[Gergie]

I see all these painted ducks with this beautiful finish, and have tried to figure out how to do it. I purchased matte finish in a spray can from a carving supply catalog, but it still doesn't match what I'm trying to do.

Any suggestions out there would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Rich,

[William]

Hey Rich, If you are talking about "Patina" here is something I picked up from Keith Mueller in the Decoy Carvers Forum,

Decoy collectors and many carvers adopted and adapted the word in the context of decoys as "patina" signifying the soft "mellow" developed from the slow aging of oil paint naturally. This "mellow" or "patina" is the "Holy Grail" for decoy "impersonators" simulating a "quickened age" on the surface.

The "patina" comes from the mellowing (linseed)oil and the interaction with the mineral content of the pigments of oil paint. What is underneath is irrelevant, and what is on top is relevant. When the oils mellow, it will not cause the acrylics to do anything more than to be acrylics. The oils over the acrylics will mellow, but any exposed or underpainted acrylics will always be that; acrylics. If you paint a bird entirely in acrylics, and then finish with an oil based varnish, the oil based varnish will mellow, not the acrylics, they will remain unchanged. This will give you the look of oils, only because of the varnish, not the acrylics themselves. But educated eyes will pick up on this immediately. Mixed mediums are a wonderful approach mostly because of ground and time constraints, but that is all they will ever be, mixed mediums.You can certainly simulate the "look of oils" with acrylics, providing they are overcoated with oil based varnishes, but that is all they will ever be, simulated oils using acrylics.

Because of the composition and properties of the "oil" in the oil paint as it intermingles with the pigments, its surface refracts light and generates a visible "depth" to its application. Added mediums increase and enhance the "depth" and refraction. Acrylics because of their polymer based composition have absolutely no light refraction and lacks "depth"!, this Oil paint depth can never be produced with acrylic.



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Bill
^v^

[Gergie]

Originally Posted by William

Hey Rich, If you are talking about "Patina" here is something I picked up from Keith Mueller in the Decoy Carvers Forum,

Decoy collectors and many carvers adopted and adapted the word in the context of decoys as "patina" signifying the soft "mellow" developed from the slow aging of oil paint naturally. This "mellow" or "patina" is the "Holy Grail" for decoy "impersonators" simulating a "quickened age" on the surface.

The "patina" comes from the mellowing (linseed)oil and the interaction with the mineral content of the pigments of oil paint. What is underneath is irrelevant, and what is on top is relevant. When the oils mellow, it will not cause the acrylics to do anything more than to be acrylics. The oils over the acrylics will mellow, but any exposed or underpainted acrylics will always be that; acrylics. If you paint a bird entirely in acrylics, and then finish with an oil based varnish, the oil based varnish will mellow, not the acrylics, they will remain unchanged. This will give you the look of oils, only because of the varnish, not the acrylics themselves. But educated eyes will pick up on this immediately. Mixed mediums are a wonderful approach mostly because of ground and time constraints, but that is all they will ever be, mixed mediums.You can certainly simulate the "look of oils" with acrylics, providing they are overcoated with oil based varnishes, but that is all they will ever be, simulated oils using acrylics.

Because of the composition and properties of the "oil" in the oil paint as it intermingles with the pigments, its surface refracts light and generates a visible "depth" to its application. Added mediums increase and enhance the "depth" and refraction. Acrylics because of their polymer based composition have absolutely no light refraction and lacks "depth"!, this Oil paint depth can never be produced with acrylic.



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HappY Trails
Bill
^v^

Bill, Thanks for the fast reply. There's some good information there.

I use Jo Sonja Acrylic paints for my ducks. And when I tried to apply a coat of hand rubed poly on the duck the paint smeared. So I went to spraying on the matte finish. This worked as for not smearing, But I don't get the look I want. I'll do a little experimenting on some of the techniques you listed.