(although Matisse products are mentioned below, these techniques should be applicable to all brands of acrylic paint).
Introduction
• Traditional watercolour techniques can be achieved easily with acrylics. Using selected mediums will not only allow the artist to work with acrylics, as they would with traditional watercolours, but also open up a whole new area of creative possibilities.
• The bright vibrant colours normally associated with watercolours are achieved by dilluting watercolours with water. The watercolours are made transparent and allow light to pass through them and bounce back off the paper giving a rich brilliance. The same brilliance can be achieved when using acrylics for watercolour techniques.
• The Matisse Professional Artist Acrylic range features both thick heavy-bodied acrylics (Matisse Structure) and a thinner viscosity range (Matisse Flow). Both are equally as strong in binder and pigment content but the Matisse Flow would be the best selection for watercolour techniques. The Matisse Flow range will flow more easily particularly when diluted with water, responding well to all watercolour techniques usually employed.
······························································································································································ Watercolours versus Acrylics
• When using acrylics for watercolour techniques, the artist must keep in mind that acrylics, unlike traditional watercolours, are waterfast when dry. In other words they will not rewet once they have dried.
• Traditional watercolours are based on the binder gum arabic.
This binder is soluble in water and will rewet in water. Acrylics are based on a high quality acrylic binder which, when dry, will not rewet with water. ······························································································································································ Wash
• A wash, as the name suggests, is a layer of transparent or thinned down paint. This is useful for large areas such as skies. A wash is generally an even coverage
of pigment although it can also be graduated or variegated.
• A graduated wash changes from more intense to less intense in colour.
A variegated wash is one which changes from one colour to another.
• To achieve an even wash approx 3-5%Matisse Medium MM3 Surface Tension Breaker added to the water will help produce an even flow to avoid "stripes or lines" as the was is applied.
(courtesy of Matisse Derivan)
······························································································································································ |