Home › Forums › Explore Media › Oil Painting › The Technical Forum › New to oils 1) transparency?? 2) Kama paints?
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September 30, 2018 at 2:09 pm #462727
Hi all,
Super new to oil painting & wet canvas–
(please direct me to any threads that answer this question or demos elsewhere)1) What colours are transparent?
How do I tell?
I know Shiva makes a line of transparent colours for instance, but can opaque colours be made transparent without difficulties of adding too much medium? ie can I make transparent colours without having to buy more paint?Loving the work of Richard Diebenkorn and the layering he uses.
2) Anyone out there using paints from Kama Pigments? How are you finding them?
Thanks!
Brenda
ps. Thanks! this forum has been amazing, I have learned a lot from you and I have probably avoided a lot of pitfalls.
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www.brendagoldstein.com
IG: studiobrendagoldstein
facebook.com/brenda.r.goldsteinSeptember 30, 2018 at 2:32 pm #703080AnonymousHi Brenda,
in my opinion, no oil colors are actually transparent, some are just more opaque than others. The degree of opacity is usually listed right on the tubes or on the maker’s color charts online. There is a database for this type of information too, http://www.artiscreation.com/Color_index_names.html
Yes, you can make any opaque color less opaque with medium, for this application, I prefer to use a gel medium like Neo Megilp that maintains the body or consistency better.September 30, 2018 at 2:39 pm #703090Thanks that makes a lot of sense. I have been using oms, galkyd and linseed oil. I have been reading a lot about neo-megilp on the forum–what is the drying time in your experience.
Tx
Brenda+++++++++++++++++++++
www.brendagoldstein.com
IG: studiobrendagoldstein
facebook.com/brenda.r.goldsteinSeptember 30, 2018 at 3:08 pm #703081AnonymousNeo megilp is not fast drying and takes a few or couple of days, others like Galkyd gel are faster drying and can dry in a day or so.
September 30, 2018 at 3:39 pm #703083Paint tubes often have a little square up top, solid means opaque, clear means transparent, a line through the square means semi-transparent. Old Holland calls all their very transparent colors lake, i.e. red lake, yellow lake…
Some colors are very opaque, like Burnt Umber, and to make them transparent you would have to add a ton of medium, never a good habit. Better to use a transparent brown to begin with. Other colors are pretty transparent right from the tube – like Krapplak/Madder/Rose reds – just use them as is, or with a little extra medium, to glaze. Other reds like Cadmium/scarlet/vermillion are to opaque to start with, use a red lake instead.No idea about Kama, never heard of. I use Old Holland, Rembrandt and Williamsburg. I started with a cheap set of Lukas oils, which was fine for just trying out oil paints. But the colors were not very pure and a bit runny, and as I ran out and knew I was continuing with oil painting I bought better paints.
Being born places you at a greater risk of dying later in life.
http://www.artallison.com/September 30, 2018 at 4:26 pm #703088Dont forget Diebenkorn primarily painted with acrylics and alkyds. Are you in the right section?
September 30, 2018 at 9:51 pm #703086I have heard good things about Kama oil paints but have never used any – They use Walnut Oil as the binder. The swatches on their website are well done. I am planning on buying some of their raw pigment and bulk Walnut and Linseed oil down the road. If you buy direct, you might want to get some of their other goodies. They have a lot to offer!
http://www.kamapigment.com/store/index.asp?lang=1&catpage=2441
http://www.kamapigment.com/store/index.asp?lang=1
October 1, 2018 at 9:34 am #703091Hey Allison,
Thanks so much for your very helpful and patient response. I had no idea that was what “lake” meant–pretty funny, but that is the joy of taking on a new medium.
I have some old holland and williamsburg paints–I am trying out different brands, so far I like them.
Here is a link to Kama paints fyi:
http://www.kamapigment.comtx again!
Brenda
+++++++++++++++++++++
www.brendagoldstein.com
IG: studiobrendagoldstein
facebook.com/brenda.r.goldsteinOctober 1, 2018 at 9:37 am #703092Thanks!
