Published by Golden Artist Colors, Inc. / Issue 30 From Mark Golden Dear Just Paint readers, We’ve just reached our 30th edition of Just Paint and with it, just a moment of reflection on what we have tried to create with our newsletter. First, a huge thank you to our Editor for the last 20 issues of Just Paint, Jodi O’Dell. Without her dedication to this process, I’d still be on issue #11. The focus of Just Paint has always been to provide artists, material specialists, colleagues and friends with the most updated research, information and GOLDEN High Flow Acrylic navigates easily from brush to refillable marker or from pen to airbrush. happenings here at GOLDEN. Many of our articles have become significant additions for the advancement of research Markers, Mops, Daubers in modern materials. Some are just to inform you of the exciting things and GOLDEN High Flow happening at the facility and with the Golden Foundation. We’ve done our best By Scott Bennett consistency to work with all these new to keep the promotional content at bay, Drawing with pens and ink in tools and more. GOLDEN High Flow but sometimes we just need to shout with artwork is not new. Artists have always Acrylic navigates easily from brush to excitement as we bring on-board new combined drawing with painting, refillable marker or from fountain pen products to share with you. Such is the to airbrush and more. case in this issue as Sarah Sands shares the and the very act of painting itself introduction of the New Williamsburg incorporates drawing as line whenever The unique feature of High Flow Safflower Oil colors as well as Scott one color or value is placed beside Acrylics is that artists can mix and Bennett’s article on using refillable markers another, a thicker passage shows its blend them to make an infinite range with our GOLDEN High Flow Acrylics. edge against a thinner passage, or wet of colors. The translucency of the color We have also used Just Paint to present paint is scored by the end of a brush, can also be adjusted by adding any topics that resonate with our customers in palette knife or other tool. The use amount of our Airbrush Transparent conversations with our Technical Team. of drawing media such as pencils, Extender while still maintaining the The questions around mural painting charcoal, pastel or crayons of various same liquid, flowing quality of the have steadily increased. To this end we are sorts has often been used as part of the paint. Additionally, adding Titanium delighted that Jenny Wiley Arena from Heritage Preservation agreed to provide an underpainting or as surface accents. It White to any color is a valuable tool in introduction to their new website, which is common to see pencil lines showing both increasing opacity and creating has been years in the making and is the through translucent passages in an infinite range of pastel tints. This most complete resource for ‘best practices’ works by Matisse or Cézanne, and in means that artists have the ability to for creating public murals. Mike Townsend watercolor paintings in general. create an entire range of markers and has added an additional resource by What is unique is the current range drawing tools with their own custom sharing insights into best practices for of different marking tools for artists. colors that fit perfectly with their choosing colors for murals. personal palette or precisely with the Another topic receiving more attention is Some of this has been around for quite a while now, yet the proliferation painting they are working on. The new the resurgence of artists using Fluorescent addition of High Flow Acrylics to the colors in artwork. Amy McKinnon shares of new drawing tools manufactured her research on the materials that literally for artists has been exploding. Add GOLDEN line of products expands cry out for attention. Finally, we update to that the ingenuity of urban artists the capabilities of acrylic paints and the you on the activities at Golden Artist experimenting with their own designs. audience of artists who might not have Colors where we get to share with you our The options are enormous and considered acrylics before. Kids Day event and the next “Made In continue to grow. Markers and Pens in Fine Art: Paint” show of the 2013 Artist Residents at the Golden Foundation. We hope you With the introduction of GOLDEN Artists have continued to search for enjoy our 30th as I get to enjoy my 60th! High Flow Acrylics, artists now have a truly artist grade permanent marking Warmest regards, Mark the ability to draw with a professional tool. Many have become resigned to acrylic paint made in an ink-like simply using office supply or craft Issue 30 page 1 ©2014 Golden Artist Colors, Inc. There are a wide