Jun
24
Is using silicone really better? Do we really have to torch? Comparing two low cost acrylic pour techniques using Folk Art Brand Paint with and without silicone and no dangerous torching!

I often get asked if I can show how I would create a painting using less expensive craft paints.  Last week I did a demonstration using Anita’s All Purpose Acrylic Paints.  These were inexpensive and easy to use.  I had some beautiful results, and after finishing the piece off with epoxy resin, it was spot on.  This week I am trying out Folk Art Paints by PLAID.

PLAID makes a lot of excellent craft products from Mod Podge to glues to different craft paints like the Folk Art and Apple Barrel.  According to their website, the Apple Barrel and Folk Art paints are UV stable and stay true indoors and outdoors.  I sent a request for more information regarding how light fast the paint is and below is what they responded to me with:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your inquiry. FolkArt Acrylic Colors and FolkArt Outdoor Paint
Pigments have been rated highly resistant to fading.

Paints are rated on a light-fastness scale that runs from 1 to 5.

1=Excellent
2=Very good
3=Good
4=Fair
5=Poor

All of the FolkArt Acrylic Colors and FolkArt Outdoor Paints are rated Excellent or
Very Good (1 or 2). These paints are made from some of the purest pigment available,
which results in its superior quality.
Unfortunately, FolkArt Paints do not contain any U/V inhibitors.
Thank you for contacting Plaid,

EP

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

In addition to the paints I am often asked if torching a paint is really necessary.  Well, I am in no place to decide what an artist does to create their work so I can’t really say what is necessary.  The two pours done in the video are both excluding a torch.  There are times when I will try it but in most cases I don’t torch simply because I don’t want to torch.

For the video attached, I did two different pours.  The first pour was a request to use one of my recipes using Floetrol, paint, alcohol, and silicone.  I did this painting with no intention of torching the paint as I wanted to show how you can get an overload of cells without adding heat to the paint.  The second pour is using one of my recipes that I use a lot.  The recipe used was simply Floetrol, Paint, and alcohol.  Both give unique results, and it is really up to the artist to decide what they like.   Below I have a list of the products I used as well as the recipes I used to create them.  Both of these pieces are available on my Etsy page which supports the YouTube channel.

Recipe 1 – 6X6 Square Panel (These panels I create myself)

  • 25ml Floetrol
  • 15ml  paint
  • 5ml 91% alcohol
  • A spray of silicone in each color then stirred.

For this recipe, I used these measurements for each color.  The total amount of fluid was roughly 200ml or almost 1 cup of paint.  Additionally, I added one last spray of silicone to the top of the dirty cup before flipping it over. I wanted this painting to have a TON of cells.

Recipe 2 – 10 inch circular panel. (These panels I also create and are available on my etsy page)

  • 25ml Floetrol
  • 15ml  paint
  • 5ml 91% alcohol

This recipe is fairly straight forward.  One tip is to add your alcohol last as it will evaporate quickly. It also seems to work a little better if the paint is poured out rather than flipped.  I like the look of ribbons and smaller cells.  They tend to give more of a planetary look than a organism look.

Materials Used:

These two pieces are available to purchase on my Etsy page – https://www.etsy.com/shop/DannyClarkArt

Jun
15
Low Cost Fluid Acrylic Pouring with Anita’s Craft Paint

Recently I was asked to try out Anita’s All Purpose craft paint in a pouring demo to see what kind of results I get. Surprisingly the paint was very responsive and had a close consistency to Golden Fluid Acrylic. Now I don’t know what the archival quality of the paint is, but it looks good so far. In the video, I also show how I use a Polymer Medium to coat a finished piece after I cleaned off the silicone. If there is any silicone left behind when a resin coating is added, you will see tons of small pock marks. By coating the piece in a polymer medium, you seal the good paint and help lift the silicone missed after initial cleaning. It saves a lot of time re-coating in resin.

To purchase this piece please and support the YouTube Channel visit the Etsy Page: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DannyClarkArt 

For all the materials I used in the video:

Jun
12
Fluid Acrylic Pouring with Liquitex Soft Body Acrylics

In this video, I use Liquitex Soft Body Acrylics. These acrylics are smooth but not as fluid as Golden Fluid Acrylics. In each of the colors, I also added some Liquitex Basic Iridescent Medium. I was hoping there would be more effect in the final result, but this was not the case. I think it is better to use an iridescent paint to get the true effect.

