Worst Mistake Acrylic Painters Make - or Best Secret Trick?
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- čas přidán 5. 03. 2018
- Nancy warns about watching some CZcams videos (by other artists) often called "Worst Mistake Acrylic Painters Make". Those videos give misleading advice to artists to NOT add alot of water to acrylic paint. Nancy says YES YOU CAN absolutely add water to acrylic paint! And LOTS of it! Here are the real facts about diluting acrylic paint with water, from acrylic painting expert, instructor and painter, Nancy Reyner. Nancy explains how you CAN add plenty of water to acrylic without any negative effects. Not only that, Reyner explains and demonstrates how you could be missing out on some amazing special effects by not understanding this concept. Nancy's painting classes and instruction: nancyreyner.com/classes/
- Hudba
Although this video is 2 years old, I think others may find the following useful... The video in question is talking about SEALED CANVAS only. The woman in the (other) video states that using water in high amounts is fine on other surfaces--especially those which are absorbent (such as watercolor paper, wood, or other similar substrates). Admittedly, she should have stated that at the beginning of the video and not the end. I think a lot of people missed the end and assumed she meant not to use water(over 30%) regardless of what you were painting on. I too use a lot of water and was irritated until I watched the end of the video and she clarified that she was talking about using high water/acrylic ratios on sealed canvas. She was trying to explain that the high water content weakened the structural integrity of the acrylic on sealed canvas and could cause flaking of the paint in time. Just an FYI for those who watched the other video but didn't catch the end.
Nancy’s videos are great because she speaks from expertise. So often these videos are amateurs explaining the basics. So much great information. THANK YOU!
Thanks so much for demystifying this issue, after I saw "her" video a few years ago, I was totally afraid to use too much water, now I feel free to do my washes as I like!!
Glad this helped!
You're totally right! I've been using tons of water in my paint to glaze for years and it's never been a problem. :D
Exactly!!
Thanks for clearing this up!
I love the way you are playing with the consistency of the paint, as well as all of the mediums you have available to you. In my opinion it really takes your artwork to the next level of artistry. Thank You so very much for sharing!
Wonderful, thank you Nancy! I love your advice, and how passionato you are about your art making! 💖
Thank you so much!
Good information! Thank you for clarifying this.
Thank you so much! I always used to add water to my acrylics until I saw "that" video! Now I will have fun again!
Me too! What a relief seeing this video
Thanks soo much Nancy, your videos are always full of valuable informations. I'm really greatfull!
As always Nancy you articulate clearly and bring it home
What a lovely thing to say! Thanks for today's smile!
Oh! I think I saw the video you're talking about. In fact, I think she's the reason I bought my airbrush medium. This is why I think people who make videos should be extremely specific; there are so many viewers and you cannot assume that they all want the outcome you want. When she says, "Mistakes acrylic painters make," she should have said, "unless you want your acrylic paint to look like watercolor." The tip worked for me and I could not be more pleased because I actually want the outcome you showed with the circles. I'm so glad you did this video because it reminded me to be precise in my language.
SO glad to hear!! I felt the same way when I watched that video.
I love watching your videos.
A big help, i had been thinking those tricks!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you! I have been struggling with that dictate for some time now! Love your books too!
Thank Ms Reyner for this valuable information. This came just in perfect time. I am a chinese watercolor artist but have been mixing my work with acrylic. I have stopped mixing more than 40% water to my acrylic paints and used mediums which I did not like. With your new video I am going back to 80%. I am now in the process of finishing my painting and am excited to be going back to this consistency which I prefer.
So glad this helped! There are so many videos on CZcams that propel this misleading information about not using water with acrylic. This inspired me to make the video.
Nancy Reyner Wow!!! Thank you for your reply.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this video and sharing this information about water. I am a watercolor painter trying to learn acrylic and finding it extremely difficult to blend because the acrylic paints dry so fast. I’m going to try adding more water. I was afraid to as I thought it would adversely affect the paint.
Hi Vivian, Thank you so much for your comment. I am glad this information helps you with your work. For slowing down the drying of acrylic adding water will help. However, you can also add thin mediums, such as the Airbrush Medium I mention. Adding water instead of mediums allows the acrylic to act like watercolor. Adding mediums instead of water keeps the acrylic feeling like acrylic, in other words, the paint when mixed with medium still coats the surface instead of sinking into the surface when water dilutes the paint.
I'm so relieved to here this! Thank you very much!
Hey Aylin, I'm Glad to hear that the video helped you, all the best!
Anything else you need help with, Aylin?
