Com-Art, Which Strathmore Bristol & Cancel Smoke.

[Stephen Casey]

OK, now I have delusions of painting roughs of my figurative sculpts with illustration acrylics.

Com-Art is very good stuff for beginners & professionals, right?

I caught that the recommended board is:
CRESCENT Hi-Line Premium Line Illustration Boards 9208
http://www.misterart.com/g5040/Crescent-Hi-Line-Premium-Line-Illustration-Boards.htm

What is the recommended Strathmore Bristol Paper?
http://www.misterart.com/store/browse/001/cat_id/741/Art-Supplies-Paper--Boards-Paper--Bristol-Paper.htm

I gather Com-Art Transparent Smoke is a great to sketch out and shadow in some forms. What is a good counter agent to go over this when we change our mind, opaque white?

I saw that Whit uses Com-Art right out of the bottle anyone else want to comment on possible reduction?

And on the other hand any techniques to dry it faster or does this stuff dry real fast?

[colourshift]

Stephen,
Yup, 9208 is it in the US for illustration board, as you can't get CS10 any more (**sob**)
I like ComArt, and yes, it's friendly to both pro's and beginners alike. No, you don't need to thin it, with one exception...sometimes you need to thin the white a little...or up your air pressure (and you will be sure to revel in the joy of tip dry). It has good UV properties (things don't go fugative on you), and the binder in it is said to surpass Golden's... It's also slightly more economical than Golden.
Staying on the paint tack for a sec... it's not a good idea to go over almost any colour with white, to cover...well, you have to be in the desperation stage - and be willing to put in more work to make the colours look right again..depends on what you're going over...how much there is...etc. But for instances sake...let's say you were going over the smoke (which is a warm transparent dark grey) with white...the white, believe it or not, has a lot of blue pigment in it...a cool colour....so it's going to change the whole tone of the smoke that's peeking through. This same white will probably not match the white of the substrate you're painting on....which is why we say "save your whites"...referring to the white substrate...a lot of us work dark to light. Filling in the darkest darks first, and working towards the lighter side of the spectrum on the piece. By saving your white substrate for your 'lit' areas (particularly when working with transparents) you give continuity to the piece....
Now, as for bristol paper (sometimes referred to as board - it's just a heavy stock) - whether you go for student grade (perhaps good for practice at first, if you decide you've moved up from bond paper) or the premium stuff....go for the hot press/smooth over the vellum...I have little patience for fighting the texture of paper when I'm trying for an ultra smooth look in a piece.

And finally, back to the paint... yes, this stuff dries really fast, if you're not what some refer to as a HOSER. A hoser is someone who lays down paint far too fast, and it forms this wet mass...it will wrinkle some surfaces, and take forever to dry (couple minutes can be an eternity when watching paint dry)...the idea is to work in light controlled passes, building up the colour slowly, as not to wetten down the entire area....doing so avoids paint creeping under masks, should any be present...and also stops the paint from 'glazing' which is what your eyes will be doing when tryin to do eraser techniques over a glazed area...it budges, but not in a way you're going to like. (high contrast eraser techniques are best worked up slowly, pushing and pulling the paint in layers...paint a little, erase a little, paint a little...etc, to work up the desired intensity of colour, without glazing).

Well...that was long winded...but hey, you asked. Anything else?
~Lynne

[Stephen Casey]

Your my angel Lynne.

I read your post a a few times. You answered my questions admirably. I will bus out to Michaels and Office Depot to get my hands on some of these papers this afternoon. Then due to pricing, most likely ordering them online with my Friday purchases.

I was lucky enough to see some airbrush videos with an acquaintance a while back and picked up a good bit of the principles. Indeed nothing shines like subtlety. The hoser type student you mention for some reason made me think of the guy on the dance floor that waves and kicks about like he is trying to fend of bees!

I promise to go slow with many layers to get to what I want in my illustrations.

I don't really know for certain to what extent or in how many applications I will be using my airbrush until its here in the studio for a while. Although I doubt it will be a dust bunny like some of my tools. Looks like too much fun. Airbrushing seems very inexpensive in materials and media in comparison to sculpting. More hobby friendly, and a darn sight faster to get something finished. Of course finished is a line some people have trouble finding, including me.

[Whit]

Lynne gave the answer,, I'll give the tip,,,
just don't get discouraged when first trying
your newly aquired airbrush,,, it takes a lil
time and patience getting the hang of it !!!
Be sure to post your progress on this,,,
your stuff has a very interesting idea to it !!!
Good Luck on it !!!:partyalone:

[Stephen Casey]

Oh ya Whit, I expect to make nothing but ungodly messes with my first illustrations. As long as they guide me to the final poses faster than the clay mock ups I'll be satisfied.

I'm expecting to ghost in several poses superimposed on one another so I can see them all in one space ever so lightly in slightly different tinted colors. Since this is my purpose I will not be bothered that the illustration would be impossible to bring to a sell-able state, its just a fluid exorcise to work out the particulars. A sweep of the elbow and the flick of a wrist with the airbrush is surely a lot faster than the mechanics of shifting the rough clay about.

Of course the fastest method is simple visualization, contemplative meditation etc. But it also helps to have a physical aspect of rhythm in open eyed meditation to slow things to a productive problem solving pace.

[sharonsstudio]

If you run into a problem just ask thats what this forum is really for( me I like the social life))

[Stephen Casey]

Howdy Sharon.

