THE GUIDE TO UTRECHT PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS' MATERIALS From the beginning Utrecht Art Supplies led the industry in promoting studio craft through tutorials, materials data and articles that made the company a valued resource for artists and educators. Included with every order from the Utrecht Linens catalog, the “Utrecht Guide” was a familiar fixture in classrooms and studios across the country. While some product formulas may have changed slightly over the years (please refer to utrechtart.com for current data), overall the Guide is as relevant today as in the 1960s. We hope this digital reprint proves as popular and useful to contemporary artists as the original was in the last century! Matthew Kinsey Utrecht Art Supplies “Ask the Experts” Team 1 2 3 4 5 THE GUIDE TO UTRECHT PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS' MATERIALS One of the practical properties' of acrylic colors It should be applied very carefully. Do not use which produces brilliant and concentrated colors is it's rapid drying. An underpainting can be built rapid brushstrokes since air bubbles can be with excellent working properties. up quickly. The rapid drying of acrylic colors introduced into a water-based paint very easily allows the artist to apply multiple layers in quick this way. The air bubbles would produce UTRECHT WHITE is a special non-yellowing oil succession. You can get very subtle effects in somewhat of a matte-like finish. You should painting white manufactured by Utrecht, gradations of color and form by overpainting always test the varnish on a little sample piece carefully ground in safflower oil whose one layer of transparent color over another. to make sure it is the degree of gloss that you outstanding feature is that it is non-yellowing. It want. also produces a flexible and durable paint film. The general rule in applying Utrecht Acrylic Safflower oil is a thoroughly tested and Mediums which are transparent or semi-opaque THE MANUFACTURE AND TESTING OF generally accepted vehicle for artists' oil colors. is to brush on carefully without introducing air SUPERIOR PROFESSIONAL UTRECHT OIL Utrecht White is safely intermixable with all the bubbles into the acrylic paint layers. Utrecht AND ACRYLIC COLORS different Utrecht Oil Colors which are also Acrylic Colors can be used in a wide range from Utrecht's four indispensible conditions that intermixable with each other because of linseed watercolor techniques to heavy impasto govern the production of our superior oil's chemical similarity to safflower oil. painting. permanent artist's colors: UTRECHT'S PROPER PROFESSIONAL UTRECHT GLOSS ACRYLIC MEDIUM is the (1.) Determined and uncompromised effort to FORMULATION AND QUALITY basic vehicle in the manufacture of Utrecht produce superior professional artist's colors -Proper Maximum Pigment Acrylic Colors. It is of a syrupy consistency regardless of cost. -Proper Minimum Vehicle which dries clear and glossy. The degree of (2.) Finest ingredients and formulation: -No Adulterants or Fillers Used gloss and/or transparency (for glazing) can be -Proper maximum of 100% pure, controlled with the addition of water or Utrecht permanent and brilliant pigments. Artists' colors are essentially manufactured by Matte Medium. -Proper minimum of 100% pure and mixing and grinding pigments and vehicle. permanent vehicles. Pigment particles are insoluble; they are UTRECHT GLOSS ACRYLIC GEL MEDIUM -100% free of all adulterants and fillers. actually dispersed and suspended in the has a heavy body that can produce very unique (3.) Expert knowledge and experience in vehicle. Each pigment requires a different painting and glazing techniques. Mixing more formulation, manufacturing and testing. proper minimum percent of vehicle to produce a color with the acrylic gel you can produce a (4.) Utrecht meets all known Health & concentrated and workable "paste." thicker less transparent paint layer. In the Safety Standards of Art & Craft Institute. glazing technique mix more Utrecht Acrylic Gel UTRECHT PROFESSIONAL with the Utrecht Acrylic Colors; then you can Utrecht manufactures artists' colors with strict FORMULA apply multiple transparent layers of various adherence to the highest artistic and scientific thickness producing unique coloristic effects. standards. Utrecht maintains quality control over The proper maximum of the highest grade Generally when glazing, you will be applying a every aspect of production, from the initial 100% pure pigment and minimum of vehicle is darker transparent layers of color over a -lighter stages of formulation to the final automatic filling an indispensable requirement of the Utrecht color so that the underlayer reflects light. A of tubes, jars and cans. Supreme Professional Quality Colors. As basic example is to tint the acrylic