Thank you for a more professional tip about using water! Yes it’s always a good idea to double check with the manufacturer of the paint beforeTaking someone’s opinion on CZcams! I think people are just trying to be so helpful that they do not even realize they’re doing damage by saying things they don’t know about this could very well dramatically change someone’s artistic technique and make them become afraid to try something different! I always try different things first and judge for myself! But I do understand about the less expensive paint and the professional paint there is a difference in quality and quantity of pigment!
Thank you for your added tips as well some very useful information you have given!
I think your artwork is absolutely beautiful!
HI Dawn, Thank you for reinforcing what I am saying here! And thank you for your kind words about my work. I appreciate your taking the time to comment.
Awesome! Thanks! 👏🏻
Thank you so much for clarifying this 🙏
You're so welcome!
Just found your channel. Im so excited to watch all your videos. Have a great week.😊
Great info! Thanks
Thank you Nancy. You were so clear about paint dissolved with water. I’m mainly a contemporary artist and I use Liquitex paints. I like spraying my canvas with water and then I add the paint which depends on the paint I add water
I'm just starting to explore painting again after many years.... love your videos; unfortunately one of the first videos I watched was the one about NOT using water, which totally threw me as I really wanted that thin, mottled look - so THANK YOU for explaining the facts behind the reality and the options. I guess the real lesson is to just keep experimenting! and I guess my 'mistakes' will be the best lessons of all !
Wise words! Mistakes are so valuable. Glad you found my videos helpful. Yes, those videos about NOT using water gave me motivation to make this video. Thanks for your comment!
😍 Love you... This is exactly what I was looking for ...THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH ❤
HI Gina, Glad this video helped!
Thank you so much for this video. I love washes and I do it all the time because the watercolor effect is what attracts me more. I did not know what to do when I saw the frightening video about fading colors...
Glad this video was useful to you. Now about fading colors....almost all colors will fade when exposed over long periods of time to direct sunlight, regardless of any addition of water, unless they are protected somehow from sunlight. Watercolors are usually framed behind glass, and if the artist chooses a UV protection glass then the colors will stay vibrant. Acrylic painters as well as oil painters, also need to add UV protection on their paintings by using a UV varnish. Otherwise these colors will fade too. So even though this video is about how artists CAN use water in acrylic paint without worrying about delamination, fading colors is a whole different ballgame. Check out Golden's website for articles on fading colors and how to avoid this. Fading of colors is partially related to the binder and whether the binder is heavily diluted or not, but that's not as major a factor as direct sunlight on paint that do not have UV protection.
Thank you so very much for this video. I also believed the woman in that video, sadly, and for years I avoided the use of water and never got the results I wanted. It was really hard. So many times I was disappointed and not really satisfied. Now with your video I’m on the right track again. I’am so happy! Looking at my artwork now I can see that you are totally right. So I have to leave you a message to thank you. You brought the joy back in to my art life.
Thanks for this. I’m just learning. I had watched the video re not using a lot of water.
I think you are absolutely correct. I have been using this technique for 40 years and I have had no problem with it.
I love Nancy's work after reading her book ACRYLIC ILLUMINATIONS. I am still going back to it for inspiration, even though the pages are getting a little worn from turning..:) Excellent work!
Thank you Nancy! I am so glad you are finding my book helpful for your work. Love that the pages are worn!!
My friend, Linda Mc took your course and said that she had never worked harder, but also never learned more in any other class. Her work has taken off in exciting new directions!
How lovely to hear! You are so kind to let me know. Thank you!
I cant put words into the lady's mouth that recommended not exceeding 40% water, but I would imagine. she meant for her method , technique and style of paintings......most of us that do fluid acrylic paintings don't want our paint to be THAT fluid , as a long time watercolorist , of course we use lots of water......but for an acrylic pour flip cup and or another technique, we like our paints to have the "body" in order for it to interact with the sub straight as well as the other paint without running off the page, most of us don't use a brush , Thank you for your video........very enlightening!
Good points! Choosing to add, or not to add, water into acrylic paint is an option, and does depend on the type of effects you are after. The other artist's video made it sound like adding over 40% water would make the paint flake off, and not be stable, which is not true.
When your paint is the constancy of warm honey too much water does in fact make the paint dry faster thus encouraging crazing cracking and flaking.......too much water in the Acrylic pour breaks the binders in the paint and the Pouring medium thus giving way to such cracking......Thank you for you vids.......you acrylic type water color art is awesome!
Yes good clarifying. Pouring techniques that use pouring mediums (as opposed to pouring techniques that use water to create washes) do not work as well if you add too much water.
