Experiments with Golden Open

[tbezesky]

I wanted to started a thread where anyone can post their paintings and comments about Golden Open. How you felt about the experience and what came of it.

[tbezesky]

Here is what I did today. I thought it was much like painting with oils, which is what I know best as a medium, although Open is thinner than either oil or Acrylics. My method was more like oil than traditional Acrylic. The results are similar to my oils. The paint stayed wet to the finish. Alla prima method seems to work best for me for this paint as I do in oil. With regular Acrylics I would tend to glaze.
I would like to continue painting with golden Opens.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Jul-2008/11381-mroseb.jpg The darks in the red came out lighter in the photo.

[Linee]

Beautiful! Exhibits much confidence. Thanks for the Open review. Haven't purchased them, myself...yet.

[susme48]

Lovely rose....am looking forward to trying them!!

[theonoe]

Tracy,

How do you think the new Open paints would work for clouds and skyscapes, considering the fact that their pigment load is lighter than regular acrylics?

Theo

[phobden]

Still waiting for mine to ship.

[tbezesky]

Theo, I think that it would work well for seascapes and skies, it looks juicier than reg. acrylics. I am starting to use softer brushes when painting over wet paint, the base layer can be thinner with medium too. It's like oils in that way.
I'm wondering if just small amounts of regular acrylic mixed in might give it just enough tackiness, to layer over wet easier.
I am still not completey adapted to the paint, I think I will want to keep using it. I'm still figuring out what will works best.

[tbezesky]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Jul-2008/11381-skyb.jpg Here is a sky in Open. 9x12 I did it much as I would as if it were oil. This is making it easier for me to adjust, using the same process.
There's a couple of spots I want to adjust in the blue.
Here is a close up.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Jul-2008/11381-skyc.jpg
Today I am using a coarser canvas, I would prefer the finer. I think watercolor canvas gessoed would be perfect.

[JamieWG]

Hi Tracy. I'm enjoying your experiments. I prefer softer brushes with this paint too, and also fine canvas weave. In fact, the Ampersand Gessoboard is a fabulous surface for it I've found, and watercolor paper too. My latest favorite support is Canson colored matboard sized with Golden Matte Medium (diluted 20% with water). I love the versatility of supports that we have at our disposal with acrylics!

Jamie

[tbezesky]

Thanks Jamie, some very helpful tips. I'm waiting for a good day to go paint outdoors with them now that I have tried a landscape. I'll have to glance your pages with Plein Air with GOpen.
One great feature I just noticed is, that you can get out paint on your jeans, if it hasn't set up, which gives you plenty of time to take a wet rag to it.
:D Okay I'm sold!

[tbezesky]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/18-Jul-2008/11381-hay2b.jpg
It was still a bit tacky this morning when I finished up. I mostly painted Alla Prima, but I did glaze in a little fog with the glazing medium. I was satisfied with how the paint behaved for this project. I'm anxious to try something else. The process was about the same as if I had painted it in oil.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/18-Jul-2008/11381-hay2c.jpg
This is a close up of detail.

[shunter]

Maine#1 9 x 12 Stretched canvas Golden Open Paint http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/18-Jul-2008/119991-maine1.jpg

Maine #2 9 x 12 Canvas Board, Same pallette of Golden Open.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/18-Jul-2008/119991-maine2.jpg

More transparent washes in number two. Both are lighter IRL. They look dark here even though I lightened them in Photoshop.

Steve

[tbezesky]

Thanks for contributing. I like the cool temp of the paintings.
How did you like working with the Opens?

[shunter]

I don't mind the pigment load (transparency) at this point. Can't wait to try Plen-Air. The feel of using Open is alot like oil paint (which I haven't touched in 25 years). I still have wet paint that I put on my pallette 10 days ago!! I just keep a glass pallette in a glad container.

Steve

[tbezesky]

I don't mind consistency either. We usually thin it down anyway. I am using a softer brush if I want to put wet on wet paint. It makes a hi-lite quite well. Firmer brush for first application.
I want to get out and paint too, when we get a cool day.

[theonoe]

<<it {Golden Open} looks juicier than reg. acrylics>>

Tracy,

Could you explain what you mean by this? I don't have any background in oils.

Theo

[tbezesky]

Blended wet not sticky.

[JamieWG]

I don't mind consistency either. We usually thin it down anyway. I am using a softer brush if I want to put wet on wet paint. It makes a hi-lite quite well. Firmer brush for first application.
I want to get out and paint too, when we get a cool day.

Tracy, one thing I noticed is that coming from an oil painting background, I tended to thin the paint for my underpainting just like I would do with turp and oil paint. In oils, everything goes sour quickly if the underpainting is too thick, and before you know it, you're slip-sliding around in a thick pigment soup, and layers are drowning in the muck. Know what I mean? :evil: :D

Well, I find that with the OPEN paints, I actually like it best once I have a good layer or two of paint on there and it starts to grip the successive layers. I stopped thinning my underlayers, and started painting thicker from the start. As the water evaporates from the paint, it tightens up a little, and just becomes more and more workable as more layers are applied. It's very hard to describe. Do you feel this way too as you use it?

Also, when painting alla prima, although the paint on my palette doesn't skin over nor dry out, it does seem to thicken. I've found that very useful as I get to the more impasto stages of heavier application. Have you found that too? I can always spray the paint with water to bring it back to its former consistency, but I like the thicker paint later in the process. It's as if it's working with me in being thinner for the earlier stages and thicker for the later stages.

Steve, I like the composition and reflections on your beach scene. Way to go with saving paint!

Jamie

[MadMaddy]

I just got my Golden Opens and really enjoyed using them for the first time tonight. I started with oil painting years ago but didn't paint to terribly often as I was concentrating more on pencil and charcoal work. I recently started working with acrylics and was partially through my third one when i heard about these. I decided to wait on them as I was very frustrated with the drying of the acrylic paint. I am working on a portrait and going for a realistic look. the blending was causing me fits. I am sure there are some here that have perfected that sort of thing but not me. I was getting there but still just was having a hard time; I would start out doing good but forget to work fast enough or forget to spritz my paint mix enough etc. etc.

Well, i just played around with the Opens tonight on the background of the painting and really loved it. I was able to get the effect I was looking for without holding multiple fresh brushes in either hand or one in my mouth as I had been doing before :lol:

I tried to take a photo of my work but the lighting was terrible for pictures and you really couldn't see any of the subtle blending.

I know I will be using these again and possibly buying a few more colors.

Thank you Golden for such a nice product. :clap::clap:

[tbezesky]

Tracy, one thing I noticed is that coming from an oil painting background, I tended to thin the paint for my underpainting just like I would do with turp and oil paint. In oils, everything goes sour quickly if the underpainting is too thick, and before you know it, you're slip-sliding around in a thick pigment soup, and layers are drowning in the muck. Know what I mean? :evil: :D

Well, I find that with the OPEN paints, I actually like it best once I have a good layer or two of paint on there and it starts to grip the successive layers. I stopped thinning my underlayers, and started painting thicker from the start. As the water evaporates from the paint, it tightens up a little, and just becomes more and more workable as more layers are applied. It's very hard to describe. Do you feel this way too as you use it?

Also, when painting alla prima, although the paint on my palette doesn't skin over nor dry out, it does seem to thicken. I've found that very useful as I get to the more impasto stages of heavier application. Have you found that too? I can always spray the paint with water to bring it back to its former consistency, but I like the thicker paint later in the process. It's as if it's working with me in being thinner for the earlier stages and thicker for the later stages.

Jamie

Yes, I see what you mean! I am ready to try some sun-thickened opens. :D
With oils I didn't want them too buttery, I use Galkyd Medium and Neogilp.

[JamieWG]

....... I recently started working with acrylics and was partially through my third one when i heard about these. I decided to wait on them as I was very frustrated with the drying of the acrylic paint. I am working on a portrait and going for a realistic look. the blending was causing me fits. I am sure there are some here that have perfected that sort of thing but not me. I was getting there but still just was having a hard time; I would start out doing good but forget to work fast enough or forget to spritz my paint mix enough etc. etc.

Well, i just played around with the Opens tonight on the background of the painting and really loved it. I was able to get the effect I was looking for without holding multiple fresh brushes in either hand or one in my mouth as I had been doing before :lol:

I tried to take a photo of my work but the lighting was terrible for pictures and you really couldn't see any of the subtle blending.

I know I will be using these again and possibly buying a few more colors.

Thank you Golden for such a nice product. :clap::clap:

Lara, I've been using them a lot in open studio figure painting. They are such a dream. For years I'd been bringing oils or traditional acrylics to open studio for portraits and figures, but these have worked out so much better for me, giving me the biggest advantages of both mediums and eliminating the disadvantages of each. I can understand how happy you must be to find this paint for portraits. It's perfect. I can see a huge future for them with portrait and figure painters.

Jamie

[JamieWG]

Yes, I see what you mean! I am ready to try some sun-thickened opens. :D


Hahahaha! Good one, Tracy! :thumbsup:

[tbezesky]

Lara, thanks for sharing your experience. Hope that you will be able post your work here. I'd love to see it. I like to take my work outside to take pictures.

[cat1lady]

Here is my WIP, the reference came from RIL.
My Image resizing software ain't too great so it's blurry but I think the close up is ok.
This is only my 2nd ever painting in acrylic. My previous one was using cheap Reeves acrylic paints.
This is 8 X 11.5 on Gesso covered cardboard.
I have since removed the hair in the painting:)

My thoughts on Open Acrylics so far as as follows:

I started the painting a few days ago and used a John Pike covered palette. Today, a few days later, the paints are still wet, even the areas where I mixed colors was moist enough to recover.

The paint doesn't dry for hours but gets sticky quickly, like in minutes. I don't consider this really a problem though. I was able to blend into the stickiness with ease. When I didn't want to blend, I was able use a soft brush and paint over the sticky paint without disturbing it.

The painting may start out with lots of texture but it flattens out by the time it dries. Perhaps the gel medium would make it not flatten. But, I don't have any.

Using mediums with oil paints makes them kind of 'slippery', the Open gloss medium and thinner did not. The paint doesn't really glide off the brush. However, it really only took a few strokes to get used to the different feeling.

I don't have a headache!
I don't mind using solvents outdoors or in places with good ventilation, but my house does not have good ventilation. I'm trying different mediums to see what I can use in the winter. I think I'll definitely be using these paints and probably water miscible oils and my regular oils using oil instead of solvent. But, I don't have a lot of room for housing wet paintings so acrylics are good for that problem.

[tbezesky]

Very good! Thanks for contributing!
The gel is the same consistency as the paint. It is for making more transparent without thinning the consistency of the paint. Jamie says that once the paint has been on the palette for along time you have a thicker version that's very useful for impasto, which works nicely since you need it more near the end of your painting. I am still waiting for this, amazing isn't it. :)

[C_Line]

This is such exciting stuff! I love your haystacks Tracy. I looked in Michaels (where I buy other Golden products) and they don't have it. Wonder if it's just going to be available online or at higher end Art Supply stores?

[tbezesky]

Thanks, I don't know which stores have them stocked but Dick Blick is a good place online. I will look forward to seeing what you do with them!
I am very excited about them, I'm wanting to get started on another.
I was delightfully surprised on how they worked.

[eyepaint]

... the more I read about these the more tempted I am to try them ... but I told myself to hold off until I use up some of my existing acrylic paint tubes ... ahhhhhh!!!

[tbezesky]

Then you should paint like the wind! :D

[JamieWG]

The paint doesn't dry for hours but gets sticky quickly, like in minutes. I don't consider this really a problem though. I was able to blend into the stickiness with ease. When I didn't want to blend, I was able use a soft brush and paint over the sticky paint without disturbing it.

The painting may start out with lots of texture but it flattens out by the time it dries. Perhaps the gel medium would make it not flatten. But, I don't have any.

Using mediums with oil paints makes them kind of 'slippery', the Open gloss medium and thinner did not. The paint doesn't really glide off the brush. However, it really only took a few strokes to get used to the different feeling.


Thanks for sharing your painting and thoughts with us! I agree with all your comments. I too find soft brushes the way to go with this paint. After adjusting to that sticky tack-up stage, I find it works greatly to my advantage. In fact, it's one of the paint stages I really love. I find I like to apply a LOT of paint---way more than oils, and I don't thin the paint like I would with traditional acrylics.

Yes, the paint does flatten out a lot as it dries, even in areas that are initially quite impasto in texture. I suppose one could use a gel of some kind for that, but I don't mind it. The strokes are still evident, and the color is great.

Celeste, here's a list of stores that carry OPEN (http://goldenpaints.com/storelist/open.php).

I am going on a trip next week to follow the trail of the Hudson River School painters! I'm so excited.... I'm making a new painting box that will fit easily in my smaller backpack and also hold my wet paintings. I'm only bringing the OPEN paints and watercolors....no oils this time. I'll use Multimedia Artboard and acid free matboard to paint on, so everything will be lightweight. I love those surfaces for the OPEN paints too.

Jamie

[C_Line]

Thanks Jamie - I figured it would be Zieglers.

[tbezesky]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/20-Jul-2008/11381-fetalb.jpg
Thought I would try doing a figure, 8x10. I was able to work on the figure as a whole, some places would get tacky, but I could add more paint and still be able to blend it smoothly. I was able to do the background as a whole and it was still juicy when I finished.
I have notice in doing these paintings that the colors really don't look plasticy or chalky. I think blending wet helps with that too. Not having to glaze opaque colors is always a plus, in my opinion.

[JamieWG]

Tracy, that's a challenging pose! Nice job with capturing it. What colors did you use? I love this paint for figure work. I'll report the thread to have the Mods add a butt icon, and then I can post some of mine done with OPEN too. :)

Jamie

[theonoe]

Tracy,

Lovely work!

Thanks for the assessment on the non-plasticky aspect of Golden Open's colors. This is good news!

Theo

[WC Lee]

I brought a sample set of OPEN today and tried to paint with it as I would oil paints. Don't think it worked too well with the way I paint, but I do like it better than traditional acrylics, at least the paint on the palette does not dry up before I get a chance to use it :D

Here is my first attempt with the OPEN, it is a rather quick attempt and did not put a lot of effort into it :) it was just to get an idea of what it can and cannot do.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/21-Jul-2008/122017-sketch01311.jpg

[JamieWG]

Hi WC! That's a lovely little sketch. One thing I've found with OPEN is that I have to use about three times the amount of paint as I do with oils. With oils we have reason to worry about the initial layers being too thick, but I haven't found that to be the case with OPEN. It takes more paint to get the full coverage of the support, and then it develops into a wonderfully workable state once there's enough paint down. Thanks for sharing your first effort!

Jamie

[WC Lee]

hi Jamie and thanks :) Actually with oils, if painting alla prima, the initial layers can be thick and oily, I experimented once or twice with an oily initial wash then work straight out-of-the-tube paint into it and ended up with a painting that looks like watercolor :D None the less, an interesting experiment though doubt if I go that route again :D

One thing I found while using OPEN is that it quite transparent compared to oils and I did find the initial layer did not cover that well and as you stated, it gets better after that. And I did use more paint than I would have with oils.

this is funny, I started with Acrylics, went to oils, then to pastels, back to oils, and now trying acrylics again :D but in most likelihood, oils will remain my main choice to paint with.

[Cynps23]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/18-Jul-2008/11381-hay2b.jpg
It was still a bit tacky this morning when I finished up. I mostly painted Alla Prima, but I did glaze in a little fog with the glazing medium. I was satisfied with how the paint behaved for this project. I'm anxious to try something else. The process was about the same as if I had painted it in oil.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/18-Jul-2008/11381-hay2c.jpg
This is a close up of detail.

Tracy,
I'm so happy you're have this thread taking place. I just ordered the traditional set to try it out. I love your results. But this thread helps me to know the ins and outs through your experience. Thanks for offering this. I can't wait myself to get it.:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Cyn.

[tbezesky]

WCLee- Your picture looks playful, I like the composition too. It's interesting how you have always experimented with different media. I don't know where I'll end up either.
Don't be afraid to pile on the paint with this stuff, it's less likely to get muddy.
Cyn- Thanks! Yes, we will all learn more by seeing than by just talking about it.
I hope you will show us what you have done too.

[JamieWG]

I drove to the other side of the Hudson River this morning to paint at the base of the Palisades. The cliffs face east, and glow when the morning light hits. For this painting, I used Golden OPEN colors:
Cadmium Yellow Primrose
Pyrrole Red
Transparent Red Oxide
Ultramarine Blue
Jenkins Green
Titanium White

It was pretty humid out and my paint stayed wet on my palette the entire time, without even a single spray of water. I can't say enough great things about the way this paint works for me. I've tried just about everything, and I'm hooked on this stuff.

This isn't a great photo of the painting, but I'm not going to take any more serious photos of my work until after my trip later this week. Too much to do!

Palisades in Morning Light
12x16", Golden OPEN on pre-primed canvas covered hardboard, which I then sized with Golden Matte Medium diluted 20% with water
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-Jul-2008/13766-080722_Palisades_in_Morning_Light_12x16_500.jpg

I wore shorts and sandals and in spite of the DEET, there were little black flies that had an absolute feast at my expense. If it hadn't been for their company, I likely would have stayed to do another painting.

Jamie

[tbezesky]

Incredible job Jamie! The colors and strokes are wonderful! I love the way you did the foliage.
What kind of rock is on that cliff?

