Genesis Heat Set Paints

[Michael Georges]

Hello to all:

I have some questions about the Genesis heat set colors. I guess I wonder about their permanence, and the lightfastness of the pigments over time. I believe that they are formulated much in the same manner as T-Shirt fabric inks are - i.e., they have a similar heat set ingredient.

Karin: When you got your Genesis colors, did they provide any information about "what" specifically they are made of? And does the company make any assertions about their permanence or lightfastness?

I am attracted to the idea of them, but am quite wary because nowhere can I find this information.

If anyone can point me to this information, I would appreciate it.

[Michael Georges]

I did a little research on these paints today and here is what I found:

Genesis is a subsidiary company of The American Art Clay Company. AMACO makes polymer heat set clays like FIMO and Sculpy. These clays are defined as Thermoplastics as they remain soft and pliant until heated to 250 degrees when they polymerize and become firm.

The pigments used for these clays are industrial grade pigments made for plastics. They are not particularly UV resistant or light fast.

Now, the Genesis paints are clearly an offshoot of this thermoplastic technology. I doubt that they contain any natural oils at all, but are instead a plastic product. I would hope that they select pigments for these paints that are light fast, but only experimentation and time will tell.

If you own these paints, then I would recommend taking your palette and painting and drying a test panel. Set it in a sunny window and see your results over several weeks and months. Sculpy and FIMO fade pretty dramatically under sunlight. That is not to say that the Genesis paints will, but testing them would not be a bad idea.

[Karin Wells]

I did a small painting a year ago that has sat in my sunny studio with no ill effect. As far as the technology goes, I would like to know more too and have written to Nancy Elliott at Genesis. Her email is [email protected] Maybe if you contact her too, she will help us here.

Genesis is classified as "oil paint" and really handles like it...except that it drys very quickly at the artist's convenience....unlike the traditional stuff.

I do not know how long Genesis has been around, but if it doesn't perform as advertised, the company will soon be in trouble.

I doubt that any serious artist would consider using any brand of paint that proves unstable. My experience with Genesis has been very good and has actually been much better than I anticipated. In many ways I like it better than traditional oils.

Here's what I do not like about Genesis: They do not have a gloss medium on the market yet. (But I have been assured that they are working on this.)

The other thing that I do not like is that they have a satin finish varnish, but it does not go on smoothly....it holds a brushstroke and must be "fan brushed" to become smooth. And this is sometimes a pain.

At first I did not like their color system - Until I found a "recipe book" to show me how to mix the colors that duplicated my old palette I was going nuts. Now I think that their color system makes a lot more sense than most.

If you are interested in trying Genesis, I suggest getting a jar (it does not come in tubes) of titanium white and a jar of raw umber. You can play around (make an underpainting with these?) and test them out.

I also recommend the Genesis brushes...believe it or not, they are not only relatively inexpensive and very good, but they come with a LIFETIME guarantee! Really, I'm not kidding....you register the brush and if anything goes wrong, they'll replace it for free.

[Michael Georges]

Karin:

Thanks for your reply. I would appreciate it if you could share any further experiences you have with the Genesis system - especially their reply to you. It may well be that these paints will outlast even oils - I mean hey, "plastic is forever", but I want to do some more research before trying them. Sounds like you are a bit farther down that path than I. Thanks for sharing what you know of them.

[Karin Wells]

I wrote to Genesis and here is their reply:

Hi Karin,

Here is some information you can pass on to Michael or anyone else interested in Genesis Artist Colors.

American Art Clay is a manufacturer of a wide range of art and craft materials and equipment. Although Amaco is not a manufacturer of polymer
clay , we do distribute Fimo Clay which is made in Germany.

Genesis Artist Colors have nothing to do with polymer clay. Genesis Artist Colors are made of a synthetic material, using a synthetic oil. The pigments used in Genesis are of the highest quality. The fact that the colors have to withstand the heating process to start off with, requires the use of utmost quality pigments. The pigments used cannot be affected by the heat, a problem regular oil paint manufacturers do not have to deal with.

Genesis Colors are tested by an independent lab for light fastness using ASTM D-4303 Standard Test Method, and categorized accordingly. All Genesis Colors have a light fastness of ( I ) and only the Dioxazine Purple line of 8 colors has a light fastness of (II).

The dried Genesis painting is very flexible, unlike oil paints which become brittle. Therefore, a Genesis Painting canvas can be rolled in a cylinder without hurting the painting.

The Genesis Permanent Varnish is formulated with UV absorbers and Hindered Amine light stabilizers for archival quality. Though Permanents
Varnish needs a soft brush to apply it smooth, like Karin says, we have had comments from artists that like to use the texture it creates when applied with a regular brush.

The most wonderful thing about Genesis Colors is that you do not have to adjust very much when you switch from regular oil paints. And once you have adjusted you will never go back. The absence of smell and the fact that it is non toxic, alone, is worth the effort of switching. I understand the insecurity in switching, I have done it myself, but once you start using Genesis Colors the process becomes very natural and effortless. It is great to be able to finish the painting in a short time while you have the idea and the feeling about it fresh in your mind.

I don't have to tell you about all the good things of Genesis colors, buy a small sample kit and see for yourself.

If you have any question or need further information, please feel free to Email or call me.

Best regards,
George Debikey
VP Director of Technical Services
American Art Clay Co. Inc.
800-925-5195, ext. 328

[Michael Georges]

That's pretty informative. Still not exactly what I wanted, but enough to convince me to give them a try somewhere in the future. It's a lot of money to spend, however, on just an experiment. Perhaps your suggestion of just getting Umber and White is a good one.