Q & A Video: What Kinds of Paint Do You Use?
I’m a huge fan of Golden Artist Colours – a professional grade acrylic paint company from the States. Yes, it’s expensive, but you get what you pay for. I know because I’ve tried many other kinds in my time.
What many don’t know is that acrylic paint comes in 3 viscosities, or thicknesses. Most people are familiar with “heavy body” paint. It’s thick like toothpaste. I was never a big fan of these.
I prefer both “fluid ” (flows like a heavy cream) and high flow (flows like water). These act more like the acrylic inks I started playing with in the late 80s when I finally found my artistic medium of choice.
The beauty with professional acrylic paints is that there are no fillers or extenders. There’s the same saturation of pigments in all 3 thicknesses. No dilution. That’s why there’s no comparison to dollar store paints that don’t use the same quality of pigments and are full of chalk and other fillers.
Golden Artist Colours also has a whole line of gels, mediums, and varnishes to play with.
When I lived in Saskatchewan, I splurged by buying small containers of every gel and medium they had on offer. Then I just played in the studio until I found the ones that connected me to creative freedom and joy.
Art is part science. It’s good to know how materials work to get the most out of them and to make sure your paintings last.
But art is also about embracing the mystery. It’s about learning and playing with Spirit through the creative process.
There are no mistakes. There’s only learning and layering until one day you say: This one’s done. Next!
Keep playing until you find what speaks to you.
I almost failed art in high school, but that’s just because I hadn’t found my medium.
Thank God (literally) I didn’t give up!
P.S. They invited me back for a solo exhibition a few years later 🙂
Great informational video! It’s always good to be reminded of what is out there! What are the markers that you are talking about? You were holding up a large plastic vial when you talked about them. Peace and blessings…xxx
Hi there painting buddy – those are the Liquitex Professional Paint Markers, but as I mentioned in the video, I’m not very impressed with them – not on canvas as the flow and quality just isn’t as great as I’d hoped. I usually stick with Golden and paintbrushes. But try a few and they may work for you.
Do you teach painting?
Hi Mary,
Yes, occasionally, but not regularly. Make sure you’re on my mailing list to get notices of special workshops. Or check out my Guide to Intuitive Painting that I put together after a workshop series across the province – https://www.dominiquehurley.com/guide-to-intuitive-painting/ .