[tbezesky]

Tracy, that's a challenging pose! Nice job with capturing it. What colors did you use? I love this paint for figure work. I'll report the thread to have the Mods add a butt icon, and then I can post some of mine done with OPEN too. :)

Jamie

I realized I never answered this, B Sienna, Alizarin C, Y Ochre, C Yellow, cobalt B. Which nothing special, but I make midrange color toward the red, and lightest toward the yellow.

[JamieWG]

Incredible job Jamie! The colors and strokes are wonderful! I love the way you did the foliage.
What kind of rock is on that cliff?

Thanks so much, Tracy. Here's what I found on the composition of the cliffs. I also learned that they are 350-550 feet high!

The composition of the rock at the Palisades varies slightly across the formation, but in general, the rock type is diabase, also known as dolerite. Diabase is a basaltic rock (basaltic meaning a dark, dense igneous rock) that is composed mainly of the minerals feldspar (particularly plagioclase) and pyroxenes, along with other mafic minerals (mafic minerals are a group of dark-colored minerals, composed chiefly of magnesium and iron, that occur in igneous rocks). The diabase that makes up the Palisades sill has roughly the same composition as the basalt that forms the bottom of the ocean and the mid-ocean ridges.

That quote is from this website (http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMQWK).

Jamie

[theonoe]

Jamie,

Your Palisades painting is wonderful! Very inspiring!

Theo

[Cynps23]

Cyn- Thanks! Yes, we will all learn more by seeing than by just talking about it.
I hope you will show us what you have done too.

Tracy I will. I have my drawing awaiting the paints. Trust me. I have a 50/50 that this will work for me. I'm not excepting greatness. I just want to try it. That is a first for me.
But this thread is helpful, and read others views on it is worth the wait.
I had to order on-line. Pratt Book Store and others store have back order on this product. So everyone is waiting for it. I'll let you see when done.
Cyn.:wave:

[Cynps23]

I drove to the other side of the Hudson River this morning to paint at the base of the Palisades. The cliffs face east, and glow when the morning light hits. For this painting, I used Golden OPEN colors:
Cadmium Yellow Primrose
Pyrrole Red
Transparent Red Oxide
Ultramarine Blue
Jenkins Green
Titanium White

It was pretty humid out and my paint stayed wet on my palette the entire time, without even a single spray of water. I can't say enough great things about the way this paint works for me. I've tried just about everything, and I'm hooked on this stuff.

This isn't a great photo of the painting, but I'm not going to take any more serious photos of my work until after my trip later this week. Too much to do!

Palisades in Morning Light
12x16", Golden OPEN on pre-primed canvas covered hardboard, which I then sized with Golden Matte Medium diluted 20% with water
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-Jul-2008/13766-080722_Palisades_in_Morning_Light_12x16_500.jpg

I wore shorts and sandals and in spite of the DEET, there were little black flies that had an absolute feast at my expense. If it hadn't been for their company, I likely would have stayed to do another painting.

Jamie

Jamie,
Dang I wish my paint where here now. This is too WONDERFUL!!! I'm extremely excited for you and happy to view your painting. Thanks a great deal for sharing it beauty!!!!:thumbsup:
Cyn.

[JamieWG]

Theo, thank you so much! It was a very inspiring place to paint....except for those black biting flies.

Cyn, geeee...*blushing*...I am so flattered. Many thanks for your appreciation.

Jamie

[shunter]

I am packing up supplies for vacation and just cleared my pallette that I started on July 8th. First, I had plenty of wet paint left and rather than totally waste it, I played around with some thick blending on a spare board. We will see how it dries. Then when I washed my glass pallette, zero paint skins, very easy clean-up! I'll be checking in via laptop, but will not post anything until after August 3rd. Keep painting everyone :wave: :wave:.

Steve

[awerth]

Thanks for the initial thoughts on Golden OPEN... I'm about to post my own experience with them, but need to get this one more post out of the way before they let me post some images! :)

[awerth]

I am primarily an abstract painter and for my abstract paintings I'm very happy using a combination of Golden Heavy Body and Golden Fluid acrylics. But from time to time I like to do some representational work and sometimes -- especially with portraiture -- find the drying time of regular acrylics to be a problem.

As soon as I heard about Golden's Open Acrylics line I headed up to the Pearl Paint store (where they have the full product line) in Iselin, NJ, and bought some samples to experiment with. I thought I'd share my experiences with others who might be curious. For those interested in the bottom line: I'm very happy with these paints and plan to continue using them for representational work where smooth blending is required.

[I had experimented with the Atelier Interactive line about a year ago (ugh, I went overboard and bought a lot of paint) but was rather frustrated with those paints as they didn't really stay open very long. I admit, though, that I might not have been using them properly. Not knowing any better, I used a Stay-Wet palette for the Interactive paints, but this (a) caused the paints to melt fairly quickly and (b) the introduction of water into the paints causes them to dry *much* darker than they appear when first applied. So after a couple of unsatisfactory false starts with Atelier Interactive, I shelved them... Having now used Golden's product in a different manner (see below), I could perhaps give the AI products another try.]

Fortunately, Golden provides at least a decent amount of information on their web site to get you started, although hopefully over time more information will be published about tips for using these paints to their best advantage. I would recommend than anyone interested in using the paints read the technical application page (http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/open.php).

This time, rather than use a "wet" Stay-Wet Palette, I tried a more "traditional" approach. I laid down a piece of gray paper into a dry Stay-Wet tray and put a sheet of glass on top of it -- no sponge, no water underneath. This provided a nice neutral gray palette for mixing paints. In between painting sessions, I gave the palette a light spray of a mixture of water and the OPEN Thinner product, plus I put a folded paper towel moistened with water into the tray and sealed the palette with the cover. I don't know if this was necessary, but the paints definitely do stay open this way and they don't melt! (However, after a couple of days, some of the thin paint mixtures on my palette dried up a bit and weren't quite as workable, even after adding some Thinner.)

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Jul-2008/147686-Golden1515.jpg


I've never done any painting with oil paints so I can't accurately compare the feel of the Golden products with oils. However, straight from the tube, these paints stay open on the canvas *much* longer than regular acrylics. I don't think I could go in five hours later and just start blending away, but it is much easier to do blending, create soft edges, and adjust tones to already applied paint with these paints than it is with Golden's other products, which dry so very fast.

To prepare the support, I started with an inexpensive pre-gessoed, pre-stretched cotton canvas and covered this with a layer of Golden GAC-100 followed by a coat of Liquitex gesso. (I don't normally do this, but wasn't sure how absorbing the canvas would be, so I figured I'd sort of provide an isolation barrier with the GAC-100 (as mentioned on the Golden web site for prepping wood supports); I like Liquitex Gesso for its ease of application and generally smooth finish.)

I then toned my canvas with *regular* Golden heavy body acrylics (in this case, I mixed a blueish gray with ultramarine blue, burnt umber, and Liquitex gesso). I made a drawing of the still life using a water-soluble pastel pencil (Stabilo), which I find works well and is easy to wash off later if necessary. (In the image below, I've Photoshopped the canvas a bit to try to make the white drawing appear more clearly, so the canvas color is off a bit.)

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Jul-2008/147686-Golden1513.jpg



I then began working on the painting proper. I had purchased both of the small trial paint sets which are split up into "Traditional" and "Modern" colors, as follows:

MODERN COLORS
Hansa Yellow Opaque (PY74)
Quniacridone Magenta (PR122)
Pyrrole Red (PR254)
Phthalo Green BS (PG7)
Phthalo Blue GS (PB15:4)

TRADITIONAL COLORS
Indian Yellow Hue (PY73/PY150/PR206) -- curious combination of Hansa, Nickel Azo, and Quin B.Orng
Alizarin Crimson Hue (PR122/PR206/PG7) -- Quin Magenta, Quin B.Orng, Phth Green BS combo
Ultramarine Blue (PB29)
Sap Green Hue (PR101/PY150/PG36/PBk7) -- Red Oxide, Nickel Azo Yellow, Phth Green YS, Carbon Black
Van Dyke Brown Hue (PR101/PBk7) -- Red Oxide, Carbon Black

The tube sizes in these trial sets are 3/4 oz and all colors are Lightfastness I. Both sets come with Titanium White, and I also bought a tube of Carbon Black (I don't normally use black, but this came in handy when I needed some really dark darks, or for making a gray to help dull down some other colors). Putting both sets together made a pretty decent full palette, although it's not the set of colors I would choose if I were picking all of the colors independently.

I had initially planned on painting the darks first in my still life, but because I didn't really yet trust the ability of the paints to stay open, I instead started working "object by object" through the painting. So, I first worked on the red onion and was very, very happy with the blending properties of the paints! It was very easy to smoothly blend colors on the canvas, especially once I switched to a very soft flat brush (instead of the filbert I had been using to lay on the paint).

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Jul-2008/147686-Golden-Stages.jpg


I didn't have any issues with the "pigment load" of these paints, although some of these colors are quite transparent (even the Hansa Yellow Opaque isn't that opaque). In the future, I think I might lay down some local color over the toned canvas using regular Golden arcylics, perhaps made opaque with some gesso or white paint.

In between painting sessions (as described above), I squirted some water/thinner onto the palette and sealed it closed with the palette cover. When I returned (as long as a day and a half later), all of the paint blobs squeezed from the tubes were still completely workable, though some of the thin mixtures of paint had dried somewhat. For the most part, I could re-activate these by adding some Thinner and scrubbing it into the paint, although this paint didn't handle quite the same as when it was fresh.

I've often seen oil painters "wipe off" sections of their paintings, even days after the paint was laid down. I don't think you can really do this with the OPEN Acrylics. You can wipe the paint off very shortly after it's been applied, but after it starts to tack up you'd need to use some thinner and then very carefully (I think) scrub it off (although I didn't try this). After it had dried for a day or two, I don't think you could easily wipe off any of the paint, though it would be easy to paint over.

To summarize, I think these paints are very cool! They aren't magic, but I think with some more experience it'll be pretty easy to strategize work on a painting to best take advantage of their properties (e.g., use regular acrylics for toning and perhaps local color). I will continue to use them for representational work and am going to give them a try on an upcoming portrait painting (though I'll probably want to add a few tubes of other colors for this -- ah, another excuse to go to the art store...). I hope you find this summary helpful!

Here's the final painting...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Jul-2008/147686-Golden1542.jpg

-Andrew Werth

[theonoe]

Andrew,

Thanks for this detailed report! You've given me some good ideas for when I am able to try these paints!

Theo

[Nilesh]

Great report. Thank you.

***
"However, after a couple of days, some of the thin paint mixtures on my palette dried up a bit and weren't quite as workable, even after adding some Thinner."

It would be interesting to hear how it works when adding the liquid medium instead of the thinner.

(As I understand it, after a long enough period of time it is better to use the medium than the thinner, to restore the paint to something close to its original handling characteristics.)

[eliza ollin]

Andrew, thanks so much for posting your process and pics, and for that link to the tech page. I thought I'd read everything they had on their site re OPENs, missed this, and it's got some very good guidelines and issues raised, with more explanation than I'd seen so far. I appreciate it.

[tbezesky]

Wow Andrew great work! Very enlightening!

[tbezesky]

I have been working on a little still life too.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Jul-2008/11381-3cherryb.jpg
Here is a link to the You Tube Demonstration of the painting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ki6Lxh1bnU

[eliza ollin]

very cool video demo, Tracy, thank you!

my check-in: I am liking the OPEN Acrylic Medium for thinning the paints down, so far I am not having the problems with lifting I was having with just water...

[tbezesky]

Sure, water will weaken any paint film. I have used the medium to blend into parts I painted the day before, on some pictures.

[eliza ollin]

Sure, water will weaken any paint film.

Yeah, I've seen tons of debate on WC about how much you can water it down without destroying adhesion, but in practice, I paint with dirty water all the time and it works just fine for me, I go over and over the layers and they stay put. That's why I did it with the OPENs, but water does NOT work with them...

I am *really* liking this OPEN Acrylic Medium, though, and I read today you can use it to go back into an area and blend, as you said. I've been doing that all afternoon and loving it...I'm glad I got some, I initially avoided it because of the gloss, but it's not that bad at all, just gives the paint a nice sheen...(btw, in an earlier post, I said I thought the thinner adds gloss, it does not, according to the label. Just the medium and gel add gloss...)

OK, I doubt anyone would be this brazen, but after having this stuff stay wet on the palette for DAYS without even covering it, I pushed things some more, and let me just let ya know, if you want your paints to stay open on the palette, and wet on your canvas, do not sit directly under a ceiling fan! :lol: However, if you want to speed things up, and get to that thick impasto paint consistancy Jamie was raving about, a fan is the way to go! I'm actually kind of enjoying it, I've got my fast working time, but can re-open to blend with the medium when I want to...but now I'm back to having my paint dry on the palette! Although, unlike trad. acrylics, they can be reworked quite a bit... I'll figure this out yet...

[eliza ollin]

And this is still in a sloppy stage, it was just a study, so not sure if I'll be working on it anymore, but I have to say I enjoyed it...finally! Up to this point, these OPENs had been an exercise in frustration...one of those frustrations was unexpected transparency, so today I just went with it, and painted stuff that's transparent!

this is about 6x6, OPENs on watercolor paper
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Jul-2008/113295-OPENbowlstudy.JPG

[awerth]

It would be interesting to hear how it works when adding the liquid medium instead of the thinner.

(As I understand it, after a long enough period of time it is better to use the medium than the thinner, to restore the paint to something close to its original handling characteristics.)

Hi Nilesh,

As an experiment, I went back to my palette which I hadn't touched for two or three days. All of the paint that I had squeezed directly out of the tubes were still completely "juicy" and workable. The thick mixtures of colors on the palette were also still completely open and ready to go. In those cases where I had mixed just a small amount of different colors and mixed them out thinly on the palette with a brush had become "touch dry".

I tried both the Thinner and the Medium to see how they did. Both of them were able to open up these touch dry mixtures without any problem, only requiring some brushwork to mix it all up into a decent consistency. But, as you would expect, the additives change the handling, texture, and transparency of the mixtures. The Thinner made the re-opened paint more watery, while the Medium made it more like a thick fluid acrylic, and both made the paints more transparent (no surprise there). I wouldn't say the Medium takes it back to it's original handling characteristics, but it does make it thicker than if you reopen with the Thinner.

This behavior is all pretty easy to figure out and work with so it's no problem. I know now that if I have a precise color mixture that I want to keep around for a few days (and keep the "normal" handling characteristics), I should mix up enough for it to stay thick on the palette.

-Andrew

[awerth]

Andrew, thanks so much for posting your process and pics, and for that link to the tech page. I thought I'd read everything they had on their site re OPENs, missed this, and it's got some very good guidelines and issues raised, with more explanation than I'd seen so far. I appreciate it.

Hi Eliza,

Yeah, one of the things I like about Golden is that they do a pretty decent job of publishing technical information about their paints on their site (I like to have as much of that stuff available as possible). Sometimes I wish it was all "pulled together" a little more, but there's a lot of good information there if you can find it.

BTW, you mentioned in a different post about some frustrations with the paint. I wonder if using watercolor paper might be causing that... Maybe using paper as the support pulls water out of the paints faster and causes them to handle less easily? If you haven't already, you could try putting down something like GAC-100 on the paper as a "sealer", though I don't know if that would change the feel of the paper to something you don't like, but it could be worth a try...

-Andrew

[eliza ollin]

BTW, you mentioned in a different post about some frustrations with the paint. I wonder if using watercolor paper might be causing that... Maybe using paper as the support pulls water out of the paints faster and causes them to handle less easily? If you haven't already, you could try putting down something like GAC-100 on the paper as a "sealer", though I don't know if that would change the feel of the paper to something you don't like, but it could be worth a try...-Andrew

Hi Andrew, I've wondered about the difference in handling on paper vs. canvas vs. board, too, I'm definately keeping it in mind as I experiment...My first try was on canvas, but that time I was more frustrated with the transparency, I don't remember having problems with lifting. I do think my main problem with lifting was water, though, (something that I now see they don't recommend a lot of) and after substituting medium and thinner for most of my water today, things got a lot better. I did add water a few times to intentionally lift too, so it was all good. I am starting to learn how to manipulate this stuff...yay!

Still on the priority list: how to get opacity (opaque gel vs. opaque paints, and how to quickly cover mistakes!

[tbezesky]

Eliza - cool subject! Good one! Thanks for contributing.

[JamieWG]

Hi everybody! I'm back from an awesome painting trip, following the trail of the old Hudson River School painters and painting 'in their footsteps', so to speak. I haven't photographed the paintings yet, but will be posting them to my blog this week as I get the images ready. I took only Golden OPEN with me, and it was such a pleasure to travel with for a plein air trip!

I'm glad to come home to so many new posts and paintings.

Andrew W., what convincing fruits and veggies! I especially like the onions and the orange that's on the board.

Tracy, that was a good idea to pair the cherries with a complementary colored plate. It sure does the trick.

Eliza:
if you want your paints to stay open on the palette, and wet on your canvas, do not sit directly under a ceiling fan! However, if you want to speed things up, and get to that thick impasto paint consistancy Jamie was raving about, a fan is the way to go!
This totally cracked me up. On my trip, I went from painting by a self-misting waterfall in the shade, to painting on top of a ridge in the heat, sun and wind. I got the best of all worlds. :lol: BTW, I didn't use any mediums. In fact, I didn't bring them on the long hikes and climbs. The times when I did have them with me, I didn't need to use them either. I just misted my palette on occasion as needed, and painted straight from the tubes.

