Mixed Media | Danny Clark

Jul

Kid Safe and fun Almost Acrylic Tempera Fluid Painting

I have been asked a few times about using Tempera paint as a substitute for acrylic pouring. As far as I can recall I had a grandmother asking if it was possible to use this type of paint so she could show her grandchildren. First I have to say it is awesome showing kids how to make brave art. Children have no interest in selling their art and do this for themselves and not for “Likes.” In some ways, it is much like intuitive painting. If only we could all go through life with childlike faith, childlike curiosity and childlike love.

Since this is really for kids and not intended to be archival, I used tempura paints and regular school glue. Both are washable and safe to handle. Tempera paint is not much different from acrylic except it uses calcium carbonate as a binder and does not dry into plastic. Calcium Carbonate is pretty much found in eggs, snail shells and various other organic minerals. It is sometimes referred to as Egg Tempera and was used long before acrylics. There are some permanent tempera paints, but I am using a student grade tempera from Chroma. Chroma has a bunch of different types and recently came out with a Kids Chroma Tempera specifically for schools and kids.

What I found is that these act similar to the craft style paints. Of course, the school glue is thicker and does not have a long-term archival property, but again, this is for fun and not for sale. Based on the number of different types of tempera paints available I am sure you could get different results, but I hope you give this a try with a little one in your life! So get your kids, get your paints and get your wet towels because this is tons of fun!

Here is the recipe I used. (Please note, this is not exact, and I encourage you to experiment beyond just a recipe).

1 part Paint
1 part School Glue
A splash of alcohol
A splash of water

The alcohol will help with making cells and the water will help thin everything down some. Once you get it the right constancy your can do a swipe, pour whatever you like. Keep in mind, the Chroma Tempera paints actually use pigment so specific gravity does make a difference.

Here are the products that were used:

Chromatemp Tempera Paint – White – http://amzn.to/2tkMv0D
Chromatemp Tempera Paint – Blue – http://amzn.to/2sVLFb7
Chromatemp Tempera Paint – Violet – http://amzn.to/2t9meHo
Chromatemp Tempera Paint – Turquoise – http://amzn.to/2tkPOF9
Elmer’s School Glue – http://amzn.to/2ufCs1p
91% Alcohol – http://amzn.to/2t9jsBU
Strathmore Series 400 6×6 Acrylic Sheets – http://amzn.to/2ufzJos
8 Inch Round Canvas Board – http://amzn.to/2tcLnAV
Paint Atomizer – http://amzn.to/2vmLjev

Jul

Trying New Things with Acrylic Pouring and isolating colors.

At times I will be thinking of something regarding technique. The other day I was playing with some water color paints and had an idea about layering colors with cookie cutters. Now I have done this in a video of which is linked below, but this time I was thinking more along the lines of using cookie cutters to create cells of cells. Or clusters of cells. While the idea worked somewhat, I was not super happy with the colors. I could see this being utilized more on a huge piece, which I may try soon. Either way, the process fun and I always learn something even if I didn’t like the end results. Below is more information about the recipe and the paints I used.

Here are the paints that I used along with the other additives. To see the original video of the “No flip cup flip cup” please click here: https://youtu.be/act_BluG7tk

For the recipe I pretty much stuck the recipe in the video linked here. http://dannyclarkart.net/another-alternative-to-pouring-medium/

Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint 118ml-Primary Yellow – http://amzn.to/2srDQdf
Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint 4-oz tube, Cerulean Blue Hue http://amzn.to/2uMo6SA
Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint 4-oz tube, Titanium White – http://amzn.to/2tTk3r8
Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint 4-oz tube, Red Oxide – http://amzn.to/2tSVI4X
Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint 4-oz tube, Bright Aqua Green – http://amzn.to/2ss77Eg
Flood Floetrol – http://amzn.to/2srKrEj
B’laster 16-SL Industrial Strength Silicone Lubricant – 11-Ounces – http://amzn.to/2tT7dcO

Jul

Butterfly Eyes

In a lot of my posts and videos, I explain how an artist might create pieces with different effects using various types of mediums and recipes for acrylic pouring. For me, acrylic pouring is just a part of the larger process. It does not necessarily define my style nor is it the only type of art that I create. I love the way this technique gives me an unpredictable starting point. It is in some ways predictably unpredictable.

In the video linked I am creating the foundation of a much more detailed piece. By no means is this the end of the journey but the first of 8 different parts. The finished layer took about 48 hours to dry and is now ready for the next phases of work. The details of how I made this piece are not as important as just enjoying the work. It is important for me not to get bogged down in the details. It takes a little life away from the creative process. The next layers will be much more precise and a whole lot more enjoyable. When it is completed along with others pieces I am working on they will all be available to view in my gallery. I hope you enjoy this brief but very meditative first step.

Jun

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,

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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:

Folk Art Acrylic 427 Ivory White – http://amzn.to/2tQd26K
Folk Art Acrylic 403 Navy Blue – http://amzn.to/2rWTU5E
Folk Art Acrylic 513 Cayman Blue – http://amzn.to/2sVONY5
Folk Art Acrylic 4659 Golden Ochre –
Flood Floetrol – http://amzn.to/2sVPdO9
91% Alcohol – http://amzn.to/2rDYSoA
6X6 Wood Panel – These are similar just not as thick – http://amzn.to/2tQcI7V
10 Inch Round Panel – https://tinyurl.com/ybxm9mfg
Silicone Spray – http://amzn.to/2tPRzL9
Epoxy Resin – http://amzn.to/2tvjwrY

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

Jun

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.

