near Provincetown, MA.

Record Attendance Set – The Cincinnati Art Museum has just finished its last fiscal year with the third highest visitor attendance in the history of the art museum, numbering 272,352. While they came for world class exhibitions derived from permanent collections, they stayed for lectures, educational programs, the Museum Shop and the Terrace Café, all of which saw significant increases in attendance and revenue this past year. Look forward this coming season to exhibitions on Art Deco design, Monet, Picasso, Musical Instruments and more.

Egyptian Statue on Loan — A monumental ancient Egyptian statue of a seated pharaoh—probably Amenemhat II—is on loan to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC) by Berlin's renowned Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz for a period of ten years. The ten-foot-tall, nearly nine-ton, 4,000-year-old sculpture is an outstanding example of ancient Egypt's magnificent colossal statuary, of which very few examples can be found in American museums.

Successful Program Concluded – On Labor Day Weekend in September, more than 1,500 museums nationwide offered a final “thank you” to military families through the Blue Star Museums program. This national partnership among Blue Star families, the National Endowment for the Arts and museums across the country offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 21, No. 12 — October 2011