Eliza, I don't know what colors you're painting with, but perhaps you need more of the opaque colors if you're not enjoying those transparent ones. Maybe omitting the transparent colors from your palette, when you want an opaque result, will help you out, and work the paint thickly, straight from the tube, without water or mediums, to take advantage of as much pigment as possible. Once it tacks up, you can apply another layer without water or mediums to juice up the color even more, and use that opportunity to work the lights and darks. I love working on watercolor paper! Those stacked bowls are so cute! I hope you do continue with it and add another layer.

I'd best go unpack and photograph some paintings.....'Will show them soon and tell about the trip...

Jamie

[tbezesky]

Looking forward to seeing your paintings Jamie!

[Cynps23]

Got it!!! Just took it out of the package. I experiment with them for a moment. One thing I did notice the Pigments are on thelight side as one lady mentioned doing that AWESOME STILL LIFE!!! Bravo Work Love!!!!
Due that I have almost every acrylic paint under the sun, down to craft acrylics, I base coat with another acrylic craft paint. Then I used Open to shade and highlight. I was very happy.

I also added a little of the craft acrylic paint to my brush and tapped into a little Open sap green. Apply it on canvas paper and I had enough time to blend then it dry completely. I went back glazed in so shading and highlights with the open. I was truly impressed how the object showed depth.
I haven't worked it like traditional oil blend yet. I will have to apply Golden other acrylic for opaque value and medium value thats my feel on this matter. But I will play more to see.

Truth, I love these paints.
The great thing they're compatiable with mostly any acylic paints you have, and you control for drying time. Mixed with other acrylics it will dry much faster. Another benefit in my favor I feel. But this is my view. So far I'm very pleased.

Cyn

PS Tracy Love, thanks so much for sharing you Utube with us. I was truly impressed and excited for you. I'll post an outcome of what I found so far.

[tbezesky]

Thank you for sharing. There seems to be lots of excitement when people try them. There have always been claims about an Acrylic being more like oils and true slow drying times, finally there's a paint that lives up to the hype.
I like how I can paint with the same process as oils, the first time an acrylic can do that. Even think oils when I paint.

[Cynps23]

Tracy do you find when you put the first layer down it applies transparent or sheer like? I notice that I half to apply another coat for opaque coverage.
I'm prepare to play tomorrow.
Cyn

[tbezesky]

I build up my paint, so it hasn't been a problem. I do tone the canvas though so I don't have fill in the little white holes, as you can see in the youtube movie.
I wouldn't have minded it being a little thicker, but it does get thicker as it sits in palette. I have been using the sealed round richeson palette with the watercolor tray insert with no moisture, even the thin areas of paint are still wet and its been there for a week.
If I don't respond tomorrow it's because out most of the day. Have fun!
Looking forward to seeing what you've done if you want to post.

[JamieWG]

Cyn, I usually start paintings transparently and build up opacity as I add layers, so the OPEN paints play perfectly into that approach. I lay on that first coat a lot thicker than in oils to get coverage, and it simultaneously starts that nice working property that occurs once enough paint gets onto the support.

Tracy, I agree with you...."Finally a paint that lives up to the hype!"

This is a plein air painting from Kaaterskill Falls, where I followed the trail of the old Hudson River School painters this past week. It's 10x8", Golden OPEN on "Pearl" Canson board, sized with Golden Matte Medium diluted 20% with water.
http://www.hudsonvalleypainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/080728-base-of-kaaterskill-falls-early-morning-10x8-600v.thumbnail.jpg
You can see a larger image of it here on my blog post (http://www.hudsonvalleypainter.com/2008/07/29/the-base-of-kaaterskill-falls/) (click the image to enlarge it), as well as read about the expedition and location.

Jamie

[WC Lee]

I tried to do another sketch using gessoed illustration board, but it just seems to suck the wetness right out of the paint layers pretty much as soon as I put it on. Anyhow, what I wanted to know is, what would be a good painting support for acrylics? Would a coat of acrylic paint or medium prevent the gesso from sucking the wetness out of the paint?

[WC Lee]

another bad attempt at using OPENs :D

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Jul-2008/122017-sketch01315.jpg

[awerth]

I tried to do another sketch using gessoed illustration board, but it just seems to suck the wetness right out of the paint layers pretty much as soon as I put it on. Anyhow, what I wanted to know is, what would be a good painting support for acrylics? Would a coat of acrylic paint or medium prevent the gesso from sucking the wetness out of the paint?

You can try sealing the board with two coats of Golden's GAC-100 medium. I think that would provide a barrier to help prevent the water from reaching the illustration board. If that doesn't work, you can try the more complicated (more than I'm willing to do) instructions on the Golden site for preparing a wood support:

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/openmeds.php#substrates

I usually paint either on a pre-gessoed canvas or on one of the various "Gessobord" panels from Ampersand. In my first attempt with Golden OPENs, I took a gessoed canvas and applied GAC-100 and then toned gesso and didn't have any problems with the canvas sucking water out of the paints.

Hope that's helpful...

-Andrew

[JamieWG]

I love absorbent surfaces with this paint. Gessoboard is one of my favorites. I find I can really slather on the paint if the surface is absorbent. That gives me more pigment to work with and better color. The water gets absorbed into the support, and I get all that rich pigment on the surface.

I also like all supports with a sizing of Golden Matte Medium, diluted 20% with water. You'll find it's less slick than the GAC100, and grabs the paint better. I don't really like this paint on slick surfaces. It's too difficult for me to get a heavy layer of paint down. When I find a surface I don't care for, I just size with the Golden Matte Medium and I'm good to go!

Jamie

[tbezesky]

WCLee- Looks good in the photo, I think Jamie has good advice.
Jamie, the falls are gorgeous! A difficult subject, but enjoyable atomosphere to paint by with the sounds and mists of water.
I went to an acrylic workshop taught by a Golden Working Artist we got to experiment with mediums and try them out as substrates.
I like the Golden Opens on the absorbant ground and the ground for pastels.
fine pumice was not bad either. Molding pastes were too rough for this purpose. I can show more on this workshop, but I need to get some painting done.

[JamieWG]

WCLee- Looks good in the photo, I think Jamie has good advice.
Jamie, the falls are gorgeous! A difficult subject, but enjoyable atomosphere to paint by with the sounds and mists of water.
I went to an acrylic workshop taught by a Golden Working Artist we got to experiment with mediums and try them out as substrates.
I like the Golden Opens on the absorbant ground and the ground for pastels.
fine pumice was not bad either. Molding pastes were too rough for this purpose. I can show more on this workshop, but I need to get some painting done.

Oh Tracy, how wonderful to get to do that workshop! Yes, please do share more when you have time. I have some of their pastel ground here at home I think. It's amazing what's stashed in my workshop. LOL... I'm going to try some of that!

I just got a shipment of the Raymar ultra-smooth, acrylic primed, cotton-poly flax canvas panels. I can't wait to dive into those....I'll let you know how those work out with OPEN.

Jamie

[tbezesky]

I also like the watercolor canvas boards, but I don't have many left. I have thought about getting a roll of watercolor canvas to stretch it too.

[WC Lee]

Thanks Andrew, Jamie and Tracy :) hmm pastel ground might work, its not as absorbent as gesso and I got a lot of it at home.

[Cynps23]

:wave:
This is my first Golden Painting. It's a reproduction of Catherine Klein work, from the 1800. She does most of her roses back then in opaque watercolors.

Not hard to work with at all. Even though I have just the Tradition Open set. I was still able to add other colors from my other acrylics to fine tune some areas.

Love the control I have for drying time as well. Thanks for taking a peek.
Cyn.

[JamieWG]

Cyn, that painting is stunning! Nice depth in those petals, interesting leaf shapes, and I love the color.

Jamie

[Cynps23]

Cyn, I usually start paintings transparently and build up opacity as I add layers, so the OPEN paints play perfectly into that approach. I lay on that first coat a lot thicker than in oils to get coverage, and it simultaneously starts that nice working property that occurs once enough paint gets onto the support.

Tracy, I agree with you...."Finally a paint that lives up to the hype!"

This is a plein air painting from Kaaterskill Falls, where I followed the trail of the old Hudson River School painters this past week. It's 10x8", Golden OPEN on "Pearl" Canson board, sized with Golden Matte Medium diluted 20% with water.
http://www.hudsonvalleypainter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/080728-base-of-kaaterskill-falls-early-morning-10x8-600v.thumbnail.jpg
You can see a larger image of it here on my blog post (http://www.hudsonvalleypainter.com/2008/07/29/the-base-of-kaaterskill-falls/) (click the image to enlarge it), as well as read about the expedition and location.

Jamie

Jamie,
This is lovely:clap: :clap: :clap: . I started doing the same thing. This is really beautiful. I can actually feel the water while I'm picturing myself sitting on the rocks.
Cyn

[tbezesky]

Cyn - I love those roses, the petal have a nice feel to them.
WCLee - The fine pumice would be even less absorbant but still have some tooth.

[JamieWG]

Here's another plein air from me, from my expedition following the Hudson River School painters. This is the spot where Thomas Cole did his painting, Lake With Dead Trees. (No dead trees here anymore)
8x10" on Canson board sized with Golden Matte Medium diluted 20% with water
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/31-Jul-2008/13766-080728_Afternoon_at_South_Lake_8x10_600.jpg

[tbezesky]

Wow Jamie! You have yourself a treasure! The sky has drama light. I would have to rank that as one of your best I've seen. I imagine that was an exciting trip.

[eliza ollin]

Eliza, I don't know what colors you're painting with, but perhaps you need more of the opaque colors if you're not enjoying those transparent ones. Maybe omitting the transparent colors from your palette, when you want an opaque result, will help you out, and work the paint thickly, straight from the tube, without water or mediums, to take advantage of as much pigment as possible. Once it tacks up, you can apply another layer without water or mediums to juice up the color even more, and use that opportunity to work the lights and darks. I love working on watercolor paper! Those stacked bowls are so cute! I hope you do continue with it and add another layer.
Jamie
Jamie, I'm painting with a very limited palette, basically what looked like cyan, magenta and yellow to me (all of which turned out to be on the very transparent side) plus the opaque black and white. Next week I plan to add R,Y, and B from the list you've been recommending as more opaque, so I can see the differences, and possibly manipulate them more easily when I want opacity...It was a shock how transparent they are, because for the few weeks prior I had been using similar colors in the Golden fluid line, and both the Primary Cyan and Yellow have Tit. White added, so the fluids were probably a good deal more opaque.

But actually, I really like my colors transparent in general, probably why I water them down so much! Looking back, my real problem on the first painting I tried was *coverage*, partially due to transparency, but more than anything, the lack of coverage I got was due to me adding too much (drumroll please, everyone together now) WATER!!! That is my default, I add water to my paint immediately. I usually tone with something watered down, and do my sketch in watered down paint, then I add watered down layers over it to build it up. Since OPENs do not work well with water, I had a problem from the beginning...it just wouldn't cover or stay in place. Now that I've been thinning them with the thinner and medium, it's working much better for me...I do appreciate your suggestions as how to get opacity when I want it (more opaque paints, thicker, built-up applications, etc.) I will definitely be experimenting some more.

I really appreciate you and everybody else here bouncing these experiences, info, and suggestions around, I've learned so much both in Tracy and in Nilesh's threads. The learning curve was greatly shortened for me because of this collective sharing; within a week, I went from totally frustrated to :heart: BITTEN, SMITTEN, IN LOVE :heart: WITH MY OPEN PAINTS :heart:!!! I was able to start (and almost finish) two paintings last weekend, and really enjoy doing it. I enjoyed myself in a way that I haven't enjoyed painting before--I mean, there was the usual "I'm painting, this is so great!" happiness, but on top of that, the ability to go back in afterwards and soften edges, and keep manipulating the paint if I wanted to, wow, it added such a level of joy and excitement. And I actually got to use my paint, instead of cussing at it for drying on my palette--happy to be rid of that annoyance! The whole experience was bliss...

I'll be back at it this weekend, can't wait...

oh and btw Jamie, those paintings look great, can't wait to hear more about your trip, sounds like a dream! I tried the link to your blog, but it wouldn't work, I'll try again later...

[Cynps23]

Jamie & Tracy,
Thank you. I want to try something different. I love decorative painting in acrylics. So this was an easy experiment for me.

Jamie I noticed your new painting. As always it's a pleasure!!! I viewed you blog. I also viewed Tracy's. Brillant ideas and workmanship!!! Thanks for sharing.

Now it's off to finish cleaning. I'm working on redoing my art area. Not much just need to cleaning organize better. I hope to get some painting in as well.
Take care.
Cyn.

[JamieWG]

Tracy, Eliza, and Cyn, thanks so much.

Eliza, your CYM colors are all transparent plus you are thinning them with water. Yikes! You will never get opacity that way. You can use those pigments without dilution. They will still be transparent, but you will get better coverage. Try it, please....for me! Just try one little painting with just paint. :D You'll be so glad you did. Tracy and I will be so proud of you, won't we, Tracy?

I can so well understand your feeling of being smitten. I feel that too when I'm using this paint. It does exactly what I want. What more can I ask for? I am so grateful for all its capabilities, and what it has enabled me to do as an artist.

I had problems getting to my site this morning too. It was loading most of the way and then hanging, but seems to be working better now.

I just did a painting on the Raymar ultra-smooth poly-cotton canvas panels, and I like them a lot. I'm going to try one sized with matte medium to compare. Will report back!

Jamie

[tbezesky]

Yes, we will proud. :thumbsup:
If you do try wet into wet with straight paint. You probably will need the Cadmium yellow med, which looks more like cad yellow light. The primrose is probably very white. Without a cadmium it probably pack enough punch. Is this right Jamie?
Good luck.
I am still trying to adapt myself.

[JamieWG]

Yes, we will proud. :thumbsup:
If you do try wet into wet with straight paint. You probably will need the Cadmium yellow med, which looks more like cad yellow light. The primrose is probably very white. Without a cadmium it probably pack enough punch. Is this right Jamie?
Good luck.
I am still trying to adapt myself.

Tracy and all,
The cad yellow primrose is my staple yellow. It is like cadmium lemon---very cool, but there is no white added. It is a very brilliant yellow---dries more brilliant than it appears in the tube. You can always warm a cool yellow, but you can't cool a warm yellow while maintaining the intensity, so when I just have one, I usually choose the cad primrose. In conditions of warmer light, like late afternoon sun or in portraiture/figure painting, I switch to the warmer Cadmium Yellow Medium. Sometimes I set both out on my palette, but usually I choose one or the other.

Jamie

[tbezesky]

That's good to know Jamie. I'll have to get the primrose Cad too, Cad Yellow Med was the safest bet having not seen them. I imagine they may add the Yellow Light in the future.

[eliza ollin]

Try it, please....for me! Just try one little painting with just paint. :D You'll be so glad you did. Tracy and I will be so proud of you, won't we, Tracy? Jamie

Jamie, you're so funny--OK, OK, I'll try it! Actually, I already did, there was a little 5x7 canvas board I had, already had a BW underpainting of a figure and landscape--I haven't done landscapes yet, btw...Anyway, I decided to just lay down some paint like you've talked about and just play, and it was absolutely deee-lightful! Then my little one asked to join the fun, and I let him go at it with his favorite tool, the palette knife, so it's a bit of an abstract now :). Wet into wet is not my style (yet! although I love that these paints give me the chance to play with that), but I promise to try another one soon, just to make you and Tracy proud! I may wait till I can add some opaques to the mix...

and thanks so much for the discussion on the yellows, I was staring at them for 15 minutes in Blick's last week, trying to figure out which I'll get...the sale starts Aug 7, so I'm trying to hold out and hope to save some $...I tell myself I'll just get RYB, but I have a feeling I'm going wanna splurge on my portraiture palette, too...

[tbezesky]

Jamie, you're so funny--OK, OK, I'll try it! Actually, I already did, there was a little 5x7 canvas board I had, already had a BW underpainting of a figure and landscape--I haven't done landscapes yet, btw...Anyway, I decided to just lay down some paint like you've talked about and just play, and it was absolutely deee-lightful! Then my little one asked to join the fun, and I let him go at it with his favorite tool, the palette knife, so it's a bit of an abstract now :). Wet into wet is not my style (yet! although I love that these paints give me the chance to play with that), but I promise to try another one soon, just to make you and Tracy proud! I may wait till I can add some opaques to the mix...

and thanks so much for the discussion on the yellows, I was staring at them for 15 minutes in Blick's last week, trying to figure out which I'll get...the sale starts Aug 7, so I'm trying to hold out and hope to save some $...I tell myself I'll just get RYB, but I have a feeling I'm going wanna splurge on my portraiture palette, too...

I'm proud just from hearing that story about you and the little one! :thumbsup:

[eyeburp]

I got the introductory set yesterday and tried them for the first time this morning. They definitely stay open longer than regular acrylics which would be good for blending. However, I've gotten accustomed to painting in layers and long ago adjusted from oils. When I'm unhappy with something I usually work on another area for a few minutes then go back and paint over it after the mistake dries. Now I guess I need to wipe off my mistakes. After about an hour my surface started getting tacky and I found it unpleasant to work on. I'll revisit it again this afternoon and keep at it through finish.

I really bought them for plein air painting in a couple of weeks when I'm on vacation. Can't wait.

