Fine Arts product guide
We’re here for the makers. Our Team Members are our greatest assets. You bring the Michaels experience to life for our makers – that’s a big responsibility! At Michaels we are a community open to all who want to make, and your role is to make it a great experience every time. This guide outlines the basics of what you need to know when helping Makers with their projects. Click on any of the key topics below to learn more about the that topic. When done, click on the in the bottom right corner to return to this main menu. Introduction: Paints Fine Art Materials Drawing Surfaces Mediums Brushes Tools and Sundries
introduction: fine art materials a brief history… • Painting as a fine art means applying paint to a flat surface (as opposed for example to painting a sculpture, or a piece of pottery), typically using several colors. Prehistoric painting that has survived was applied to natural rock surfaces, and wall painting, especially on wet plaster in the fresco technique was a major form until recently. • Portable paintings on wood panel or canvas have been the most important in the Western world for several centuries, mostly in tempera or oil painting. Asian painting has more often used paper, with the monochrome ink and wash painting tradition dominant in East Asia. • Paintings that are intended to go in a book or album are called \"miniatures\", whether for a Western illuminated manuscript or in Persian miniature and its Turkish equivalent, or Indian paintings of various types. Watercolor is the western version of painting on paper; forms using gouache, chalk and similar mediums without brushes are really forms of drawing. • Drawing is one of the major forms of the visual arts, and painters need drawing skills as well. Common instruments include: graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoals, chalk, pastels, markers, stylus, or various metals like silverpoint. your role… • Be knowledgeable about where the products are in your store. • Guide your Customers to the exact product they are looking for. • Help every Customer using the Art of Service. resources: • Art of Service • Store Map
paints
types of paints Different types of paint are usually identified by the medium that the pigment is suspended or embedded in, which determines the general working characteristics of the paint, such as viscosity, miscibility, solubility, drying time, etc. pigment binder paint oil acrylic • Pigments that are bound with a • Fast drying paint containing pigment medium of drying oil, such as linseed suspension in acrylic polymer oil. In early modern Europe, the oil was emulsion. boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were • Acrylic paints can be diluted with called 'varnishes' and were prized for water and become water-resistant their body and gloss. Oil paint when dry. Depending on how much eventually became the principal the paint is diluted (with water) or medium used for creating artworks as modified with acrylic gels, media, or its advantages became widely known. pastes, the finished acrylic painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil • Oils allow for more time to blend painting or have its own unique colors and apply even glazes over characteristics not attainable with under-paintings. This slow drying other mediums. The main practical aspect of oil can be seen as an difference between most acrylics and advantage for certain techniques but oil paints is the inherent drying time. may also impede the artist's ability to work quickly. watercolor tempera • Watercolor paints are made of • Also known as egg tempera, is a pigments suspended in a water- permanent, fast-drying medium soluble vehicle, usually gum arabic. consisting of colored pigment mixed The traditional and most common with a water-soluble binder medium support for watercolor paintings is (usually a glutinous material such as paper; other supports include egg yolk). papyrus, bark papers, plastics, vellum or leather, fabric, wood and • Tempera also refers to the paintings canvas. done in this medium. Tempera paintings are very long lasting, and examples from the first centuries still exist. Egg tempera was a primary method of painting until after 1500 when it was superseded by the invention of oil painting.
types of paints water soluble oil gouache • A modern variety of oil paint • Gouache is a water-based paint engineered to be thinned and consisting of pigment and other cleaned up with water, rather than materials designed to be used in an opaque painting method. having to use chemicals such as turpentine. It can be mixed and applied using the same techniques • Gouache differs from watercolor in that the particles are larger, the ratio as traditional oil-based paint, but of pigment to water is much higher, while still wet it can be effectively and an additional, inert, white pigment removed from brushes, palettes, such as chalk is also present. This and rags with ordinary soap and makes gouache heavier and is more water. opaque with greater reflective qualities. It is diluted with water. ink encaustic • Ink paintings are done with a liquid • Ewbpeinagecxmsapwueasnatitxniscttiaonprgaewi,nahintdiicvndhogel,pvdaeo.lsswoudskeinnreogdwh,necaoatlsoehdreodt that contains pigments and/or dyes • wpmoTosthufthiagitohrxeexfmuetanelurgicesqruhie,nneus—dtgciecsdaaruda/metnsn.opdvuTaaibaaberhsseleneltryeeeatmssssnpii.iwsamdnrdet,apohpelxiltenae,hfnsrroseeoettardemhepmdenwpracaolodtiateiyoeldu,dprdsionieta,trgioslcsoaafre and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing with a pen, brush, or quill. • Ink can be a complex medium, composed of solvents, pigments, dyes, resins, lubricants, solubilizers, surfactants, particulate matter, fluoresces, and other materials. spray paint pastel • Aerosol paint is a type of paint that • In the form of a stick and consisting of comes in a sealed pressurized pure powdered pigment and a binder. container and is released in a fine These pigments are the same as those spray mist when depressing a valve used to produce all other paints. button. Spray paint or aerosol paint leaves a smooth, evenly coated • The color effect of pastels is closer to surface. the natural dry pigments than that of any other process. The surface of a • Speed, portability and permanence pastel painting is fragile and easily also make aerosol paint a common smudged, its preservation requires graffiti medium. protective measures such as framing under glass; it may also be sprayed with a fixative.
