|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
ALL ABOUT ACRYC PAINT |
 |
|
|
Using Vallejo Acrylics
Features
This relatively new product
owes its success to the fact that it did away with all the problems that
had plagued previous lines of acrylics. They are 100% water soluble,
totally flat, quick drying, highly pigmented, have an excellent covering
power (great for correcting any mistake!), plus they come in these neat
bottles that dispense the paint a drop at a time.
And once you are done, the remaining paint at the tip of the nozzle
seals the opening so airflow is minimized and the paint won’t set inside
the bottles.
With a line comprised of more than 200 different colors, varnishes,
mediums, glazes, florescent and metallic you can do a lot more other than
undercoat with them. Even if you are a “dyed in the wool” oil or enamel
painter, give them a try. You will find that acrylics are unbeatable for
some applications and bring about some very remarkable effects. While I
still rely on oils and enamels for certain portions of my figures, most of
my former painting methods have been replaced, with significant
improvement, by acrylics.
|
Before doing anything else, clearly establish your objectives for a
particular painting session. Arrange the paints and tools you will be
using and very carefully study your figure. Familiarize yourself with all
the different details and analyze the location and form of the main
shadows and highlights. Always practice the techniques you will be using
on a scrap surface and most importantly: take your time, don’t
rush.
|
Preparing your Paints !
|
Shake Your Paint Bottles
Do what???? You would be surprised at the amount of people that skip this necessary step
and later complain that the only thing coming out of the bottle is a clear
liquid with some paint on it! So don’t be shy about it, shake that bottle
vigorously, tap the bottom against the palm of your hand and make sure
that all the paint is thoroughly mixed. Now, get your palette ready for
the next step.
|
 |
|
Vigorously shake your paints before and during your painting session to
maitain uniformity on your mixtures.
|
| Thinning
The use of “very thinned paint” is the essence of painting with Vallejo acrylics.
Coming straight out of the bottle, the paint is too thick for most purposes and different degrees
of dilution are necessary to achieve the distinct effects that make for a
realistic painting job. As mentioned before, we use only very clean water.
In order to do this accurately and establish a reference point, we will
add a certain amount of water drops for every drop of paint we intend to
use. We will designate this as “dilution rate” and it will be noted as
“parts of paint” to “parts of water”, (e.g. 1:1, 2:1, 1:3, etc.). The
right amount of water is different for each particular situation,
nonetheless there are three primary dilution rates with specific purposes
that will give us a good starting point:
1:1 Minimum rate of dilution used primarily for basecoating. Good solid
coverage.
1:2 Thin coatings, airbrushing, outlining and small details.
Thin without being transparent.
1:5 Minimum for highlighting and
shading. Transparent, base color will show
through.
|
 |
|
Add the necessary amount of water to your paint with an eyedropper or
empty bottle to reach an adequate consistancy for your needs. |
|
 |
|
From left; Paint straight from the bottle is too thick and builds up
easily. Next; 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 dilutions.
|
|
It is very important to note that these dilution rates are not
absolute. Practice and experience will fine-tune them to your own painting
style.
As you go along with your painting session, you may notice that paint
will begin to dry on your palette. As soon as this happens, add the
necessary amount of water and/or paint in order to maintain the same
dilution and consistency, this is very important, so keep an eye on it.
Adding a small amount of "Vallejo Slow Dry" to your palette will delay
the drying process and extend the working time of your thinned
paints
|
|
|
Vallejo Flyers & Info