[MadMaddy]

So many pages have passed since i posted on this thread.....sorry for the delay, i have had a sick baby. I haven't gotten anymore done on this portrait then my first efforts with the Opens, but I did finally get a decent photo to post.
I have only done the background and some clothing on the boy with the Opens, the faces are with traditional acrylics, brands: WN Finity, Liquitex, and a couple of Old Holland. There is a huge improvement to me in the background over the old one as I was able to achieve a nice blend from color to color. I had a decent blend before but it took tons of effort and quick hand work with three or four brushes in my hands and one held in my mouth for when i needed it. Quite a trick really that took a lot of time to get right. The Golden Opens allowed me to blend easily and I was able to get much more done in one sitting. My problem here was that I would get the color up and many times it would dry before i had a chance to blend so i would have to add another layer etc, etc before achieving what i was after. I can't wait to tackle the skin with the Opens as I have the same problem there and I can't even begin to remember how many layers are on the face that I have gotten close to completion, and it still isn't where I want it as far as seamless tone and color changes.

Anyway, here are the photos, one of the entire picture and another close up of the background to show what i have done with the Opens.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/01-Aug-2008/67706-IMG_3826.JPG

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/01-Aug-2008/67706-IMG_3827.JPG

[awerth]

I've just finished my second painting with Golden OPEN Acrylics and wanted to share some further thoughts... This time I painted a portrait, 20"x16" on gessobord (the pre-gessoed hardboard product from Ampersand).

I found that it was *so* much better using these paints than regular Golden acrylics for doing this portrait. There is much less fighting the paint and rushing to blend. It's a lot easier to soften edges. I've started using the mediums a bit more, and in this painting I made more use of the Liquid Medium than I did of the Thinner (didn't use the gel medium at all). The Liquid Medium works very well when you want to soften an edge or to blend two colors together on the canvas, especially if they've started to tack up a bit. Just dip the brush lightly into the medium and touch it to the canvas, and it becomes pretty easy to blend smoothly.

I've done many paintings on Gessobord before and love it as a painting surface, though using these paints it seemed that the Gessobord was very absorptive, at least when initially applying the paint. After I had a thin layer or two of the Golden Open paint, it wasn't a problem, but at the very beginning it seemed that the fluidity of the paint went away quickly. For this painting, I toned the support with two layers of Liquitex gesso mixed with Burnt Umber and Cobalt Blue (from the regular Golden heavy body acrylic line), then did a drawing in graphite on top of the dried surface. I sprayed the drawing with Krylon Workable Fixative (I don't plan on using that again -- boy does it smell) and then "sealed" it with a layer of Golden Liquid Matte Medium. Finally, I began the painting with the Golden OPEN paints. Next time I might try a couple layers of GAC-100 to see if that provides better isolation to keep the moisture out of the board (probably I'll do this below the gesso tone layer so that the support will still have some tooth).

Although these paints are much better for doing portraits than regular acrylics, I couldn't come back in the next day and really open up any of the painting that I had done the previous day. I didn't try too hard to do this though (it felt very dry and I just didn't want to scuff up the surface). So, for portraits, it seems best to get each area done within one day, while you're still able to keep the paint on the support workable (especially with the gessobord). However, I was able to layer on top easily the next day to make corrections of value, color, etc., and fairly smoothly fade out the edges so that it looks almost like smooth blending. (This was easier than it usually is with acrylics because the paints on the palette were still completely workable over the 4 days I was working on this painting and so I didn't have to remix any colors or deal with "melted" paint on a stay-wet palette.)

For those who are interested, I used a modified (& simplified) version of the Daniel Greene portrait palette described in the July/Aug and Sep/Oct issues of International Artist. I used a little more Alizarin Crimson due to the complexion of my subject and also didn't use Raw Sienna, since in the Golden Open line it seems to be very similar to Yellow Ochre (same pigment, looks nearly the same on the tube).

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/04-Aug-2008/147686-Dad1564.jpg

:)

[AMuse]

I just tried my first painting(s) with golden open. I just wanted to try them and took a project I had been thinking about out of my sketchbook. I know it sounds weird, but with two little kids this paint is fantastic. I can deal with them and their snack/juice requests and still come back and blend or move around the paint I was working on.

this is four 4x4 wrapped canvases. (I'm not sure it's totally done, but I've enjoyed working on it)

"Chickadee Seasons"
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/04-Aug-2008/104029-chickadee_seasons.jpg

I think I'm going to try a figure painting next and see what I can do for blending skin tones and shadows. :)

[tbezesky]

Thanks for all the contributions, very insightful.

Mad Maddy - your getting some nice blends.
awerth - At first I thought that was your resource pic. Wow, that would hard work in regular acrylics. Impressive portrait.
Amuse, nice painting, it's like your looking through a window.

[Bill Wray]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/04-Aug-2008/65633-black_Train_12x16_copy.jpg

Iv'e tried three paintings so far. My first is to big to scan here are two smaller ones. The biggest advantage these paints give you is detail control. I'm not sure that good if your tiring to work loose. They are perfect if you are the kind of oil painter who like to let paintings dry and work in layers. Detail like lettering are much easier to do. That process of paint drying is shortened to hours rather than days as with oil. I say they are exactly what they are: Acrylics with more advantages than regular acrylics and different but perhaps some better advantages than oil. They definitely feel/ look/ smell like acrylics more than oil. Speaking of smell they are not odorless, but are much less so then oil. My worry is they don't offer chemical ingredients on the tubes. Just a vague warning that they don't know the long term effects. I'd like the agents listed as the question is the chemical to keep them from drying out toxic? Clean up is easy on your hands and if you mix on glass. Brushes are the same amount of work to clean.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/04-Aug-2008/65633-white_dress_9x12_copy.jpg The train is on wood with Gesso. that also make the paint dry a little faster as wood sucks in oils/ liquid. The girl is on a old ray- mar pannel that has been covered with modeling paste and sanded slighty. It seems like The GO takes better to that surface than oil.

[asnowfall]

Andrew wrote:
... then did a drawing in graphite on top of the dried surface. I sprayed the drawing with Krylon Workable Fixative (I don't plan on using that again -- boy does it smell) and then "sealed" it with a layer of Golden Liquid Matte Medium....

This is an excellent portrait, looks real and also painting at the same time.

I have a question about painting over graphite drawing. By your description, it seems we could sketch, then seal and then paint over it. Instead of graphite can I use Charcol?

I was under the impression that we should not paint acrylic over graphite or charcol layer, so I always sketched over the tracing paper instead of putting any charcol on canvas.


Thanks
Ramesh

[tbezesky]

Great paintings Bill! The last one looks like an oil sketch.
I was pleasantly surprised when I tried them. The behavior was closer to oils than I expected them to be.
The biggest issue I am toying with is thickness. It does thicken as it sits in the palette for days, but what if you are out of a thickened color and don't have time to wait.
Amuse- I forgot to add. I can relate, I like how you can walk away from if your kids are asking for your attention or the phone rings. It's happened to me too.

[eliza ollin]

well I had a longer post, Bill, about how much I loved the train and couldn't stop looking at it even thought it is so subtle to be almost devoid of color, which surprised me, because it's usually the tangled weave of colors that cast the final spell over me in your work, but the computer ate it so now all you get is this rambling thank you for posting. You are doing OPENs proud.

(We still call them OPENs over here in Acrylics, your *re-branding for profit* scheme hasn't reached us yet ;))

[awerth]

This is an excellent portrait, looks real and also painting at the same time.

I have a question about painting over graphite drawing. By your description, it seems we could sketch, then seal and then paint over it. Instead of graphite can I use Charcol?

I was under the impression that we should not paint acrylic over graphite or charcol layer, so I always sketched over the tracing paper instead of putting any charcol on canvas.


Thanks Ramesh.

There's no physical reason that you can't put acrylics down over graphite or charcoal -- the acrylics will bind to your support (e.g., canvas or panel) and it'll keep the charcoal and graphite with it.

If you try to paint directly on top of charcoal, and to a lesser extent graphite pencil, you're likely to get the charcoal into your paints and muddy them up. In fact, you can do this on purpose if you want for some interesting effects (I've mixed powdered charcoal with acrylic medium to do a black-and-white underpainting before). But if you just want to do a sketch and want that to be "under" your painting, then it's helpful to "fix" it or seal it before you paint on top. The Krylon product I used seemed to work, though my drawing was with a graphite pencil and I'm not sure how much it would have gotten worked up by the over painting. (If you use the Krylon fixative to "fix" your charcoal product, do it *outside* or with *very* good ventilation...) I don't know if I needed to put the matte medium on top of the Krylon fixative, but thought it would firmly seal in the drawing to make sure I couldn't muck it up with my brushstrokes (on the down side, it means you can't erase the drawing any more!).

-Andrew

[asnowfall]

I don't know if I needed to put the matte medium on top of the Krylon fixative, but thought it would firmly seal in the drawing to make sure I couldn't muck it up with my brushstrokes (on the down side, it means you can't erase the drawing any more!).
I like the idea of sealing with matte medium because compared to spraying, touching canvas with brush gives the satisfaction that whole area got covered or sealed :-)

Thanks
Ramesh

[JamieWG]

I tried out the smooth Raymar canvas panels with Golden OPEN. I like them a lot! The past few days, I've been working from my photo references from my Catskills trip. I hate being in the studio this time of year... Would much rather be out painting plein air....

8x6", Red Barn by the Stream, Golden OPEN on Raymar smooth canvas panel
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/05-Aug-2008/13766-080731_Red_Barn_by_the_Stream_8x6_600.jpg
I took loads of photos of this barn in the Catskills from every angle. There were lots of interesting compositional possibilities. I'll do a bunch of small ones and then pick a couple of my favorites to turn into big paintings once the winter comes and I'm in the studio more.

Jamie

[awerth]

I tried out the smooth Raymar canvas panels with Golden OPEN. I like them a lot! The past few days, I've been working from my photo references from my Catskills trip.[...]I'll do a bunch of small ones and then pick a couple of my favorites to turn into big paintings once the winter comes and I'm in the studio more.


Really great painting! If you do a whole bunch, it'll be your own Mont St Victoire... ;)

I've never used the Raymar panels but from their web site they look very handy (and not expensive). Can you tell me if they are sturdy? At 1/8" thick and not very expensive, I'm wondering if they're meant only specifically for plein air studies or would you also use them for finished studio pieces? Thanks.

-Andrew

[eliza ollin]

The biggest issue I am toying with is thickness. It does thicken as it sits in the palette for days, but what if you are out of a thickened color and don't have time to wait.

Ceiling fan, Tracy! On high :)

Oh, and thanks for being proud of me just hearing the story of me and the little one :heart:. I did try another one this weekend, right out of the tube like Jamie mandated :), hated it! Well, there was a part I liked--when my little collaborator took his knife and plastered impasto black over it :). But it was of a flower, not exactly my subject of choice (I like portraiture), so I'm gonna try again with a person. I'm just not a fan of thick paint yet, plus paint that hasn't been thinned down is just so sticky...I think if I had learned with oils, I would know what to do with these wet into wet...but I will try again, it may get better...

[taylorh]

This could just be me but has anyone else noticed that the titanium white thickens faster than the rest of the colors?

[Baroque01]

Here is my first painting using Golden OPEN paint. I used regular W&N acrylics for the underpainting and then glazed exclusively with the OPEN paints. Here are my observations:

On the palette, OPENs look and feel the same as any professional acrylic I've used; I couldn't see any apparent difference.
They handle the same as the W&N acrylics; same drag on the brush, virtually the same drying rate, etc.
I periodically tested the surface of the painting to see how dry it was and found that the painting was touch dry less than 7 minutes after paint application (however, I paint pretty thinly on masonite). I used the OPEN gel to help spread the paint around and found it very comparable to Golden's extra heavy gel which I have also used (good stuff!).

My hope is that Golden develops a gel or medium that will extend the drying time of the paint even further when applied in thin layers, however, I think that I may have to try the OPENs on a few alternative supports as masonite is notorious for sucking up moisture and could be my main source of frustration.

[barsha]

All paintings here i find is celestial. not because of the use of colours, but because of the artists' thought, his experiences all through. the purpose of art is perhaps the art itself. :)

[tbezesky]

Thanks Eliza, I don't have a ceiling fan in my studio, but I will be taking it outdoors soon. As for indoors I might try puting fresh paint on the palette the night before uncovered, and see how it is the next morning. It's a matter of how much paint to get the desire consistency.

Barsha- Yes, all of the exchange is inspiring. Seeing what others have done and hearing their thoughts on the experience is almost like being there.

Baroque- I think that a combination of paint being absorbed into the surface and the very thin layers, was the reason it dried faster. I use it straight out of the tube for wet on wet techniques, and it stays wet for hours. Thick areas still tacky the next day. Glazing with open gel may keep it wet longer.

Jamie, another beauty! Oh, the places you've been. You lucky dog you! :D

[eyeburp]

I'm still playing with these. I like that they stay wet longer but I'm a little disappointed with their coverage. And I still have to be very delicate when painting over dry areas to prevent lifting. I'm not using any of the mediums. Would they help for this?

[awerth]

I periodically tested the surface of the painting to see how dry it was and found that the painting was touch dry less than 7 minutes after paint application (however, I paint pretty thinly on masonite). [...] I think that I may have to try the OPENs on a few alternative supports as masonite is notorious for sucking up moisture and could be my main source of frustration.

Before giving up on masonite, you could try sealing the support with 1 or 2 layers of Golden GAC-100 medium. This should help prevent the masonite from sucking up so much water. Then, if you don't like the smooth texture the GAC-100 provides, you can top it off with gesso or matte medium to add some tooth.


And I still have to be very delicate when painting over dry areas to prevent lifting. I'm not using any of the mediums. Would they help for this?


There are a couple of things you can try. One thing I've noticed is that using a softer brush helps. As soon as I switched from a stiffer to a softer brush, I found applying the paint was much easier, both when laying down the initial paint as well as when working on top of previous layers.

You can try using a hair drier to dry the paints more thoroughly, though I haven't tried that yet (and of course, it's not such a precise tool if you have some areas you don't want to dry).

Here's what Golden says on their web site about using mediums:

To more quickly isolate layers from potential reactivation by subsequent applications, apply a thin, faster drying coating such as GAC 500, Fluid Matte Medium, or our standard isolation coat recipe of Soft Gel (Gloss) thinned 2 parts gel to 1 part water. However, as mentioned earlier, this will potentially slow the timeline for the development of full inter-coat adhesion.


(Be sure to read the details on their site about the risks of using the faster drying stuff on top of the slower drying stuff...)

Hope that helps!

-Andrew

[tbezesky]

Baroque- fruit look good enough to eat!

[Mike Hoffman]

I got a sample set of Golden OPEN paints, it had only ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson plus white. I tried 'em out like so:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-frankenstein.jpg

I promptly went out the next day and bought the whole set plus thinner and gloss medium. I tried some more small, goofy portraits to experiment further:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-nil4.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-yom4.jpg

Next I tried a moody, subdued outdoor nude, the kind of thing I'm used to doing in oils:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-duskgarden.jpg

The GO colors may be slightly thin, but when they're dry they seem fine. Here I used pure color for the blue flowers. If I wanted more "pop" in these paintings, I'd probably varnish them.

Then I tried a brighter, sunnier outdoor scene:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-orchardgirl.jpg

It was small--around 12" by 16". I glazed around the girl with yellow ochre, white and gloss medium.

Now I wanted to try some extensive glazing, the kind of thing I used to do in oils but that became too tedious and time-consuming.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-panthergrotto.jpg

I'm definitely a convert; the fast drying time, relatively low toxicity and lack of odor make these paints a pleasure to work with!

[JamieWG]

Ceiling fan, Tracy! On high :)

Oh, and thanks for being proud of me just hearing the story of me and the little one :heart:. I did try another one this weekend, right out of the tube like Jamie mandated :), hated it! Well, there was a part I liked--when my little collaborator took his knife and plastered impasto black over it :). But it was of a flower, not exactly my subject of choice (I like portraiture), so I'm gonna try again with a person. I'm just not a fan of thick paint yet, plus paint that hasn't been thinned down is just so sticky...I think if I had learned with oils, I would know what to do with these wet into wet...but I will try again, it may get better...

LOL about the ceiling fan....on high! Hahaha....

Eliza, I'm proud of you for trying! I love hearing about how your little one dives right in there. hehe.....A budding artist, for sure. Wet on wet isn't for everybody, and that's why traditional acrylics are a very popular medium! Trying new things is always good though, and lets us sort through our own preferences in working properties of different mediums. In using the paint thicker, I work all over the painting, leaving an area to set up while I work on another.

I have come to love that "sticky" stage, and find that as long as I don't scrub into it or use too much water, it doesn't lift. There is so much potential at that stage to either blend, overpaint, or scumble. As others have said, I find soft brushes are key.

Baroque, I think your masonite has Special Powers! :D

Jamie

[BeeCeeEss]

....

My hope is that Golden develops a gel or medium that will extend the drying time of the paint even further when applied in thin layers, however, I think that I may have to try the OPENs on a few alternative supports as masonite is notorious for sucking up moisture and could be my main source of frustration.

I agree with Andrew's recommendations about trying to seal your painting surface if you are painting on a really absorbent support. There is a great difference in how these paints handle and their drying times depending upon whether you are painting on an absorbent surface vs. a non-absorbent one.

I have always hated using regular acrylics on gessoed canvas because they looked to me like colored grease smeared over the surface. I wanted them to look more like oils. Now, with the new Golden Open acrylics, I finally have that oil-like quality of handling and look that I could never achieve with regular acrylics on canvas. They are also terrific on illustration board that I have sealed with a couple of layers of acrylic gesso.