acrylics a brief what are acrylics? introduction… pigment binder paint • Acrylics are one of the newest fine art mediums to be invented. The Pigments are granular solids which give polymer, or “plastic” based binder paint its color. They are ground to a was developed in 1934. small size and do not dissolve but remain suspended in the paint. Pigments can be • Acrylics did not become organic, inorganic, natural and synthetic. commercially available until the A binder is the substance that keeps 1950s, when they were used as pigment in place after the paint dries. house paints. Artists (including Think of it as the glue that holds the Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko and color to the surface you’re painting on. Jackson Pollock) spotted these versatile paints and started to use pigment acrylic acrylics them due to the hugely reduced polymer drying times and their permanence. Acrylic paint has acrylic polymer as its binder, and this forms a plastic like film. • Unlike other paints, acrylics have Once the water leaves the paint via very few rules. The only rule of evaporation and/or absorption, the paint thumb is that you cannot paint dries, creating a stable clear polymer film acrylics OVER oils or oil-based full of trapped colored pigment particles. paints, or on greasy surfaces. However, you can paint oils over acrylics. • Acrylics are flexible, durable, versatile, fast-drying and easy to clean. • If your customer doesn’t have a lot of time to learn about painting techniques but really wants to get started, suggest Acrylics! No rules makes easy learning.
acrylics BRUSHES BRANDS The best brushes to use with acrylics are Artist's Loft® generally synthetic brushes. CLEAN UP Water tends to bloat bristle brushes, and Palettes, brushes and paint tools can be cleaned up the heaviness of with ordinary soap and water, especially when the acrylic paint is paint is still moist. generally too much When dry, acrylic can be extremely difficult to remove for natural hair and usually must scrubbed or peeled off the surface of brushes. a palette or tools. Dried acrylic in brush hairs Acrylics can also be is difficult to impossible to harsh on natural- remove. hairs due to the short Most acrylic painters use a dry time, leaving brush soap with dried acrylic paint conditioners to help keep particles in the hair their brushes soft and fibers. This creates a clean. need to “scrub” the brush hairs clean DRY TIME with soap and water which can damage Acrylic can dry to the touch in as little as 20 the natural hairs. minutes. A thin glaze can dry in as little as 7 minutes. This is slightly effected by humidity and temperature. Quick dry-time makes acrylics great for projects where fast-drying has significant benefits such as outdoor murals, houses with children or pets, etc. Once acrylics are dry, they are insoluble in water and become water-resistant. They weather outdoor elements rather well. If using a good quality lightfast acrylic color, they can resist fading outdoors as well or the customer can apply a UV-resistant varnish.
acrylics MEDIUMS Acrylics are self-leveling, meaning brush strokes smooth out and the paint lays flat when drying. To change the characteristics of acrylic paint, mediums are used. Below are several examples of mediums and additives common for acrylics. Matte Medium Ultra Matte Glazing Medium Slow-Dry Medium Pallet Wetting Gloss Gel Medium Medium Spray/ Medium Gloss Heavy Gel Gloss Super Matte Gel Matte Super Ultra Matte Gel Slow-Dry Gel Heavy Gel Heavy Gel Modeling Paste Light Modeling Flexible Modeling Fabric Medium Airbrush Medium Pouring Medium Paste Paste Iridescent Medium String Gel Ceramic Stucco Natural Sand Resin Sand Blended Fibers Glass Bead Black Lava White Flakes Slow-Dry Fluid Flow Aid Additive Slow-Dry Gel Additive Additive
acrylics selling tips and techniques • Because acrylics don’t require • Acrylics can be thinned with water to solvents to clean them up, it makes create washes and thinned with them a safer paint for smaller or medium to create glazes. unventilated environments, or environments containing children, • Acrylics can be applied super thick and pets, people with allergies or textured, otherwise known as impasto, breathing problems. without fear of cracking. Because of this aspect, you can build up acrylics to SALES TIPS: create sculptural effects. Unlike other mediums, you can build up acrylics to 1. When a customer tell you that be as thick as you want. they want to learn how to paint, inquire further about what kind of • Acrylics have great adhesion making it living environment they have. Do a perfect medium for collage, the they have pets? Do they have process of combining paper and found children or grandchildren around? objects into a painting. Anything Will they be painting in a studio or placed into the acrylic paint will be the kitchen table? These factors held fast once the paint has dried. can often guide you to make the right suggestion of paint medium. • Acrylics are flexible, so you can paint on a wide range of surfaces without 2. An easy way to turn a crafter onto fear of cracking--—everything from a customer that purchases wood, canvas, cloth, fabrics, metals, painting supplies is by suggesting leather, and other plastics. they try collage. You can sell them papers, paints, mediums, a • Acrylics adhere to almost any non- surface, brushes and a book. greasy, non-oily surface. Definition • This makes acrylics a favorite among many kinds of painters including tole painters, crafters, decorative artists, interior decorators, illustrators, etc. Tole Painting- is the folk art of decorative painting on tin and wooden utensils, objects and furniture. Typical metal objects include utensils, coffee pots, and similar household items. Wooden objects include tables, chairs, and chests, including hope chests, toyboxes and jewelry boxes.
