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TYPES OF PAINTS Acrylic Latex Paint "House Paint" An inferior polymer based paint. Not suitable as an artist grade paint. Acrylic Paint Water soluble paint that dries to an insoluble paint film. Composed of two parts, an acrylic polymer emulsion (binder) and pigment. Alkyd Paint An oil or solvent compatible paint. Casein Paint A heavy body water based paint. The most inflexible and brittle of artist grade paints. Fluorescent Paint Reflects more visible light than it receives. Fugitive colors. Gouache Paint Opaque Watercolor. Interference Paint "Pearlescent Color". Polymer emulsion with titanium coated mica flakes. Painted over a dark color you see the labeled interference color. Painted over a light color you see the complimentary color. Color changes depending upon viewing angle. Iridescent Paint "Metallic Paint with no metal". Same structure as Interference with addition of light absorbing colorants. Colors never tarnish. Oil Paint Made of linseed oil (binder) and pigment. Soluble in oil based solvents (turpentine, mineral spirits) Tempera Paint Water based paint that is redissolveable when dry. Best on rigid supports. Watercolor Paint A waterbase paint, that is redissolveable when dry. The binder is Gum Arabic. Acrylic Paint Water soluble paint that dries to an insoluble paint film. Composed of two parts, an acrylic polymer emulsion (binder) and pigment. Basics Paint An economy paint made by Liquitex for students and beginner artists. Interference Paint "Pearlescent Color". Polymer emulsion with titanium coated mica flakes. Painted over a dark color you see the labeled interference color. Painted over a light color you see the complimentary color. Color changes depending upon viewing angle. Iridescent Paint "Metallic Paint with no metal". Same structure as Interference with addition of light absorbing colorants. Colors never tarnish. Structural Paint A three dimensional, non-leveling paint previously made by Liquitex. You can now achieve the same effect by using our Light Modeling Paste and tinting with our Artist Acrylic Colors PAINT TERMINOLOGY Additives Any substance added to paint to impart valuable, physical or structural properties to the paint. Covering power The extent of the area over which a given amount of liquid paint or varnish will Drag The surface tension of a paint (usually applied with a brush) along a surface. Extenders An additive that increases the volume of paint, without changing color or opacity. Liquitex Matte Opaque Extenders (Jarpque and Gelex) are "true" extenders.. Fillers Mistakenly thought to be ALL additives to paint which increase volume without adding any intrinsic qualities to the paint. LIQUITEX PAINTS CONTAIN NO FILLERS. In truth, it is any substance which when mixed with pigment causes no appreciable change in shade or hue. Used largely as adulterants or cheapeners, many are used to impart valuable, physical or structural properties to paint. See additives. Hiding Power Degree of opacity in paint or pigment. Ability to mask or conceal an underpainting. Opacifiers Increase the opacity of paint. Inhibit the ability of light to pass through the paint. Palette Assortment of limited group of colors chosen for use in painting. Pigment Dry, powdery coloring agents which are mixed with binder to make paint. Polymer Emulsion The binder for acrylic paints. Saturation The degree of a color intensity or vividness. Substrate Surface upon which any paint is applied.(canvas, paper, wood, etc.) Thickeners Additives that change the viscosity (thickness) of paint. Tinting Strength Tinting strength of a pigment refers to how strong a color it is. Measured by how much pigment it takes to change color to white. Vehicle The liquid used as the carrier of pigments in paint. The binder in a paint. In Acrylic paint the vehicle is polymer emulsion. Viscosity The thickness of a paint. Its ability to flow. Viscous See Viscosity. PIGMENTS Organic Pigments have carbon as a derivative. Originally extracted from plant or animal matter. Tend to be transparent. Inorganic Pigments without carbon, such as cadmiums, cobalts, earth colors. Derived mostly from metals. Tend to be opaque, low value, low chroma, high opacity and chemicaly stable. Natural Pigments occurring in nature. More consistent and least costly to produce. Can be organic or inorganic. Synthetic Source of most pigments today. Formulated to mimic the effects of natural pigments. Can be organic or inorganic. Natural/Organic Pigments of vegetable or animal origin. Generally not as lightfast, as high in chroma or as chemically stable in acrylic paint as synthetic pigments. i.e. Rose Madder, Alizarine Crimson. Natural/Inorganic Generally pigments of low value, low chroma and high opacity. Chemically stable. i.e. Burnt & Raw Umber and Sienna. Synthetic/Organic Pigments containing carbon. High chroma, transparent or translucent pigments. i.e. Napthol Red, Arylide Yellow. Synthetic/Inorganic Pigments of low value, low chroma, high opacity, high lightfastness. i.e. Chromium Oxide Green, Red Oxide, Mars Black. Cadmium Pigments that are synthetic/inorganic. Although naturally ocurring, they are processed in laboratory and are classified as Synthetic. Toxic in spray form. Cadmium Hue See "Hue" under the Color Section ADDITIVES Damar Varnish A petroleum distillate varnish used over a dried oil painting to affect its sheen. Distilled Turpentine Used to thin oil paints. It is an acute toxic hazard. Kopal (Copal) An additive for oil paint, used to promote drying. Liquin A solvent used in oil