But the first surface I tried them on was my old standard for acrylics: watercolor paper. There was virtually no difference in the handling qualities and drying times with the Golden Open on watercolor paper because the absorbent paper was drawing all the moisture out of the paints so quickly. I had to resort to doing a lot of pre-wetting of the paper with plain water before applying the paint. However, once I built up a "seal" over the paper's surface with enough paint, the rest of my painting experience with the Golden Open was much like that on a gessoed canvas or other sealed and not-so-absorbent surface.

Also, per Jamie's suggestion, I have been using softer brushes with these paints. I used to use a lot of hog bristle brushes to muscle the regular acrylics around and do a lot of scumbling to get soft blends. Now, with the Golden Open acrylics, I can use my softer, finer brushes and get lovely soft blends without dredging up the paint from underneath. I find I have to teach myself a much softer touch with these paints--gee, like I used to use with my oil paints. Gotta love these new Golden Open Acrylics!

And, since I do my painting indoors, I always have my hair dryer handy to get my paints to dry quickly so I can move on with the rest of my painting.

Experiment a little with different surfaces to find the one that works well for you. These paints really are a miracle, in my opinion. Thank you, Golden!

Beverly

[BeeCeeEss]

Love the paintings, Mike! Looks like some Conan or John Carter influence there in a couple of them. Very nice.

Beverly

[JamieWG]

Beverly, I just knew that you were going to take to these like a Sun Conure to water. ;)

Jamie

[howyadoin]

Mike, those look great. Especially the Frankenstein's monster piece.

Bravo.

[Mike Hoffman]

Howyadoin/Bret--thanks! Here's today's new GO effort, I can't seem to put the brush down with these things. They're FAST and I don't have to wait for the paint to keep up with me...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-ogrewomen.jpg

[tbezesky]

Wow, Mike H. phenominal work! Thanks for sharing, and welcome to WC! :wave:
Another member had found your youtube movie of some of these paintings.
The brushstrokes, lighting and colors are very pleasing to the eye. Opens seems to be most praised by oil painter like yourself. Surprising isn't it. There are a few oil painters in this thread.

I got out for 2 1/2 hrs to try some en plein air alla opens for the first time. It was no trouble at all. It was 80 degrees, Sunshine, I was partially shaded by a small tree. I had brought along my Interactives misting bottle, never used it once for palette or painting. I'm not poking fun, thats just what happened. :D
6x8"
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/11381-garwalkb.jpg
Here is an oil painting I also did a few weeks earlier, also outside. It was 8x10"
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/11381-bhouseb.jpg
I don't know what's better, but I thought it was interesting see them together.

[JamieWG]

Tracy, the color and light in the plein air piece are so inviting, and well harmonized. Looks like you had a great time.
Jamie

[eyeburp]

The hair dryer didn't work for me. The underpainting still lifted. After 8 hrs I applied a layer of medium over the entire thing. That seems to have worked really well. The new layers this morning didn't lift. A softer brush helped also.

[tbezesky]

Jamie thanks, I did have a good time, too short but fun. It was a beautiful afternoon to spend in a garden.

Eyeburp, I haven't had any trouble with lifting. Less fussing with the paint in any media is best. Here's an idea, I use a coat of gesso with a little yellow ochre on my surface, then I don't have to fill in all the white holes.

[BeeCeeEss]

Beverly, I just knew that you were going to take to these like a Sun Conure to water. ;)

Jamie

You bet, Jamie! I got a small, very limited sample set to experiment with at first. I just love them. I have a big order outstanding for more colors to complete my full set, but they were all out of stock when I ordered (what a surprise!) so I have no idea when they will arrive. I can hardly wait. I want to try them on a portrait and on some more critter paintings--something with soft fur to test their ability to do fur.

I just love being able to use my Royal Sable brushes with these paints. They were a great favorite when I was painting with oils. I cleaned them supremely well and carefully so I can use them for my acrylics now. They are lovely, as are the Golden Open paints!

Thanks for the recommendation.

Beverly

P.S. That little sun conure of mine at this moment looks much like his picture in my tiny head since I just gave him another bath. What a tough life! His morning schedule: breakfast, play time, bath time, nap time. :lol:

[BeeCeeEss]

Beautiful paintings, Tracy. I especially like the top one. The golden colors in that curving stone path are very appealing and really draw your eye through the painting.

Beverly

[eliza ollin]

I'm still playing with these. I like that they stay wet longer but I'm a little disappointed with their coverage. And I still have to be very delicate when painting over dry areas to prevent lifting. I'm not using any of the mediums. Would they help for this?

Are you using water to thin them? That was my mistake, I got a TON of lifting doing that--I have since switched to thinner and medium, that is working great, no lifting. I'm used to using my acrylics in a watercolor consistency, and I find these very sticky just out of the tube, so I need the medium to help them spread out, otherwise they just don't want to come off the brush at all...I suspect others that don't have this problem are using much bigger amounts of paint than I am...

[Cynps23]

I got a sample set of Golden OPEN paints, it had only ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson plus white. I tried 'em out like so:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-frankenstein.jpg

I promptly went out the next day and bought the whole set plus thinner and gloss medium. I tried some more small, goofy portraits to experiment further:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-nil4.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-yom4.jpg

Next I tried a moody, subdued outdoor nude, the kind of thing I'm used to doing in oils:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-duskgarden.jpg

The GO colors may be slightly thin, but when they're dry they seem fine. Here I used pure color for the blue flowers. If I wanted more "pop" in these paintings, I'd probably varnish them.

Then I tried a brighter, sunnier outdoor scene:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-orchardgirl.jpg

It was small--around 12" by 16". I glazed around the girl with yellow ochre, white and gloss medium.

Now I wanted to try some extensive glazing, the kind of thing I used to do in oils but that became too tedious and time-consuming.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-panthergrotto.jpg

I'm definitely a convert; the fast drying time, relatively low toxicity and lack of odor make these paints a pleasure to work with!

:thumbsup: That is awesome!!!!
Cyn

[eyeburp]

Thank you Eliza. Yes, I am using just water. Maybe that's the problem. I'll get some thinner and/or medium and give that a shot also. So far I've been having luck drying my work with the hair dryer and applying a coat of medium to seal it. Then when I return several hours later I can work right over it.

[WC Lee]

Howyadoin/Bret--thanks! Here's today's new GO effort, I can't seem to put the brush down with these things. They're FAST and I don't have to wait for the paint to keep up with me...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/07-Aug-2008/150023-ogrewomen.jpg

Beautiful work with the OPENs in this post and the other post too. Let me guess, you are a Frazetta fan?

[eliza ollin]

Thank you Eliza. Yes, I am using just water. Maybe that's the problem. I'll get some thinner and/or medium and give that a shot also. So far I've been having luck drying my work with the hair dryer and applying a coat of medium to seal it. Then when I return several hours later I can work right over it.
Hi eyeburp, I'd recommend both thinner and medium. Medium vs. gel depends on the look you want. I have now tried all three; the gel gives you more of an oil look, the medium makes more of a fluid, watercolor look possible. The thinner really helps when they are getting sticky or drying on the palette. You can still add some water, but Golden recommends not exceeding 2 parts paint/medium to 1 part water on their tech data page, (link below, click on thinner.) I'm using much less water than that now, as the lifting was really annoying and I wasn't getting coverage--meaning the paint wouldn't stay put, it just kept rolling around, when I tried to add more, I'd wind up with less, it would come back onto the brush.

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/open.php

Here are a couple of studies, both on watercolor paper. IRL I think the difference between the gel and medium effects are more apparent, but maybe this will still help...
Detail from a study done with paints thinned with OPEN thinner and medium:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/09-Aug-2008/113295-detail02.JPG

this study was done with the addition of the gel:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/09-Aug-2008/113295-ErasmoSerape1_36.JPG

[WC Lee]

I just thought of something, has anyone tried using YUPO synthetic paper as a painting surface yet? It's waterproof so don't have to worry about it sucking the wetness right out of the paint.

[JamieWG]

Thank you Eliza. Yes, I am using just water. Maybe that's the problem.

I found that I have to view these paints as already diluted, and use them straight out of the tubes. It does take more paint---a lot more I've found---but the results are so much better.I too was used to painting in thin layers, and that was one of the things I found I needed to change in working with this paint. The pigment load may be a little less, but if you don't dilute it, or at least don't dilute it much, it's great, and seems to be closer to the pigment load I'd be getting with my other paints once I dilute them to working consistency.

It's interesting how we all take different paths with a new medium. I love this paint on absorbent surfaces because those surfaces enable me to put down more paint (and pigment!), and yet it doesn't get too slippery because of the absorption. I can still work my edges and have all the attributes of a blendable paint, and I find it easier to add more paint without any lifting.. Non-absorbent, slick surfaces are harder for me to work with.

Jamie

[Tiasa]

I wondered how just the medium--in this case the OPEN gloss medium--worked with regular paints. I have been using the Golden glazing liquid to slow drying time and wondered if this was the same product. I don't think so.

For the face and hat on this picture, I used Golden paints. For the bodice of the dress I used mostly another good quality brand paint. For the face, I felt like I got more open time using the Golden OPEN medium (with Golden HB paints). For the dress, I didn't get the blending I wanted (with the other brand HB paint), but I still liked the interesting watercolor effect I got.

The collar on the right was very dark and very solid blue. I decided to load the brush up with the Golden OPEN Gloss Medium to see if I could work the paint. It just lifted, but I doubt that I would have gotten that far without the OPEN medium

I will experiment some more, but I think they remain workable with other brands, but not necessarily blendable.

I will probably finished this off with just the Golden Open after it dries.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/10-Aug-2008/91784-P1010659_Fashion_Soldier_1.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/10-Aug-2008/91784-P1010661_Fashion_Solder_Head_1.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/10-Aug-2008/91784-P1010660_Fashion_Solder_Bodice_1.jpg

[BeeCeeEss]

...

It's interesting how we all take different paths with a new medium. I love this paint on absorbent surfaces because those surfaces enable me to put down more paint (and pigment!), and yet it doesn't get too slippery because of the absorption. I can still work my edges and have all the attributes of a blendable paint, and I find it easier to add more paint without any lifting.. Non-absorbent, slick surfaces are harder for me to work with.

Jamie

Jamie, I agree about not liking non-absorbent slick surfaces for any of my acrylic work. If I work on a gessoed surface, I like to use a special mix of my own to gesso the surface with. I mix regular acrylic gesso with about 1/3 by volume of Golden's Fine Pumice Gel and then tint the gesso to a pale gray. The addition of the pumice gel gives the dried surface a wonderful tooth that grips paint beautifully, but it is still fine enough to permit detailed painting.

I use that same gesso mixture on illustration board to seal the surface but still provide a nice non-slick surface for my paints.

I still like to work on watercolor paper or watercolor canvas, but I am careful to pre-wet the surface before I begin to paint to keep it from drying my paints too quickly. The texture of the watercolor canvas is especially nice since it is a very fine weave. The acrylics look great on it. I sometimes give the watercolor canvas a light coating of my gesso mix to help seal it a bit before I begin to paint. It still has a great texture for gripping the paint but it's not so "thirsty".

Beverly

[JamieWG]

Great points, Beverly! I often give my paper or rag board a light size of Golden Matte Medium diluted 20% with water to cut the absorption. The matte medium has a slight tooth that is a pleasure to work on. I use this size on top of primed canvases and panels sometimes too.

I like the Golden Pumice Gel that you use also! I do the same thing, mixing it with my regular gesso to either add a coat to pre-primed canvas/panels, or to do several coats in making my own panels. I especially like it for oil painting panels.

Jamie

[eliza ollin]

I wondered how just the medium--in this case the OPEN gloss medium--worked with regular paints.

Tiasa, I'm glad you tried this, I've been wondering the same thing...have to do some experimenting, too...

Jamie, I do something similar sometimes, with the semi-gloss soft gel, priming in the beginning or even between layers, I get a really good surface for the water media glazes, whenever I've had adhesion problems, the soft gel has solved that...

[Bill Wray]

well I had a longer post, Bill, about how much I loved the train and couldn't stop looking at it even thought it is so subtle to be almost devoid of color, which surprised me, because it's usually the tangled weave of colors that cast the final spell over me in your work, but the computer ate it so now all you get is this rambling thank you for posting. You are doing OPENs proud.

(We still call them OPENs over here in Acrylics, your *re-branding for profit* scheme hasn't reached us yet ;))
it happens to us all. I thank you and will post another go painting here soon.:)

[tbezesky]

Your portraits look good Eliza! Looks like you found a way to make it work!
You got some interesting textures Tiasa, what was the hat done in?
Have you tried open medium with HB Golden paints?

[Tiasa]

You got some interesting textures Tiasa, what was the hat done in?
Have you tried open medium with HB Golden paints?

tbezesky, I used Golden's Vat Orange and yellow ochre on the hat. The hat and the face were done with HB Golden paints and the OPEN medium. I actually felt that combination was very blendable, and I expect I could get a smooth blend eventually just using the regular Golden HB paints & Golden OPEN medium.

However, I am moving on to the OPEN paints. I think it will be faster. I wanted some kind of opaque layer down first since the OPEN paints do seem a little bit transparent. I also want to try a more direct approach like others here.

[tbezesky]

Here are 2 tests.
The first is Golden Opens with my used palette of paint left open overnight. Maybe 12 hours. I am going to try this more accurately with equal amounts of paint. The paint held a brushstroke, and mostly dried in 2 hrs. Edges were more editable than second example.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Aug-2008/11381-rpear1b.jpg
The second is 2 parts fresh opens, 1part HB Goldens. This was thinner above paint, but was a nice consistency, and stay wet with plenty of time to spare, about 15 min. I did these on canvas paper.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Aug-2008/11381-rpear2b.jpg

[JamieWG]

Interesting experiments, Tracy! Do you feel there is any advantage to mixing the paints?

Here's my latest, just off the easel. I'm still working on these different views from Platte Clove, to see which ones I want to do in large formats. I painted this one as a vertical. Now I tried it as a horizontal, from a slightly different vantage point. Hubby likes this one better. It's on Fabriano Artistico hot press, 140lb watercolor paper block. I love how I can apply very thick paint and because of the absorbency, it develops a thicker feel to it and stays wet for a long time. I think I like this one better than the vertical rendition. I made a few changes to the vertical too, but haven't rephotographed it yet.

Red Barn by the Stream No. 2, 5x7, Golden OPEN Acrylics
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Aug-2008/13766-080811_Red_Barn_by_the_Stream_No2_5x7_400.jpg

Hmmm....that looks very dark on my monitor. The painting isn't that dark.

Jamie

[eliza ollin]

Oh, I'm so happy to see everybody still experimenting! I'm at it too, mixing fluids, alcohol and GO/OPENs on watercolor paper...

[tbezesky]

Nice painting Jamie. I like the aged Opens the best, but I do like the mix with HB Goldens better than reg HB. It allowed plenty of open time. I did both pears with straight paint. I liked the thicker Open better than fresh. I am going to try different quanities sitting overnight.
Eliza, How much does your paper warp with Opens?
I am running out of paint and its selling out in many places! :eek: :thumbsup:

[eliza ollin]

it happens to us all. I thank you and will post another go painting here soon.:)
Yay Bill, you're back! Lookin forward to the next installment...

Tracy, for this subject, I especially like the top one too, the thicker paints really look great--although the bottom one is a beautiful depiction of a glass pear. If you were trying to paint glass, the fresh paints would be perfect! Has a great, shiny, luminous look...So I see you didn't try just fresh OPENs by themselves, where you able to make any guesses as to what that would have been like in comparison? And how did adding the HB change the experience of painting with OPENs?

Re the paper, there's a little warpage, and I'm only using 90lb, but the warpage is not bad since I'm not adding a lot of water. It doesn't annoy me while I'm working, so I'm OK with what little there is. I'll have to get a block, since I am enjoying them on paper...I had a big pad of this stuff for experimenting with, and it's been fun doing studies on them. At some point I need to get back to experiments on canvas and board!

btw, I PMd you a place that seems to still have them all in stock...I'm so lucky, i've been able to get the 2oz tubes at my local Blick--although I noticed they are about to start selling out of certain colors, too :eek:. Time for me to move up to the jars, anyway! Guess I better get on that before they sell out!!!

Jamie, I didn't know you were painting on watercolor paper, glad you like it!

[howyadoin]

The second is 2 parts fresh opens, 1part HB Goldens. This was thinner above paint, but was a nice consistency, and stay wet with plenty of time to spare, about 15 min. I did these on canvas paper.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Aug-2008/11381-rpear2b.jpgDammit. Now I may have to try this stuff.

[tbezesky]

I should have tried a pear in the fresh Opens, I have to slip that one in when I get a chance. I don't know how the mix differs in feel compared to fresh Open, I will have to brush them on side by side.
I like the way the Opens felt with HB fine for the right circumstance. It was easy to work with, plenty of open time, it blended smoother like you said. I liked it better than reg acrylics. Brushed on slick too. How would it be 2 to 1 the other way or in equal proportions? Hmmm. I guess depending on how fast you want it to dry or how smooth. I am leaving a dab of the mix out on the palette to see what happens to it as it dries overnight.
I like the way Opens dry on the palette, slowly and evenly. Oils skin over. I liked to make oils dry over night, and after 2 days my palette was messed up. I wasted more paint that way. I also went through more brushes with oils.

[tbezesky]

Dammit. Now I may have to try this stuff.

:D I know how it is. I've got lots of this and that. Looking forward to seeing your results!