I was telling my friend Annie about your sheep and cows on pottery. It was the only way she could visualize what an airbrush is. I will show her the image in the next day or so. I hope you don't mind I made it my desktop wallpaper for today at least, its my birthday today.

http://www.sharons-studio.net/
(Click on the image to the right to see some groovy airbrushing.)

[Stephen Casey]

OK, the boards are on their way. I chose the Cescent Hi-Line Hot-Pressed Illustration boards. I picked up a dozen 15" x20" at 1.75 each. Figure I can do a rough overlap for the image I want to do first.

Curious if they have paintable surfaces on both sides. I'll snag some meat packing paper too, probably better suited to my soon to be acquired skills ;->

[colourshift]

Nope, they're not two sided.

[sharonsstudio]

Stephen Happy Birthday sorry I missed it yeaterday :happybday: :partyalone: :clapping2:

[Stephen Casey]

Yep that be the fact, the Hi-Line boards are one sided.

No worries, either way $20 bucks for a dozen good quality boards is a good investment. I queried Dick-Blick about that and they answered very quickly, but not as quickly as Colorshift.

Hi Stephen,
No, the Crescent Hi-Line Illustration Boards
we carry are paintable only on one side.

Please be sure to include your previous e-mail with any response.

Best Regards,
Rebecca Doyle
Product Information Team
Dick Blick Art Materials

[colourshift]

Stephen, Bristol Board (heavy stock paper) is two sided... just FYI. and way more economical than the Illustration board.

[Stephen Casey]

Yes I am aware of that Colorshift. I only popped $28 with S&H for the hot-press because of the fact that a dozen boards will last me quite a while since I have only a couple subjects to do presently and most of that in smoked poses overlapping on the same board.

I want a very smooth bright white surface to start off with as I want to maximize the fluid aspect of the attack. A whole new artistic experience and way of communicating, particularly with myself.

I expect this to speed up my roughing in a great deal. I already had most of a 40 page Strathmore 300 "Assorted" texture and colors 12"x x18" that has been mostly gathering dust. I love charcoals but I find myself drawn into the details, too slow and physically involving to go fast in concept work.

I will be borrowing some airbrush videos from some friends of friends and the library system.

By the way I just threw a little over $300 at CoastAirBrush. My HP-CH should be in my hot little hands by early next week!

I chose to buy the crown cap instead of extra needles for this month. If I wasn't dizzy so much from all the medications I take I would expect to work without the needle in the long run. (Manic-depression and transient baby train stroke like symptoms.) The 20' braided hose was a splurge, but I like the idea of doodling a bit sitting on the sofa. I will put together a decent easel for the desktop as well. Best efforts are acheived with excellent posture. But there is something to be said for creating in a relaxed dreamy state.

CoastAirBrush discounted me $10 to match the Dixi-Art HP-CH for $198 including 10 oz Opaque & Transparent assortment. I picked up all the metallics and pearlesent in Com-Art some brown and greens all in 1 oz. The only 4 oz I bought was smoke as you and Whit speak highly of it. I have a winged figure to do so you can imagine how many poses that suggest! Hence my idea of over lapping images to nail the pose.

Also some more Auto-Air and Createx Gloss Top Coat. I started some experiments with Elmer's Glue (PVA) and Varethane Diamond Wood Finish. I will pick up some Future Acrylic Floor Polish and POR1 5's Plucid one component urethane top coat sollution today. Unless someone points out differently I plan to try all of these in the airbrush. I would expect Turpinoid will clean out the rough stuff. Coast guy was admen t about using the Auto-Air cleaner and their branded airbrush lube so I bought them too.

Lots more colors I would of liked, but as it is my creditors will be pressing their noses against my windows all month.

[colourshift]

Just FYI...I am a huge fan of EZ air's intense airbrush cleaner, if you can find it...their oil brush cleaner is virtually the same formula ( I asked, as I can't find the intense cleaner, half the time)...clears out dried ComArt, AA, Createx textile...whatever evil has dried in your brush, this stuff will get it out with a good soak.
Createx also makes an airbrush restorer, just about the same thing....

[Stephen Casey]

Right on Lynne I'll keep my eyes peeled for the EZ Air's. The POR 15 turned out to be priced at $33 for 8 oz locally so I will just work with what i have for now. I suspect I will get a couple o these media to accomplish my primary task.

GLOSS - Satin - Matte textures over polyurethane and NSP clay. And building highly consistent layers over curvaceous surfaces.

But I will want to try everything I can get my hands on as sometimes when we have a problem licked we could of done even better. I can cast water clear and frost sculpture now but recently improved the clear to my surprise. Unfortunately I would have to atomize lighter fluid to archive that level of gloss and since I intend to employ other artist that is definitively not acceptable.

I found some "Liquitex Glossies" high gloss acrylic enamel - at Michaels and snagged it as I forgot this morning. I also picked up a bag of decrative glass beads with the intention of dropping one into each bottle of paint to help shake them up.

To be host I am just relieved to have the bulk of the airbrushing purchases out of the way so I can sculpt this weekend. You folks were an enormous help.

I have been noodling out some possible illustrations the last couple days that I could do as time permits and skills improve. Original content, one may be trite I don't know, that is the problem with dipping into new art forms we do not know what has been done to death already. After looking around some more I will PM a few of you with the concept before I bother fleshing it out.