8x10
Acrylics on linen on panel
Day 16 of
30 Paintings in 30 Days
Hmmm....this painting was done in acrylics and I've been working on it off and on during this challenge....
I usually paint in oil and the other week I was so excited to get started I didn't even turn my fan on. Well, what happened was that I developed a cough. I believe, after inhaling too much of the mineral spirits. So needless to say, after that I found a way to open the big windows in my studio (which is in a class room in an old elementary school). I also have a fan blowing on me and crossing my palette to blow the fumes away from me and keeping the air ventilated. I've been reading up on alternatives to mineral spirits because I think that even though Gamsol is safer than Turpentine, it still affects me.
One would think that it would be so much easier if I could just work in Acrylics? Well, one would think, yes.
But, after sort of fighting with this painting for more than a week, which is not because I had problems with the composition or subject matter so much, but simply because I felt like I was fighting paint drying too quickly, not being able to mix the colors to get the colors I wanted and also not being able to manipulate the paint to do what I wanted it to do. I'm giving it up:-)
Unless I can figure out a different way to work with acrylics (Golden Open Acrylics) I'm sticking to oils.
I might even try painting this painting again with oils to compare.
Has anyone else had this experience with mineral spirits? Or has anyone figured out a better alternative?
Happy Painting!
Hi Anette, I use Golden open acrylics and they have a longer drying time, I also use regular acrylics with them and they work together well. There is also an acrylic called Chroma acrylics and you can actually spray a medium they make on the acrylic and it makes them workable again! I want to try those as soon as I run out of my Golden acrylics.
ReplyDeleteAlso I use water soluble oils and you don't have to use any medium with them and they wash up with water.
I have the same problem with acrylics and also have trouble with the mineral spirits fumes. I've switched to water miscible oils. They still contain oil and take as long to dry as regular oils, but you can clean your brushes with soap and water. They let me paint with oils again!
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