What is your favourite painting material and why?

1. 92

   Docmoposted 12 years ago

   What is your favourite painting material and why?
   
   Different media give different artistic freedom and expression- oil, water, pastel, acrylic, gouache - what do you prefer and why?

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   whonunuwhoposted 12 years ago

   I have been a painter for quite a long time. I began with water colors as a teenager and graduated to oils a little later. I found that dealing with the oils caused me to have allergic reactions to the various oils I used, and the length of time that was required for the oil paints to dry properly, was frustrating at times. I did enjoy the blending that oils allow. I later came to use acrylic paints and have used them to this day for more than twenty years. I have found them to be clean, dependable, dry quickly and I have been able to blend and use the paints with almost as good a quality as oil paints. The newer paints on the market are very bright and are good media sources for any kind of painting, be it modern art, impressionistic, realism, or whatever subject the artist uses. They are good for portrait painting as well. My chosen interest is primarily wild life art and I have done well over the years in portraying the animals and birds that I so admire. I used pastel chalks and charcoal earlier in my career and also a little pencil drawing. I am exclusively an acrylic painter these days, although an occasional water color might sneak in to my media choice.Many of my subjects can be viewed on my hubs and I find that they are perfect for holding interest for other readers and viewers.

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   1. 92

      Docmoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Wow - must be an amazing feeling as a project comes together.

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      MickSposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry, you don't graduate to oils, like moving up classes at school, all art forms have their own little skills an quirks for us to learn.

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   Glosheiposted 12 years ago

   I am  not really painter although I like try it helps with frustration. My favourite is water color as I can get the mix right, I have tried oils but I find them too thick perhaps it's me not knowing enough about it..
   Like I said I am no painter I wish I was as I really do enjoy it.

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   1. 92

      Docmoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I know the feeling. I am a dabbler and impatient so I don't use oils much - I love pastels, ink, watercolour as they are quick. I also  recently loved the digital painting using IPad apps!

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   RNMSNposted 12 years ago

   I do not think of myself as an artist...things rarely come out of my head...but I have been able to copy with some bit of satisfaction..and thats fun...I use the pyrography pen and prefer not to paint my work at all. When I want to copy something on just paper/wood/sandpaper/cloth then I use crayons and pastels mixed together makes a great and lovely mess and I love it!

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      MickSposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Burning marks into wood so they form pleasing shapes and patterns is creative, you are an artist, don't knock yourself.

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5. 60

   MickSposted 12 years ago

   
   
   I always used watercolour; with oils I usually ended up with a muddy mess.
   Early last year I suffered a stroke, now I use mostely soft pastels, Charcoal, and sometimes watercolour pencils.  Somehow the stroke caused problems with my manipulation of the brush and wet washes so I have had to start over again and learn the new techniques I now need with pastels, etc.

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      Docmoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Oh I 'm sorry to hear that. I really admire your spirit of shaking off,picking up a new material and painting again. Bravo!

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      MickSposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the encouragement, Doc.

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6. 66

   Amy Bechererposted 12 years ago

   My favorite art material is oil paints on canvas.  I have tried acrylic paints with success, but I find the colors lack the depth that oils possess.  Acrylic paints dry quickly, while oils take months to dry completely.  Technique is something that only develops with the time and experience that fosters learning. I am experimenting with a technique that is new to me as I am self-taught. I am finding that mathematics and science factor into art. To my incredulous surprise, this concept was explored on NPR today with a discussion by neurologists. I don't know if it is common among other painters, but have noticed that I experience a heightened visual acuity during periods when I paint prolifically.  For example, when I paint I am completely immersed in the act, which involves intense observation and study and if I look away and at the TV, the picture on the television looks like a painting to me.  I notice every detail, line, color and highlight as if I'd painted it. This can last for months after the intensity of actually painting. But, you asked about materials and I find that I can "push the paint" with oils and almost sculpture my work. At times, I will flip the brush over and use the edge of the handle like a knife to form an intricate corner or strand of hair or to perfectly achieve the shape of a nostril or curve of a lip.
   
   The smallest detail in a painting carries great weight. No detail, therefore, is small.  The other day I struggled with the scroll like finish on the bumper on an old car. I only had one side in the photo to study. I have great difficulty visualizing "opposites". Finally, I had to look at the scroll from another perspective, which I broke down into mathematical shapes and when I accomplished this, it was perfect...and I was ecstatic.  Every painting teaches me something monumental.  It is an artform that will never cease to amaze, teach and intrigue me.  Every moment that passes changes the light that leads me to a new view.

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      Docmoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Dear Amy, it takes great skill and visual memory to translate an image into oils. I do love the textures and the richness of oil but lack the discipline to attempt it! You've inspired me to try.

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7. 68

   golfcart34posted 12 years ago

   For me, acrylics are my paints of preference.  I'm not an artist by trade, just a hobbyist, so I usually just get acrylic craft paint and play around with that.  I also love how it cleans easily with water so I don't ruin my brushes.  I've played with oils but I'm not too fond of them.  I may actually get some watercolors for my travel kit, but I haven't decided yet.

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8. 74

   Dbroposted 12 years ago

   This article is in answer to the question, "What is your favorite painting material and why?"  The explanation that follows gives reasons for the answer - reasons that speak to the universality of the desire to express ourselves creatively. read more

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9. 61

   Gail Daleyposted 12 years ago

   I prefer acrylics for their fast drying time and versatility. You can make your art look like either oil or watercolor depending on the technique you use.

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    ishwaryaa22posted 12 years ago

    As a child, I used good quality acrylic paints for my paintings. I like acrylic paints as it give a smooth and natural effect to my pictures. Acrylic paints dry up faster than other paints and acrylic paint colours can be mixed in a bowl to achieve different strokes and hues for the paintings.

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    landscapeartistposted 12 years ago

    For me, I don't have one favorite painting material.  I love to express my style on every type of material that I can.  Wood and metal tend to be my most common at the present time, but given time, I will sway towards another of my common materials.  The only thing that I don't have that much time for is skulpting.  Time and patience go together for me where skulpting is concerned. 
    I love acrylic painting no matter what the material, so I guess that I would have to say that my favorite is acrylic.  It may not blend as good as oil but I can use it on anything.

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12. 79

    joanwzposted 12 years ago

    I prefer pastels. I know most people consider them chalk, but they are technically straight pigment. And pastel artwork is generally accepted as pastel paintings. I like the richness of the colors you can get with pastels.

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       MickSposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Don't make excuses for pastels, you are being creative, don't worry about what other people consider them to be, just enjoy them, and what you produce.

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       landscapeartistposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       i have tried pastels on different occasions and i am always left wondering the same thing.  what is the best surface to use pastels on?

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       MickSposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Best surface for pastels.  There are so many.  you need a textured surface, I use Ingres paper, and Daler Rowney Murano paper.  My favourite is Clairefontaine pastelmat.

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    Omer123posted 9 years ago

    i think acrylic colors are the best because they can dry faster and they are easy to use

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