I saw the video to which you're referring, Nancy, and (unfortunately) decided to believe what she said, went out and purchased her recommended polymer medium, tried it, and was disappointed because I could not achieve the same--or better--results as when I used water. Since that time, I had stopped using much water because I kept hearing her admonition about it in the back of my head each time I reached for the water. LOL! Thank you SO much for weighing in on this. I keep telling people not to believe everything they see, hear, and read on the internet, and there I went suffering the consequences of not heeding my own advice. Ever since I purchased a couple of your recent books and videos, I've recognized you as being a wonderful artist and an exceptional teacher. :-)
Thank you for the kind words and your comment. When I saw that other video, as a teacher it really got me angry that so many people would be steered wrong. Hearing your comment made me glad I took the time to make this video.
Thank you! I just turned off that other video (she starts talking about "90 to 95 percent of people . . . ") because I didn't like her ratio of TELL to SHOW. You have just the right balance, again. THANK you!
Exactly!!
Thank you for correcting the record! I was giving a demo some years ago, and had someone ask me about this. It turned out (I didn't know) that the other artist had given the group a demo the month before, so some of them probably thought I didn't know what I was talking about! :-)
Yes there is alot of misunderstanding about this topic! Glad you found the video helpful.
I had been having a lot of problems with my painted acrylic layers lifting the underlying paint off the gessoed canvas as i was painting...until i learned about the polymer issue that the other video talks about. She was pretty clear about what surfaces could take high dilutions and which couldnt. AND, this video adds more info about what works and what doesnt. Yay for lots of information and experiences!
Thank You!
You're welcome!
Stupendo!
Hi Nancy. I've been looking into just this. How would you recommend inducing watercolor style granulation/floculation? Is it at all possible? Thanks
THANK YOU
Thank you so much for this video. i have a question when you applied the gloss medium as a top coat is it play the same role as varnish?
Oh good!
Thank you Nancy. Are these techniques which you showed with only the fluid paint? Can you do this with other paints?
i watched "that" video "her video" and boy did it get me scrolling up and down(that's how i landed here) trying to find out if its really not ok to use water to thin my paint due to its less binding effect on the surface. i kind of get what she was saying, the last thing you want is for your masterpiece to flake off or peel over the years. i think its the concern for archivability. i guess it all boils down to trial and error plus personal preference of the end result. am going to use water for now (quality paint and medium is not available in my country so i have to import most stuff _i digress) but i will l certainly give medium a try too.
Jessie Njeri same, i think this video can be a bit confusing for some
There are 2 famous Aussie watercolour artist that paint on 2 or 3 full size watercolour sheets taped together as a fun demonstration I know that they use Acrylic paint watered down to the consistency of watercolours as to paint that large is far to expensive with watercolour tubes.I have been at one of these demonstrations in the past don’t know if they still do but they stated this fact to all of us watching at the time 👍😊
Can we paint acrylic over acrylic vanish?
Yeah... When i saw that video a long ago, i made my own experiments and found nothing wrong. I also use golden paints, the best you can find in my opinion.
Hi Nancy
One question. You mention in your video that if you are using cheaper paint (do you mean studio quality by that?) then you just have to use some gloss medium afterwards - then noting will happend with the paining… it will not flake etc.
But what about the colors in the long term... the cheaper paint do not have as much pigment as Goldens professionel paint - right?? So when you do washes (diluting with water) with studio quality paint - what happens with the colors over time? Will it not fade a lot in the colors ?
Best regards
Louise Sellebjerg
Denmark, Europe
Hi Louise,
Now you're thinking like a pro! Super great questions! You are correct, that cheaper quality paints have many undesirable aspects for artists who are selling their work or exhibiting and want their work to hold up in the long run. Cheaper brands use cheaper quality pigments - so the colors aren't as brilliant and don't get the best results when used in color mixtures. Cheaper brands also use cheaper quality polymer (the binder in all acrylc paints and mediums). This means the paint may yellow or crack off in the long term even if used correctly. About fading - colors will always fade no matter what medium (oil, watercolor, acrylic) and no matter what quality (although cheaper quality pigments may break down and diminish in color quality quicker than professional grade). And this is precisely why I recommend varnishing with an archival varnish as a last coat over any painting. Archival varnishes have UV protection and will keep your painting looking its best for longer. Diluting paint with water means we are breaking down the binder. Binders do add some protection from fading and other stable properties. So adding lots of water in the acrylic paint will take away some of those properties. Overlaying a diluted layer with a coat of gloss medium will help some of it. Overlaying the painting at the end with an archival varnish will help some of it. Using professional grade products will also help. In summary by doing these three processes will give us our best options to keeping our paintings looking their best for long.