watercolor a brief what are watercolor introduction… paints? • Watercolor is a painting method in pigment binder paint which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water- Pigments are granular solids which give based solution. Watercolor refers paint its color. They are ground to a to both the medium and the small size and do not dissolve but remain resulting artwork. . suspended in the paint. Pigments can be organic, inorganic, natural and synthetic. • The traditional and most common A binder is the substance that keeps support—material to which the pigment in place after the paint dries. paint is applied—for watercolor Think of it as the glue that holds the paintings is paper. Other supports color to the surface you’re painting on. include papyrus, bark papers, plastics, vellum, leather, fabric, pigment gum watercolor wood and canvas. Watercolor arabic paper is often made The cotton gives the surface the appropriate What is gum arabic? texture and minimizes distortion when wet. It has the consistency of honey or light corn syrup it is used as a binder for • Watercolor painting is extremely watercolor paints. Gum Arabic is a resin old, dating back to as far back as that comes from a tree. Most Gum to the cave paintings of paleolithic Arabic comes from Senegal. Europe. But most notable and Gum Arabic is also used in a lot of food recognizable is the use of products such as gum, and Coca Cola. watercolor painting in illustrations, with botanical and wildlife being When used as a medium, gum arabic the most common subjects. increases the gloss and transparency of watercolors. Gum arabic also helps slow • If your customer wants a medium down the drying time of paint giving you that can be compact and portable, more time to work. watercolors may be a great option!
watercolor BRANDS BRUSHES Artist's Loft® As is so often with art supplies, CLEAN UP selecting paintbrushes for Palettes, brushes and paint tools can watercolors be cleaned up with ordinary soap ultimately comes and water. down to personal Most painters use a brush soap that preference. The helps conditions the delicate natural choice rests on the hair fibers and keeps their brushes watercolor soft and clean. techniques used, how much you're DRY TIME willing to spend, and simply how certain Watercolor can dry to the brushes feels in the touch in as little as a few hand. minutes. Since watercolors are The best brushes to mainly water and are being use with watercolor painted onto a highly are generally sable absorbent surface, the dry time hair brushes. is minimal, but if an artist needs Sable brushes, when to speed up the process a properly cared for, blow-dryer or craft heat tool will maintain their can be used. shape and texture for Watercolor is reactivated when years. wet, unlike acrylic paint that has a plastic polymer binder, so can be reworked at any time after drying if it hasn't been sealed with a varnish. Until then, you can add color to a color that has dried in order to strengthen it or create another hue by mixing it with another color.
watercolor selling tips and techniques • Watercolor comes in pans or • Watercolor has a unique visual impact tubes. due to its transparency and fluid movement. • Tubes tend to be very small as the addition of water makes the paint • Because of transparency, errors are go a long way. not easily covered or painted over with watercolor. Watercolor paintings are • Professional grade watercolor approached by knowing where your pans are usually sold in square half highlights are first. pans or full pans; half pans are usually about half an inch wide • A watercolor painter works from light square, and full pans are usually an to dark, with shadows going in as last inch wide and rectangular. touches. This is the opposite of oil painting which goes from dark to light. • Watercolor pans can be molded or Common techniques for watercolors extruded from a solid formulation are washes, glazing and resist: or poured into a mold from a liquid formulation to be created. • A wash is a very thin, fluid layer of color applied with a wide brush or • Student grade watercolor pans large sponge. tend to be round in shape • Glazing is done by layering thin washes SALES TIPS: of different colors after each layer has dried. Delicate tones, subtle shades 1. Watercolorists generally like pans and airy colors are blended rather than for traveling and working on blocked out. location, and they like tubes for in-studio. Be sure to ask the • Another common technique is to use customer where and what they masking fluid to block out areas or are working on in order to create areas of resist. These are areas suggest the right type of of the paper that the artist does not watercolors. want watercolor to touch. The Masking fluid protects the paper where applied 2. Masking Fluid, also known as and then is carefully removed once the Friskit or Miskit, is the only painting is dry. watercolor medium most stores carry, so be sure to suggest it to the watercolor painter
gouache watercolor a brief tips and techniques introduction… • Gouache dries to a smooth, very • Gouache is opaque watercolor. The matte finish. Some colors may Italian term “guazzo” was used for lighten when dry. a method of painting using opaque color. From guazzo came gouache, • Gouache is applied in very smooth, the term used for opaque thin layers. It is difficult to build watercolor. any sort of texture. • Gouache is mostly used as a • Transparent watercolor and complement to watercolor; by opaque gouache can be used botanical, architectural, and together to create different effects. fashion illustrators; designers, comic book artists, and many • Gouache may be used when artists artists who work primarily on want opacity or need to block out paper or board areas with solid color; watercolor for transparency, washes and selling glazes. • Gouache is available in pans as • Gouache and watercolor are both well as tubes, and in student and hydroscopic, meaning they can be professional grades re-wet and reworked. This is the opposite of oil and acrylic where • If a customer you are helping once they are dry, they cannot be wants to add an opaque section to rewet. For this reason, it is very their watercolor painting, i.e. very important that gouache or white highlights, gouache is the watercolor paintings are protected perfect product to suggest as it is with glass. completely compatible with watercolor. • Because watercolor and gouache paintings are generally on paper and need to be protected, suggest to your customers that they frame all of their works for ultimate protection.
oil a brief what are oil paints? introduction… pigment binder paint • Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of Pigments are granular solids which give pigment suspended in a drying oil, paint its color. They are ground to a commonly linseed oil. small size and do not dissolve but remain suspended in the paint. Pigments • The earliest and still most used can be organic, inorganic, natural and vehicle is linseed oil, pressed from synthetic. the seed of the flax plant. Modern A binder is the substance that keeps processes use heat or steam to pigment in place after the paint dries. produce refined varieties of oil with Think of it as the glue that holds the fewer impurities, but many artists color to the surface you’re painting on. prefer cold-pressed oils. pigment linseed oil paint • Other vegetable oils such as hemp, oil poppy seed, walnut, sunflower, safflower, and soybean oils may be used as alternatives to linseed oil for a variety of reasons. For example, safflower and poppy oils are paler than linseed oil and allow for more vibrant whites straight from the tube. • The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the dried oil paint film. • Oil paints have been used in Europe since the 12th century for simple decoration but were not widely adopted as an artistic medium until the early 15th century.
