The Medium?
I'm sorry, I don't know what sort of paint to use to achieve the effect I'm after - namely to get different colour paints to fragment into swirls/beads with wavy edges. I'm afraid this is a rather inadequate description of the effect, but as I'm an absolute beginner (I've never painted anything other than my bathroom wall!) I don't even know the correct terms to use. Apologies!
But I found pictures of the sort of thing I hope to do - for example Miertje Skidmore's paintings have just the effect I'm after. The tiny, wavy edges where the paints separate, just like a satellite image of a delta.
The Problem?
I've tried Googling, for literally hours on end, to find out how to do this. I've searched your website, and read the faqs. I've searched the library catalogue. All to no avail.
I've tried mixing oil with acrylic paint; putting oil on the canvas under acrylic paint; spattering acrylic paint with oil; mixing water with oil paint; and dropping water onto oil paint. All spectacularly unsuccessful.
Advice
- Please can you tell me how to achieve the desired effect of separation and fragmentation. I would be very grateful and try all suggestions. Thank you.
Marion Boddy-Evans, Painting Guide, says:
Oil and acrylics together makes me think you're thinking of the techniques used in marbling, but I wonder if the effect you're after isn't created by pouring fluid acrylic paint. With varying degrees of viscosity and depending on how dry the paint already on the canvas is, an amazing array of effects can be achieved. Add in different types of acrylic mediums (and how well you mix paint into them), whether you're working on primed or unprimed canvas, and you've even more variation.
