Choosing an acrylic paint which is right for you:
What Acrylic Paint Should I Buy? Students often ask what acrylic paint should they buy and what is best for their needs? Today I hope to be able to ask those questions and make the decision making process a lot easier. I am I must admit very bias in my selection. I only use the Chroma Australia brand of paints as They are made right here in Sydney NSW Australia and owned by Jim Cobb who is also Australian and lives here in Queensland. They are made to the highest standard of production, lightfastness, quality and ASTM Certification. I like my dollars to stay in Australia......
First we must know how paint is made. Pigments are mineral compounds, which can be either organic or synthetic, which have been ground and mixed together to make a powdery substance in structure, which produce dyes and colours. If you have a look at the photo above you will see pots of pigment, which are the foundations of all paint. These mineral compounds, which have been finely ground, are then combined with binders and other materials to produce paint. Sometimes paint names can reflect the main ingredient which has been used to create the paint colour. For example Cobalt Blue will have the mineral Cobalt in it, which produces the intense blue colour.
Acrylic paint is produced when pigments are mixed with an acrylic polymer binder and water whilst oil paint is produced when pigment is mixed generally with Linseed Oil as its binder. Of course the mixing process is a lot more complicated than this and other elements may be added by the various paint companies to make their paints unique, increase drying times or have other special properties but at this point in time I am simplifying the whole process for ease of the thought processing. Watercolours are mixed with Gum Arabic whilst pastels are pigments mixed with water and compressed and dried.
Paint Quality:
So what is the difference between Student quality paints and Artist quality paints apart from price? We have just discovered how paint is made, pigment plus a binder. The most expensive ingredient in paint making is the pigment and some pigments are more expensive than others. Paints are often categorized as Series 1, Series 2, Series 3 etc. varying the cost of different colours according to the pigments used to make them.
The first identifiable difference is that Student quality paints have more binder and less pigment in them than the Artist quality paints, so therefore they are less costly to make and therefore cheaper to buy. This however creates another dilemma; less pigment means less coverage and a less responsive paint so student quality paints will not cover as well so more paint and time is required to complete the painting.
The second and most important quality student paint is lacking is it’s light fastness or it’s ability not to fade. Artist quality paints conform to ASTM standards (American Society for Testing and Materials International) which is a world recognized measuring and testing facility. Student quality paints may fade and become dull and chalky over time whilst Artist quality paints are rated by ASTM standards for either excellent or very good light fastness so you can be assured of their endurance. There are a number of ASTM codes and not all are subject to Colour Fastness. The ASTM4236 conforms ONLY to safety so always check your label.
Thirdly, Artist quality paints are archival which means they will last the distance. Don’t expect to get more than a couple or more years from a painting, which has not been painted with Artist quality paints.
The fourth and final difference is the fact that Artist quality paints are reliable as they have been thoroughly tested again and again for performance and compatibility and their reactions with the mediums we often add to them and their suitability for the job they are intended to do.
To sum things up the old saying goes “You get what you pay for”. Always buy the best paint you can afford as you are investing a lot of time into your artworks.
Today I am going to compare the three Artist Quality paints which I use regularily. They are all made by Chroma Australia who makes here in Australia.
1. Jo Sonja
2. Atelier Interactive
3. Atelier Free Flow
As a teacher and artist who has been painting for many years I have over time collected a vast array of paints, brushes, mediums and other painting paraphernalia giving me the unique opportunity to select whatever paint or medium I desire from my studio whenever I like. I quite often work using a combination of Jo Sonja, Atelier Interative and Atelier Free Flow paints in any one painting. Each has it’s own characteristics and / or paint colour which I may deem invaluable for the task immediately at hand. To give an very broad general example: ·
Abstracts – Atelier Free Flow / Atelier Interactive ·
Landscapes – Atelier Interactive ·
Liner Work / Fine Detail – Jo Sonja and Atelier Free Flow ·
Dry Brushing – Atelier Interactive ·
Texture – Atelier Interactive
This is just a rough guideline and the decision I make as to which paint I will use comes down to my personal choice at the time of painting.
Jo Sonja Artist Colours:
Jo Sonja’s Paints and Mediums were developed as a result of the collaboration between innovative paint company, Chroma, and renowned American Folk Artist, Jo Sonja Jansen many years ago. The commitment of them both, was to the development of a brand that used today’s exciting technologies to harness the techniques of the past so that a lasting heritage would be produced for the future.
The brand was first introduced to the market in 1985 and quickly become synonymous with fine quality and versatility, a position it maintains today.
While other paints in this price range target the crafting audience, Jo Sonja's colours offer all of the characteristics of a professional paint range for artists serious about their work at a budget price.
Jo Sonja's Artists Colours are made from only the finest quality pure pigments. All colours in the range are lightfast and carry all the appropiate ASTM ratings as your guarantee against colour fade and safety. Feel confident that the colours in your art will remain true for generations and just as vibrant as the day they were painted.