oil paint BRANDS BRUSHES Artist's Loft® Brushes are made from a variety of fibers to create CLEAN UP different effects. For example, brushes made Palettes, brushes and paint tools with hog bristle might be used can be cleaned up with palette for bolder strokes and impasto knives, turpentine, or mineral textures. spirits. The stiffness that hog hair gives Most painters will follow the initial to brushes hold the heavy oil cleaning in turpentine/mineral paint on the brush better than sprits with the use a brush soap sable brushes used for that helps condition the natural hair watercolor painting. fibers to keep their brushes soft These bristle brushes are ideal and clean. for large amounts of paint and big paintings as they are DRY TIME extremely strong and can hold up to solvent cleaning. Oils do not dry by evaporation like However, they tend to leave water-based paints such as acrylics and brush strokes in the paint. watercolors. They dry by a process Natural hairs are best for called polymerization. delicate, fine detailed work but Polymerization is a chemical reaction they must be treated with care that begins when oxygen and oil come as the solvents can dry out the in contact causing the oil molecules to natural hairs and make them attach to one another forming long brittle. chain-like molecules. Synthetic brushes are good in As more of the chemical reactions take all cases and can also hold up place, the oil paint film eventually to constant cleaning with becomes stable and hardens. solvents.
oil MEDIUMS An oil medium is a substance that can be mixed with oil paint in order to change the properties of the paint. Some oil mediums help facilitate faster drying, some slow drying, some add gloss, some add tackiness--- every medium has a different purpose. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the different brands of mediums as each company also has unique factors to their mediums, as well as individual mediums that are not carried by other brands. Below are several examples of mediums and additives common for oils. Poppy Oil Stand Oil Galkyd Slow The slowest-drying oil Gamblin A thickened version of Dry offers. It is useful to painters Gamblin's Refined Linseed working traditional, wet-into- Oil. Modifying oil colors Thins oil colors and wet techniques that want the with stand oil increases extends working time. longest possible working time. flow and gloss and slows It is more fluid and less Use sparingly or mix with an dry time. Colors mixed with glossy than Galkyd equal amount of Gamsol to it will dry to a smooth, Lite. Use one part create a traditional slow- enamel-like finish. Use Galkyd Slow Dry to drying, low-viscosity painting sparingly or mix with an one part oil colors to medium. Do not dilute Gamblin equal amount Gamsol to paint wet-into-wet for painting mediums by more create a traditional slow- at least a day. than 10% with Poppy Oil. drying, high-viscosity painting medium. Liquin Turpenoid- Odorless A general-purpose semi- Natural Turpenoid gloss medium for oil painting, Liquin is a reliable An intensive brush cleaner As artists’ favorite favorite among artists of all and gentle conditioner in turpentine substitute for skill levels. It speeds drying, one, this natural turpentine more than 50 years, improves flow and alternative is a must-have Turpenoid offers all the transparency, and reduces for oil painters. Artists can benefits of the traditional brush stroke retention, so use it to thin oil colors, solvent in a safer, you can achieve more with modify oil mediums and odorless formula. Artists your favorite paints. By clean studio brushes, can use it to thin oil halving the drying time of toolery and palettes, just colors, modify oil conventional oil colors, you like traditional turpentine. mediums and clean can build multiple textured It's AP certified nontoxic studio brushes, toolery layers with bold brush and nonflammable, and it and palettes, all without strokes at a comfortable can clean dried oil, alkyd or the odors, residues and speed. acrylic colors, restoring harmful side effects of valuable brushes to like turpentine. new condition.
oil selling tips and techniques • Oil paints require solvents or • Each oil has its own characteristics. For thinners in order to remove the oil example, cold-pressed linseed oil is paint from their brushes and tools. very thick and yellow, creating a very An artist cannot initially use soap heavy, thick durable paint that can and water as the water will resist have a tendency to slightly yellow over with the oil and create a larger time. Safflower oil is clear, thin and mess. liquid, creating a very thin fluid oil paint that doesn’t tend to yellow. • Once the tools and brushes have been properly soaked and cleaned • Different colors dry at different rates. in solvent, brush soap and water Most earth tones dry quickly, or dry to can be used to finish cleaning the the touch within a week. Colors such as brushes and tools. the cadmiums, Alizarin Crimson, and Ivory Black dry very slowly, sometimes • Oil painters always need more taking over a month to dry to the solvent. Be sure to suggest this to touch. them when they are shopping! • An oil painting is never fully dry until around 6 months after the painting is complete. If the paint was put on thickly, it may take up to a full year or longer for the painting to completely dry. • Because of this, an oil painting should NEVER be varnished before it is six months old, and it is best to wait a year. WARNING Oil paints need to be used in well-ventilated areas with proper disposal. DO NOT PUT OIL PAINTS OR SOLVENTS DOWN THE SINK! They are considered a hazardous waste and should be disposed of through your town hazardous waste disposal process, or through your local auto-mechanic.