[Assaf]

I had a lot of fun with these, I only ordered 5 colors, and I mix them with my regular acrylics. All of the things I feared: that they'll have a glue-like stickiness, that they'll be incosistant, that they'll be translucent - are all debunked. They behave beautifully, the colors are bright and clear, they stay wet on the pallette for days (very cost-saving for me) and when joined with regular acrylics, they dry in reasonable time. Excellent consistancy and opaqueness. I think I should order the white sometime, it will be very useful.

[johnmk]

They behave beautifully, the colors are bright and clear, they stay wet on the pallette for days (very cost-saving for me) and when joined with regular acrylics, they dry in reasonable time. Excellent consistancy and opaqueness. I think I should order the white sometime, it will be very useful.

I am thinking how interesting it can be to have both HB and GO white on the palette, using whichever you choose.
johnk.

[Ian Bruce]

I love these paints! I started the painting last night, working from a scene in a DVD ( I stopped the movie at a shot I liked). I have never used oils but I understand that they work much like these acrylics. I was able to blend, working wet into wet and also layer one color over another. The paint on my palette, both the piles of color and the mixes, stayed workable all evening with no signs of thickening or skinning over (the thinner smears of mixed paint thickened up a bit). This morning the paint of the palette was unchanged and would have been perfectly usable and the painting was touch dry but too tender to press on. After work this afternoon, the piles of paint on the palette were still usable though the thinner smears were touch dry. The painting was pretty much dry except for a couple of heavy blobs. This doesn't sound like acrylic does it? The feel of the paint is wonderful to me. Probably not so much of a revelation to an experienced oil-painter. Admittedly, the weather was very humid.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/12-Aug-2008/64870-DSCN4426.JPG

[JamieWG]

Ian, the painting looks great, and I'm glad you had such a good experience with them!

I'll be back in a week....Can't wait to see what y'all do while I'm gone!

Jamie

[tbezesky]

Thanks for sharing Ian, the colors and strokes are very pleasing. Good job!

It is surprising to try a new paint and have it exceed your expectations, at least that's the way it was for me. Usually when I try a new medium, I am disappointed. Finally, I can do away with having turps, without sacrificing the results. :)

[asnowfall]

Nice painting Ian, looks like oil painting, yes I am not experienced in Oil :-).
Face looks perfect.

Ramesh

[Bill Wray]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/13-Aug-2008/65633-Young_Abe_In_LA_12x16_copy.jpg


Here is a quickie with GO-- It's from a photo of a dark silo of the figure I added turned it into a cartoon-- Kind of inspired by Mike Hoffman.:)

[WC Lee]

4 x 5 experiment using YUPO synthetic paper with 4 thin coats of gesso, and to my surprise, it didn't even warp or curl ...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/14-Aug-2008/122017-sketch01340.jpg

[tbezesky]

I love the character of your painting Bill.
WCLee, There is something unique about the strokes on that smooth surface.
Nice painterly look. I wonder if you can paint straight on the yupo? or maybe you wouldn't want to.

[WC Lee]

I'm pretty sure it can be painted on with acrylics without any problems. A lot of watercolorist uses this paper because it is water-resistant thus areas can be wiped clean if needed to and it doesn't curl or buckle. I'll experiment without gesso and see how it behaves but I think it would be better actually since it won't have the absorbency of the gesso on there, though it might take longer to dry :D

[eyeburp]

I wasn't really adding water to the paint. My brush would be wet from cleaning. I'm having better luck squeezing the water out in a towel after cleaning. Also finding that trying to add more paint just results in the brush lifting what was there. Still need that medium!!! Liking these paints very much though.

About two weeks now and the blobs of paint on my covered palette are still wet.

[eliza ollin]

So glad to see you still doing GOs, Bill, I thought we had lost you to the big bad world of oils again!

So, what are you thinking so far, like, when do you want to reach for GO and when for oil?

[eliza ollin]

Looks great W.C., I almost picked up a pad of Yupo today, but I'm doing enough experimenting this week! Hope to be posting one tomorrow...

[WC Lee]

thanks Eliza :)

I realized one thing with my little experiments with YUPO is that it would make a great palette surface. Yesterday, I brushed on some OPEN onto plain piece of YUPO and the brush strokes remain wet for a very long time. This means making a mixture on it won't dry out that fast when it is thin. I took that same piece of YUPO, which now holds dry to the touch paint on it, and soak and scrubbed it in a sink of water. The OPEN scrubbed off and I am assuming that the OPEN hasn't completely set yet.

As for painting directly onto YUPO, not recommended :) needs a little barrier of gesso or acrylic medium.

EDIT: it might even serve as a good palette surface for traditional acrylic paints.

[Baroque01]

Here's another OPEN painting done on gessoed illustration board. The underpainting was W&N acrylics with OPEN paint for the color layer and some glazing.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/15-Aug-2008/33467-three_fruits.jpg
It definetly allows for more working time, but I was still able to glaze over the color in less than an hour. Others have pointed this out I'm sure, but on a bigger painting I think this paint would be better than regular acrylics since you wouldn't have to worry about your palette drying out on you. I'll have to try that next...

[eliza ollin]

The OPEN scrubbed off and I am assuming that the OPEN hasn't completely set yet.
Yeah, they say 14+ days till lock down, when it's water resistant, bonded and stable.

Hmm, YUPO as a palette surface, that's an interesting idea! I started with glass with these, which I didn't like, then switched to freezer paper (which is also supposed to be good for making skins, since acrylic doesn't adhere--that's what I got it for, but haven't tried it yet...) The freezer paper is cool, I pull out a big sheet, make a palette for whatever I'm working on, and then fold it up and stick it in my bag! Days later pull it out and begin work again...

But YUPO might be good for lining the Sta-Wet, I like how stiff it is...

Thanks for the report about drying time and needing a barrier! Man, I wish I had a lab assistant to run all these experiments for me! I'd like to test the lock-down time/strength, for one, especially given how thin I paint...

[tbezesky]

Baroque, sound like you have a good working process. The painting has good color and modeling, and much improved from the last. Nice painting!

[eliza ollin]

Baroque, I love the colors in this!

[eliza ollin]

OK, so here's what I've been up to:

It's on 9x12 watercolor paper, probably going to get cropped to an 8x?. This is Golden fluid washes, sprinkled with 91% alcohol, some highlights added back in with absorbent ground (not sure I should have done that, it wound up tighter than I wanted), washed over again, and over painted with GO OPEN.

I'm almost done, still thinking of opening up that back eye a little more...HYPER CRITS WELCOME!

and PS, it's a self-portrait, but I'm not currently sad! If you saw me bounding around the Acrylics Easel this week you'd know how :D I am! Just came out that way, the eye dripped and I went with it ;) ...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/15-Aug-2008/113295-Copy_of_elizaBLUE_5__9x12.JPG

[tbezesky]

Wow! Mysterious portrait, well done, I like the way you did the colors.
How did you like using the 2 paints together?

I tried too see how much the paint changed over time in the open air indoors.
I made three dabs of paint being 1x, 2x, 3x in proportion to each other. The fourth stroke was fresh paint that was in a closed palette. The color is Indian Yellow, a transparent color. I brushed the paint from each sample every 12 hrs. The smallest sample did thicken faster, you can see how the paint stands up more in the first blob after the first sample was taken. It keeps getting thicker, but it's still wet after 3 days and counting. I think overnight it holds a stroke well enough. I have to let a palette of colors sit overnight and paint with them.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/15-Aug-2008/11381-dabsb.jpg

[Baroque01]

Eliza,

Thanks for your comments. I have never done an underpainting in blue, but that's what it looks like you have here. I'm wondering if you gessoed the watercolor paper before you painted on it? I've heard some people who have painted with acrylics on ungessoed surfaces, but coming from an oil painting background I have never considered doing that.

[eliza ollin]

Bravo Tracy! Great experiment, thanks for the info, keep it coming!

And I loved mixing both lines of paints...(I'm off to work Montana Gold spray paint into a different painting now!)

[eliza ollin]

Eliza,

Thanks for your comments. I have never done an underpainting in blue, but that's what it looks like you have here. I'm wondering if you gessoed the watercolor paper before you painted on it? I've heard some people who have painted with acrylics on ungessoed surfaces, but coming from an oil painting background I have never considered doing that.

Hi Baroque, it's just straight paper for this one, no primer/gesso...I've been meaning to try sizing the paper with GAC 100, and it's in the tool-kit, but haven't gotten around to it, I'm having so much fun working on the unsized paper! I'm used to the fast-drying abilities of acrylics, and working on absorptive paper gives that back to me with these OPENs...

[Adriantmax]

Thanks for the experiment Tracy, lots of info there for someone thinking of picking up some of these paints :) They really do stay useable for a long time which is quite amazing for acrylics.

[tbezesky]

Thanks for the experiment Tracy, lots of info there for someone thinking of picking up some of these paints :) They really do stay useable for a long time which is quite amazing for acrylics.

The Opens are more convenient than my oils palette. I liked oils with an alkyd medium so they would tack up a bit. After two days my palette would skin over and I have to start with new paint, creating more waste.

[tbezesky]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/19-Aug-2008/11381-pallette.jpg
A few days ago, I decided to start using my masterson palette again, but without any sponge or water. I have been using Opens for a month now and twice for plein air painting. All along I have been transfering paint when needed to a new palette, never having throw out any dry paint. If the paint starts to get too stiff or thick I add more fresh paint. As you can see by this section of my palette the paint is thicker and holds a stroke vs the dab of yellow which was just put on the palette. I like the strokes of the thicker consistency and dries firmly in just few hours. I seem to be using a lot less paint even though I am letting it thicken.

[asnowfall]

Nice portrait Eliza.
Ramesh

[Scorpio]

Hi,
I have been reading this thread with interest, and you all have convinced me to try the Golden Opens. I have them ordered, and they should be here in a few days.

i will be taking them on a trip this fall to Virgin Gorda, and was wondering if I need to take a separate panel carrier for wet panels. Would they dry fast enough to just stack in my suitcase? Thanks for any info.

Emilie

[tbezesky]

Emilie, be sure to let us know how it goes.
Indoors they dry overnight, some thick areas maybe a little longer, outdoors a few hours or less depending the conditions.
Eliza says a ceiling fan will dry it up faster. :)
It might be good to have a panel carrier just to make sure, because I think even when they're are touch dry they can stick together.
Enjoy your trip!

[Tiasa]

As you can see by this section of my palette the paint is thicker and holds a stroke vs the dab of yellow which was just put on the palette. I like the strokes of the thicker consistency and dries firmly in just few hours. I seem to be using a lot less paint even though I am letting it thicken.

tbezesky, I never thought looking at a palette full of paint could be so interesting! The thicker paint definitley looks worthy trying. Thanks for posting.

[TCharlie]

What's the main difference between these and traditional acrylics? Do they work exactly like oil? I love oil, I'll use acyrilcs to tint drawings or work out a rough but I haven't had much luck keeping acyrilcs wet enough to really work with.

[Scorpio]

Tracy,

Thanks for that opinion. You are probably right, I need a carrier. I will definitely let you know how it goes. I am an oil painter, so this will be switch, but it means I don't have to worry about transport and flammable thinner.
Emilie

[tbezesky]

What's the main difference between these and traditional acrylics? Do they work exactly like oil? I love oil, I'll use acyrilcs to tint drawings or work out a rough but I haven't had much luck keeping acyrilcs wet enough to really work with.
The drying time of a painting is a few hours to overnight depending on how thick the paint layer is. I am an oil painter too, and the feel is very similar to oil, I can work with it in a similar technique as I do with oils, which I never have been able to do with acrylics. The consistency is thinner than oil, more like it already has the medium in it. You can work with it straight out of the tube. The paint on a closed palette in dabs will stay wet for weeks I have found. You don't want to put a wet sponge or water in a palette. A dab out in the open air will stay wet for days. The paint doesn't skin over it gets thicker which is very useful. Basically the bigger the dab of paint the longer it stays wet and the longer it takes to thicken.

[tbezesky]

Tracy,

Thanks for that opinion. You are probably right, I need a carrier. I will definitely let you know how it goes. I am an oil painter, so this will be switch, but it means I don't have to worry about transport and flammable thinner.
Emilie
Getting away from turps is the main reason I wanted to try too.

[infiniumetal]

Long time WC lurker. :clap:

I have been eagerly following this thread, ever since I had to switch from oils to acrylics due to slight nose bleeding from the oil solvents. I never got used to acrylics, but painted some wonderful things. After seeing the pics, and reading the comments I got excited enough to get a limited palette for skin tones. I painted my first figure (24"x36") since stopping oils.
DAMN!!!:thumbsup: I am happy.

I got a song in my heart again. :music: I am excited to paint all over again; and stretched, primed, and gessoed 14 large canvases (3.5'x4') for work that have been sitting in my mind for a long time. I absolutely love this stuff. I will post the WIP's as I get them moving from the sketch/underpainting stage to GO.

I highly recommend anyone who enjoys the oil technique, but prefers the advantages of acrylics to try GO. Try something hard, like portraits, or life drawings, or animals. I am eagerly awaiting my results of a large scale open sea storm painting with a burning old galleon ship. If I can scumble/glaze and get the appropriate depth within a roiling sea, and through rain then I will paint until my arm falls off!:lol:

It is now 3 weeks since I painted that figure, and my black mixed with a little gloss medium is the only thing left on my palette completely wet. I touched it this morning thinking that after it tacked up it would start getting hard. (It's also the only large clump still left because I like to make my blacks/grays from compliments and didn't really use it.)

A little on my process for this particular painting: I rubbed down my canvas with a washed out greenish/brown thin coat of regular acrylics. I then sketched my figures position by dipping a nib (#6 round) from a cartooning calligraphy set into thinned burnt sienna (regular acrylics). I used my regular acrylics again for the underpainting's values in a grisaille fashion and massing in my large blocks. It was now time for the Golden Opens. The only thing I did before painting was that I made color swatches with my color choices as reference for my paintings color scheme. I roughly mixed my colors on my palette and started to add them to the canvas in the correct locations. I left them to sit for bit while continuing to add a painterly look to the whole piece (which is where I was able to get my acrylics without retarders or additives to before going nuts to try to get an oil look). I then returned to my darkest darks and started to blend. I made two pools of medium gloss and thinner and dipped my brush into it when I felt it was needed to create a smooth transition between my shadows and raised muscles. I worked over the whole painting and blended everything smooth. Then I took a break and returned after dinner to get a fresh look on where value changing was needed. I needed to use some thinner to open back some tight areas, but overall the canvas still let me play with it's paint even though there was very thin parts on it. I let the whole canvas dry a few days and then started to glaze with yellows and ultramarine and reds to tie in all the areas just to see what would happen to the Golden Opens with regular acrylic medium and regular acrylic colors over them. I am very satisfied with the overall end result.

I used a limited palette of Burnt Sienna, ultramarine blue, cad yellow medium, white, and a tiny bit of black. I am extremely happy with the glow that has suffused throughout the painting, the blending, the glazing, the dual use of both types of acrylics, the painting window, and the versatility of the paints. The painting was not rushed, nor was I hindered by technique. I simply treated it as if it was oils.

The tubes have larger holes and the paint is more watery--kinda like they already added medium to it and premixed it for you. I also like that the colors are very similar to the regular acrylics and the pigments are interchangeable depending on my layer.

Keep this tread open and keep posting more as time progresses, and we get more brave with these paints.
:music:
(note: C&C welcome. I haven't applied any varnish yet so I can easily change anything on this pic. And I won't consider them untouchable and done until I add my name to them. :D Also, this is my first picture post to WC. :o )
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/20-Aug-2008/130340-paint_chips_of_golden_open.jpg
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/20-Aug-2008/130340-golden_open_test_on_Karen.jpg

[eyeburp]

After a few weeks of using the OPENs I had to start a new painting with regular acrylics this morning. I was amazed (almost annoyed) at how fast they were drying.

[Trier]

Great thread, lots of speculation but also a lot of real solid information. Thanks to all contributors.

Here is my quick backyard PA study today,"Nana's Hibiscus". My first with OPENs entirely, except for white. Burnt Siena, UM Blu, Hansa Yel light and Pt Green, no medium (didn't buy any) except a little water. Didn't buy any T white either since I have a gallon of regular acrylic already.

12x18 on real thin buff colored construction paper to see if it would buckle or wrinkle and how it would take the OPENs. Amazingly, no buckle or warp. The paper seemed to absorb the moisture from the paint pretty quickly as I expected from reading this thread. I have not glazed or varnished this as yet. I expect the varnish will intensify the colors somewhat. I did not notice any change between wet and dry portions of the same color,
probably because I painted this very quickly The paint dried on the paper pretty quickly except for the tree trunk which was kind of impasto. The palette stayed wetish with no skins except on a few very thin mixture smears.

My dream acrylic would stay wet on the palette and dry almost as fast as regular acrylic on the support with a little blending time. This was so close that I think with some further messing around and study it can almost be done!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/21-Aug-2008/89990-NanasHibiscusx700DSCN0235.JPG

Close enough C&C

Regards,

Trier

[tbezesky]

Thanks for posting Infiniumetal and Trier, this thread has been helpful to me too. Some people have tried things I hadn't thought of doing.
Infiniumetal- I like the form of your figure.
Trier - nice painterly touches.

[Sandy K]

Re: Experiments with Golden Open
Hi Tracy. I'm enjoying your experiments. I prefer softer brushes with this paint too, and also fine canvas weave. In fact, the Ampersand Gessoboard is a fabulous surface for it I've found, and watercolor paper too. My latest favorite support is Canson colored matboard sized with Golden Matte Medium (diluted 20% with water). I love the versatility of supports that we have at our disposal with acrylics!