gel with a represented by the diagram Formula A. blue and apply thickly over a yellow layer of FINEST TESTED INGREDIENTS Utrecht's proper formulations contribute to the acrylic color. Theresult will be a visual green Utrecht carefully selects and uses only the finest high color (or tinting) strength, brilliance, proper which will refract a greater amount of light quality, full strength pigments and vehicles drying time, working qualities, consistency, because of the thickness of the gel compared to regardless of cost. This is a primary requirement permanence and durable paint film. a thin glaze. A very thick layer of Utrecht Acrylic in the production of Utrecht's highest Gel may take overnight to dry through. As the professional quality permanent artists' oil and UTRECHT'S PROPER FORMULATION AND gel dries it gets clearer and clearer and you can acrylic colors. PAINT FILM glaze over it with different acrylic colors and degrees of thickness of the acrylic paint layer PERMANENCY: The choice of pigments for Utrecht's properly formulated and Utrecht Oil Colors and Utrecht Acrylic Colors manufactured professional artists' colors, the UTRECHT ACRYLIC GEL OPAQUE: makes it have been carefully tested and are universally vehicle permanently binds or adheres the possible to apply a thick texture of opaque recognized as permanent by artists and color pigment particles together. It also contributes to layers of acrylic color. The degree of experts. See next page for a complete listing of the adhesion of the different paint layers and to opaqueness can be controlled with addition of the pigment composition and lightfastness the canvas support through the centuries. clear acrylic medium and gel. The paint layers classification. For example, less vehicle than the proper or glazes with addition of opaque gel can percentage may produce an impermanent paint produce unique coloristic effects. PURITY: Each pigment and vehicle must be film, which will become brittle and disintegrate free of impurities, adulterants and fillers. with age. The improper excess of vehicle UTRECHT MATTE MEDIUM is made to be produces a color with undesirable properties, mixed with Utrecht Acrylic Colors. It diffuses the BRILLIANCE: Each pigment used must be as such as weakening its color strength and light and reduces the natural gloss of the brilliant and clean in color tone as it can possibly affecting its permanency. Utrecht Acrylic Colors. be. UTRECHT ACRYLIC MATTE GEL MEDIUM STRENGTH: Each pigment used must behigh in PIGMENT PERCENTAGE AND produces similar results as the Utrecht Acrylic color and tinting strength. MANUFACTURING COSTS Gloss Gel Medium. However, it does not have a In terms of dollars and cents the pigment is high gloss and is reduced in transparency. ADHESIVENESS AND PERMANENCY OF THE generally the most expensive ingredient in the Different mixtures of Utrecht Matte Gel and VEHICLE: An important requirement both formulation. UTRECHT FORMULA [A] is of Gloss Gel can produce different degrees of Utrecht Oil and Utrecht Acrylic Colors is that the excellent professional quality and has great gloss transparency and matteness. vehicles must be stable, permanent and with money value. Utrecht's Professional Artists' superior adhesive properties. Colors have a high percentage of pigment and UTRECHT ACRYLIC IRIDESCENT TINTING therefore high manufacturing cost. MEDIUM mixed with Utrecht Acrylic Colors UTRECHT PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS' produces a dried paint layer with a more ACRYLIC COLORS Buying direct from Utrecht one of America's reflective and iridescent quality. Mix a little at a Supreme Professional Quality major manufacturers of artists colors makes it time until the desired result is achieved. The Utrecht is one of the first developers and possible for the artist to purchase supreme reflective and iridescent effect is greater with manufacturers of professional artists permanent professional quality at low prices. transparent colors than with opaque colors. acrylic colors in the world. Utrecht introduced FORMULAS B and C are lower in cost to the line in 1957 after years of research and manufacture. Formula B represents a good UTRECHT MODELING PASTE AND testing. This contributed to the greatest quality, but has less pigment in the formulation EXTENDER is a flexible material. It is made innovation in the history ofartists colors in 500 than Formula A. Formula C is of poor quality from precipitated calcium (sometimes called years; i.e. since the invention of oil colors. All that is called a "student grade" color. The marble dust), pure titanium and acrylic polymer the different Utrecht Acrylic Colors and Gesso pigment percent can be reduced with emulsion. It can be built up to thick impastos Colors are safely inter-mixable. substitutions of inexpensive fillers or without