oil “fat over lean” • In order to paint properly with oils, an artist must apply the “Fat over Lean” principle. • “Fat over Lean” requires that the layers of paint closest to the canvas or support bottom, are the fastest drying and contain the least amount of “fat” or oil. These fast drying layers are called “Lean layers”. Lean layers are fast-drying, and less flexible. • The outermost layers, closest to the environment or top, must be the slowest drying layers and can contain a high degree of “fat”, like thicker oils. These layers are called the “fat layers”. Fat layers are slow-drying and very flexible. • Adhering to the “Fat over Lean” principle will prevent cracking, flaking, and shifting of the paint surface over time. Click on the video below to view more :
tempera a brief what are tempera introduction… paints? • Traditionally, tempera also known as pigment binder paint egg tempera, is a permanent, fast- drying painting medium consisting of Pigments are granular solids which give colored pigments mixed with a water- paint its color. They are ground to a soluble binder medium, usually small size and do not dissolve but glutinous material such as egg yolk. remain suspended in the paint. Pigments can be organic, inorganic, natural and • Tempera also refers to the paintings synthetic. done in this medium. Tempera A binder is the substance that keeps paintings are very long-lasting, and pigment in place after the paint dries. examples from the first century AD Think of it as the glue that holds the still exist. color to the surface you’re painting on. • Egg tempera was a primary method of pigment egg oil paint painting until after 1500 when it was pigment yolk oil paint superseded by the invention of oil painting. or • Commercially produced professional glue grade tempera paint isn’t made out of egg yolk, rather it’s made of a mixture of yolk and an oil paint base. • Today the most common tempera is an opaque water-based paint. It is sold in tube, cake, ready-to-use bottles, or dry powder to which water is added. • It dries matte and may be brittle if applied too thickly. It generally cracks on flexible surfaces. It does not have permanent adhesion to most surfaces. • It is primarily used in schools, with children or where volume of paint is more important than permanency. It is also popular for quick signs and window painting. • Tempera is hydroscopic meaning it can be be re-wet after it is dry, making it perfect for cleaning up in school environments or off surfaces. • Tempera is a perfect suggestion for elementary schools doing large arts and craft projects.
brushes
the anatomy of a brush BRISTLES Made of synthetic or natural BRUSH TYPES Round hair fibers, the bristles of the Filbert Toe brush hold and deliver the Flat Bright Belly paint to the surface. FERRULE Usually made of metal, the ferrule holds the bristles firmly to the handle. Angled Script Crimp HANDLE Handles are made Fan Mop from sturdy 6 materials such as MEDIA hardwood or plastics. Watercolor, Oil Oil, Acrylic TypeBRISTLE TYPESROUND Number Inks, Watercolor Designates the Watercolor, Tempera SABLE HANDLE thickness or width of Inks, Watercolor HOG FERRULE the bristles. This Watercolor, Tempera, Acrylic SQUIRREL BRISTLES number varies Watercolor, Tempera, Acrylic, Oil, Inks OX between GOAT manufacturers. PONY DESCRIPTION Natural hair from a mink or weasel. Springy and soft. Natural hair from hogs. Coarse and stiff. Natural hair from brown and grey squirrels. Fine tip. Natural hair from cattle or oxen. Springy but lacking a fine tip. Natural hair from goats. No spring, forms a sharp point. Natural hair from horses. Coarse and sturdy. SYNTHETIC Nylon or polyester fibers. Springy and holds a fine tip.
drawing mediums
drawing mediums Most drawing supplies fall into the category of “dry media”; or art materials that are dry in consistency and can be directly applied to a surface. Pencils, charcoal, pastels all fall into this category. There are a few drawing supplies that cross the line from dry media to wet media. These are watercolor pencils and oil pastels. Watercolor pencils start with a dry consistency, but water can be added to turn it into paint. Oil pastels are not a dry media and have a consistency very close to oil paint. Try suggesting a book about the drawing medium the customer is interest in. There are many technique books that can enhance their learning and experience with their drawing supplies. Click on the topics below to view more product: charcoal graphite markers pastels pencils pens
charcoal Charcoal is exactly what its name implies: burnt pieces of wood or vine. It is one of the oldest dry media drawing tools in history. It is considered the “driest” of the dry media in that it is extremely dusty. Charcoal comes in several forms including compressed charcoal, charcoal pencils, willow and vine. They create a beautiful array of velvety blacks and grays, perfect for beginning and advanced drawing techniques. Charcoal will not adhere to a smooth surface. It is best used on a surface with “tooth” or texture. The peaks and valleys of rough paper give charcoal particles a way to grip the surface.
charcoal compressed conté • Compressed Charcoal is made • Conté Crayons, also sometimes the same way compressed called Conté Sticks are very pastel is made in that charcoal similar to compressed pastels. pigment is compressed together with a binder to create a • Conté Crayons today are made rectangular or tubular stick that with natural pigments such as iron is durable and easy to use. oxide and are mixed with wax or clay. • Compressed charcoals don’t tend to blend across the surface • Conté crayons are rectangular as smoothly and can’t be lifted and are available in earth tones from the surface as easily as such as sepia, sanguine, white, regular charcoal. black, bistre, and grays. • Compressed charcoals are good • They are essential for foundational when exact lines are needed or drawing courses and are perfect large areas need to be shaded. for basic sketching and drawing. • They are great for sketching or • Apply directly to paper; they can drawing. be dipped into water for a different finished look Definition Bister- Bistre can refer to two things: a very dark shade of grayish brown; a shade of brown made from soot, or the name for a color resembling the brownish pigment. Bistre's appearance is generally of a dark grayish brown, with a yellowish cast.
