Art: See Gull painting. New Acrylics Golden.

I finally finished this 20" x 20" inch canvas of a sea gull by the steps of Gairloch park in Oakville, Ontario.  This is the second painting I have completed using the relatively new Golden Open Acrylics.

Having concentrated on teaching myself oils this past 6 years, I have very little experience with acrylics. I do know that I found the actual process in my traditional acrylic work too different from how I now naturally paint in oils.

What lured me to try the new Golden Open Acrylics, however, was the promise of a longer drying time. As well, the colours stay quite true when they dry to how they looked when applied. I have been told that traditional acrylics dry darker (imagine thinking of acrylics as traditional).

I had some technical difficulty at first with my brushes as they were meant for oils - easily solved with a few more dollars spent.

The slow drying time of the paint really does lend itself to my method of applying paint and as I got into my painting "zone" I easily forgot I was working with a new medium.  The paints are looser than oils (thinner?) and so I missed the feeling of "carving" into the canvas. As well I haven't really figured out how to glaze.

Thanks to twitter buddy, Bernard Victor, I learned that Winsor and Newton , now also have a line of slower drying Artists' Acrylic , not yet available in Canada. Here is a terrific area on the  Winsor & Newton site with videos on featured artists - all who have very different methods of using acrylics, and a contest (you can rate the entries- Bernard has entered this) for acrylic painters- http://acrylics.winsornewton.com/en/.

Speaking of  Winsor & Newton, have you heard of their North American rep, Canadian artist Doug Purdon? The extensive and fascinating knowledge  this artist has  on the history of materials, technique, and more, is an experience not to be missed. If you ever can hear Doug speak, go for it, he is  a treasure trove of educational and entertaining anecdotes.

Have you tried the new Open Acrylics? Let me know what you think or any tips you have to share.

Begining Steps for a Step painting: Seagull at Gairloch Steps, Oakville

Normally an oil painter, I  have heard good things about Golden's open acrylics.

In my post about my painting  "GR33N" I gave them a go for the first time, but not in my usual more realistic style.  I have now started the painting "Seagull at Gairloch Steps" Gairloch is a beautiful garden  park in Oakville, Ontario. A beautiful  heritage home, now a gallery, sits on a hill overlooking the great Lake Ontario. These old stone steps and wall, now just a picturesque resting place for winged and biped visitors are one of my favorite parts of the park.  I have at least three paintings in mind involving this wall.

But what I thought would be the first quick go at the mini series, is taking me much longer. This is not the finished painting. Although I like the open acrylics, they just do not respond to how I like to paint. No glazing for example.  So what should have been a quick study, isn't, as I figure out this new medium.

I'm attempting to keep an open mind about these new open acrylics, which stay wet remarkably long and feel a little more like oils in weight... but for my next paintings.. back to oils!

Have you tried open acrylics? What did you think of them?