Overall the paints were responsive and held up nicely when drying. The colors stayed fairly true. I think if I were forced to use these, I wouldn’t have a problem but overall I am not overly impressed to change from any other brand I may be using.

The pieces in the video are available for sale on my Etsy page. Please feel free to visit and find something that will support the YouTube channel.

In the video I used the following materials:

  • Liquitex Professional Soft Body Acrylic Paint 2-oz jar, Mars Black – http://amzn.to/2svVVtB
  • Liquitex Professional Soft Body Acrylic Paint 2-oz jar, Iridescent Rich Copper – http://amzn.to/2s4KTZI
  • Liquitex Professional Soft Body Acrylic Paint 2-oz jar, French Gray/Blue – No Longer Available
  • Liquitex Professional Soft Body Acrylic Paint 2-oz jar, Brilliant Blue – http://amzn.to/2rUTArn
  • Liquitex Professional Iridescent Effects Medium, 8-oz – http://amzn.to/2shpm27
  • FLOOD/PPG FLD6-04 Floetrol Additive – http://amzn.to/2svCfpI
  • B’laster 16-SL Industrial Strength Silicone Lubricant – 11-Ounces – http://amzn.to/2smKVza
  • Distilled Water
  • Crystal Clear Bar Table Top Epoxy Resin Coating For Wood Tabletop – 1 Gallon Kit – http://amzn.to/2rUVx7b

Youtube demo art is available to purchase here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DannyClarkArt

Jun
09
8 Year Old Artist Zoe, Painting and Teaching Kindness

Recently I have been asked to give my opinion on what is considered art and what is not. This conversation was specifically geared to those that enjoy acrylic pouring. Hopefully this video will show where I stand and what is really important about creativity.  We all have a responsibility to be kind in this world especially when our children mirror our own behavior.  Feel free to share the kindness of Zoe as much as you want.

Thank you Zoe for being so incredibly inspirational.

 

You can support our YouTube channel by visiting our Etsy shop where we have art created in these videos available for sale. https://www.etsy.com/shop/DannyClarkArt

For my larger pieces please contact us for details on availability and pricing.

Jun
05
Painting a Skateboard Deck with Fluid Acrylics & Resin Coating

This last week I was asked to come up with a few skateboard decks for a skate shop. Before I dove head first, I wanted to see how everything would work on a surface that is not necessarily flat. I documented how I did this, and I think it turned out pretty well. Still not sure if the weight of the resin will impact the ride but that will be phase two. Even though these are just going to be on display, you never know when you just have to carve out.

Jun
02
How to make your own Fluid Acrylic Paint

While I love the rich pigment of a Golden Fluid Acrylic, I have been asked numerous times about making fluid acrylic paints. So I started looking into it more and found a solution that might be helpful. In no way is this a replacement for something as professional as Golden’s Fluid Acrylics, it is a less expensive alternative.

I got the idea for this recipe while making ebru paintings with my kids. When you paint with water, you have to add a surfactant to the paint for it to glide across the top of the water. Usually, we add ox gall or photo flow to the paint to give it some move-ability. I also had a bottle of Golden’s Acrylic Flow Release which is a paint additive for water painting. Golden now called is Wetting Fluid and can be used to wet your canvas before applying paint. So without getting too wordy here is how I mixed my paint to create a simple fluid acrylic.

This is a mixture created by weight and volume.

Part ONE – Diluting the Acrylic Flow Release (Slippery Water)

  • 16 oz Distilled water
  • 0.5 oz Acrylic Flow Release or Photo Flo

Mix the ingredients carefully and let sit for at least 25 hours, so there is no sudden foaming. The Acrylic Flow Release is an irritant and should be handled carefully with proper protection.

Part TWO – Making the Fluid Acrylic

  • 30g (by weight) medium bodied acrylic
  • 20g Slippery Water

Slowly add the slippery water to the paint and mix well. Do not mix vigorously just make sure that all the solution incorporates in the paint. If this is done in 10g increments, you will get a smoother result. Add more slippery water as desired to get a more fluid color.

Store your fluid acrylic in an airtight container and use it for any number of applications. In the video attached I use this recipe to create a fluid acrylic pour on a wood panel using four different brands of medium-bodied paint.

Links to the products I used in the video:

 

Good luck and always do what makes your heart happy!

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