Tastes of Culture

Paper Mache – This is a technique achieved by ripping up newspaper and then mashing it with water. You then end up with a soggy pulp. This being so, you can then mould it more or less into any shape.

When it is at the wet stage, you then add glue to it. Once you have acquired your required shape you have to leave it to dry. Similar to wood you can then put a primer on it, before you go on to paint your article.

This is beneficial, as if you use this medium, it is light, so useful for creating so many things and is very strong.

So who would have thought you could make paper from the Sugar Cane plant? Yes, this is true, it is made from the actual husk. It can be used as a drawing surface, but is very good, in fact, for paper mache too, as it is very absorbent. Even though it is thick and fibrous, it can be torn easily and it comes in a selection of colours.

Gesso is a very useful medium, being a type of glue. What is the consistency? Usually a mix of plaster, whiting, white pigment, or chalk.

This acts as a sealer to your canvas or surface. The gesso being white and in turn has a surface to paint on that will be reflective and you should not suffer problems with the canvas rolling.

Impasto is a surface which is textured and paint strokes make impressions on it with their bristles. Impasto itself is made by using a palette knife or paintbrush and then filling them with paint to be put on to the canvas. This creates layers of paint.

What is pigment? This is what is used to dye or colour the paint itself. This, as a paint medium, is made from minute particles as they have been ground very finely. In time gone by the consistency came from animals, plants and minerals. Nowadays a lot are made from synthetics.

Embossed – This is a pattern which has been marked or stamped on to the surface and in some cases carved. It can also be used with metal and a hammer.

Fixatives are a way of trying to preserve your painting. These can be sprayed or brushed on.

Positive and Negative – Consideration needs to be given to the painting and what is contained in it, to decide upon the positive and negative sections. The positive shape has to be your main object or section.

Whatever you have bordering the positive, will be the negative shape. However, you need to work equally on both sections to reach a successful conclusion.

A Grid is used for still life drawings. With a sheet of mounting board, you draw squares onto this and place it like a screen behind your objects to be drawn. This makes it possible then to decide where the shadows and shapes need to be for your painting.

Acrylic Retarder is used to lengthen acrylics open drying time. Maximum use of 10% with acrylic is recommended. This is pretty handy when shading or blending in Wet in Wet techniques and it helps to combat skin forming on your palette.

Acrylic Gloss Varnish – This fluid acrylic medium has the same resin as Acrylic Artist Colour. When it is mixed with the colours, it stretches them and increases their flow, transparency and luminosity. Thus making it easier for blending. It increases the flexibility of your brushstrokes and is perfect for quick drying glazes.