Share Art tips join in

[marylka]

Hi Marylke,
PArkers have Ampersand gessobord but it is very expensive. I am not sure but i think that it is new . They also have an interesting clay board for egg tempera not that i will be doing egg tempera. The Ampersand they say is very good for glazing. I asked as i was not sure whey she recommended it and now after your comment i realise t hat it is the smoothness. I could looked into the hardboard but it sounds a bit time consuming for someone like me as i only have a couple of days to do my painting each week.
regards
Margaret

Hi Margaret,
Good to know that Parkers have the Ampersand board, I will look up the site for prices, yes it's used for glazing The Masonite is a lot of work. I was told yesterday at a demo that  mdf board can also be used making sure both sides are gesso'd not need to sand both sides just the side one is working on I might try that as it's not as dark as masonite it will not need as many layers of gesso it's a neutral in colour.
Marylka

[Renee]

You know another reason some people could have unexpected marks on their paintings is when you buy the sheets, the ones on the top of the stack at the art store could have been handled by greasy sweaty fingers. Many sheets laying out of the plastic packaging and on the top are gone through by handing barehanded. Some people will glide their fingers right over the surface feeling it. Buying the sheets in packages online you will get sheets that have not been contaminated by hand & finger oils

[Renee]

The sizing on your watercolor paper.

Papers are traditionally sized with gelatin. The amount of sizing determines the amount of color the paper absorbs. Heavier sizing allows more color to stay on the surface and allows easier reworking of the paint. Internally sized paper has the sizing added in the vat before the paper is made. Tub sized papers are soaked in a sizing bath after the paper is made Tub sized paper is the preferred choice of watercolorists. A paper that is too heavily sized can resist your brush strokes.   Papers that are stretched lose any excess sizing in the stretching process. If soaked to long and stretched you can have only a felt piece of paper left that is spongy and blotchy. The blotches are what is left of the sizing that shows when wet.

The remedy for over soaking is simply buying some unflavored gelatin putting a couple of tablespoons in a cup of very got water and allowing it to dissolve. Pour some of this warm brew over your bone dry paper, and allow it to become almost dry. Then use a marble rolling pin and roll it over the paper as hard as you can. Allow to become bone dry.
It will not be smooth like freshly bought hot pressed but will will stop the color spider webs of paint creeping into dry areas that you do not want the paint to seep.

This is common sense really. With Hand made watercolor paper, Gelatin sizing has always been used.
I have saved some paintings this way when I thought the paper was ruined.

[mrdwyer9]

Hi Renee,
How fascinating . Gelatin used to size paper. So i learn something new each day. Your rolling pin would have to be heavy i suppose. when you say that you had saved some paintings were they already painted or in the early stages of painting.
regards
Margaret

[marylka]

Hi Renee,
How fascinating . Gelatin used to size paper. So i learn something new each day. Your rolling pin would have to be heavy i suppose. when you say that you had saved some paintings were they already painted or in the early stages of painting.
regards
Margaret

That was a question that I wondered about if it was done when they were already painted?
Marylka

[Renee]

Hi Renee,
How fascinating . Gelatin used to size paper. So i learn something new each day. Your rolling pin would have to be heavy i suppose. when you say that you had saved some paintings were they already painted or in the early stages of painting.
regards
Margaret

Yes, the rolling pin would have to be heavy and that is why marble is the choice. However, you can roll the bottom of a smooth bowel hard on the small sections at a time.
But I have used the gelatin with no pressing and it really helps non the less.

[Renee]

Hi Renee,
How fascinating . Gelatin used to size paper. So i learn something new each day. Your rolling pin would have to be heavy i suppose. when you say that you had saved some paintings were they already painted or in the early stages of painting.
regards
Margaret

That was a question that I wondered about if it was done when they were already painted?
Marylka

I have literally scrubbed out allot of paint and damaged paper and repaired it with the gelatin and the bottom of a smooth hard bowel. Yes, if it is already painted you can still add a layer of the Gelatin. I have done this. Then repainted and went over any lines with watercolor pencil where it needed extra help.

[Maylon]

Totally facinatinating Renee, definitely going to try that with the hot press, I have already stretched.
Maylon

[marylka]

Hi All,
Mr Clean Magic eraser can be bought in the cleaning isle of a supermarket or Chux magic eraser in my part of the world, buy the original type not the bleached one, can be used to clean an area of the painting when you need the white of the paper back ,not so good on hot press paper as it's so smooth , works fine on cp paper .
I found that with glazing with oils it does the same thing it can remove the oil  color from the canvas. I had an area that got dirty ,I thought why not try it, and presto it worked. I also use Masking fluid if I want to paint up to a white area edge and want it pristene. It is magic

The other tip I sent her was I use the Color Shaper which is a tool to lift paint off I  use it for small mixes of color a lot easier to clean up as the tip is silicone and not much wasted paint . They come in different shapes and points I use the sharp pointed one's for applying the masking fluid.

I received Arleta's newsletter she used my tip which was nice, Susan is featured on it also.

http://www.colourshaper.com/
Marylka

[marylka]

With using varnish or mediums and other chemicals with oil painting , it's better if they are from the same company as they are made to work best with each other.
Marylka

[Renee]

With using varnish or mediums and other chemicals with oil painting , it's better if they are from the same company as they are made to work best with each other.
Marylka

I agree!

[marylka]

Hi All,
I have been preparing some MDF board with the 1st coat of gesso for oils painting, in between the drying time I put my roller that I use so that i get that egg shell finish in a zip lock bag it will not dry out for quite a while.It will need several coats of gesso I don't know how many as the Mdf board is lighter in colour than the Masonite it's covering much  easier I will sand back  180 gr sandpaper after each layer of gesso both sides must be gessoed so it does not warp the back will not need as many layers .

The other tip is when the oil pigment oozes put with the filler I place on lunch wrap paper to soak a for a little while I do not leave it there as that dries the Oil paint too much.

If you don't have disposable palette for Oils I use some Oven Bake Paper  secured to another surface eg scrap board.
Marylka

[Renee]

Hi All,
I have been preparing some MDF board with the ist coat of gesso for oils painting, in between the drying time I put my roller that I use so that i get that egg shell finish in a zip lock bag it will not dry out for quite a while.

The other tip is when the oil pigment oozes put with the filler I place on lunch wrap paper to soak a for a little while I do not leave it there as that dries the Oil paint too much.

If you don't have disposable palette for Oils I use some Oven Bake Paper  secured to another surface eg scrap board.
Marylka

Oven bake paper or waxed paper is good. Wouldn't the paper slide when you scoop up paint? Does yours come in attached sheets? Ours are always in rolls. If they are attached sheets, that would be so handy!

[marylka]

Hi Renee,
It's on a roll  i just cut the size of surface I have ,you can use clips to secure it The disposable palette are only attached on one side so the problem is  almost the same ,the paint used is so small that it works well.
Marylka

[Renee]

Hi Renee,
It's on a roll  i just cut the size of surface I have ,you can use clips to secure it
Marylka

That would work great. See..I did not even think of the clips and I have lots of them. LOL!

Hi Renee,
I will use anything to achieve how I need something to work Sturdy type clips would be good.
Marylka