charcoal vine willow • Made from burning grape vines • Made from burning willow or other vegetable vines, no branches, no binder is added and binder added and what you see what you see is usually the natural is the raw stick. form of the stick. • Vine charcoal is graded by the • It is graded by size---small, density of its black line---extra medium and large sticks. soft, soft, medium, hard, extra hard. The longer the vine burns, • Creates very dense black lines. the softer and denser in color • Perfect for beginning and the soot becomes. advanced drawing techniques. • Produces a large variety of grays from very light to dark depending on how long the vine was allowed to burn. TIP Both Willow and Vine charcoal are easy to lay down, and easy to lift off of the surface. They can be blended in with your fingers, stump, or a chamois.
graphite Most people have used a graphite pencil whether they are an artist or not as it is one of the essential tools for writing, especially in grade school. You are probably already familiar with many of its properties---it can be erased, it can smear, it works best on smooth surfaces, the finer it is sharpened the cleaner the line you get, etc. What most people are not aware of is that graphite pencils come in many grades. Everyone has used a 2B pencil to take tests but tend to be unfamiliar with the other grades of pencil available to artists.
graphite pencils • Pencils come in different grades • Sometimes called “Sketching from very hard to very soft. This Pencils” or “Drawing Pencils”, is accomplished by altering how either way graphite comes in a much binder, usually clay, is variety of forms. added to the graphite. • The most common is a wood • Many customers like to get a encased lead pencil. variety of hard and soft pencils. Sets great for getting a nice • Graphite also comes in a assortment of both, woodless pencil form where the entire lead is encased in a plastic • The diagram below shows the coating making the entre write type of shading or line that is surface useable. achieved from the different grades of graphite. • Graphite sticks, which are similar in size and shape to compressed • 9B is the softest, darkest shading charcoal or pastels, are great for or line a pencil could give (some shading or drawing on large areas. companies even go to 12B). • Mechanical pencil leads are also • HB is the middle standard and F available in the various grades standing for Fine point. and are preferred for technical and more detailed work. • 9H is the hardest, lightest shading or pencil line. The more • Graphite pencils are best used on clay or binder a pencil has, the paper. harder or lighter the line it will create. • H grade pencils are often referred to as drafting pencils because they create light lines that are easily erased, and they can be inked over for the final drawing. 9H 8H 7H 6H 5H 4H 3H 2H H F HB B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 9B hard soft
markers Today’s marker resembles a very thick pencil or pen, with a barrel made of plastic, and contains a reservoir of ink that is drawn through a felt or nylon tip onto a surface such as paper. Apart from archival markers, most markers are not lightfast, even if they are classified as permanent. They include a cap that must be used in order to avoid the marker from drying out. They have several different kinds of tips available from very hard nylon tips for exact lines, to brush tips that resemble the movement of a paint brush. Felt tip markers came onto the scene in the 40’s. They were mostly used for marking packages and creating posters. The most popular new marker was the “Magic Marker” invented in 1952 by Sidney Rosenthal. He had stuck a wool felt wick into a chubby glass bottle of ink to create a new marking tool. It was “magic” because it could mark on almost any surface. The modern fiber tip pen was invented in Japan in the 1960’s. Today’s markers are used for everything from highlighting text in a book to creating elaborate Manga graphic novels.
markers In the past, markers were not considered for “serious” artwork. Today, that assumption has changed dramatically with the invention of several different kinds of markers. Markers are now used for many different types of projects and art works. Each marker available on the market has its own set of features, benefits and uses. There are two main categories of markers: water-based and permanent/solvent- based. CAUTION Markers are still not considered the best choice for works that will be exposed to sunlight, or harsh environments including smog, smoke, water, etc. Click on the topics below to view more product: water-based solvent-based calligraphy paint archival
markers water-based solvent-based • Use water-soluble inks. • Use solvent-based inks • Generally non-toxic. • Generally are toxic • Some are washable, • Permanent • Good for children or people who • Can go on a variety of surfaces are sensitive or allergic to where water-resistance is required solvents. • Depends on style of markers, but • Depends on style of markers, but water-based generally can generally can be used for any be used for any application that application including non-porous isn’t a non-porous surface. surfaces.
markers calligraphy paint • Specialized tip made for writing • Contain limited palette of opaque calligraphy that resembles the inks. ability of traditional dip pen nibs. • Usually have larger tips for broad • Filled with specialized ink made writing and coloring, and fat for paper. barrels containing sizeable reservoirs of ink. • Color palette tends to be limited in colors for traditional • Don't actually contain paint. Some calligraphy usage. have solvent-based and permanent inks, others water- • Ability to get thin, medium and based inks. thick lines from one tip. • Often require pumping or • Ink is usually permanent, non- “priming” in order to cause ink to smudging, and non-feathering. descend to the nib through an injection system in the barrel. • Users usually hold the marker at a 45 degree angle to create a • Designed for large areas of variety of traditional scripts. coverage. • Can go on almost any surface. • Many states do not allow the sale of paint markers to minors due to solvent-based inks and their use for graffitti—be aware of local laws! • Suitable for large marking projects on any surface. • Not generally for use in art applications.
markers archival • Usually contain pigments instead of dyes. • Acid-free. • Often have fine point tips for detailed drawings. • Usually only suitable for paper, illustration board, vellums, or smoother surfaces. • More lightfast than the average markers, but darker colors may still fade over long periods of time or excessive sun exposure. • Won’t deteriorate the surface over time or create “out-gassing” when framed which can lead to deterioration. • Suitable for marking on photographs, fine art prints, and permanent works of art. • Great for autographs and signed matting for custom framing.