Jamie
__________________
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Jamie could you tell me if this is the type of matboard you use????


http://www.dickblick.com/zz130/11/

[tbezesky]

Hi, yes and the watercolor canvas board with gesso. I haven't tried stretched yet.

[JamieWG]

Jamie could you tell me if this is the type of matboard you use????


http://www.dickblick.com/zz130/11/

Hi Sandy. Yes, that's what I've been using. I cut a 16x20" board in quarters to get four 8x10" panels. I dilute Golden Matte Medium with water (about 20% water) and size the boards lightly with that to cut a bit of the absorption. They are really lightweight and wonderful to take out plein air painting. They sure beat those heavy masonite panels when I have to hike up mountainsides!

Jamie

[tbezesky]

Here's a still life I just did on a watercolor canvas board with 2 coats of gesso the last coat was tinted with yellow ochre and yellow. I like this surface for still life. Most of the painting was painted wet on wet, the second day I made some adjustments with glazes.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-Aug-2008/11381-apsliceb.jpg
"Another way to Slice It" 9x12

[eliza ollin]

WOW!!! Tracy, that's great! Very interesting comp, love the reflection in the knife, of course, and it's just all so smooth and polished looking...

[tbezesky]

Thanks, Oops actually it's a 8x10.

[JamieWG]

Infiniumetal, I've also found these paints to be wonderful for figure work. I like the golden tones you got with your palette. I use a different palette than you do---generally Cad Red Light, Naples Yellow, Ultramarine Blue, Cad Yellow Medium, Transparent Red Oxide, and Titanium White. This is a fairly recent one painted with Golden OPEN from life in Open Studio. No more complaints from the drawing folks about solvents in the life drawing studio!
8x10", on Canson board
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/22-Aug-2008/13766-080413_Amanda_Resting_8x10_500.jpg

Tracy, I really like the reflected light on that knife blade!

Trier, how interesting that the construction paper didn't buckle or warp! I'm interested in seeing what else you come up with!

Jamie

[Scorpio]

Got my Opens today! I immediately started trying them out. What I noticed: I had a stickiness problem. I probably used too much water, as I rinse my brush often in water. I'm going to have to find a way around that.

Also, my paint lifted, partly (I think) because I used a cheap-o canvas board, and I think it might have been a little too slick. Another reason--my brush kept cutting through the paint. I did use what I thought were softer brushes, but I don't think they were working. I'm trying to figure out the appropriate softness. What type and brand brushes do you all use? Mine were synthetics, forget what brand.

i think if I can work through these problems these will be a great traveling paint for me.

I will post the painting when I'm finished. I'm also going to do the same reference in oil, just to compare.
Emilie

[eliza ollin]

I probably used too much water, as I rinse my brush often in water. I'm going to have to find a way around that.

Also, my paint lifted, partly (I think) because I used a cheap-o canvas board, and I think it might have been a little too slick.

I think the lifting is probably because of the water, that's what was going on with me...I've been drying my brush on a towel before I go back into the paint since I realized that...

[tbezesky]

Got my Opens today! I immediately started trying them out. What I noticed: I had a stickiness problem. I probably used too much water, as I rinse my brush often in water. I'm going to have to find a way around that.

Also, my paint lifted, partly (I think) because I used a cheap-o canvas board, and I think it might have been a little too slick. Another reason--my brush kept cutting through the paint. I did use what I thought were softer brushes, but I don't think they were working. I'm trying to figure out the appropriate softness. What type and brand brushes do you all use? Mine were synthetics, forget what brand.

i think if I can work through these problems these will be a great traveling paint for me.

I will post the painting when I'm finished. I'm also going to do the same reference in oil, just to compare.
Emilie
It's better to use the mediums instead of water, or even straight out of the tube works great.

[Sandy K]

Thank you Jamie for the info on the Canson Matboards. I will be in Phoenix in late September and will have to pick some up at Jerry's Artarama. No shipping costs that way and hopefully room in the suitcase to make it safely home.

Another question for Airplane travelers. Am I going to have a problem with checkin or security with the airlines if I purchase also purchase some opens while I am there??????

[Scorpio]

Sandy,

I believe you would have to put the Opens in checked baggage if they didn't fit into your allowable quart bag of liquid or gel items. Rules change frequently, so check this site before you go:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

[JamieWG]

Got my Opens today! I immediately started trying them out. What I noticed: I had a stickiness problem. I probably used too much water, as I rinse my brush often in water. I'm going to have to find a way around that.

Also, my paint lifted, partly (I think) because I used a cheap-o canvas board, and I think it might have been a little too slick. Another reason--my brush kept cutting through the paint. I did use what I thought were softer brushes, but I don't think they were working. I'm trying to figure out the appropriate softness. What type and brand brushes do you all use? Mine were synthetics, forget what brand.

i think if I can work through these problems these will be a great traveling paint for me.

I will post the painting when I'm finished. I'm also going to do the same reference in oil, just to compare.
Emilie

Like Eliza, I always go into the paints with a dry brush. I wipe the water out on a paper towel before dipping into the paint.

As far as the stickiness goes, I agree with you that this paint does not feel like oils, with that smooth glide. However, I've found that what seems a disadvantage on the brush has been, for me, a huge advantage on the painting surface. That stickiness, as it tacks up, grabs future layers of paint and permits me to do things that I cannot do with oils.

If you're an oil painter, think of the lifting in oil painting terms. If you use too much turp (water), you will eat right through to the support. Also, like with oils, working wet on wet can lift underlayers if we're too heavy handed with the brushes, or "lick" at the underlayer. Sometimes I need to work another area for awhile while a section tacks up more. Since I generally paint all over the entire surface, as opposed to working just one small section at a time, I don't often encounter that problem. By the time my entire first layer is down, I can start adding successive layers in the same order. Using a more absorbent support will also help the lifting issue.

I use golden taklon brushes. I've found taklon fan brushes are great for covering large areas!

Jamie

[Sandy K]

Thanks Scorpio for the info for the airplane. I had planned on checking the bag. The only I carry on is a Shoulder Message Bag with a sketchbook and pencils in it when I travel. I fly with my 90 year old mother back to Mesa, AZ every year the end of September. She stays with me and my sister at our cabins thruout the summer here in Michigan, then goes to AZ for the winter. I love AZ and I spend a couple weeks there every year.

[Scorpio]

Sandy,

Another thing you can do is print out the Data Safety Sheets and somehow fix them to the top of your paints. Enjoy Arizona!

Jamie,

Thanks for all that info. I will change brushes, and squeeze all of the water out of them before I do a stroke. I've only done one small experimental painting, and hope with the next ones I can adapt.

Tracy,

Thanks for your advice as well.

Emilie

[tbezesky]

Have a good trip Sandy, hope we get to see your paintings.
I love Michigan too! :thumbsup:

[Sandy K]

Thank you Emilie.......just have to find out where to go for the Data Safety Sheets.

Tracy, Michigan gets a bad rap because of the winter weather but I really don't think I would like to live anywhere else. I love water and water surrounds us. Arizona I love because of the southwest scenery.....beautiful red rock but it is too hot for me to live there permanently. It is too dry; I love water. I love those Bass biting on my hook....lol.....

[eliza ollin]

Thank you Emilie.......just have to find out where to go for the Data Safety Sheets.

here's a link, Sandy:

http://www.goldenpaints.com/healthsafety/msds/index.php

PS--I love Michigan too! Though I don't have a cabin to enjoy it in yet, that's a big wish of mine--I'm jealous!

[Sandy K]

Thank you for the link, Eliza. Hey, the Cabin is 50 years old and 600 square feet with a screened in porch. The bedrooms have just enough room for the bed....lol......we are planning to build a permanent home on the property.....it is on 2 1/2 wooded acres with 330 feet of waterfront...we got it on a steal last year because of the housing market......now we have to wait for the market to come back so we can sell our current home before we can build on the property.............by the looks of things, that may be quite a while with this economy. My painting life is in the winter and my outdoor life is in the summer. My grandkids were at the cabin this weekend and we saw 2 deer, a squirrel, a rabbit, a water snake, geese, swans and some kind of hawk. Of course, a few small bass.

Next year, I want to do some Plein Air painting out there. Right now, I am just a camera nut. Going to have to upload some to the RIL soon.

You have one advantage, you have DIA close.......that is an awesome place.

[Tiasa]

I posted earlier with an experiment using just the Golden OPEN medium (gloss) and regular acrylic paints--mostly not Golden. I intended to finish the portrait with the Golden Opens, however, that didn't happen. My experiment was on a masonite board which I had never painted on before--and I found it to be great for blending.

Anyway I finished the picture from my earlier post in regular acrylics. Then I started again with 100% Golden Open. I thought it would be a good idea to compare the feeling of using both paints, as well as the outcomes, by painting the same picture again.

I am stunned!!! It is very obvious how different these paints are when you see the pictures.

This was the first pass using the Golden OPEN medium and regular paints. It's not much different from regular acrylics.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Aug-2008/91784-P1010661_Fashion_Solder_Head_1.jpg

This was the final picture in regular acrylics. I liked and and thought it was well blended--until I started with the Golden OPEN.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Aug-2008/91784-P1010726_Woman_in_Red_Hat_for_WC.jpg

Here is just the initial lay in on the face with the Golden OPEN--and I can't believe how different it is from the regular paints. I used almost no medium. The paint is thin, I could see the texture of the canvas--but the color was more intense than I expected for its thinness. Anyway, the picture tells the story. I absolutely love these paints! What am I going to do with the 45 tubes of regular paint that I have!??!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/24-Aug-2008/91784-P1010733_Woman_in_Green_Hat_Start_for_WC.jpg

[Adriantmax]

Very nice. Definitely looks like the Opens give you a very oil like work in time for blending.

[Scorpio]

I too, am in love.

I had some watercolor paper primed with Art Spectrum Pastel Primer left from my pastel days that was great for experimentation. I couldn't believe that the stickiness was non-existent on a more absorbent ground. Of course, I carefully wiped my brush each time I cleaned it with water. What a difference!

Has anyone tried Golden Opens on watercolor canvas? I am interested in finding some good absorbent grounds to travel with.

[Scorpio]

Duh! I have read this thread through five times and each time I see something different. Sorry to ask redundant questions! I now see that Tracy has used watercolor canvas, and it worked well. Jamie, when you use that matboard, do you frame with glass?

Emilie

[tbezesky]

Tiasa, your portrait looks much better!
:) Your right, I have tried the watercolor canvas board, with 2 coats of gesso tinted. I think I like that best so far. I haven't tried stretching it yet.
I also think tinting the ground saves time and gives the paint a more solid look.

[infiniumetal]

Infiniumetal, I've also found these paints to be wonderful for figure work. I like the golden tones you got with your palette. I use a different palette than you do---generally Cad Red Light, Naples Yellow, Ultramarine Blue, Cad Yellow Medium, Transparent Red Oxide, and Titanium White. This is a fairly recent one painted with Golden OPEN from life in Open Studio. No more complaints from the drawing folks about solvents in the life drawing studio!
8x10", on Canson board

Jamie

Thanks! :o
I was trying a new color scheme with limited palettes. I am glad that it translated well, even through photography. It is hard to break usual methods, but trying something new (GO) helped me get over the mental block and try a new limited palette of colors.
My usual figure palette is similar to your own, when I used oils. But, I love the feel I get from your painterly strokes in this figure. They seem like they are placed down with such confident onto the board. :clap:

And, I totally agree about the solvent issue in open life drawing studios :lol:. It is such a battle. Here is Chicago there is one studio where there are specific times, a few times a month, for only solvent people.

[Scorpio]

Here is my quick initial attempt with GO's on panel:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Aug-2008/55138-HPIM0196_2.JPG

I had some edge and stickiness problems; otherwise, I'm pretty happy with how workable these are. This was painted from an image in the reference library.
Emilie

[tbezesky]

Scorpio - nicely modeled pears.
I like GO's for still life, especially when the objects need more detail, like my knife.

[Cynps23]

Hi Gang,
Guess what I discovered today. Or you probably already know. I have heavy bold arcylics in other brands. I just did a test. I squirt out Windsor med Rose color and added Golden Thinner and palette the color to a creamy texture. The results, it stayed open up to 4 hours. No Lie. I was able to creat values from light to dark, and blend as if I was painting in oils.

I'm a happy painter right now. Drying time is slow also, but fast enough to where I can finish one area and go back to do touch ups.

So if you have other brands of heavy body acrylic test to see how the thinner will work. So far, I'm very pleased.

Cyn

[NM Painter]

Hi - Cyn
I've been experimenting w/ OPENS too, and have found that the OPEN gel & OPEN medium also extend the open time of std. acrylics... not as long as the OPEN paints, but sometimes that's what you want. I have a big investment in Golden heavy body, so this compatibility is great! www.goldenpaints.com has a great technical paper on the use of this new medium.

[NM Painter]

I've been trying to 'get up close and personal' with both plein air and Golden Open Acrylics, as I've signed up for a plein air workshop in Taos that starts on Sun. Here is a painting on 11"X14" gesso board, done with OPENs, started in the arroyo (first one) and continued in the studio. I was able to paint in 15% humidity and blazing sun for about 2-1/2 hrs. before the paint on my palette got too tacky (I deliberately didn't add thinner to keep it open, as I wanted to see how much time I would have with just Open gel medium.)!! This is nothing short of a miracle for a high desert painter!

I was mainly interested in the strong shadow/arroyo/vegetation shapes in the intense light of late morning.

I would love any comments and crit on these.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/10-Sep-2008/150219-Arroyo_Shadow_-_Plein_air.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/10-Sep-2008/150219-Arroyo_Shadow_-_studio_adds.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/10-Sep-2008/150219-Arroyo_Shadow_-_more_adjustments.jpg

[JamieWG]

NM Painter, nice job with the bold contrasts in the desert! Two and a half hours of open time in the desert is wonderful.

Scorpio, I like the vibrancy of your still life. Isn't it amazing how different pears can be to one another?

Here's my latest Golden OPEN painting, from this morning at the lake. I might go back out there again tomorrow morning and tweak this one a bit...or might not.

16x12", on canvas covered hardboard
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/10-Sep-2008/13766-080910_Willow_at_the_Point_16x12_600.jpg

Jamie

[tbezesky]

Mercia, I like effects you got out in the desert, impressive! I especially like those bushes.

Jamie, another wonderful painting, I especially like your tree.

Cyn and Mercia, thanks for the info about adding Open mediums to traditional acrylics. I am going to have to give it a shot, and use up some tubes I have laying around. I have mixed up some paint that I am going to try out tommorrow that is Open colors with small dabs of Infinitys or Interactives mixed in to each color. I did a small test of a pear, I like the way it handled. Whether it was Infinitys or Interactives it came out about the same. I could have used Regular Goldens but I only have about three of those.
I am wonder how the paint handles with Open gel and Traditional acrylics?

[NM Painter]

Tracy- I have mixed OPEN gel with regular heavy body Goldens and It does extend the open time considerably. Not as long as with OPEN paint, but it allowed a session of ~4 hrs. mixed 50/50 with std. titanium white (which usually dries VERY quickly) and Mars Black. Note that I paint in average rel. humidity of ~15%! So it may keep paints open far longer in a more humid environment.

[marmari]

WOW!!! I love the colour. The only thing I would do is do something of a background and tie the painting up. IT'S amazing and I just checked "international artist" magazine and the issues you mention are sold out. Is it possible for you to divulge the palette information? Or perhaps you can sell me(I use Paypal) the issue?
Thanks.
:clap:

I've just finished my second painting with Golden OPEN Acrylics and wanted to share some further thoughts... This time I painted a portrait, 20"x16" on gessobord (the pre-gessoed hardboard product from Ampersand).

I found that it was *so* much better using these paints than regular Golden acrylics for doing this portrait. There is much less fighting the paint and rushing to blend. It's a lot easier to soften edges. I've started using the mediums a bit more, and in this painting I made more use of the Liquid Medium than I did of the Thinner (didn't use the gel medium at all). The Liquid Medium works very well when you want to soften an edge or to blend two colors together on the canvas, especially if they've started to tack up a bit. Just dip the brush lightly into the medium and touch it to the canvas, and it becomes pretty easy to blend smoothly.

I've done many paintings on Gessobord before and love it as a painting surface, though using these paints it seemed that the Gessobord was very absorptive, at least when initially applying the paint. After I had a thin layer or two of the Golden Open paint, it wasn't a problem, but at the very beginning it seemed that the fluidity of the paint went away quickly. For this painting, I toned the support with two layers of Liquitex gesso mixed with Burnt Umber and Cobalt Blue (from the regular Golden heavy body acrylic line), then did a drawing in graphite on top of the dried surface. I sprayed the drawing with Krylon Workable Fixative (I don't plan on using that again -- boy does it smell) and then "sealed" it with a layer of Golden Liquid Matte Medium. Finally, I began the painting with the Golden OPEN paints. Next time I might try a couple layers of GAC-100 to see if that provides better isolation to keep the moisture out of the board (probably I'll do this below the gesso tone layer so that the support will still have some tooth).

Although these paints are much better for doing portraits than regular acrylics, I couldn't come back in the next day and really open up any of the painting that I had done the previous day. I didn't try too hard to do this though (it felt very dry and I just didn't want to scuff up the surface). So, for portraits, it seems best to get each area done within one day, while you're still able to keep the paint on the support workable (especially with the gessobord). However, I was able to layer on top easily the next day to make corrections of value, color, etc., and fairly smoothly fade out the edges so that it looks almost like smooth blending. (This was easier than it usually is with acrylics because the paints on the palette were still completely workable over the 4 days I was working on this painting and so I didn't have to remix any colors or deal with "melted" paint on a stay-wet palette.)