Chroma continually test their products for quality and performance to ensure that Jo Sonja's Artists' Colours remain the best possible product available in this category.
Jo Sonja offer superb handling and brushing characteristics together with purity and strength of colour and is a popular medium for design works on paper and decorative art, providing opacity of colour and a beautiful, matte velvet finish. Layering with Jo Sonja paints can be achieved easily throughout a painting, as the paints will dry within minutes.
No special instruction is necessary to use Jo Sonja's colours, they are not difficult to use. Artists' quality materials are always easier to use than student or craft quality paints. Jo Sonja's Artists Colours are two to three times stronger than bottled craft colours, as well as being permanent.
Characteristics
- Consistency is described as ‘flow” and sits between a fluid and soft butter in texture
- Well priced
- Good Colour Range
- The paint drys in a short time and can be dried with a hair dryer
- Once dry it cannot be easily removed
- When base coating it may only take 1 coats for good coverage
- Dry Brushing techniques can be easily achieved.
- Good range of mediums available
Atelier Interactive
Atelier Interactive Professional Artist Acrylics:
Atelier Interactive are heavy bodied acrylics and made with pigments of the finest quality. They have superior pigment load and have a
buttery consistency.
Atelier Interactive is the most versatile acrylic paint on the market. It handles like a conventional acrylic making it a popular choice for Fast Drying Techniques or Wet Techniques similar to oil painting, but it has other exclusive abilities if you want to use them.
Atelier Interactive is the world’s only acrylic paint that gives you a new option; Controlled Drying Techniques. You can control the paint's open time for as long as you want using a fine mist of water or moist brush; blending layers of Atelier Interactive is easier and far smoother than with any other acrylic paints. When you want to return to Fast Drying Techniques, simply withhold the water or dry with a hair dryer to cure and it will dry rapidly again. It can be locked in with Fast Medium Fixer to secure layers. It’s that easy - and only possible with Atelier Interactive’s unique patented formula.
There is another unique benefit: Atelier Interactive allows you to re-activate touch-dry paint by using Atelier Unlocking Formula to return to wet-in-wet blending. A true revolution in acrylic paint technology! The Unlocking Formula is applied via a Fine Mist Sprayer.
Atelier Interactive is available in 75 colours packaged in 80ml Tubes, 250ml Jars, and selected colours in 1 Litre Jars.
If you understand how acrylic paints dry you’ll understand why Atelier Interactive is so helpful. The patented formula gives you far more control than with any other acrylic. Most artists find they use a combination of the above methods as they develop their paintings:
The most common acrylic painting techniques involve fast drying layers. All conventional acrylic paints dry rapidly as their water content evaporates. Atelier Interactive naturally dries rapidly too, so you can happily paint with Atelier Interactive just as you would normally for fast drying techniques.
Mediums that are useful for fast drying techniques are; Atelier Fast Medium Fixer, Atelier Heavy Gel, Atelier Regular Gel, Atelier Gloss Medium, Atelier Glazing Medium, Atelier Modeling, Atelier Binder Medium.
Controlled Drying Techniques are exclusive to Atelier Interactive. As the paint begins to dry, it will still readily absorb water, allowing you to easily delay the drying time merely by spraying with a fine mist of water or moist brush. Atelier Interactive is the only artists’ acrylic paint that allows you to control the open time as long as you want with only water. Blending with Atelier Interactives is easier and far smoother than with any other acrylic paint, because you control the open time from start to finish.
By comparison, all other acrylics dry by initially forming a skin over the surface of the paint, which naturally resists water. For this reason blending paint layers can be difficult and appear scratchy when using a conventional acrylic. Atelier Interactives dry from the inside out so the top layer is the last to dry.
Controlled Drying Techniques are simple: apply Atelier Interactive to your painting surface and when you feel your paint layers get tacky use a fine mist water sprayer or wet brush to keep the paint workable - repeat this process as long as you want it to remain open - then withhold water and the paint will dry rapidly again.
You have even more control: If you’ve allowed your painting and palette to become touch dry but not yet fully cured, you have the option to re-activate the paint using Atelier Unlocking Formula to return to wet-in-wet blending once again.
Mediums useful during Controlled Drying Techniques are; Atelier Clear Painting Medium and Atelier Fast Medium Fixer.
Until the invention of Atelier Interactive, the only way to avoid the fast drying nature of any acrylic paint was to use a Retarder Medium. If you like long extended open times, you can easily turn Atelier Interactive into a slow-drying paint simply by adding Atelier Retarder, Slow Medium or Thick Slow Medium.
However, if you use a Retarder or Slow Medium to prolong the open time of Atelier Interactive or any other acrylic, you'll have no control over drying time, a custom mix of Atelier Interactive with Retarder can’t return to being a rapid drying acrylic. You may have to wait hours, days and sometimes weeks for that layer of paint to dry before successfully over-painting.