painting, made from oil modified alkyd resin. Medium An additive mixed into the paint to change the working characteristics of the paint, without decreasing its adhesion. Acrylic mediums change the paint so it can be used for a variety of techniques. (see Vehicle) Mineral Spirits A petroleum distillate used to thin oil paints. It is an acute toxic hazard. Solvent A material used to thin (dilute) paint. Varnish A material painted over a dried painting to either change the reflective nature of Vehicle The liquid part of a paint in which pigment is suspended. COLOR Chroma See intensity. Gloss Highest reflective surface. The most "shiny". Hue (Label) When "Hue" is added to the name of a paint (i.e. Cadmium Red Hue) it is a color that is a mixture of pigments that simulate pure cadmium colors. "Hue" colors are less expensive and can be more lightfast than traditional pigments. Hue: Munsell System Name of a family of color. Intensity The brightness or strength of a color. Matte The least reflective surface. The most "dull". Munsell System Defines color as made up of three attributes - Hue, Value and Chroma. Opacity The degree to which a pigment obscures a substrate, or the degree to which light passes through the paint. Also known as "hiding power". Opaque Best "hiding power". Best suited for coverage techniques. Semi-gloss In-between gloss and matte. Shading Changing the value of a color, usually by adding black. Shade See shading. Sheen The reflective quality of a dried paint surface. Tinting Adding white to a color. Tint See Tinting. Transparent The least opaque paint. Least amount of "hiding power". Best suited for for glazing techniques. Translucent In-between transparent and opaque. Suitable for glazing and other techniques. Value Relative lightness of a color (light vs dark). COLOR TERMINOLOGY Gloss Highest reflective surface. The most "shiny". Intensity See Chroma. Matte The least reflective surface. The most "dull". Opacity The degree to which a pigment obscures a substrate, or the degree to which light passes through the paint. Also known as "hiding power". Opaque Best "hiding power". Best suited for coverage techniques. Semi-gloss In-between gloss and matte. Shading Changing the value of a color, usually by adding black. Shade See shading. Sheen The reflective quality of a dried paint surface. Tinting Adding white to a color. Tint See Tinting. Transparent The least opaque paint. Least amount of "hiding power". Best suited for for Translucent In-between transparent and opaque. Suitable for glazing and other techniques. PAINTING TECHNIQUES Glaze (Glazing) A mixture of (mostly) Gloss Medium & Varnish and (a little) paint. Used in acrylic painting techniques to create luminous color and depth. Fresco A painting technique of applying paint to wet plaster. Used during the Italian Renaissance, i.e. The Last Supper, by Da Vinci. Impasto A technique of painting with brush or palette knife using thick applications of paint, which stand out in relief. Stippling A dry brush painting technique, using a stiff brush. Tole Painting A Decorative Art Painting technique. Originally from Eastern Europe. Underpainting The first layer (or first few layers) of a painting upon which the final imagery is painted. Often the underpainting is totally covered by the top layers. Wash A mixture of (mostly) water and (a little) paint. Used in watercolor techniques. GESSO Acrylic Gesso Acrylic polymer emulsion based with titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate. Contains sizing (polymer emulsion) and ground (titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate). Suitable for flexible supports. Ground Provides surface upon which paint will adhere. Priming The preparation of a surface upon which to paint using sizing and ground. Primer See Priming. Sizing Protects substrate (canvas) and provides receptive surface for ground. Size See Sizing True Gesso A sizing made of animal glue and calcium carbonate (inflexible supports) LIGHTFASTNESS Lightfast Resisting fading on long exposure to sunlight. When applied to paint it means absolute permanence. Lightfastness I Excellent lightfastness. No change for 100 years of museum light. Best for outdoor work. Lightfastness II Very good lightfastness. Satisfactory for indoor applications. Lightfastness III Fugitive lightfastness. Not recommended for permanent applications. Fugitive Color A color made of pigment that is susceptible to fading when exposed to Ultraviolet Rays (sunlight). Toxicity The degree with which a product will be hazardous to people or the environment. HEALTH LABELS ACMI Art and Craft Materials Institute. Independently certifies materials for toxicity, performance and quality. AP Nontoxic Certified nontoxic by an independent toxicological medical expert. No specific quality standards have been established. Nontoxic even if ingested. ASTM D4236 Conforms to labeling for Chronic Health Hazard Standards. ASTM 5098 Performance Standards for Acrylic Paints. CP nontoxic Certified nontoxic by an independent toxicological medical expert. Meets or exceeds specific quality standards of material, workmanship, working qualities and color. Non toxic even if ingested. HL Health Label Product has a heath hazard associated with it, and carries heath warnings. HL seal certifies product to be properly labeled. BRUSHES Bright Used for short controlled strokes and impasto techniques. Bristle Hair Made of hog bristles. Stiff hairs, suitable for oil paint and/or acrylic paint. Fan Used for blending surface color. Ferrule The metal wrapping on a brush that attaches the