For those who are interested, I used a modified (& simplified) version of the Daniel Greene portrait palette described in the July/Aug and Sep/Oct issues of International Artist. I used a little more Alizarin Crimson due to the complexion of my subject and also didn't use Raw Sienna, since in the Golden Open line it seems to be very similar to Yellow Ochre (same pigment, looks nearly the same on the tube).

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/04-Aug-2008/147686-Dad1564.jpg

:)

[marmari]

Thank you for the post about Golden Open paint, it is much appreciated! I have a negative experience with acrylics, although all my murals are done in acrylics, I still resent them for their "plastic feel" - not just feel, but some of the layers would literally peel off! Aside from handling, not as much of a punch as oils possess (in terms of color), and drying on contact, this sort of paint has no "painterly" quality, but more of a "pasted look" which you can certainly avoid in oils and other highly blendable media like pastels and oil pastels. The pasted look would not add to paintings, and might even be added to your skills as an artist. I work in oils and have to admit that I am still learning about the media and still trying out different effects and mediums with it.IT has definitely has been a learning journey, a very fascinating one. I always use some sort of siccative with it as I am no fan of month long waiting periods between dryings, in fact I am so impatient I am know for overlayering too soon and sometimes on the spot. I am willing to give Opens a chance - if they behave! as I have DB sale broshure that just arrived. I hope they won't crack under pressure...literally, as my layers can be thick, excessive, back and forth, and basically wild. I would also be curious if Golden has a medium for paint to retain texture and let me have my way if I wish to in the end with a few highlights here and there.

[Aires]

I think this has been the most useful forum I've found that deals through experience with the new Open Golden acrylics. So many issues are covered, from types of substrates to undercoatings to actual experimenting with the paint itself. I like many things about acrylics, have no bias against them though I started many years ago with oils. However, the plastic look and feel of early acrylics along with rapid drying were not pleasing to me though I kept struggling with them. It is wonderful that more pleasing types of acrylics are being developed to bridge the gap. Like so many others, I have a large collection of both oils and acrylic paint so have been slow to jump in and buy the newest and latest. I am now looking forward to adding GO's as well as some of their mediums so I can try out the Canson board as a substrate. That will be new to me and I just love expanding my horizons and experience in painting. Thanks to this forum, I have the motivation that was lacking before to acquire even more paints! Thanks everyone for sharing your experience!! With this kind of forum, I think the barrier or stigma between oil and acrylic painting will soon be a thing of the past.:thumbsup:

[awerth]

WOW!!! I love the colour. The only thing I would do is do something of a background and tie the painting up. IT'S amazing and I just checked "international artist" magazine and the issues you mention are sold out. Is it possible for you to divulge the palette information?

Thanks for the feedback... Too late to make any changes to the painting as it's since been varnished and gifted, though I did make a few minor changes after the photo was posted (softening the hairline and adding some depth and roundness to the left side of the painting/head). The flat background is something I like and I also needed to have this painting work next to one I did several years ago with a similar background.

As for Daniel Greene's palette, here's the essence... The colors (oil paints) he uses are flake white, ivory black, prussian blue, raw sienna, yellow ochre, naples yellow, cad yellow med, cad red lt, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, raw umber, burnt umber, sap green, and phthalo green, all laid out around the top of his palette. He then makes various mixtures of these in gradients by adding white for flesh tones warm and cool, dark and light. It's a good palette to try out though for my next portrait I'll probably change it up a bit with more crimson mixtures as this palette is fairly "yellow". You can order this issue from the International Artist web site at:

http://www.international-artist.com/product.aspx?id=1060&ref=http://www.international-artist.com/iam/backissues.aspx

(If that link doesn't work, visit their home page and click to the Back Issues, where you can select an issue and add it to your shopping cart.)

[JamieWG]

This one was done on a "Smooth" Raymar canvas panel. This is the only pre-primed panel I've painted on where I haven't felt the need to add any extra sizing or primer. This was painted plein air along the banks of the Hudson River in Cold Spring, NY on Thursday. I did three others that day too---painted from 8am till sunset. Whew!

12x16", Breakneck Ridge in Late Afternoon Light
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/13-Sep-2008/13766-080911_Breakneck_Ridge_Late_Afternoon_Light_12x16_500.jpg

Here's my scene and setup. I did so many paintings that I made multiple trips to the car, and ended up with enough gear at the park for three painters. LOL The photo below was taken after I was finished, so the lighting I started with and painted isn't the same as what's in the photo.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/13-Sep-2008/13766-080911_Breakneck_Ridge_Late_Afternoon_Light__scene_400.jpg

Jamie

[tbezesky]

Gorgeous painting, Jamie! What kind of umbrella do you have? I have an EasyL umbrella and the clamp is weak and it falls down.

[Tiasa]

This is the second time I have done this portrait. The first was done in OPEN medium and regular acrylic and was posted earlier. This one is 100% Golden OPEN paint on canvas.

Blending was so much easier with the OPEN paints! Even though this picture is tightly rendered, I felt like there were a lot of possibilities for more free expression with this paint. It almost made me want to try oil paint. :lol: I got over it.

Another thing I really liked was the matt finish when it dried. No one could ever call this "plastic." I have posted a couple of close-ups of the painting.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/15-Sep-2008/91784-P1010768_Woman_in_Green_Hat.jpg
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/15-Sep-2008/91784-P1010769_Green_Hat.jpg http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/15-Sep-2008/91784-P1010771_Sleeve_of_Woman_in_Green_Hat.jpg

[objectivistartist]

Very interesting.....

[JamieWG]

Tracy, this is the umbrella I have from Artwork Essentials (http://artworkessentials.com/products/UMK_40/UMK40.htm). Is it the same one you have? I have not had a problem with my clamp. I did lose one of the allen wrench screws in the clamp base, but the company was great and immediately sent me two replacement screws. I love this umbrella.

Tiasa, you certainly got a lot of blending done there! I miss seeing some more painterly strokes, but it sure does show the capability of the OPEN paints to blend as well as oils do.

Jamie

[Tiasa]

Tiasa, you certainly got a lot of blending done there! I miss seeing some more painterly strokes, but it sure does show the capability of the OPEN paints to blend as well as oils do. Jamie

Jamie, I know you have a lot of experience with this paint, so I have a question. Do you feel you can get a very painterly look with just the OPEN paints, or did you use the OPEN gels?

I am planning to use the regular paints for my next project--with lots of super heavy gels--because I want a more painterly look. I was surprised at how the OPEN paint really leveled off. I still liked it, but someone told me the same thing you did--they want to see more brush strokes. They don't want it to look like a print.

[JamieWG]

Jamie, I know you have a lot of experience with this paint, so I have a question. Do you feel you can get a very painterly look with just the OPEN paints, or did you use the OPEN gels?

I am planning to use the regular paints for my next project--with lots of super heavy gels--because I want a more painterly look. I was surprised at how the OPEN paint really leveled off. I still liked it, but someone told me the same thing you did--they want to see more brush strokes. They don't want it to look like a print.

Tiasa, there are two issues here. One is the blending of the strokes. Another is the texture of the strokes.

I'm not so bothered by the leveling off. The blending/not blending of the strokes is the painterly effect I was talking about, and the treatment of edges. It's nice to be able to blend, but I like to see that mixed with strokes that are left untouched. That gives variety to the painting, and adds motion and excitement. Going over a stroke again and again is what loses the stroke, even if you use a gel. Does this make sense?

I don't use mediums or gels. Just paint. I'm not opposed to mediums; I just haven't found it necessary for the way I paint.

Oh, and speaking of "Just Paint", that's the name of Mark Golden's newsletter. The newest edition just came out and has interviews with four of us who have been using the OPEN paint. You can see it here (http://goldenpaints.com/justpaint/index.php). Just click to choose the text version or the full color PDF version.

Jamie

[AMuse]

Thanks for the Link Jamie :)

[JamieWG]

You're welcome, Kathy!

The latest from me....

24x18", on canvas covered hardboard
Backlighting at Kaaterskill Falls
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Sep-2008/13766-080916-backlighting-at-kaaterskill-falls-24x18-800.thumbnail.jpg

[theonoe]

Gosh, Jamie, this painting is simply exquisite!

I still haven't had a chance to buy a few of the Golden Open tubes yet, but one thing that I wanted to ask you is if you think that someone with no experience in oils can do o.k. with these paints. My experience is with acrylics.

Theo

[JamieWG]

Gosh, Jamie, this painting is simply exquisite!

I still haven't had a chance to buy a few of the Golden Open tubes yet, but one thing that I wanted to ask you is if you think that someone with no experience in oils can do o.k. with these paints. My experience is with acrylics.

Theo

Theo, thanks so much for your kind words. I'm not quite sure how to answer your question. The Golden Company has always said they do not consider this paint a substitute for oils. Although it has many things in common with oil painting, those who expect it to behave just like oils are going to be in for some surprises. However, in the trials of this paint, oil painters and watercolorists did have a somewhat easier time of it than the acrylic painters. They had more techniques established that work so well with these paints, even though there was still a learning curve.

The acrylic painters had the hardest time of all, surprisingly. They have built their techniques around getting a paint to perform that dries instantly, and sometimes found themselves frustrated by the slower drying time.

Can you do okay with these paints? Well I'm sure you can! It's just a matter of how much you want to learn or change to work with their capabilities. I think it's a perfect way for acrylic painters to become familiar with some of the blending capabilities of oils without having to change mediums! It can open up a whole new world for those who want to go exploring. Not everybody wants to do that, and that's okay too. :)

Jamie

[dhawk]

Thanks to EVERYONE for your input on this thread! I've learned so much just reading your discussions and seeing the posted examples.

And thank you, Tracy, for starting this thread!

[Artist_by_Accident]

This has been a great thread but one issue wasn't fully addressed and that was the best brushes to use with this paint.

Would you all kindly give your preference for the brushes you prefer? It would be great if you could give brand names as I'm a total newbie at acrylics (& probably wouldn't be trying them if it weren't for these open paints) .

Thanks!

[Jesse Riggle]

I ran across these forums doing a search on Golden Open. I was intrigued by the idea of them and bought a tube of white and a tube of black just to get a feel for how the paints move. I like them. I don't know if I will use them to the extent of the heavy body acrylics I normally use, but they seem enjoyable.

Here is a little something I made:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/23-Sep-2008/155967-broccoli_small.jpg
I painted this one fast and loose. The paint feels good being pushed around. I've gotten a few more colors now and will continue to play with them. I want to try mixing them in with the heavy body acrylics and see what happens. My hope is it will function similar to retarder without having to dilute the paint as much. Time will tell...

[paulryb]

As far as brushes go, I never worry too much about that! Just use whatever. There's no "right" brush. I'm using some oil brushes that I've had for 40 years and some newer acrylic brushes that I've had for a few weeks.

Some of my favorite brushes I found at a dollar-type store. They're 1" wide house trim painting brushes. I bought all they had. And today, I bought some small brushes at the paint store for 99¢.

Don't worry too much about using the right thing, just paint!
Paul

[Tiasa]

For the Golden Open, I use the Robert Simmons White Sable. I originally got them for watercolor. When I went to regular, heavy-body acrylic I stopped using them because they were too soft. However, they are perfect for the Golden Open, which is not as stiff as the regular heavy body acrylic. Dick Blick and Hobby Lobby carry them.http://www.dickblick.com/zz050/80b/

[Artist_by_Accident]

Thank you for the brush suggestions. It was something everyone mentioned but no specifics. I just wanted to get everything I needed in one order.

[eliza ollin]

This has been a great thread but one issue wasn't fully addressed and that was the best brushes to use with this paint. Thanks!

Hi, I've seen that a lot of people like them with the soft brushes, and I do use those as well, but I actually love my bristle brushes with these--which is not only opposite to how others are using them, but opposite to my own methods with regular acrylics, where I rely heavily on soft watercolor-wash type brushes! I think you're just going to have to paint with a variety of brushes and see what effects you like...they don't have to be expensive, either. Stuff from the craft store, and even the kids' sets, work fine for most of what I use. Then I have a few higher end soft brushes for fine detailing, etc...

[BeeCeeEss]

I also like to use soft brushes with the new Golden Open acrylics because of their wonderful, smooth blending characteristics.

Some favorites are the synthetic red sable brushes from Robert Simmons such as their Sienna line or their Sapphire line. I also love the synthetic red sable brushes from Princeton. They are soft and smooth and have a wonderful feel to them when blending paints. I especially like the filberts. They are beautifully crafted and very sturdy. I've had some of them for many years and they're holding up just fine.

For natural hair brushes I like my old faithfuls, Royal Sable brushes from Royal-Langnickle. These are actually mongoose hair, not really sable. They are a bit more firm than natural sable brushes. I don't care much for their recent offering of these brushes because I have found the quality and thickness is lacking. They just aren't the same at all as the older ones I have. No, it's not that the hairs are thinner. If you look at the ferrules from the side, they are much, much thinner than on the older brushes. Hence, much thinner brushes that don't have the same spring and body as the ones I bought several years ago.

Another natural hair favorite is Winsor & Newton's Eclipse line which they call Russian Black Sable (Fitch).

I would never have used these natural hair brushes with my acrylics until trying Golden Open paints. They don't dry quickly in the brush hairs and they clean out easily and completely.

I do like to use natural hog bristle brushes with acrylics, but generally use them with standard body or my Golden Fluid Acrylics because I do a lot of scrubbing and scumbling. Oddly, I don't like to use them with the Golden Opens. Those soft synthetic sable brushes do such a nice job with the Opens, I really prefer them.

Beverly

[rudiratlos44]

An absolut informatively thread! I am from Germany. Where I can buy Golden Open acrylics for a fairly price including shipping from Us to Germany. Can anyone help?
Thanks
Rudi

[asnowfall]

Here is an new letter or article on Golden Opens by GOLDEN
http://www.goldenpaints.com/justpaint/JP19.pdf

Thanks
Ramesh

[Pantau]

Hi everyone, I've been reading this thread for a long time allready and my hands started itching to try Golden Open. But it wasn't for sale here in The Netherlands yet:( .

But since this month it is :clap: . So I went to the store and bought me some Open paint. I did some experiments with it. Combining with Golden heavy body, trying the medium and thinner. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

This paint is scaringly perfect. Now I can dictate the paint instead of the paint dictating me. Especcially by combining Open with Heavy body I can choose how fast or slow the paint dries. And that is what I've been searching for for so long. :thumbsup:

Time to start my first painting with Open.

Cheers,

Charles

[JamieWG]

Here is an new letter or article on Golden Opens by GOLDEN
http://www.goldenpaints.com/justpaint/JP19.pdf


Thanks, Ramesh. I was one of the artists interviewed for that article!

Rudi:
An absolut informatively thread! I am from Germany. Where I can buy Golden Open acrylics for a fairly price including shipping from Us to Germany. Can anyone help?
Thanks
Rudi
You can order them online through Dick Blick (http://dickblick.com), or you can check the stores in various countries on this list (http://goldenpaints.com/storelist/open.php) to see if there is somewhere closer that you can mail order from. I don't see any listings in Germany yet.

Charles:
This paint is scaringly perfect. Now I can dictate the paint instead of the paint dictating me.
These are my thoughts exactly. Every time I switch from Golden OPEN back to a different medium or another type of acrylic, I find flaws with the materials, must fight to paint the way I wish, and can't wait to get back to my GO paints! They make the process easy for me.

Here's another one from this week. I went on a painting trip up to the Catskill Mountains. This is a little 10x8" plein air:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/26-Sep-2008/13766-080921_Acra_Waterfall_2_10x8_done_500.jpg

I did another one of the scene too, from a higher vantage point above the falls. This is also 10x8":
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/26-Sep-2008/13766-080921_Acra_Waterfall_1_10x8_done_500.jpg

Both of those are on Canson matboard (acid free), sized with Golden Matte Medium diluted 20% with water. It's a great surface to travel with---extremely lightweight, yet needs no additional support, and the paint loves the surface. With an isolation coat and varnish, this support yields a gorgeous finish. I lay an acid free, foamcore backing board against the backs and frame them as oil paintings.

Jamie

[asnowfall]

Yes, Jamie, at the time of posting I did not know and later, while going through the article, I relaized that it was you. Congratulation for being part of the league(Open Acrylic?) :-)

Ramesh

[ExpressiveAngie]

sigh...looks like i am going to the art store :) thanks for the thread yall..i have been reading over it the last week.

[Ian Bruce]

Two GO paintings: The nude was done yesterday morning--about a hour and a half pose, excluding breaks and difficulties, 11"X14" on canvas board. The landscape is one Fredricks watercolor canvas. I have a book of 9"x12" sheets which I glue to masonite with acrylic medium. I love the watercolor effect. It was very interesting to work on. I suspect that watercolor canvas may work better with GO than with watercolor.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Sep-2008/64870-DSCN4571.JPG

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Sep-2008/64870-DSCN4499.JPG
Here is a detail that shows the canvas texture and wash/thicker paint effects:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Sep-2008/64870-DSCN4499-1.JPG

[awerth]

Two GO paintings: The nude was done yesterday morning--about a hour and a half pose, excluding breaks and difficulties, 11"X14" on canvas board.

Ian,

Excellent paintings! Question for you: When working on the figure, did you go to the session with a pre-mixed palette, anticipating work on a figure, or did you mix from tube colors as you went along?

-Andrew