Need a bit of assistance

[Cherri]

I have agreed to do a painting/illustration for a customer.
The subject will be the customer in the form of a fantasy portrait. It is on going to be on the lines of Olivia (spelling). Anyway, I want to employ erasers and other techs. I have very little experience painting on canvas and none on the boards.

Can someone please direct me on the best surface to use (IYO) I have stopped by Michaels ( the only art store that I know of in my area) and can find nothing (at least yet) that is called cold press, hot press. The staff there is no help at all. How do I know the difference? Which would be better of the three? If I do the canvas I would be using gesso, but then what type of masking tech. I use? If this were a car or t shirt I would on my way!

My second problem is the pose she requested has the models head back looking back at you. All of the photos I have of the subject are straight on. I am going to request a photo of her in the correct position, but may have to wing it? Again, any tips?

Thanks

[slaterza]

How big is the painting going to be Cherri?

[slaterza]

I use smooth Bristol for a lot of my work but it is all smaller. I mount (just with tape) the bristol on a board and then paint it works well. I have used electric erasers and eraser sticks and regular erasers with no problems on this paper. It is not ultra smooth but pretty smooth. I would not work on this larger then say 16X20 though. I think the largest I have done is 11x14 inches.
Hope that this helps.

[Airscapes]

Hi Cherri! No expert on the subject but have used some illustration board and done one canvas. If the type of support is up to you, I would go for the Illustration board. I like premade canvas in that you can just hang it on a nail if you want, but the prep with the gesso and sanding is just way to much work for me. In the end the board is smother and works better for eraseing, at least for me.
You want Cresent Hot press Heavy or Medium weight board. You can not typically get this at you local craft store. I have to go down town into south Philadelphia to Pearl Art. It is rather inexpensive, about $1.25 for a 15x 20. It is smooth as metal and almost as unforgiving. Personaly I like comart for this type of project, they seem to earse the best, but do not like geting any water or clean splashed on them once you have put them on that board. As far as finding this baord or any other type for that matter I think you will need a large fine art store or pay the pain of shipping and order on-line.
Pearl has 4 stores in Florida, forget where exactly you are located.
http://www.pearlpaint.com/site_pages...torefinder.htm

[Cherri]

Thank you.

I will not go any smaller than 16 x 20.

Yes on a Pearls in Florida, but would have to have it shipped.

Ok, on the boards, at least I know I am not totally crazy looking for it and not finding it in Michaels.

I have Golden Fluid acrylics to work with. I have never used the comart although I heard good things about them. I really don't want to buy new paint for just this project.

Will start looking online and check out the board. I don't mind the effort on gessoing the canvas, just it does not mask well, so was looking at the boards.
Thanks for the replies.
Cher

[Airscapes]

You won't have much luck erassing fluids, they are way to rubbery for erasing. Even Golden airbrush color is a bit difficult to erase if you appliy just a little to much, and that ain't much!

[Christer]

Cherri , here is a link (http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=383140 )to a painting I just finished awhile back using canvas, golden paint and lots of masking. Any questions I'll try to help.

Chris

[ProfessorGreibowitz]

Tough to answer. If you are used to a hard surface as well as the Tees, then if the size is also 30 x 40 or less, illustration board would work. The Crescent 9208 (although tends to warp a tad at large sizes like 30 x 40) or the Strathmore 500 heavy plate would be good. It's more flexible but resists warping and is a tad brighter white (especially important if using transparents).

You could use a masonite board but that gets heavy at large sizes. Also depends on the expectations. Does the result need to be super smooth or is a canvas texture acceptable? I used Art Mask frisket on canvas and it seemed to work well (if you go that way).

I think the Strathmore is about $20/30x40 sheet.

Good luck.


Tim

[celtic.catgirl]

Cherri,

I normally paint on canvas, I use the pre stretched/gessoed canvases made by Art Alternatives you can buy them online at The Art Store They have a nice fairly smooth finish, when I mask I use clear shelf paper from Target (and only from Target) it works well without lifting paint. Also green painters tape in some places.

I've done some painting on illustration board and it works well and erasers tend to work better on the super smooth surface.

[Cherri]

Thank you everyone.

I am still mulling this around.

I don't have the Golden airbrush colors. However, I do have the Etac FX. I am at the deciding stage. I am going to spray a bit and see how it works for me. I found the hot press and the bristol but will have to order it, I will stay around the 16 X 20. I also checked out the Medea so now I have to decide if I want to spent all of my up front money on new paint instead of just the board. (A little nervous about using a new paint)

If I do get them was going with:
Seinna transparent, Seinna opaque, burnt umber trans, white, black, smoke, yellow trans, blue trans, trans red, brown red, and ochre. I did not see any meduims that go with this paint, as far as duluting or sealing. (Sorry never used them before.)
Now that it was mentioned, I did try to do erasing with the Golden fluids and did not have great success.. So there is a duh.

I am leaning towards the board because the customer wants to frame the piece (Provided I a can pull it off) and in the beginning was against canvas.

I have to get some sketches done and when I do I would really appreciate your input on them. The customer can not give me new head shots, so I am sort of on my own.

Thanks again for the input.

[Milo]

I haven't done much on canvas, but doesn't AD Cook do a lot of masking on his ultra-smooth canvas which is gessoed and sanded.. But you said they were against it

Another option is Claybord they have up to 24x36 according to the website. I have a piece mounted nicely in a frame.

The comart erases really well from that, I watched Jurek remove an eye to a wolf he was doing with a cotton swab and some fluid, clean all the way to the board. I can't keep straight which is the right illustration board so am not very helpful.

For sealing I used I think Krylon clear, golden also makes some clears that should work with the comart (you can call down to Iwata media and they can make suggestions) I have thinned with a little water though they are pretty thin, again might give them a ring and ask.

Well re-reading this I don't think I added much LOL

Thats too bad about not getting a new reference I hope that doesn't cause too many problems.

[airbrush_ken]

The issue about erasing acrylics can be helped by adding more water to the medium. This will break down to acrylic binder's strength allowing you to knock back the surfaces easier.

Milo's suggestion for clay board is another great option. I love the stuff for doing wildlife and fur..

Ken

[Cherri]

Well, I am still here. LOL

I finally found some paper Strathmore 400 Series is all they had. I also bought a couple of sheets of some other stuff have no clue what it is, but I liked it.

I am going to go back again, since dummy (ME) did not find the hot press paper until the other day and then the shelf was empty. Grrrrr. So will go back and see if they got any in.

I went ahead and bought the Strathmore because I can use the practice for sure before I try to do this for real. NEVER airbrushed on paper before. I will try both the Etac and the Goldens and thin the Goldens a bit more to "break it down a bit". Wanted to do some testing and playing but have not had a chance. I work in airbrushing and well DARN customers keep wanting me to paint stuff. LOL

Thanks for you continued help.. Will keep you up on what is going on.
I just got photoshop 9 and well now that is another adventure, LOL hmmm now how do I make a picture. LOL

Later all.

[airbrush_ken]

Look forward to see how you are doing with it Cherri...
Keep us posted.

Ken