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It’s called “oil shed” and it occurs when pigment settles in the container. The oil does help displace air in the tube, however, so it’s a sign the paint is in good condition and free of fillers. Lean pigments sometimes tend to give up oil more readily than “fat” ones, so you’ll see oil shed with flake white once in a while.

You might notice that cheaper “student grade” paints seldom develop oil shed- that’s because large amounts of alumina stearate filler (used as a stiffener to replace more costly pigment) tend to blot up any free oil. As a result, the paint looks sort of dry and waxy straight from the tube. A very few high end manufacturers ($$$) hold their paints in bulk containers before tubing to allow oil shed to occur before the product is packaged. This is a costly extra step, however, so not many companies do this. Many now use tubes with a cold wax seal added to reduce visible drips on the packages and display racks.

If you’ve got a particularly oily tube, squeeze it onto an old telephone book (cover torn off, of course) and then transfer it to the palette. It’s a lot easier than trying to sop up oil from your palette.

via- the_expert @ UtrechtBlog.com

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Utrecht LA

The Cubists introduced a whole new approach to texture in painting. In the work of artists like Braque, Picasso, Gris and others, actual texture bordering on bas relief interacted with trompe l’oeil, making the paint itself an integral part of both image and content.

Georges Braque applied his early training as a decorator to easel painting, incorporating techniques like imitation wood grain, sgraffito and the use of textural fillers like sand and sawdust.

According to his friend and biographer John Richardson:
“Braque could not achieve this degree of tactile perfection if he did not take the utmost care over the priming of his canvases. ‘”The priming,” he once said,”is at the basis of everything else, just like the foundations of a house.”

Other painters of the period were inspired to include bold textural inclusions in their primings and in passages of impasto. Joan Miro once wrote in his journal: “.. Look to Braque as a model of everything that is skill, serenity and reflection.”

The introduction in the mid-20th century of acrylic dispersion artists’ paints made bold textures easier to achieve and more durable than with traditional media. Products like Utrecht Acrylic Pumice Medium can be mixed directly with colors or applied underneath to create a huge range of effects: http://www.utrechtart.com/Utrecht-Pumice-Stone-Gel-Medium-MP3212-i1001641.utrecht

Utrecht Pumice Medium has a soft neutral color which is easily masked in mixtures. This product dries with the appearance of sandy, traditional fresco, but retains the full flexibility and adhesive strength of acrylics.

via- the_expert at UtrechtBlog.com

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Utrecht LA

Some remember it from art school, others have used it for illustration and graphic design, and some artists really aren’t sure what it is at all. This album will explain all about this slightly mysterious, wonderful paint with the odd name:

Photo: Wikimedia commons- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gouache.jpg
Gouache (pronounced “gwash? is an opaque watercolor which combines the immediacy and ease of transparent watercolor with the presence and richness of oils and acrylics. Gouache is used on watercolor paper and absorbent paperboards (Bristol, illustration board, museum board); it thins with water and works perfectly with watercolor brushes.

Unlike transparent watercolor where the paper is the source of white, gouache is mixed with white paint. Since gouache re-wets during layering, dark colors tend to bleed through lighter ones; beginners may want to work from light to dark at first until familiar with this aspect.

Gouache offers a suave, matte surface which is easy to display and photograph, ideal for illustration and other camera-ready art.

Utrecht Designer’s Gouache is the latest addition to our family of artists’ colors, with the richness, brilliance and workability artists expect from all our paints: http://www.utrechtart.com/Gouache-Paint,Utrecht.utrecht

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Utrecht LA

Utrecht’s own Ask the Experts tells us how to go about repairing a torn canvas.

Sooner or later, every artist gets a torn canvas. Maybe a painting falls off the easel or leans up against something sharp, leaving an ugly gash that always seems to occur at exactly the worst spot. With a bit of luck, time and skill, however, smaller tears can be fixed in the studio with supplies probably already at hand. A word of caution: this is not a conservation-quality repair, definitely not for antique or valuable art- this is specifically intended for your own, recently executed paintings on acrylic-primed canvas. Oil-primed fabrics sized with Rabbit Skin Glue can only be repaired by a trained professional. In attempting to repair antique paintings or any pictures where you don’t know for certain the sizing/priming, you risk causing further damage and loss of value. With that in mind, let’s proceed:

One drawback of fabric painting supports (canvas) is that they are relatively easy to damage.

Examine the painting and the damage; make sure you know for sure it’s a recently executed painting on acrylic-primed fabric. Look for pulled threads, paint loss and chipping. A fresh painting or one that’s already in progress will retain elasticity, making in-studio repair a possibility.

Begin by cutting a patch from acrylic-primed canvas. Primed canvas will have already shrunk to a degree, and will be less likely to further shrink than raw fabric.

Cut a leaf-shaped patch a bit longer than the damage.

Use a brush and water (preferably distilled) to groom and control free canvas fibers at the tear.

Gently move the loose fibers toward the back of the canvas, wetting slightly to keep them together and out of the way while you fill and inpaint (later).

Turn the canvas over and finish grooming the fibers out of the way.

Apply Acrylic Gloss Gel Medium in a thin layer around the damage, extending a bit past where the patch will be located.

A thin application of Gloss Gel partially seals the canvas fibers, preventing them from taking up too much moisture from the subsequent patch adhesive, reducing shrinkage. This coat also improves adhesion with the patch (acrylics stick especially well to other acrylic-coated surfaces). Allow to dry.

The same Acrylic Gloss Gel Medium can be used as the patch adhesive.

Apply a generous, uniform layer of adhesive to the primed side of the patch.

Press in place over the damage, adhesive side down.

Quickly turn the canvas over and, using a damp cloth, remove any excess adhesive that may have extruded through the tear. Flip the canvas back over on a clean, flat surface and apply weight to the back of the patch (a hardbound book will do). Allow to dry.

The torn area will have a visible depression that will need to be filled before inpainting. Fill using the same acrylic gel medium, troweling carefully into the tear.

Wipe away any excess medium and allow the filler to dry. Apply more filler if necessary until the surface is level.

Dispense a palette of colors in the same type of paint with which the painting was executed, along with an appropriate medium to assist in color matching. (This step is a serious deviation from conservation repair, which is always easy to find and reversible. That’s one reason why this process is only to be done by the artist on their own work.)

Use a fine-pointed brush to carefully dab in color. If necessary, load the brush and hold it very close to the repair area to check the color match first. Application in tiny dots allows minute adjustment.

Allow the repair to dry completely before varnishing. Before offering the work for resale, disclose the repair to your dealer/collector. It’s better to offer a discount first than to give a refund later!