New paints really work!

[Richard Monro]

Twenty years ago bad reactions to oils forced me to switch to a new medium. After much research I selected Golden acrylic paints because of their archival properties, excellent pigment loads and buttery texture. Their one major drawback has been a severe lack of open time on the canvas for blending and mixing. With a 7-11% humidity here in Arizona, open time on the canvas could be measured in seconds.

Then the Chroma Interactive acrylics came along and promised increased open times. They were a disappointment as open time was only increased to a minute or two on the canvas.

I thus greeted Golden's open acrylics promise of vastly increased open time with a great deal of skepticism. However, I am very happy to report that the open acrylics definitely do live up to their advertising. Straight out of the tube the open time on the canvas is approximately 45 minutes here in Arizona. That open time can be extended to hours by a judicious application of open thinner, either mixed into the paint or spritzed on the canvas. Mixing and blending on the canvas are now a blessed reality for acrylic painters. Beautiful glazes can be achieved by mixing the open acrylic paints with open medium. Paints on a glass palette kept in a plastic container with a damp sponge (to provide a little humidity) have stayed workable for several days.

More information on these incredible new paints can be found at:

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/open.php

[Richard Bingham]

Richard, please forgive a digressing request . . . I'd be much obliged if you would e-mail me details regarding your necessary aversion to oil painting materials.

[Richard Monro]

Just out of curiosity, are there any other forum portrait artists working in acrylics?

[Claudemir Bonfim]

I don't work in acrylics due to its drying time.
Thanks for the news.

[David Clemons]

Although I'm not strictly a portrait artist, I use a variety of mediums, from oils, casein, gouache, acrylic, etc. They each have strengths or weaknesses depending on use and expectations of the artist.

I have been curious about the Open product since first hearing about them and have heard good reports to date. Some of the negatives I've heard are that they're a bit thinner than regular heavy-body acrylics as the pigment load is less. Also that they were not designed for thick impasto; although, I don't usually paint that way, and the color choices are currently not as large as regular acrylics. What's preventing me from testing them out right now is I'd have to replace my current supply of paints which I'm in no hurry to do.

[Steven Sweeney]

I grew up in pursuits that bathed me in fuels and solvents and, thankfully, I seem not to have suffered effects or developed aversions or allergies.

That said, acrylics intrigue me greatly for the simplicity -- I paint outdoors a lot, and would be happy not to drag along medium and solvent containers, with the attendant clean-up.

I've never quite made my peace with the brief open time of acrylics, or the change in value upon drying. Friends I painted with around Sydney Harbour all acknowledged this but were happy to accept the challenge.

I also do a lot of block printing, and you don't get to do "overs" in that medium. You just live with the result, or modify the block somehow, or start over.

My challenge is that I rarely get anything right -- or more truly: as good as I can get it -- the first time, and I always appreciate the opportunity to come back and scrape off and get it right.

Perhaps I need to change perspective a bit, though, as well. I studied Chinese brush painting, while living in Taiwan, where the idea was to hold the result in your mind first, and then just lay that down with a brush stroke, unrevised.

Mastery of all three modes is still in my future. I'm working on it, but isn't life busy in these times . . .

[Richard Monro]

David,

Your are correct on all counts. However, the color choices are extensive enough that any artist should be more than satisfied.

Steven,

There will still be a slight color shift as the paint dries, although I seem to have automatically adapted to this change. Other than that I have found the Open Acrylics to be quite amazing. You will probably love them for your outdoor painting. Even when the paint appears to have dried on a brush, an application of open thinner and a swish in water cleans it all off. No more heaving the brush in the trash because of being absent minded.

[David Clemons]

Originally Posted by David Clemons

...What's preventing me from testing them out right now is I'd have to replace my current supply of paints which I'm in no hurry to do.

I should rephrase or clarify that comment of mine I think. It's not really "replacement" that concerns me, but that I can already do what I need to do with the acrylics I have. With a "wet palette" setup I can keep paints workable pretty much all day. Eventually, I'm sure I'll get around to testing out the Open product, and they are compatible with regular acrylics so phasing them in should be no problem, I'm just not in any hurry to do so. I like that they offer more versatility, but it sounds like there may be some trade offs that I may not be happy with. There's also my phobia about buying "version 1" of anything.

Usually the complaints with acrylics drying too fast have to do with blending problems, and that can be addressed by doing more mxing on the palette. It's easier to blend shades that are closer together on a value scale.

[Carol Morimoto]

I've just begun using acrylics and am still stumbling along since all I have used in the past 15 years or so are oil paints. Any additional advice to an acrylic newby would be greatly appreciated. I bought both open and heavy body paints in colors not available in open as well as matte medium and open thinner to help extend drying time with the heavy body paints. Thanks again for your comments.

[Steven Sweeney]

I've downloaded but haven't yet viewed instruction videos on painting with acrylics, from http://www.craftsy.com, but I've watched several of their drawing and oil painting courses and, while I'm sure there's the odd experience that's "off," I've found tremendous bang for the buck out of these offerings. I very much encourage browsing around the site, or at least getting on their email list, as there are very frequent sales on select courses. Even at full price, most run $20-$40.

Fairly detailed introductions and syllabi are available for each course, before you commit to it. As I say, I haven't watched the acrylics courses in my library yet, so I don't know if the matter of open time is addressed.

I try to watch one 30-60 minute lesson each evening, as I wind down after other chores are done, and I not only wonder "how they do that" for the price, but I'm almost always much inspired to pick up pencil, charcoal or brush at the end of each.

The "Craftsy" name may seem a little off-putting, but understand that the site focuses on a very wide range of artistic and creative pursuits in addition to painting and drawing.