SOOOO Many Different Brands Cant, Cant Choose....

[patriclop2pl]

Went to order acrylic paint to start paint and finish my carvings. Was waiting for them in the mail, my father both Valspar Wall paint and then ask me if a gallon was enough Seriously!!

Went online to Dick Blicks and was bombarded with sooo many choices, brands, colors, sheen!!

What do I need to paint caricatures, Santa, and etc.?

What brand you guys recommend and why?

Any advice,tips, suggestions welcome,
Patty

[BeaverDon]

I like Golden. The containers are small, so if I don't like one, I'm not stuck with it forever. The colors are nice, for what I do anyway. I like the viscosity more than some of the thicker brands. It allows me to pour out literally one single drop. Often that's all you need. They are widely available in better art stores and the price is right.

[Bob K.]

I have been using Liquitex acrylic paints for years and have been very satisfied. Liquitex come in tubes at an average of I guess $9 per tube and you can get it in any art supply or craft supply store such as Hobby Lobby, Michael's or A.C. Moore.

[Robson Valley]

I inherited a suitcase of artist's acrylic paints. Stevenson, daVinci, Grumbacher, Windsor & Newton and Liquitex. Mix 'n match on Western Red Cedar. The one, single difference among them is their covering power. The runny Liquitex is very poor.
eg: I needed bright red, orange and yellow for the flames on my wall hanging of Raven Stealing The Light ( from the Haida belief) when Raven is carrying the Sun. 3 coats of pure yellow on WRC. Nope. 2 coats of heavy Stevenson titanium white over that. 3 more coats of yellow.
White undercoat and 4 coats of orange and 4 coats of red. Finally acceptable.

I guess what I'm trying to say is to start with a reputable artist's brand and experiment on scrap wood to see if you like the result. I believe that the chemistries of the paints (acrylic) are quite compatible. Artist's oils are, so are artist's watercolors.

[patriclop2pl]

Originally Posted by BeaverDon

I like Golden. The containers are small, so if I don't like one, I'm not stuck with it forever. The colors are nice, for what I do anyway. I like the viscosity more than some of the thicker brands. It allows me to pour out literally one single drop. Often that's all you need. They are widely available in better art stores and the price is right.

BeaverDon!! I like the idea of squeezing just one drop, especially if your doing does little Santa ornaments!! I will check other stores to price check.

Originally Posted by Bob K.

I have been using Liquitex acrylic paints for years and have been very satisfied. Liquitex come in tubes at an average of I guess $9 per tube and you can get it in any art supply or craft supply store such as Hobby Lobby, Michael's or A.C. Moore.

Bob!! I will check out Liquifex and those other store you mentioned.

Does anybody else have an opinion on the Brands Jo Sonia, Delta, etc?

Patty

[patriclop2pl]

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

I inherited a suitcase of artist's acrylic paints. Stevenson, daVinci, Grumbacher, Windsor & Newton and Liquitex. Mix 'n match on Western Red Cedar. The one, single difference among them is their covering power. The runny Liquitex is very poor.
eg: I needed bright red, orange and yellow for the flames on my wall hanging of Raven Stealing The Light ( from the Haida belief) when Raven is carrying the Sun. 3 coats of pure yellow on WRC. Nope. 2 coats of heavy Stevenson titanium white over that. 3 more coats of yellow.
White undercoat and 4 coats of orange and 4 coats of red. Finally acceptable.

I guess what I'm trying to say is to start with a reputable artist's brand and experiment on scrap wood to see if you like the result. I believe that the chemistries of the paints (acrylic) are quite compatible. Artist's oils are, so are artist's watercolors.

Robson!! Thank you for the expalnations. One common thread I see with all these brands is the heading, "Craft Acrylic Paints". Am I correct in saying these or not.

Patty

[Lynn O. Doughty]

The craft paints in the small bottles are great for just about any type of painting or carving. Also, they're cheap and readily available. I've got carvings I painted back in the early 70's and they're as bright as the day they were painted. I've used all the different brands over the last 40 some years and can't really see any difference in the quality. Some will swear on one brand while others will do the same for another. I'll bet anything if you could track down the source you'd probably find one big pot somewhere in China where all the different brands are filling their tubes and bottles.

[toycarver]

I use the bottles of acrylic paint that are usually around $1.25 ..sometimes on sale for around 1 dollar, and up to about 2 dollars. I think most of mine are Delta and Folk Art brands, also some Americana. I like that there are lots of color choices and some of them last a LONG time in the bottle (over 20 yrs!). JoSonja is a better quality paint that is often used by Tole painters. I don't normally use it, but there are a few colors of it I really like, such as a metalic looking gold. It is thicker and you usually squeeze it onto a damp paper towel. The others are more of a liquid and you just put a few drops on your pallet, you can easily mix them too. I use them most often.

[patriclop2pl]

Originally Posted by Lynn O. Doughty

The craft paints in the small bottles are great for just about any type of painting or carving. Also, they're cheap and readily available. I've got carvings I painted back in the early 70's and they're as bright as the day they were painted. I've used all the different brands over the last 40 some years and can't really see any difference in the quality. Some will swear on one brand while others will do the same for another. I'll bet anything if you could track down the source you'd probably find one big pot somewhere in China where all the different brands are filling their tubes and bottles.

Lynn!! LOL on the big pot somewhere in China!! Thank you for your tips and advice.

Originally Posted by toycarver

I use the bottles of acrylic paint that are usually around $1.25 ..sometimes on sale for around 1 dollar, and up to about 2 dollars. I think most of mine are Delta and Folk Art brands, also some Americana. I like that there are lots of color choices and some of them last a LONG time in the bottle (over 20 yrs!). JoSonja is a better quality paint that is often used by Tole painters. I don't normally use it, but there are a few colors of it I really like, such as a metalic looking gold. It is thicker and you usually squeeze it onto a damp paper towel. The others are more of a liquid and you just put a few drops on your pallet, you can easily mix them too. I use them most often.

toycarver!! Where do they sell these paints for $2? Thank you for your advice!!

Patty

[Claude]

I agree with Kris. I have some Delta Ceramcoat, some FolkArt, and some Americana - they all paint the same. Michaels and Hobby Lobby sell these, among others... All have a flip-top lid that allows you to squeeze out one drop at a time. Often, I just unscrew the top, and pour a bit of paint into the top to use as a "palette" for that color, especially when I need it full strength. You can also buy an Extender, that you add a bit to some paint and it slows the drying process.
Many people use washes, where water is added to the paint, usually 5 parts water to 1 part part, or even thinner - experiment to see what you like. What to use to mix the paint/water? Remember those small jars/bottles of mustard, ketchup, jelly that some hotels and restaurants have? Clean a few out after you've eaten the contents, then put in a few drops of paint, the amount of water you think you need, put the lid on and shake. The lid is air tight so it'll keep a long time. Just give it a shake or two each time before opening and using.

Another tip: painter's palette - I take ordinary butcher's paper and cut into 6 inch squares. The paper has one shiny (plastic coated) side, and one dull side. I put it shiny side up on the workbench, put a drop of paint on it, and then use an eyedropper to put a drop of water nearby. I can dip the brush in the water, touch the paint, work it around on the paper until it's the color/thinness I want, then use it. When done, throw in the trash - no cleanup needed. The white background of the paper also gives you a good idea of the true color of the wash you are creating. I use this for the smaller paint applications such as eyes, rosy cheeks, etc. For larger areas, the previously-mentioned small jars work great.

Claude