bristles to the handle. A Ferrule should be double crimped, seamless, double crimped with epoxy glue. Filbert Used for thick to thin strokes without hard edges. Shaped like a flat or bright with rounded corners. Flat Square end for broad, sweeping strokes. For painterly effects and backgrounds. Handle Should be made of seasoned hardwood dowel, tapered at both ends. Kolinsky Sable Highest quality brush. Made of the Male Tartar Martin (weasel). For watercolor, washes and fine detail. Liner Produces continuous lines without reloading. Great control for rendering and lettering. Mop Full bodied to hold lots of liquid. Used for washes. Ox Hair Strong body, especially suited for oil paint or heavier colors. Round Versatile. Good for thick to thin strokes and detail. Sable Good quality. Made from female Tartar Martin, warmer climate. Sabeliene Specialty treated silken lighter colored ox hair that resembles sable in working quality. Script Elongated shape. Optimal control for lettering or line work. PAPER Cold Press A type of watercolor paper. It has a rough finish. Hot Press A type of watercolor paper. It has a smooth finish, due to being pressed with "hot" rollers during manufacture. Tooth The surface of a sheet of paper, or the surface of a dried paint film or ground. (i.e. tooth of gesso), which assists in the application and bonding of subsequent coats of paint. Vellum A type of translucent paper that resists sticking to tacky surfaces. SOLVENTS Alcohol Solvent used to degrease oily surface prior to acrylic paint application. Mineral Spirits Oil based solvent. Used to thin oil paint and Soluvar. GENERAL TERMINOLOGY Acetate Acetate is a transparent, somewhat brittle plastic available in varying thickness and surface textures. Acetone A volatile, flammable liquid, C3H6O, used in paints and varnishes as a solvent. Dissolves acrylic paint. Can be used to clean dried acrylic paint from brushes and tools. Acrylic paint Water based acrylic paint is composed of minute particles of plastic acrylic resin suspended in water (acrylic polymer emulsion) and pigment. As the water evaporates the resin particles fuse together forming a strong durable paint film. Acrylic polymer emulsion Made from acrylic resins. It is the binder that gives acrylic paint its handling and durability characteristics. Acrylic resin A polymer from which acrylic emulsions are made. High quality acrylic resin is a necessary component of high quality acrylic paint Acrylic watercolor Acrylic watercolor is a technique where acrylic paint is diluted to the consistency of watercolor paint and applied to an absorbent surface. Color values are usually built from light to dark. Approved Product Seal AP A product, which has been certified by ACMI to be non-toxic and properly labeled for toxicity. The AP Seal certifies the paint as non-toxic even if ingested. Nontoxic products may also receive an AP Seal if there are currently no performance standards for that product type. Binder In acrylic paint, the binder is an acrylic polymer emulsion (made from acrylic resins). A component of paint. The binder gives paint its handling and durability characteristics. Canvas A woven fabric often used as a substrate for painting. Canvas is made from cotton, linen, jute and natural or synthetic fibers. Canvas is sold by width and by weight. The weight describes the thickness of a canvas and refers to the weight of a square yard of the material. (One square yard of 10-ounce duck, for example, weighs 10 ounces.) Canvases are available pre-stretched on either standard or heavy-duty stretcher bars. Carrageenan moss A size or suspension liquid on which paint floats for marbling techniques. Carragheen can be found in art stores and mail order. To make: Add 2-3 oz. moss (approx. 1/3 cup) to 3 quarts distilled water. Mix moss with 1 pint water in blender. Add to rest of 3 quarts and stir. Let stand 15-30 minutes. Pour into pan and leave for 30 minutes. If colors sink into size add a few drops of ox gall. Chroma Intensity or brightness of hue. The purity of color or its freedom from white or gray. Coldpress watercolor paper Heavy weight watercolor paper. Coldpress watercolor papers hold more water and warp less. Coldpress watercolor paper is rough and absorbent. Collage Collage is a technique where materials of different sizes and weights are glued to a backing surface. The collage materials and backing surface determine the type of glue to be used. Liquitex Acrylic Mediums are excellent glues for collage techniques. They provide easy, permanent, non-toxic adhering of most materials to any surface suitable for acrylic paint. Certified Product Seal CP A product which is certified by ACMI to be non-toxic as well as both properly labeled for toxicity and meets certain quality and performance standards. The CP Seal certifies the paint as non-toxic even if ingested. This is the highest rating for nontoxicity and performance. Two ways to prepare mixture: Interference colors Liquitex Interference Colors are made from titanium coated mica flakes rather than traditional pigments. They are also known as "Opalescent Colors". They change their color (exhibiting a metallic look and color shift) depending upon the viewing angle. As the light hits the mica flakes it either bounces off directly, reflecting the labeled color, or passes through to another layer and bounces out at a different refractive index displaying the complementary color. The effect is visually similar to a thin coat of oil floating on water. Two ways to prepare mixture: |
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