LOL Thanks... nice to know that I am thinking like a pro... :-)
But THANKS SO MUCH for such a comprehensive answer ... that makes sense. It's also just because we have gradually been frightened to dilute paint with water because we hear that it will cause the painting to crack and partly cause the colors to fade ... but thanks so much Nancy...:-)
Do we need to add water for every paint we brush?
No, adding water is an option if you want to thin your paint. You can use the paint straight out of its container if you like it that way.
Medium, is the new water! 😎
Water is just soooooooo .. 80's
Dear Ma'am,
Thank you so much for this video such a great help to all novices like myself.
I saw the video that you mentioned and was going to go out and buy expensive airbrush medium to create a wash. So glad I came across your channel and this video as it has saved me a lot of money. Also helped demystify my doubts on using water which I was concerned of doing once I saw that video.
As I simply wanted to do an undertone wash to the canvas before applying the other paint. Therefore was only going to use a couple of drops of water with a touch of acrylic paint.
Would this be okay to do?
Could I ask one more question I am trying to do some abstract work. Got a branded canvas that is pre primed. Do I still need to apply a coat of gesso?
Many Thanks,
Regards,
Rahul.
When you use it on paper it is fine. But on other surfaces such as canvas it will flake after several years. If you seal it after it dries than it will be fine
Thanks for the feedback
Why not use watercolor?
Keep in mind if you want to add a second layering on it with acrylic same amount of 80 percent will scrape off the 1st layer you've just painted
I disagree. If you are using (1) a high quality acrylic paint (2) let the first layer dry at least 24 hours - then you will not have the 1st layer removed by your second layer.
Hi Nancy, I hope I can still respond to this older video. I did as mentioned in other videos (although I don’t know which video you were referring to, I got the information on google and a Liquitex video), I bought airbrush medium to add to my acrylics. The description of the airbrush medium says ‘do not mix with water’ so I use it (as) pure (as possible) with acrylics. But maybe you know, can you actually also mix it with water if not used for an airbrush but just painting with it with acrylic paint? As you mentioned they talk in that specific video about ‘…if more then 40% water, then add airbrush medium’, so that is okay to mix? Because I spray water on my palette and sometimes also on the painting to keep the paint moist and then I always doubt whether it’s okay or not that then there is some water mixed with the airbrush medium.
And…it is okay to use airbrush medium with acrylics isn’t it? If not looking for that watery effect you were demonstrating, but just to make the paint more smooth or for glazing. Because I do feel that it is for some purposes easier to paint with, or nicer effect then when thinned with only water. I also tried gloss medium for glazing for example but to me that brings a more ‘glue-ish’ look to the work then with airbrush medium. And I don’t have a very high quality paint, not bad either, a medium quality I think, therefore I feel it’s maybe necessary to add al little bit of medium and then airbrush medium is okay for that isn’t it?
Thanks for the video, it’s always nice and soothing to hear someone bringing the hype of warnings back to normal 🙂👍🏼.
Hi Karin, Yes you can add water to airbrush medium. The reason the label says to not mix with water is because it will dilute the medium, which is made specifically to go through an airbrush. By diluting it, the retarder which slows down the drying and keeps the paint from clogging the airbrush, may not work as well. Since you are using it in the paint, without using it in an airbrush, it will be fine. It is a water soluble medium and is fine with some water added to thin it. It is also fine to use the Airbrush Medium with other acrylic paints and mediums. That is one advantage with acrylic, that almost all products can be combined with each other. There are some exceptions like the varnish. Your thinking sounds very sound. The mediums do add more stability to a lesser quality acrylic paint. The important thing to remember is that water is fine in small amounts, and medium amounts when needed. When you use large amounts it changes it's nature - still usable and great to work with - but different so that it would require different handling - for instance using it like you would watercolor. Hope this helps!
@@nancyreyner thank you so much for your response Nancy! For sure it’s helpful! That is really good to know, that airbrush medium is fine, the way I use it for painting. I’m not exactly sure about the quality of the paint, but I think the Golden paints are probably better quality. I use Winsor & Newton, Galeria series, so that’s not the most professional, so I guess adding some medium is best to do when painting with thinned paint. And also a Dutch brand, but I don’t know if that is known international.
The last part of your answer about ‘large amounts changing it’s nature and require different handling’, was that about large amounts of water or large amounts of medium? I think water, right? Then I add mostly airbrush medium (for glazing for example). But after your explanation I know now that I can also add part medium and part water.
