Saturday, February 5, 2022

Painting Art - Part VI [1]
Art Resource

Marie-Therese Wisniowski

Preamble
This is the seventh post in a new Art Resource series that specifically focuses on techniques used in creating artworks. For your convenience I have listed all the posts in this new series below:
Drawing Art
Painting Art - Part I
Painting Art - Part II
Painting Art - Part III
Painting Art - Part IV
Painting Art - Part V
Painting Art - Part VI
Home-Made Painting Art Materials
Quality in Ready-Made Artists' Supplies - Part I
Quality in Ready-Made Artists' Supplies - Part II
Quality in Ready-Made Artists' Supplies - Part III
Historical Notes on Art - Part I
Historical Notes on Art - Part II
Historical Notes on Art - Part III
Historical Notes on Art - Part IV
Historical Notes on Art - Part V
Tempera Painting
Oil Painting - Part I
Oil Painting - Part II
Oil Painting - Part III
Oil Painting - Part IV
Oil Painting - Part V
Oil Painting - Part VI
Pigments
Classification of Pigments - Part I
Classification of Pigments - Part II
Classification of Pigments - Part III
Pigments for Oil Painting
Pigments for Water Color
Pigments for Tempera Painting
Pigments for Pastel

There have been one hundred and thirteen posts in a previous Art Resource series that focused on the following topics:
(i) Units used in dyeing and printing of fabrics.
(ii) Occupational, health & safety issues in an art studio.
(iii) Color theories and color schemes.
(iv) Optical properties of fiber materials.
(v) General properties of fiber polymers and fibers - Part I to Part V.
(vi) Protein fibers.
(vii) Natural and man-made cellulosic fibers.
(viii) Fiber blends and melt spun fibers.
(ix) Fabric construction.
(x) Techniques and woven fibers.
(xi) Basic and figured weaves.
(xii) Pile, woven and knot pile fabrics.
(xiii) Napped fabrics, double cloth and multicomponent fabrics.
(xiv) Fabric finishes.
(xv) Schrinkage, durable press and wash-wear finishes.
(xvi) Classification of dyes and dye blends.
(xvii) The general theory of printing.

To access any of the above resources click on the following link - Units Used in Dyeing and Printing of Fabrics. This link highlights the one hundred and thirteen posts in the previous Art Resource series.

There are eight data bases on this blogspot, namely: (1) the Glossary of Cultural and Architectural Terms; (2) Timelines of Fabrics, Dyes and Other Stuff; (3) A Fashion Data Base; (4) the Glossary of Colors, Dyes, Inks, Pigments and Resins; (5) the Glossary of Fabrics, Fibers, Finishes, Garments and Yarns; (6) Glossary of Art, Artists, Art Motifs and Art Movements; (7) Glossary of Paper, Photography, Printing, Prints and Publication Terms; (8) Glossary of Scientific Terms.
Note: From time-to-time all the above data bases will be updated.

If you find any post on this blog site useful, you can save it or copy and paste it into your own "Word" document for your future reference. For example, Safari allows you to save a post (e.g., click on "File", click on "Print" and release, click on "PDF" and then click on "Save As" and release - and a PDF should appear where you have stored it). Safari also allows you to mail a post to a friend (e.g., click on "File", and then point cursor to "Mail Contents On This Page" and release). Either way, this or any of the other posts on this site may be a useful Art Resource for you.

The new Art Resource series will be the first post in each calendar month. Remember, these Art Resource posts span information that will be useful for a home hobbyist to that required by a final year University Fine-Art student. Undoubtedly, some parts of any Art Resource post may appear far too technical for your needs (skip those mind boggling parts) and whilst other parts may be too simplistic with respect to your level of knowledge (ditto the skip). Hopefully, the trade-off between these two extremes will mean that the Art Resource posts will be useful in parts to most, but unfortunately, may not be satisfying to all!


Painting Art - Part VI[1]
(i) Permanence
The subject of permanence, one of the all-important considerations in the creation of art, has many aspects, and it will be found emphasized throughout all rational discussions of artists' materials and techniques.

Art Restoration
Art Restoration | SERVPRO of Santa Monica / Venice Beach.

Permanence has a different meaning to the artist from the one it has when applied to industrial paints or to raw materials originally made or designed for purposes other than easel or mural painting. To artists it means infinite longevity; their paintings or works of art are supposed to remain in good condition as long as possible, when properly cared for under the conditions that are normally given to works of art.

Mold on paper
Mold on paper. It is especially annoying when it reaches the back of your most valuable print on paper artwork.

Industrial or architectural paints, varnishes, enamels and lacquers are not expected to last forever; they are considered acceptably permanent if they survive under the conditions which they are designed to withstand for relatively brief periods; when applied to durable surfaces for which they are intended, they should never be applied to a permanent easel or for mural purposes.

Industrial paints


Also, their raw materials (pigments, resins, oils etc.) should not be used in artist's paints or media unless they have been proven to meet the artist's requirements for permanence by the test of time or by other tests made from the artist's standpoint; they should not be adopted just because they may have been successful in some other field, such as when used as house paints, printing inks or on plastics.

Artists paints
Watercolor is a beautiful painting medium, but it is not well suited to painting on canvas. The water-based paint tends to form beads and dry irregularly on canvas, especially a primed canvas. While this could be fun to add effects to a mixed media painting, working in watercolor on canvas will likely be frustrating for creating a complete work of art. An absorbent watercolor paper is a far better choice.

When the paint on a work of art soon cracks, peels off or in fact disintegrates in any way, we generally call it a failure. In discussions of industrial paints, the same condition would be referred to as a premature failure. However, some artists have specifically employed the effect for visual engagement.

Cracked Artwork
To enhance the act of engagement, a purposely cracked artwork.

(ii) The Artist's Responsibility[1]
In remarks about the quality of painting materials, it must be understood that the reliability of the paints and grounds is by itself no guarantee of infallible permanence and effectiveness of results. Just as many failures and just as many disappointing effects are caused by improper use of materials as by the use of faulty paints.

Spanish Painting
An amateur destroys a Spanish painting in a failed restoration by painting over the original work.

Paint is not a finished product. It comes nicely labelled and put up in neat little packages, yet it is only a raw material; the finished "product" is the picture - the dried paint layer on a canvas, panel, paper, or wall, and for the "production" of this, the artist must share equal responsibility with the paint manufacturer. Hence the use of the right material for the right purpose, the proper selection of materials and implements, and their correct application are of equal importance.

Color Fields
Title: Color Fields (2015).
Material: Various pigments and spices.
Artist: Sonia Falcone.


Reference:
[1] The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques, R. Mayer, (ed. E. Smith) 4th Edition, Faber and Faber, London (1981).

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