Paint Mediums, Primers, Finishes, and Tools Used by Decorative Painters

Using only leftover firewood from his cooking fire and the red yellow substance he found in the dirt floor of his Altamira cave dwelling, Paleolithic man painted bison on the cave wall to such a relatively high level of sophistication that had Picasso gasping “After Altamira, all is decadence.” Picasso must have meant that the use by the cave dwellers of crude charcoal and hematite as their paint, and the cave wall as their canvas to express their innermost fears, doubts, and joy is an art form so primal and pure it could never again be duplicated.

All the modern decorative painter might probably want to do is to come up with faux verdigris finish for the cheap metal wall art he came across a thrift shop in Messina to complement the discount wall décor he picked up in a flea market in Milan, and not compete with Altamira for raves (the bison were remarkably life-like, and employed an early version of chiaroscuro, a technique thought to have developed only in the Renaissance). For this task, the modern decorative painter has far superior materials to work with.

Here’s a list of materials other than paint that the modern decorative painter has at his disposal:

Latex Paint Conditioner

Originally developed for use in latex spray painting, latex paint conditioners are also used in making paint glaze for faux finishes. The resulting mixture is lighter and produces a translucent paint finish that’s without the overlapping look. It may be used with latex or acrylic paint.

Acrylic Paint Extender

Have you ever wondered how faux marble gets its characteristic veins? Well, the veins are “painted” using feathers, but it’s acrylic paint extender that thins the acrylic paint and gives it its translucence to make the veining possible.

Textile Medium

Textile medium allows acrylic paint to seep into the fabric fibers, resulting in permanent painted designs that can be machine-washed.

Acrylic Paint Thickener

Wood graining, marbling, and combing require a thicker consistency of the paint, and this is where acrylic paint thickeners come in.

Flat Latex Primer

Primers are used to seal porous surfaces so that the paint will spread well without soaking in, resulting in fewer coats of paint. Primers also help adhesion. If you’re working with an unfinished wallboard or one which has been previously painted, you need this primer.

Latex Enamel Undercoat

This is used for priming most unfinished woods or ones that have been previously painted or stained. This is not used for plywood, redwood, nor cedar.

Rust-Inhibiting Latex Metal Primer

Allows water-based paint to be used on metal without causing the metal to rust.

Polyvinyl Acrylic Primer

This is used in painting plaster or unglazed pottery where a smooth finish is desired.

Stain-Killing Primer

It was mentioned that latex enamel undercoat must not be used on plywood, redwood, and cedar. For this types of wood, stain-killing primer is used. This is also used to prime glossy surfaces like glazed pottery and ceramic, doing away with the need to degloss. This is also used to seal stains like ink or grease.

Clear Finish

After painting, painted surfaces are often given a final finishing coat for durability and scratch- resistance. Clear finishes like urethanes and acrylics may be used.

Aerosol Clear Acrylic Sealer

This is used to protect the painted surface, and is available in matte or gloss. The gloss version adds sheen to the final finish. Imagine Use only the kind that do not have harmful fluorocarbons or methylene chloride.

Original Paintings – the Dream of Every Art Collector

In the complex world of computer graphics and 3D animation, artists that are schooled in the traditional methods of their trade are faced with uncertain future due to the technology of the 21’st century. New and original digital art tools keep emerging with every passing day, taking the art world to great heights.

Artists who endeavor to sell their original paintings and attempt to make a living from the sale have to be gifted, dedicated, know the trends of the market, and above all, be persevering. With so many styles to chose, an artist may find it difficult or if not impossible to guarantee the success of his or her original paintings to be displayed in prestigious art galleries, or find eccentric buyers who will pay for it.

Skeptics have always considered that painting is not a “real” job. Well, let me say that it is a job as hard and as usual as any other job. Do you know how hard and frustrating is to sometimes have an idea that you can’t materialize on the canvas? It can be really bugging, trust me on that! The secret is to keep focusing on the work, to not let the stress get you and you will see that eventually your painting will start to get the shape that you are looking for.