And you wrote that combining all kinds of paints/mediums is possible with acrylics except varnish. I think as long as I use an acrylic varnish it’s okay….or is that nit the case? I have different brands in the paints and mediums I use. Should I choose a certain brand of varnish then?
@@karinvankempen6892 yes I meant large amounts of water like 70% or more, when you add that to acrylic paint then you need to treat it like watercolor, like I mentioned in the video. There are some things you would not want to add large amounts of water to. I mentioned varnish because that is used at the end to protect the painting, and you only want enough water to thin it as per the instructions. If too much water is added it will puddle up and will not create a nice varnish sheen. It will also reduce the amount of protection you’re getting from the product. There are other products that have special qualities, like the light molding paste. This product if you added a lot of water you probably wouldn’t have a paste anymore. So I just wanted to mention that there are a few exceptions. But it sounds like your process is perfectly fine.
@@nancyreyner thank you Nancy! Good to know that my process is okay!
I work mostly on sealed wood, so it’s not an absorbent surface anymore like you mentioned in the video (about treating it as watercolor).
I used to paint with very watery acrylics on wood years ago and never prepared/sized/primed it back then (you tube didn’t exist yet I think 🙂), never had any problems with the paint, no fading overtime or anything like that either. After watching lots of you tube videos I didn’t dare ro work that way anymore and started sealing the wood etc and got insecure about using acrylics with lots of water etc. Sometimes I think of just going back to the old approach of no worries about anything and being able to sand if make a mistake without worrying about the gac100 and gesso underneath etc….and everything was fine back then.
But okay I understand what you’re saying and I think I then will continue the way I paint with the (airbrush and sometimes also gloss medium) now.
But thin varnish with water? I never heard of that. Do people do that?
I would use that without adding anything. I didn’t even know that was an option. For the first layer of varnish…or? Although I think I also heard somewhere that with an acrylic paint you best just add only 1 layer of varnish (although there’s also multiple approaches with varnish on You Tube of course).
@@karinvankempen6892 I have a wonderful suggestion now that you mentioned your previous process. You can apply an absorbent ground to the wood first. Then let it dry for a day. Now you can apply paint diluted with water (and/or use the thin medium you're using) and you will get more washy effects. My favorite absorbent ground is Golden's Light Molding Paste (not the same as their other product called just Molding Paste). I also like a product they make called Absorbent Ground. Regarding adding water to the varnish, there are different varnishes. I was referring to water-based varnishes. Golden's Waterborne Varnish comes condensed and you are instructed on the label to dilute it with water. My point was to follow the instructions for certain products like that one, and not overwater them. One coat of varnish is usually enough. Again, there are many varieties of varnish. I am referring to archival varnishes that have UV protection and are removable for cleaning purposes. This is what I use on all my paintings so that they last longer. By the way, I do have a master course on acrylic that you may enjoy. It has a video on just about all aspects of acrylic painting, including an entire video dedicated to varnishing, and another video dedicated to using acrylic like watercolor, along with adding absorbent grounds to your surface. You can learn more about it here: nancyreyner.com/master-course-package/
I just saw that vidio lol. I’ll take your advice not hers. Thankyou.
If Im washin its not sculptin.
When you heavily dilute acrylic paint ( cheap or expensive ) you are in effect turning it into water colours. This would be fine on a porous ground like moulding gel or even paper but dont try this over acrylic paint or gesso . It will flake off from personal experience . If however you must do this, be very sure to paint over with fluid medium . Also be very careful not to overdilute with slow drying medium more than 1:1 , it will also flake off.
Thank you for your comment! Sounds like we are in agreement with the exception that I do believe diluted acrylic can be applied over acrylic paint or gesso. If you are experiencing flaking off then either the paint is cheap which means it contains fillers and cheap pigment, or you are not allowing the paint to dry long enough to fully connect with the underlying layer, or you are not protecting it with a layer of acrylic over the top - as I suggest in the video.
Nancy Reyner I think drying time between layers is very important which may have been a problem and sealing with a final layer of medium is also very important with highly diluted paint. Thank you for your inspirational videos.
Problem is you are turning acrylics into water colours all fine
Hi and thanks for your comment. I'm not sure getting watercolor effects with acrylics is a "problem". Once acrylic dries, even when heavily diluted with water, is waterproof. Watercolor, however, will always be water soluble once dry. That means you don't have to frame the acrylic with glass, while the watercolor will always need extra protection.
This is water painting not acrylic
Water painting? Lol