Jul
06
Creating Resin Lacing with Folk Art Paints

Repeatedly I have been asked about adding glitter to a resin painting.  I don’t normally use glitter in my pieces, but I wanted to try it out.  Recently I have been playing with Folk Art Paints, and I purchased some of their metallic paints along with a glitter paint.  My intention was to use these colors in resin to see how they mixed and moved within the medium.  I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  I am not sure I would use these paints in a large piece, but it looks good so far.

Below I have a list of the products I used and some info on how I achieved the results.

Resin is a unique medium in that there are a ton of factors that influence the behavior.  Temperature, humidity, types of paints, types of resin, etc. In most cases, the results are specific to you as well as how you mix the resin.

When I mix up my resin, I do so in one large batch and then transfer to the selection of colors.  When I add the color, I only add in small amounts until I get the depth I like.  Mixing the paint is similar to seasoning soup, it is really up to the cook’s preference.

After I have all my colors figured out, I add denatured alcohol to thin out the resin.  You can add a little or a lot, but it may affect the way the piece dries and levels if the paint is too thin.  Lastly, I will add a little treadmill silicone to the color that I want some lacing.  Not all colors will work, and gravity does make a difference.  If I am trying to achieve that cloud lace look, I will let the base layers sit a little bit before I add the final white color.  This will keep the colors from mixing too much and allows the layer to have more depth.  You can also do this as a separate layer using clear resin and white.  Layering resin colors are beautiful and give a piece much more depth.

That is pretty much all I do.  I hope this information is helpful and you get to create some art!

The products I used in this video are listed here.

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
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!

May
25
Acrylic Pouring Cells Without Torching or Silicone. Recipe Included

I love to keep things pretty simple, and in this video, I show how to make a painting using only three ingredients and some nice shiny results.

For this type of art, I use a recipe that can be scaled up. I use this method on some larger pieces. Not only because the ingredients are better for a larger size but because the pouring medium is much less expensive.

The recipe for a small 6X6 is as follows:

  • 25ml Floetrol
  • 5 ml fluid acrylic paint
  • 2 ml 91% alcohol.

When scaling the paints I back off on the alcohol if it tends to get a little too runny. This is something you’re going to need to adjust yourself. It is much like the amount of salt you like in your food. Additionally, you will want to add the iridescent pearl after you have mixed the paints. This acts as an additive and is not in the total amounts. The amount is up to you.

The products that I used in this video are listed below: – Also, if you’re using Golden’s fluid acrylic it is always better to buy larger quantities as the smaller sizes are much more expensive.

Hope you give this a try and always have fun first!

May
25
Artistic creative block – Taking advantage of the quantum mind

Sometimes I get into a little rut and have just to step back and let the universe tell me what it wants me to do. It is always amazing how these creative moments strike. Sometimes they arrive in the middle of the night, and others just happen right before my eyes.

In the future, I hope to research more about creativity specifically how it influences addiction and recovery. I have been on both sides of the effects, and I can say it has almost killed me and saved my life. Recently I read two fascinating books on creativity and the mind. One such book was by Amit Goswami called Quantum Creativity. Dr. Goswami is a pretty interesting guy and has a subtle way of actually explaining quantum physics and the influence it has on creativity. The book was a great read for me and propelled my interest in how the creative mind works. Below I have a link to his book and his website.

The second book I read was by one of my favorite authors Dr. David Gelertner, a mastermind in the world of multiprocessing, artificial intelligence and creative thinking. Dr. Gelertner wrote The Tides of Mind which is a beautiful voyage through the levels of consciousness. This book has heavily influenced my Dreamers series of abstract paintings. Overall the book covers the spectrum of the mind from extreme consciousness to deep sleep. Knowing where ideas come from and its parallels to Dr. Goswami make these two books a must read back to back.

Creative block can be a real nightmare. These two books have helped me cope and be more patient with myself when the time arrives just to sit back and watch. Additionally, I have been told by other great artists that sometimes you need just to let go and put paint on something. This advice has always been helpful and recently I experienced the effects in a simple set of pieces I created. I called these painting tiny abstracts. I wasn’t trying to force anything to happen, and I didn’t think of much when I was painting. The end results were these small 4X6 acrylic paintings that spoke to me. What they told me was just to relax, pause, and the universe will show me what it wants me to create.

You can learn more about Dr. Amit Goswami and is website  http://www.amitgoswami.org/

The two books mentioned can be found here at Amazon:

The Tides of Mind  by Dr. David Gelertner – http://amzn.to/2qk6Z8Q

Quantum Creativity by Dr. Amit Goswami – http://amzn.to/2rZsADU

May
15
Acrylic Pouring Painting A Letter J for my boy James – Triple Cup Dirty Pour

Tonight my son James and I hung out and worked on his letter J.  The kids are all really excited about hanging their own artwork on their walls and I am thrilled I get to do it with them.   Just like the last two pours, we did a three cup pour for the letter J.  The difference with this pour was that we used all primary colors to get a ton of mixed colors.  The best part was changing up how much was in each cup to get more purples or oranges or greens.  James had a great time and the piece is going to look great when it dries.

For the recipe we did the following in each cup:

2 ounces Flood Floetrol
10 mls of alcohol
20 mls of paint

The paints were added to three separate cups and then poured over the canvas.  Very little was done to manipulate the panel.  Below is a list of the ingredients we used:

May
14
Acrylic Pour Painting A Letter W For WHITNEY! Three Cup Dirty Pour Technique.

After my girl Zoe and I painted her letter my oldest Whitney was ready to work on her letter.  Just like the last pour with Zoe we did a three cup pour for the letter W.  The results were pretty cool and as it dries we like it more an more.  Once the piece has fully dried we will post images to this blog.  So be sure to come back in a couple of days to see how it looks dried.

For the recipe we did the following in each cup:

2 ounces Flood Floetrol
10 mls of alcohol
20 mls of paint

The paints were added to three separate cups and then poured over the canvas.  Very little was done to manipulate the panel.  Below is a list of the ingredients we used:

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