Here
are a few painting tips that I would hand out to my students when they
were painting with acrylics.They are in no particular order.
-when handling your piece attach a handle or wear cotton gloves
-to remove skin oils,grease etc spray piece with windex(with ammonia) and dab dry.
-best light source is daylight otherwise use a combination of
incandescent and flourescent.(one part cool flourescent,two parts warm
incandescent.
-use old film canisters and save a little of each color you mix (in case of accidents)
-keep a running log of how you achieved your colors and the sequence in with you painted the piece.
-make up a log book and keep a sample of each color you mix .Remember
acryilics dry darker than what you mix when wet.(like latex wall paint)
-Mix up twice as much paint as you think you will need, because if you
run out of a paint mix you may have a hell of a job mixing the exact
same color again.
-A good all round paint mix seems to be a mix of
JoSonja and Liquitex(in the 2 oz jars)Jo Sonja tends to flatten the
finish while liquitex tends to harden the finish and add sheen or
luster.
-JoSonja satin finishing varnish can be added to JoSonja paints to add durability and luster to an otherwise flat surface.
-flow medium or water tension breaker added to water will help paint flow off the tip of your brush.
-To warm up white add raw umber
-to warm up black add burnt umber
-never use black or white straight out of the tube.
-always buy the best brushes that you can afford.
-carefully clean and point up your brushes after each use(I use Ivory Snow soap)
-Mix your colors on a piece of glass with a white paper towel under the glass.
I have many other tips but they apply mostly to painting textured carvings.
Cheers! John.