Characteristics
Atelier Interactive are heavy bodied acrylics and made with pigments of the finest quality. They have superior pigment load and have a
buttery consistency.
Atelier Interactive is the most versatile acrylic paint on the market. It handles like a conventional acrylic making it a popular choice for Fast Drying Techniques or Wet Techniques similar to oil painting, but it has other exclusive abilities if you want to use them.
Atelier Interactive is the world’s only acrylic paint that gives you a new option; Controlled Drying Techniques. You can control the paint's open time for as long as you want using a fine mist of water or moist brush; blending layers of Atelier Interactive is easier and far smoother than with any other acrylic paints. When you want to return to Fast Drying Techniques, simply withhold the water or dry with a hair dryer to cure and it will dry rapidly again. It can be locked in with Fast Medium Fixer to secure layers. It’s that easy - and only possible with Atelier Interactive’s unique patented formula.
There is another unique benefit: Atelier Interactive allows you to re-activate touch-dry paint by using Atelier Unlocking Formula to return to wet-in-wet blending. A true revolution in acrylic paint technology! The Unlocking Formula is applied via a Fine Mist Sprayer.
Atelier Interactive is available in 75 colours packaged in 80ml Tubes, 250ml Jars, and selected colours in 1 Litre Jars.
If you understand how acrylic paints dry you’ll understand why Atelier Interactive is so helpful. The patented formula gives you far more control than with any other acrylic. Most artists find they use a combination of the above methods as they develop their paintings:
The most common acrylic painting techniques involve fast drying layers. All conventional acrylic paints dry rapidly as their water content evaporates. Atelier Interactive naturally dries rapidly too, so you can happily paint with Atelier Interactive just as you would normally for fast drying techniques.
Mediums that are useful for fast drying techniques are; Atelier Fast Medium Fixer, Atelier Heavy Gel, Atelier Regular Gel, Atelier Gloss Medium, Atelier Glazing Medium, Atelier Modeling, Atelier Binder Medium.
Controlled Drying Techniques are exclusive to Atelier Interactive. As the paint begins to dry, it will still readily absorb water, allowing you to easily delay the drying time merely by spraying with a fine mist of water or moist brush. Atelier Interactive is the only artists’ acrylic paint that allows you to control the open time as long as you want with only water. Blending with Atelier Interactives is easier and far smoother than with any other acrylic paint, because you control the open time from start to finish.
By comparison, all other acrylics dry by initially forming a skin over the surface of the paint, which naturally resists water. For this reason blending paint layers can be difficult and appear scratchy when using a conventional acrylic. Atelier Interactives dry from the inside out so the top layer is the last to dry.
Controlled Drying Techniques are simple: apply Atelier Interactive to your painting surface and when you feel your paint layers get tacky use a fine mist water sprayer or wet brush to keep the paint workable - repeat this process as long as you want it to remain open - then withhold water and the paint will dry rapidly again.
You have even more control: If you’ve allowed your painting and palette to become touch dry but not yet fully cured, you have the option to re-activate the paint using Atelier Unlocking Formula to return to wet-in-wet blending once again.
Mediums useful during Controlled Drying Techniques are; Atelier Clear Painting Medium and Atelier Fast Medium Fixer.
Until the invention of Atelier Interactive, the only way to avoid the fast drying nature of any acrylic paint was to use a Retarder Medium. If you like long extended open times, you can easily turn Atelier Interactive into a slow-drying paint simply by adding Atelier Retarder, Slow Medium or Thick Slow Medium.
However, if you use a Retarder or Slow Medium to prolong the open time of Atelier Interactive or any other acrylic, you'll have no control over drying time, a custom mix of Atelier Interactive with Retarder can’t return to being a rapid drying acrylic. You may have to wait hours, days and sometimes weeks for that layer of paint to dry before successfully over-painting.
Characteristics
- Thick creamy consistency
- Blends easily
- Can be diluted to a watery consistency for liner work
- Easily dry brushes
- Can reactivate the paint
- Middle range price structure
- Excellent colour selection
- Excellent coverage 1-2 coats only required
Free Flow:
A professional quality acrylic with unique characteristics and maximum pigment load.
Utilizing the latest advances in pigment and polymer technology. Atelier Free Flow is the most fluid and vivid acrylic on the market. Use it as a stand-alone paint or incorporate with Atelier Interactives into your painting for more contrast and texture.
Regardless of your application or technique, you’ll find it glides from the brush with very little dilution required to reach your preferred consistency. For an artist, this ensures brilliant pigment strength is retained, painting light over dark colours is far easier, and the integrity of the paint itself remains strong and durable.
Maximum pigment load and excellent lightfastness
Amazing fluid consistency that just keeps flowing!