Yes… I have been to their website! I have a couple of their paints–and so far I like them. As I get more technically proficient the idea of mixing my own pigment is very appealing.+++++++++++++++++++++
www.brendagoldstein.com
IG: studiobrendagoldstein
facebook.com/brenda.r.goldsteinOctober 1, 2018 at 9:40 am #703093Hi Raffles,
I love his Ocean Park Series, they are painted in oils–you should check it out, they are really beautiful and their execution is a real mystery to me. (maybe I will figure it out as I become more proficient
best,
Brenda
Dont forget Diebenkorn primarily painted with acrylics and alkyds. Are you in the right section?
+++++++++++++++++++++
www.brendagoldstein.com
IG: studiobrendagoldstein
facebook.com/brenda.r.goldsteinOctober 1, 2018 at 11:07 am #703084Hi all,
Super new to oil painting & wet canvas–
(please direct me to any threads that answer this question or demos elsewhere)1) What colours are transparent?
How do I tell?
I know Shiva makes a line of transparent colours for instance, but can opaque colours be made transparent without difficulties of adding too much medium? ie can I make transparent colours without having to buy more paint?Loving the work of Richard Diebenkorn and the layering he uses.
2) Anyone out there using paints from Kama Pigments? How are you finding them?
Thanks!
Brenda
ps. Thanks! this forum has been amazing, I have learned a lot from you and I have probably avoided a lot of pitfalls.
Transparency of a colour will depend upon the way it is manufactured. Some brands are more transparent than others, Grumbacher Pre tested carries several tubes that are transparent and suitable for glazing out of the tube. However, your best bet is to spend some money and purchase a set of primaries from different brands to do a test on a white canvas, laying the paint as thin as possible.
Any oil paint colour, any, can be made transparent by adding the correct medium to it, this includes white.
Suitable mediums for this purpose are rarely sold at Art Stores, so one would need to actually make one using high quality materials, this particular field is a little tricky and requires some knowledge of a forbidden art called Alchemy
October 1, 2018 at 11:27 am #703085We need to add another word to the discussion: translucent.
If a paint has high transparency, then it will reveal fine details of the lower paint layer. If a paint has high opacity, then it will block out the lower paint layer, revealing no details.
In-between are semi-opaque paints, which are translucent. Of course, there are degrees, from nearly opaque to nearly transparent.
If an opaque paint is diluted with medium, then the result is translucent, rather than transparent (unless the dilution is extreme). Large details of the underlying layer can be seen, but fine details will be obscured. It is rather like viewing through a mist.
Note that many paints, perhaps most, will become less opaque as the paint cures. This effect is sometimes seen within a day or two, or may gradually develop over a longer time. The effect is most noticeable with inherently semi-opaque paints, and with whites other than titanium.
If you are painting in layers, over a period of time, then you will need semi-opaque or opaque paint to make areas lighter than they were before. Transparent paint will make areas darker than they were before. Of course, you can mix paints, as needed.
October 1, 2018 at 11:44 am #703094We need to add another word to the discussion: [I]translucent[/I].
If a paint has high transparency, then it will reveal fine details of the lower paint layer. If a paint has high opacity, then it will block out the lower paint layer, revealing no details.
This is great. I think translucence is more what I am going for than say a clear-ish “tinted” layer.
Brenda
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www.brendagoldstein.com
IG: studiobrendagoldstein
facebook.com/brenda.r.goldsteinOctober 1, 2018 at 11:47 am #703095Suitable mediums for this purpose are rarely sold at Art Stores, so one would need to actually make one using high quality materials, this particular field is a little tricky and requires some knowledge of a forbidden art called Alchemy
hahahaha! I have started the journey down that rabbit hole: spike lavender should be arriving this week. Next: Copal resin???
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www.brendagoldstein.com
IG: studiobrendagoldstein
facebook.com/brenda.r.goldsteinOctober 1, 2018 at 12:01 pm #703082AnonymousIf you want to try copal, I like the copal resin from Blue Ridge.
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