Mediums

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=125 BGCOLOR="#0000FF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="039467d1egayea.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Red Swan - Art Supplies, Frames, Hobbies  </B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Red Swan Art Supplies, Frames, Hobbies "><B>home</B></A></div> <div> Mediums, Additives, Surface Preparations</div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=355 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>MEDIUMS, ADDITIVES, SURFACE PREPARATIONS</B></FONT> <A NAME="use_this_link"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B> For products for oils or alkyds</B></FONT><B> </B><A HREF="#click_here" TITLE="Mediums"><B>click here</B></A><B>.       </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>For products for acrylics</B></FONT><B> </B><A HREF="#click_here_1" TITLE="Mediums"><B>click here</B></A><B>.</B></div> <div> Watercolor Mediums <A NAME="direct_link_to_watercolor_mediums"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> For decades watercolor mediums were restricted to Ox Gall, which increases water's wetting capabilities (we use soap when we wash our hands because water alone is a poor wetting agent), and Gum Arabic, which increases color intensity and brilliance.  Then in 1998, Winsor & Newton released six entirely new weapons for the watercolorist's arsenal:</div> <bR> <div> <I>Lifting Preparation </I>... A product of special interest to beginners, but useful to the most accomplished watercolor painter.  When applied to paper and allowed to dry it makes dried colors easier to lift with a wet brush, making it an error eraser in a bottle.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Iridescent Medium</I> ... Can be applied over a dry wash or mixed with color to give iridescent effect.  It's especially effective when mixed with transparent colors,</div> <bR> <div> <I>Granulation Medium</I> ... Gives a mottled or granular appearance to colors which normally produce a smooth wash.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Blending Medium</I> ... Slows drying time to allow better blending of colors, especially in hot climates.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Texture Medium </I>... Applied directly to paper, or mixed with watercolor, it produces a textured finish.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Permanent Masking Medium ... </I>Applied directly on paper or mixed with color, it allows overpainting without mixing the colors of the separate layers.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id20_return_to_watercolor_listings_1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Artist Colors">return to watercolor listings.</A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Mediums for Oils and Alkyds</B><B> <A NAME="click_here"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <bR> <div> Although dozens of oil mediums are on the market, virtually all fit into three categories:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f011111100.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Products which accelerate drying time.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f011111100.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Products which gel the paint so as to allow thicker buildup for impasto techniques.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f011111100.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Products intended to make the paint more transparent and thus more appropriate for glazes.</div> <bR> <div> Frequently more than one of these objectives can be accomplished with a single product, and most mediums also claim to improve the flow and handling characteristics of a paint.  A further effect of some is a modification of gloss levels.  Before choosing any medium our best advice is to read carefully the information printed on the container, and we'll add one more word of warning: Additives such as Japan Drier or Cobalt Drier should be used in restraint and with great caution <I>if at all.  </I>Unless you are totally experienced in their use, we recommend that you avoid them in favor of other products which speed dry time.</div> <bR> <div> Outside the realm of mix-with-the-paint mediums are thinners such as turpentine and mineral spirits, retouch varnish which can protect a paint film until it is dry enough for final varnishing and which can brighten dull areas of a painting, and final varnishes such as the traditional damar and the newer synthetics.  There's a wide choice of brands, as well as a choice of brush-on or aerosol.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id20_return_to_oil_color_listings.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Artist Colors">return to oil color listings</A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Acrylic Mediums and Additives</B><B> <A NAME="direct_link_to_acrylic_mediums"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <bR> <div> <I>Gesso ... </I>Placed in this category for lack of a better spot, gessos are really neither mediums nor additives, but are sealers and grounds for preparing substrates to receive paint.  Acrylic-based formulations have replaced the older rabbit-skin glue, and in addition to the traditional white, are available in six colors (from Liquitex), as well as a clear gesso tintable to any color from Winsor & Newton .</div> <bR> <div> <I>Retarding Mediums ... </I>Mix with paint to slow drying time.  Available in tube form to match tube-color viscosity, or liquid form to create transparent colors or washes.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Gloss Medium & Varnish ...</I> All-purpose mixing medium as well as a final permanent varnish.  It's really acrylic emulsion without any pigment.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Matte Medium ...</I> Mix with paint for a flat matte sheen, or mix with Gloss Medium & Varnish to vary sheen betwwen gloss and flat.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Matte Varnish ... </I>For use where a final satin-sheen varnish is preferred.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Flow Aid (Liquitex) ... </I>A flow enhancer and water tension breaker for any water soluble paint, ink, or dye.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Jarpaque Extender (Liquitex) ..</I>. Extends acrylic volume without shifting color position.  Jar-color viscosity.  See also Gelex.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Iridescent Medium ...</I> Gives an iridescent sheen to acrylic colors.  Less effective with colors that are inherently more opaque.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Marble Ease (Liquitex) ...</I> Use for marbling with acrylics.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Fabric Medium ..</I>.  Thins Medium Viscosity acrylics to a dye-like viscosity, controls beeding on fabric.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Airbrush Medium</I> (Liquitex) ... Mix with acrylics to achieve free-flowing colors for airbrush techniques.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Gel Medium (Liquitex)  .</I>.. Gloss medium formulated to same viscosity as tube colors.  Can add body to lower viscosity acrylics.  Also available is <I>Heavy Gel Medium </I>and <I>Matte Gel Medium, </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Liquithick (Liquitex) </I>... Used to increase viscosity for impasto effects.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Gelex (Liquitex)</I> ... Opaque gel which extends paint volume without changing color.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Modeling Paste</I> (Liquitex and Golden) ... Use alone or mix with acrylics for building heavy textures.  Also available in a light weight version.  When building to more than 1/4" thick, apply in multiple coats allowing each to dry before continuing.  Otherwise cracking may result.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Texture Gels</I> (Liquitex and Golden) ... Line includes seven products creating a wide range of special textures.  A display board in the store contains actual samples to simplify your selection.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Equivalents in other </B><B>brands are available for many of the products listed above.</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id20_return_to_acrylic_listing.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Artist Colors">Return to acrylic listing</A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#return_to_top_of_page" TITLE="Mediums">return to top of page</A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>