variety of markers with varying tips and nibs available. The nib sizes range from .7mm up to 60mm with many sizes in between. We tested tips and nibs in the following sizes: 2mm, 3mm, 5mm, 10mm, 15mm and then 60mm. type markers or pens in their work surfaces, and does not necessarily refer are typically soft as squeezing them is with the subsequent issues of bleeding to the lightfastness of the color. often part of the delivery system. There or fading of the inks, or some kind GOLDEN High Flow Acrylics, used are many different brands and types to of incompatibility with the other art in these drawing and mark making choose from. My experience is limited materials they are using. With any tools, will enable a new level of fine art to about 4 or 5 different brands, the mixed media work, the potential most common being Molotow™ and grade drawing potential with the widest ®. for mismatch of some sort increases range of color possibilities for use with Montana Check out your local art greatly with the number of different acrylic painting and a variety of mixed supply store to see what’s available brands and types of materials used. media applications. With this system, or go online to check out the range To reduce incompatibility issues and the terms “Permanent”, “Lightfast” and of YouTube videos describing how help increase the long term life of an “Fine Art Grade” can be applied with to make your own mops. You’ll have artwork, it is always best to stay with confidence, as the High Flow colors plenty to choose from! quality brands, use only fine art grade have the same durability and stable I have divided the discussion between materials whenever possible, and keep film qualities as all our other regular “Markers” and “Mops and Daubers”, the number of different materials to paint lines, along with compatibility in as these are different enough tools to a minimum. When in doubt, always mixing and layering. warrant separate discussions. test your materials first. (See our JP13 article, “Testing for Your Application.”) The Tools - Markers, Mops Markers - and Daubers: “Permanent” Markers: What are typically called paint These are the common names of a markers or paint pens are most often There is a plethora of pens and large variety of refillable paint and ink hard bodied, with harder, micro porous markers at the local office supply store drawing tools. All of these empty and nibs that are replaceable. Some of the but most are not made with fine art refillable paint and ink drawing systems nibs can be inverted when they begin use in mind. Most pens and markers incorporate plastic containers with a tip to wear out, and while others do not are not tested in the same way as fine or “nib.” The nibs on most high end have the same chisel tip or shape on the art grade paints or other fine art grade markers are “spring loaded” so they can opposite end, they can be inverted if materials. The term “permanent” is be pumped (pressing the tip to a surface desired. This type of drawing tool will often used as part of the description repeatedly up and down) to prime tend to suit artists who need to make with many markers and pens but them and they tend to be fairly stiff or more controlled lines. this typically refers to the paint or hard and micro porous while the Mop ink’s ability to be water resistant or All of the markers that I tested were and Dauber tips are soft with a very spring loaded. While most have mixing waterproof to some degree, and perhaps open porosity like a sponge or a piece to its ability to adhere to certain balls or barundums, some do not. If of felt. The Mop and Dauber bodies they don’t, we advise adding them, Many markers are spring loaded with glass balls or barundums for mixing. Some marker brands conveniently offer replaceable nibs and tips. Issue 30 page 2 ©2014 Golden Artist Colors, Inc. as this will help greatly in keeping and move quickly and get some very Fluid Matte Medium, Absorbent the High Flow pigments thoroughly painterly marks. Expect them to be Ground, Acrylic Ground for Pastels, homogenized. You can use ball bearings, messier and have some replacement Light Molding Paste, a variety of Gloss small marbles, or even stainless steel tops on hand. Do not store these Gels and Mediums, and raw canvas nuts and bolts, as long as they fit and upside down as they tend to leak. are just a few we’ve examined. As one move freely when shaken. Guidelines for Using Refillable would expect, the rougher surfaces Mops and Daubers - Markers, Mops and Daubers: such as Gesso on canvas, Absorbent Ground, and raw canvas caused drag These very simple liquid paint or • Never store larger markers, mops or and created broken lines whereas ink drawing tools are usually more daubers tip side down.