Velvet matte finish with rich and vibrant colour
A versatile substitute for ink, watercolour or gouache
Use for flat, even paint application & fine details
Ideal for mixed media, Aboriginal and/or Chinese art
Compatible with Atelier Mediums
Can be used on canvas, paper and board
36 colours available in 60ml, 250ml and 500ml bottles
Unsuitable for dry brushing techniques
Atelier Free Flow paint v's Golden Paint - Many publications today come from America as their population far exceeds ours here in Australia so therefore there are more 'published' artists in the U.S.A. than there are currently here in Australia, Over the past year or more I have noticed a trend for these publications to list Golden paint colours which are not readily available here in Australia. Whilst some stores stock the Golden brand paints they are few and far between and can be expensive as they are made in the U.S.A. and shipped here.Many of you may be wary of these publications and projects not knowing what the colours are and how to mix them with paints you already have. In an effort to overcome this Chroma Australia has converted the Golden colour chart into their Free Flow range so you can now convert any Golden paint into a Free Flow colour.
Free Flow and Golden paint are both described as Fluid Acrylics. We all know what “flow formula” and “fluid acrylics” are because they have been around for many years. Our catch phrase for Atelier Free Flow is “that it flies off the brush” and this is because it is more extreme and uses the latest technology – it has all the toughness, flexibility, and the over paintability of acrylics but it doesn’t feel like an acrylic. It handles more like a gouache or a water colour than an acrylic.
Thick and Thin - How will Atelier Free Flow be used? We are only starting out at the moment and can only speculate that because it is the extreme opposite of thick acrylics it will probably be incorporated in more watery, water colourish areas of large paintings which also contain thick paint.
Free Flow can be worked like an oil, water colour, gouache, or simply as an acrylic. Most artists however will probably do thick/thin combination acrylic paintings and may also contrast the surface finish between the two types as well because Free Flow is vividly matte. The even flow out will appeal to artists seeking a flat even application of paint such as in the work of Rollin Schlicht for example, although he was using Atelier Interactive when he did his last paintings. On a smaller scale Atelier Free flow is ideal for works on paper.
A professional quality acrylic with unique characteristics and maximum pigment load.
Utilizing the latest advances in pigment and polymer technology. Atelier Free Flow is the most fluid and vivid acrylic on the market. Use it as a stand-alone paint or incorporate with Atelier Interactives into your painting for more contrast and texture.
Regardless of your application or technique, you’ll find it glides from the brush with very little dilution required to reach your preferred consistency. For an artist, this ensures brilliant pigment strength is retained, painting light over dark colours is far easier, and the integrity of the paint itself remains strong and durable.
Maximum pigment load and excellent lightfastness
Amazing fluid consistency that just keeps flowing!
Velvet matte finish with rich and vibrant colour
A versatile substitute for ink, watercolour or gouache
Use for flat, even paint application & fine details
Ideal for mixed media, Aboriginal and/or Chinese art
Compatible with Atelier Mediums
Can be used on canvas, paper and board
36 colours available in 60ml, 250ml and 500ml bottles
Unsuitable for dry brushing techniques
Atelier Free Flow paint v's Golden Paint - Many publications today come from America as their population far exceeds ours here in Australia so therefore there are more 'published' artists in the U.S.A. than there are currently here in Australia, Over the past year or more I have noticed a trend for these publications to list Golden paint colours which are not readily available here in Australia. Whilst some stores stock the Golden brand paints they are few and far between and can be expensive as they are made in the U.S.A. and shipped here.Many of you may be wary of these publications and projects not knowing what the colours are and how to mix them with paints you already have. In an effort to overcome this Chroma Australia has converted the Golden colour chart into their Free Flow range so you can now convert any Golden paint into a Free Flow colour.
Free Flow and Golden paint are both described as Fluid Acrylics. We all know what “flow formula” and “fluid acrylics” are because they have been around for many years. Our catch phrase for Atelier Free Flow is “that it flies off the brush” and this is because it is more extreme and uses the latest technology – it has all the toughness, flexibility, and the over paintability of acrylics but it doesn’t feel like an acrylic. It handles more like a gouache or a water colour than an acrylic.
Thick and Thin - How will Atelier Free Flow be used? We are only starting out at the moment and can only speculate that because it is the extreme opposite of thick acrylics it will probably be incorporated in more watery, water colourish areas of large paintings which also contain thick paint.
Free Flow can be worked like an oil, water colour, gouache, or simply as an acrylic. Most artists however will probably do thick/thin combination acrylic paintings and may also contrast the surface finish between the two types as well because Free Flow is vividly matte. The even flow out will appeal to artists seeking a flat even application of paint such as in the work of Rollin Schlicht for example, although he was using Atelier Interactive when he did his last paintings. On a smaller scale Atelier Free flow is ideal for works on paper.
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