pastels Pastels give a very different effect because they are made with very little binder. The binder of a pastel is present to hold the pigment together rather than adhere the pigment to a surface, because of this, they are extremely opaque. There are several different kinds of pastels. • Compressed pastels • Soft pastels • Pastel pencils • Oil pastels Pastels tend to have the same characteristics and requirements (oil pastels are the exception): • They require a rough, textured paper with a “sanded” surface so that the dry material can properly stick to the surface. • Color can be lifted off with erasers or rubber tipped brushes, moved around with brushes, rags or your finger, and applied either directly, fingers, or brushes. • Most pastels can be mixed with watercolor, gouache, or acrylics. WARNING Precautions must be taken to not breathe in pastel dust including keeping the working surface upright or slightly inclined forward to allow dust to drop downward instead of enter the air.
pastels compressed soft • Usually rectangular in shape and • Soft Pastels tend to be tubular or sometimes referred to as Hard square in shape and many brands Pastels. are hand-made giving them a rough cut edge on both sides or a • The pastel pigment is handmade shape. compressed with a binder of clay, creating a harder, more • Soft pastels are very fragile as durable pastel. they contain the least amount of binder of all pastels. They are very • They tend to be more dry and breakable. economical than soft pastels, but do not have as good color • Many pastel drawings are still quality because of the increase called “pastel paintings” because of binder. the time, effort and technique to create a soft pastel drawing is as • They are very easy for beginners skilled as any painting. to use and are often used in foundational drawing classes. • Soft pastels are very messy and powdery and are considered to have the most magnificent color quality of all art supplies.
pastels pencil oil • Pastel pencils have the same • Oil pastels are the black sheep of characteristics of compressed pastels because they are pastels, but in pencil form. extremely different. They combine pastel pigment with an oil binder. • The pastel pigment and binder are compressed and put in a • Oil pastels can be tubular or wooden casing so the artist can square. They have the consistency use it like a regular drawing of lipstick. pencil. • Oil pastels come in a variety of • This gives the artist some added grades from student to benefits of being able to use the professional grade. pastel without creating as much dust or getting their hands as • They are extremely versatile. Oil dirty. pastels can usually be mixed with oil paints and can be used over • Also allows for a greater degree acrylics or collage. of control when sketching. • They generally can go on any • Pastel pencils can be difficult to surface including glass, paper, sharpen. They usually require a metal, canvas, etc. very sharp, metal sharpener and a gentle hand. Many artists • Oil pastels tend to be very choose to sharpen them by hand different than oil paints or oil using a utility knife or sanding sticks. Oil pastels are usually block. archival and can go directly on paper, unlike oil paint which require the surface to be primed. • They can be moved around with your finger or a rag, but brushes cannot be used with them as they are too sticky.
pencils charcoal china marker • Charcoal pencils are made in the • Before there were felt pens and same manner as compressed permanent markers, one had to charcoals but in pencil form; the use what was called a China charcoal pigment is combined Marker, or sometimes called with clay or wax and put into a grease pencils, wax pencils, or pencil mold. marking pencils, to label anything that was non-porous such as • Charcoal pencils come in several china, glass, polished stone, different grades very much like plastic, acetate, etc. Hence, the graphite pencils, such as 2B, 4B, China Marker received its name and 6B. See the section on because it could write on “china”. graphite pencils to learn more about the grading system of • It still is a valuable tool used by pencils. artists, craftsman, printmakers and designers. • This allows the artist a greater degree of control over their • China Marker stays put on non- charcoal especially when porous surfaces but can be attending to fine details or exact removed when it is no longer lines. needed. • It also eliminates a lot of the • Pulling the string helps unbind the dust that is experienced when wrapping around the grease using charcoal and tends to portion of the pencil, exposing keep the artist’s hands cleaner. more of the pencil. • Charcoal pencils can be difficult to sharpen. They usually require a very sharp, metal sharpener and a gentle hand. Many artists choose to sharpen them by hand using a utility knife or sanding block. • Charcoal pencils work best on a slightly textured paper.
pencils color woodless color • Colored pencils are pigment • Woodless colored pencils are the mixed with a binder, usually clay same as colored pencils, but or wax, and encased in a pencil without the wood. form. • They are pigment from tip to end, • Colored pencil artwork is a and because they have no wood, professional art form, and there they tend to have more versatility. are many grades and styles of colored pencils to choose from. • An artist can sandpaper the side of the pencil and use the entire • Because you cannot mix colored side to draw with for large pencils like paint, the artist relies gestural drawing. on the color palette that the manufacturer offers and builds • They can break the pencil in half up layers of color from light to and sharpen both sides. dark to “mix” colors for the eye to see. • The shavings can be saved (because there is no wood) and • Thinner harder pencils tend to be used in another art project. be for fine detail and hicker softer colored pencils tend to be • Artists who are environmentally for laying in lots of color or filling conscious tend to like woodless in large areas. pencils for their “no waste” approach to art materials. • As with most drawing supplies, customers generally also need • Must be sharpened with a good something to draw on. Always metal sharpener. Do not use show the customer sketching cheap plastic sharpeners. and drawing pads that are on sale, as well as one of your favorites.
pencils watercolor • Watercolor pencils are pigment, a regular pencil binder (usually clay or wax), and gum arabic. • This causes the color that comes off the pencil to be water- soluble and move like watercolor when water is applied. • They don’t tend to have as beautiful color reflection as regular watercolor paint, but professional brands can get very close. • If your customer wants to try something new, and they like drawing, watercolor pencils are the perfect suggestion! • Watercolor pencils are the perfect bridge for people who draw but are a little cautious about starting to paint. • Watercolor pencils allow for a great deal of control and are easier to manipulate than watercolor paint. • Best used on smooth (hot pressed) watercolor paper and can be directly applied. Water can be applied to the watercolor pencil via a brush, waterbrush, wet paper towel, etc.