May

Creating Cells and Memories – Acrylic Pouring Using Cookie Cutters

I don't get to spend a lot of time with my oldest but when I do we generally do a lot of laughing. Whitney is one of my greatest accomplishments and I am always in awe of what she can do. This kid works hard in school, she raises animals in FFA, sings in the choir at church and tutors 5th graders every Wednesday. She is also an awesome photographer and cook! Last night her and I spent a little time together trying out the new technique and we had a lot of fun.

The painting dried beautifully and we are excited about the results.

Here is a list of the products the we used:

Flood Floetrol - http://amzn.to/2pYNPHT
3 - In - One Silicone - http://amzn.to/2pvH9yr
Golden Fluid Acrylic - Green Gold - http://amzn.to/2q0dGQb
Golden Fluid Acrylic - Teal - http://amzn.to/2pvuZFT
Golden Fluid Acrylic - Phthalo Blue (Red Shade) - http://amzn.to/2qWlGiz
Golden Fluid Acrylic - Iridescent Pear (Fine) - http://amzn.to/2q2RvXv

May

Triple Pour with Lots of Cells – Latest Video.

This weekend I tried something a little different with my test canvases. I did a dirty pour with three flip cups, and I think it turned out OK. Below is a video from my YouTube channel with all the details. Additionally, I coated the piece in Art Resin.

Eventually, the piece will be available on my Etsy Page that I was finally able to setup. I am busy with so much other that stuff it seems like I am moving in slow motion. The Etsy shop is pretty much where these little test pieces reside. Otherwise, they collect dust in my house. So check it out and buy something will ya!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DannyClarkArt

As always here is a list of the ingredients I used to create this piece. I hope this inspires you to try it out. It’s not hard just sometimes messy!

Floetrol — http://amzn.to/2qqusJ7
Silicone — http://amzn.to/2qwgceR
91% Alcohol – http://amzn.to/2qws7cq
Golden Hansa Yellow Medium – http://amzn.to/2qCBh6B
Golden Titan Buff – http://amzn.to/2pW7eKM
Golden Raw Umber – http://amzn.to/2p6JUWH
Golden Quinacridone Magenta – http://amzn.to/2qCF3g6
Golden Cerulean Blue – http://amzn.to/2pGdYLV
Art Resin – http://amzn.to/2p3SdSn

Apr

Testing out the Pebeo Discovery Sets and not making a terrible mess!

Over the weekend my lovely wife gave me three sets of Pebeo paints to play with. There were three kits, each with their own specific purpose. The tree kits are listed below with links. For more information about Pebeo and what they have to offer go check out Pebeo.com. They have a ton of different types of paints and I can’t wait to try them all!

The first kit I played with was the Vitrial set. The colors included were Crimson, Lemon, Orange, Chartreuse, Sky Blue and Gold. All the paints are mixable so you can make your own custom color. I need to get some thinner but the look you get is of a stained glass. They were really easy to play with and I had no problem getting them mixed.

The second set I used was the Fantasy Prism. There were 12 different colors in this kit. My favorite was Eggshell White. The paints create a honeycomb effect. I think they are intended to be used alongside the Moon Fantasy but can be used alone too.

The third set I used was the Fantasy Moon. This set also came with 6 colors and they were sort of a two toned paint. I liked the way they went down on the panel but they were really tough to get mixed appropriately. They give a hammered metal look that is quite nice.

In the following video I put together a quick little abstract piece using each of the paints and finished off with a gentle spatula swipe. I really liked the look of the paints and how they reacted. After about 3 days it dried to a beautiful glossy look that is much like a resin piece.

Photo Apr 26, 12 32 43 PM

Here is a list of the items I used:

Pebeo Vitrail Discovery Set — http://amzn.to/2oNeUuJ
Pebeo Fanstasy Moon Set – http://amzn.to/2oxBj35
Pebeo Fantasy Prism Set – http://amzn.to/2pj7U9Y

Apr

Demonstration of a resin dirty pour and what to do when you get those ugly bubbles in the epoxy.

424_Blog

Yesterday I was working on a piece that used quite a few colors in the pour. Seven colors in fact! The colors were an inspiration from colors used by another YouTube artist, Annmarie Ridderhof. She uses a lot of earthy colors and they always tend to turn out very nice. The difference is that she is not using resin. I wanted to see what those colors looked like with resin so I did my own little test.

424_final_Blog

The piece was done as a “dirty pour” and while the results were nice there were quite a few little bubbles in the finished product. I find this to be the case with most resin dirty pours (for me). Its not that big of a deal since all you really need to do is lightly sand the top and then add another coat of resin. Most pieces I do include a second coat of resin or a finished coat.

In the video bellow I show the finished product and a time laps of the piece being created. If you get a chance go out and see what Annmarie is doing and hopefully with all these demos you will get inspired to do this yourself! As always, there is also a list of all the products used in the video with links where to buy.

Shopping List:

Apr

Discovering acrylic pouring cells by spraying silicone on the surface of a painting

Photo Apr 22, 9 42 46 PM

Teaching my 8 year old to paint using acrylic pouring medium and mixing colors is probably one of the most fun things I do each week. She just loves to make the magic happen and I love to watch her learn new things.

This week we did a little 8 inch canvas using some metallic paints and jewel tones. We like the results and decided to spray a little silicone on the painting at the end of the pour. Cells were created instantly! However, after the painted dried they were not as interesting as the ones that appeared naturally. For the painting in the video and seen above we made a list of the materials used in case you wanted to try some of this out.

Shopping List:

Recipe:

For the Paint colors (NOT WHITE) we used the following ratios – 1 Part Paint: 1 Part GAC 800: 1 Part Alcohol
For the White we used about 60cc of Floetrol and 10 drops of White High Flow Acrylic.
The paints were added to the cups and then poured over the canvas. Some would call it a “dirty pour”
After the paint had settled we then sprayed a very light mist of silicone over the painting allowing the chemical to settle on top and create the cellular reaction.