OUTDOOR ACRYLIC PAINTING

[ivan1]

I started painting only 3 months ago in oil. I have switched over to acrylics and enjoy them alot. I will be spending about 4 weeks up near Georgian Bay this summer and will take my acrylic paints. How do you keep them from drying out on the pallet while outdoors. At home I use a paper pallet, and spray with water to keep them wet. Will this system work outdoors.

[paintfool]

HI Ivan, i'm probably not the one to give advice here, as i have very little experience with acrylics, but i see no reason why the method you've described wouldn't work equally as well outdoors. The heating from the sun may have an impact though. Do you have an umbrella?
Cheryl

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paintfool

[ivan1]

Larry

Thanks for the help. I do want to learn to paint very fast. Tom Thomson of the Canadian Group of Seven is my main influence. In fact the faster I go the more fun I have. For me this is not about earning a living, but about enjoying a creative process.
Question for Larry. If I block in a group of trees which have water and sky showing behind, Should I leave space for the sky and water to show through, or do I go back later and repaint sky and water?

[LarrySeiler]

No...block it in! The easiest thing in the world is to respond to trees as artists, and let jot and tittle belong to foresters! You think visually, let forestry people think tree anatomy.

Paint a tree by not painting trees, but sensing the patterns of sky and negatives space poking thru the mass you laid down.

To see this done and explained in detail, check out some of my Wetcanvas demo's that I have archived and listed on my Artsmentor.Org site. ...and sounds like you are already geared up to have fun! Cool...!

Larry

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Larry Seiler NAPPAP
The "Artsmentor"
http://www.artsmentor.org

"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do!" Edgar Degas

[Leaflin]

Ivan
Golden just came out with a product called Acrylic Glazing Liquid. It can be blended 1:1 with most colours and still remain opaque.

AGL will increase your working time by 30 to 45 minutes before you feel the brush 'drag'.

Their web site is www.goldenpaints.com (http://www.goldenpaints.com)

I ordered some, but haven't got it yet.
Comes in gloss and satin.


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Leaflin

"Imagination makes you see all sorts of things." Georgia O'Keeffe

[LarrySeiler]

Consider it a game...and abide by the rules!

So...you are used to slow asphalt court surfaces playing tennis, but will be meeting someone that has a membership at a very upper classy tennis club. You find out you'll be playing on grass. Ooopps, look out, cuz grass is fast, the ball somewhat holds the ground and slides before coming up.

But...heh, life is fun right?

Okay...you are using acrylics, but...no problem unless you intend to paint a 30" x 40" canvas. Painting that large? No? Then you intend to try and finish the work in one sitting?

If that is the case, you'll find acrylics works quite well. Sure the paint dries fast, but you'll be required to paint fast or the sun will make a sport of you!

Its not the paint drying faster that is the problem, but getting you to work faster! If you anticipate your painting steps in advance so as to create a "working order" you'll go a long way toward finding paint drying on you is no problem at all.

See your painting as being done in two steps. First with a wide brush or rag, block in your large masses, start with building your shadows first, then concentrate on color you'll build up on top of for your areas of light.

Clean your palette off, or get a new one. (I use styro foam plates for acrylics) Then start building up your textures, details, suggestive lines, etc; over all that. Chances are if you are a serve and volley'er, you'll run out of paint before it dries on you!

If you need to take a break, have an empty ice cream gallon pail sitting next to you. I fill mine about 1/3rd full with water. Then I turn my styrofoam plate upside down where it sits nicely as a lid over the top of the pail. The moisture of the water beneath rises creating enough humidity to not dry out. In fact, in-studio...I can set my paints this way and not return for a week, and my paints will still be wet and ready to go.

Larry

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Larry Seiler NAPPAP
The "Artsmentor"
http://www.artsmentor.org

"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do!" Edgar Degas

[idahogirl]

I use a "Sta-Wet" pallet. If you aren't familiar with them, it is a box with a tupperware type seal. There is a sponge and special paper which goes over the sponge. Acrylics will stay wet under the most adverse conditions. Love mine. They are available at most art stores.

Happy painting,

Dee

[tammy]

Having something to cover them between brush loads always helps. At home, I've covered mine with a piece of foil or a wet paper towel. All the replies above are excellent. I like Leaflin's very much.

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We may not have been to school, but we sure paint like we did!
Tammy's Home for Artists (http://tammy.artistnation.com)