Art Savvy Questions & Answers

PAINTING

Q: What can I do to keep tempera paints from spoiling?

A: Tempera paint generally has a shelf life of about 3-4 years (though some last considerably longer). Order only as much as you think you can use within that time. Also, always pour out only what you think you will use from the original container into palettes or paint cups. Never pour used tempera paint back into the original container and never put a brush in jar of unused paint. Bacteria from brushes can alter the paint's chemistry and cause it to spoil.

Q: Can you use paint other than fabric paint to paint on fabric?

A: Yes. Acrylics can be used on fabric but they will not leave the fabric as soft and flexible as actual fabric paint. Also, the life of various kinds of acrylics on fabric will differ widely. Watercolors may also be used to stain fabric. The better quality watercolors will yield better results. Do not wash fabric stained with watercolors as they will wash out at least partially. They should be used only for non-utilitarian artwork.

Q: What directions would you give for painting a mural?

A: Please see the "Murals with a Message" lesson plan located in the Lesson Plan Idea section of this website for complete instructions on painting a mural.

Q: Do all fluorescent paints, markers and crayons glow under backlight?

A: Yes. Technically, all media that are fluorescent will glow under blacklight. Fluorescent yellow, yellow-green, orange, and hot pink will glow the most. Fluorescent blues and darker reds will glow less.

Q: My students' acrylics and tube watercolors dry out while they are working with them. Is there a way to keep them moist?

A: To keep acrylics and watercolor paints moist and workable, keep a spray bottle filled with water at hand. When you notice the paint getting stiff or dry give it a quick mist. You will save paint and always have moist color to work with. To keep paints moist for an extended time period, spritz with water, cover with plastic wrap and place your palette in a cool area. The paint will stay workable for a number of hours in the cool, damp environment. By placing a wet sponge inside the plastic wrap with the paint, the colors will stay moist overnight.

Q: Are natural-bristle brushes always better than synthetics?

A: No. How good a brush is really depends on the results you desire. Synthetics have improved considerably over the last two decades. They also are less prone than natural fibers to breakage, and are easier to clean. Paint is delivered more quickly because of the slipperiness of the fiber and the lack of a belly. Synthetics are often mixed with natural-bristles to improve snap and maintain a good point. Brushes that contain a mixture of both synthetic and natural hairs can generally be purchased at a lesser cost than natural-bristle brushes.

Different kinds of bristles will achieve different results. Natural hairs work well for watercolor and oil. Synthetics work best for use with watercolor and acrylic. However, you may wish to achieve unusual results and will find that such non-traditional brushes as foam or even wire brushes will give the look you want.

Q: What is the best product to use for painting on glass?

A: The type of paint you will need depends on whether the glass project you are working on needs to be removable or if you want a permanent finish. We offer excellent choices for either. Basics for painting with any product are the same. Be sure the glass surface is clean and free of any oily film. A wipe with denatured alcohol will remove dirt and oil.

Removable Glass Paints
Standard tempera works well and is easily washed off. It gives an opaque, matte finish. Use a heavy-bodied paint such as Sax UltraPlus Tempera or Prang Classic Tempera Paint. Typically, tempera paint will hold up on glass for an average of seven to ten days. This will vary if the window undergoes a variety of temperature changes or is exposed to condensation. It is removable with soap and water.

For a shiny, enamel-like finish, consider Jazz Gloss tempera. It is ideal for painting on glass and it will hold up slightly longer than standard temperas. It is removable with soap and water.

Our Elementary Art catalog offers other choices in removable glass paints and markers.

Permanent Glass Paints
Painting decorative glassware, porcelain or ceramic tiles is a HOT, new trend. Keep in mind that none of these products are suitable for surfaces that come in direct contact with food. Choose the underside of a clear plate, the outer surface of glassware or mugs, ceramic tiles in the bath or kitchen. All of the following products can be washed from hands and brushes with soap and water before they dry for easy clean up. Once dry, the colors are bright and durable. They can be washed with mild soap and some can even go through the dishwasher! Some choices for permanent glass paint are Liquitex Glossies, Pebeo Vitrea 160 (paints, markers), and Pebeo Porcelaine 150. They are baked for permanence. See the Glass and Mosaics section in our Full-line catalog for more ideas.

Q: I love to oil paint but I hate the smell of some of the mediums. I'm looking for a way to enjoy oil painting. Are there any new products available that smell better and/or are easier to use?

A: Yes! There are a number of new products on the market to make oil painting more enjoyable.

If you love the workability of regular oils but hate the smell of turpentine, we offer several low-odor alternatives for thinning and brush cleaning such as Turpenoid and Turpenoid Natural. See our Paint section for other options.

Even more exciting are the new water-soluble oil paints. Again, see our Paint section. Some of these paints can be thinned with the thinners listed above and used with other oil paint mediums. They have the same consistency and drying time as conventional oils. Some water-soluble oils can actually be thinned with water. Clean-up for most of the water-soluble oils is a snap as brushes can be cleaned with soap and water.

Q: I am looking for new ways to teach color theory. Do you have any ideas or products that would help?

A: In our Paint section, we have a category for Color Theory products. We offer a variety of teaching tools such as a wide selection of color wheels, transparent color paddles, a gray scale (to teach value), puzzles, books and videos to help you develop a curriculum unique to your teaching style. The Sax Color Power Holographic 3-D Color Theory Teaching Unit is an innovative and exciting way to teach color theory based on the principles of color in light rays discovered by Sir Isaac Newton. Our complete line of paints and papers gives you a multitude of mediums to use in your color theory lessons.

Q: How do I keep my airbrushes working well?

A: If you want your airbrush to work well and provide you with years and years of faithful service, keep it clean. First spray any paint out of your airbrush. Spray plain water through it until it sprays totally clear. Finally, run through a cleaning solution such as EZ Air and follow that with a water rinse. To loosen dried paint, Aquasol Artist's Cleaner or Sax True Clean Concentrated Brush Cleaner/Conditioner work wonders. Soak for 30 minutes. Spray with water and your airbrush will be back in business.

Q: I'd like my students to have the experience of using metallic paints, but they seem too expensive for my budget.

A: Don't let a tight paint budget keep you from enjoying the luxury of metallic paints. We are carrying more and more affordable metallics. Check out the paint section of our catalog. We have metallics in Versatemp, Sargent, and Jazz Temperas. We also have metallic semi-moist watercolors and liquid watercolors. In acrylics, we have metallic True Flow, Sargent, Chromacryl and Liquitex Glossy paints. The Magic Metallics from Mayco are a unique metallic paint. These are acrylics with actual flecks of metal in them that may be oxidized with various patinas.

Another approach would be to add a small amount of Pearl-Ex Metallic Powders to acrylics, acrylic mediums, oil paint, Mod-Podge or tempera paints. These jars of fine metallic powder can add gleaming color to gallons of paint. When silver is added to colored paint, a pearlescent color results. Add either gold or silver to a clear acrylic gloss medium and get rich, lustrous, multi-surface acrylic finish. These powders can also be used with polymer or air-dry clays.