pens The difference between a marker and pen is none; in fact, some people believe all pens to be a type of marker, and some believe markers to be a type of pen. However, in general terms pens tend to be created solely for writing and fine line drawing, where markers tend to have many uses and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
markers Today’s marker resembles a very thick pencil or pen, with a barrel made of plastic, and contains a reservoir of ink that is drawn through a felt or nylon tip onto a surface such as paper. Apart from archival markers, most markers are not lightfast, even if they are classified as permanent. They include a cap that must be used in order to avoid the marker from drying out. They have several different kinds of tips available from very hard nylon tips for exact lines, to brush tips that resemble the movement of a paint brush. Felt tip markers came onto the scene in the 40’s. They were mostly used for marking packages and creating posters. The most popular new marker was the “Magic Marker” invented in 1952 by Sidney Rosenthal. He had stuck a wool felt wick into a chubby glass bottle of ink to create a new marking tool. It was “magic” because it could mark on almost any surface. The modern fiber tip pen was invented in Japan in the 1960’s. Today’s markers are used for everything from highlighting text in a book to creating elaborate Manga graphic novels.
tools & sundries
sundries and tools selling • When attempting to complete a painting or drawing, there are lots of other supplies that are needed besides the basic paint, brushes, and pencil. These items are often called sundries, or a collection of miscellaneous items. We can also categorize some of these items as tools, or an item necessary to perform the actions of one’s profession or project. • All sundries and tools make great add-on sales and therefore should recommended to customers shopping for supplies. Click on the topics below to view more product: tips and techniques tips and techniques tips and techniques tips and techniques tips and techniques tips and techniques tips and techniques varnish & fixative
varnishes & fixatives synthetic varnishes organic varnishes • Goreancerryallilcy rmesaidnes.from ketone • ruTeshsueinaollolydrecgosutmmfopromsesdoof fvaartnrieseh, • tTooehrrnggedaaynntciioccanyvveaalalrrlonnstiiwsslhhoaeensssg.maenrudtchhdaoansn’t • Tspenadn otonhaapveaintwtinengtby-eyfeoarer life they need to be replaced. TIP The artist should always read the label thoroughly before use to ensure compatibility with the medium they are working with. All varnishes are labeled with what type of painting they are compatible with, i.e. oil or acrylic. The artist should always choose the varnish that matches their painting substrate. damar varnish retouch varnish • The most common type • Usually made with of organic varnish for oil Damar. painting. • Not permanent and will • Damar varnish is made need a layer of final from the sap of pine varnish over it in order trees, can also be to be complete referred to as Damar Gum. • Made to revive areas of an oil painting to give • Damar does yellow over them lustre and sheen time, usually within while an artist is fifteen to twenty years. working on it. • Damar creates an extremely hard barrier over oil paintings to protect them from the environment.
varnishes & fixatives matte varnish acrylic varnish • Matte varnish is • Usually in liquid usually made from an form and available organic substance in gloss, matte or and includes wax. semi-gloss sheens. • Because of the wax • Can often be used contént, it is as a medium, or especially important mixed into the that Matte Varnishes paint, as well as a are kept warm and final varnish. some may require heating. • Gives added fluidity and • Gives the painting a transparency “matte” or non-glossy when mixed with surface. paint. workable fixative final fixative • Fixes dry media to its • Non-workable fixative for surface, and can be dry media artwork such as used as a surface charcoal, pastels, and preparation for works pencil drawings. on paper, acetate, foil and glass • Non-yellowing, colorless and flexible. • Non-glossy. Not intended as a final • Provides a gloss or matte fixative. Tends to finish when dry and does yellow with time.. not yellow • Also fixes lower levels • Can be used on paper, of water-based media photographs, printed to enable over-painting material, and ceramics. or layering without lifting. • Can be drawn over when dry.
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art supply resource Intro and Brief History Sundries & Tools When attempting to complete a painting or drawing, there are lots of other supplies that are needed besides the basic paint, brushes, and pencil. These items are often called sundries, or a collection of miscellaneous items. We can also categorize some of these items as tools, or an item necessary to perform the actions of one’s profession or project. All sundries and tools make great add-on sales and therefore should be organized and easily accessible at all times! A Chartpak IncS.uEnddrieus/cToaotlsioMnodaulle pg 1 Program
art supply resource Sundries & Tools: Palettes Palettes are necessary for painting in fine art and for most craft projects. Palettes help contain the paint, as well as provide an area for mixing different colors or adding in mediums. Each type of paint uses different kinds of palettes. Palettes can also have other features as well. For example some palettes are made for travel and snap close. Some palettes feature a holding device for easy holding while at an easel. It is important to understand the needs of the artist so they can select the right palette for their project. A Chartpak IncS.uEnddrieus/cToaotlsioMnodaulle pg 2 Program
art supply resource Sundries & Tools: The Traditional Palette In the 15th century, most palettes were wood, square, small and contained a little hole in them for one’s thumb. Starting in the 19th century, large oval or kidney shaped palettes became very popular, and this is often the type of palette we see today. How a traditional palette works •The rounded shape is for comfort against one’s body. There are no edges or corners to poke the artist. •The thumb should be placed through the hole pointed downward, with the rounded portion of the palette against the artist’s arm. •As you can see, there is a cut away portion of most traditional palettes. This is quite useful for attaching palette cups or, if the artist is holding other brushes in their hand, they can select these brushes easily through this area. A Chartpak IncS.uEnddrieus/cToaotlsioMnodaulle pg 3 Program
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