The painters who were once only able to illustrate their original paintings on paper using brushes have nowadays the wonderful opportunity of churning out their visionary works in a fraction of the time, and with much less physical effort and no mess. Photographers who used to pull out all of their hair out until getting the correct lighting, position, and shutter speed of a photograph now have to just snap a picture and then glorify it on the PC.

Original paintings – the complexity of coming up with an original thought in the world of art is quite a difficult thing to accomplish. One method of achieving this goal is to look around the environment to get inspirational insight. The ability of combining image with color and contrast is the measure of an artist’s true ability to make the vision stand out in the real world. A perfect example of this phenomenon can be seen in the caves of Lasceaux – France and Altimira in Spain, where the images of extinct species have been carbon dated to 10,000 years ago.

Prehistoric man drew these images, which are enshrined on solid rock using the most primitive of tools, and have withstood the test of time. In the age of modern technology, the same can be said when artisans can upload paintings, edit, and modify them as much as they want to, and then store it on the world wide web servers which in theory makes them timeless.

Whether you have your own website or if you are appealing on others in order to upload paintings online, you must be aware about the contention concerning the idea that questions if the image produced is infinitely reproducible, and therefore can never remain an original digital art piece, or not.

When you decide to upload paintings, there is an essential thing you should know: many people in the art world will always argue that digital art has nothing on the real thing; this is a completely erroneous statement, as some digital artists that upload paintings have taken the decision of deleting the image file of the masterpiece when it is finished, thereby rendering the piece an original.

Oil Painting Reproduction – Add Glitter to your Home and Office Decor

It is the dream of every homeowner to beautify his house so as to attract gazes of wonder and admiration from their guests and visitors. A person’s living room is the focal point of everyone’s attention. As such, it should be well furnished and decorated. You can now use elegant oil painting reproductions at a very low price for decorating your house. While decorating your house with some of the fine art works of famous painters, it is always not easy to find the right painting. Whether it’s an original painting or an oil painting reproduction, a connoisseur of art will have a tough time in selecting the perfect painting among the many. People often love to decorate their house with the painting they want. Due to the high price of an authentic painting, they are keen to buy oil painting reproductions according to their choice at low prices.
Oil painting reproduction enterprises create copies of the authentic oil painting masterpieces of renowned artists. It has become a popular trend for people to decorate their houses and offices with beautiful masterpieces of renowned artists. People are showing a keen interest in oil painting reproductions to decorate their homes and offices that are available at an affordable price. Oil painting reproduction is a perfect solution in such cases where an artist can reproduce the masterpieces of world-renowned artists.
Oil paintings are available in various themes, shapes and sizes. Original oil paintings painted on canvas or cardboard are very costly. Majority of the original oil paintings are displayed in museums and art galleries. Private collectors also buy few original art paintings for personal enjoyment or for decorating office and home. There are large numbers of companies who provide reproductions of well-known artists’ artworks at a very low cost.
You can even decorate your office walls with oil painting reproductions of famous artists if you are on a tight budget. In order to add color and glitter to your office décor, you can use various oil painting reproductions. Now at an affordable price, you can hang famous painting reproductions by skilled artists. Your wall décor will become the attention-seeker for all the guests entering your room. An ordinary dull wall can be smartening up by hanging gorgeous oil painting reproductions.
Various companies are selling oil painting reproductions using skilled artists. Such companies hire artists who create oil painting reproductions according to their clients’ choice. Companies even offer people an extensive online art gallery where they can browse and choose the paintings for their home or office. Majority of art galleries have art reproductions from all master painters like Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Leonardo da Vinci, Paul Gauguin, Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh and many more.
Oil paintings of friend and loved ones are one of the best gift options available these days. You can also gift an oil painting reproduction to your friend and bring a smile to his or her face. A beautifully painted portrait on canvas is the most effective way to convey a message to your loved one that you truly care about his or her happiness.
Art reproductions are recreations of classic masterpieces that are hand-painted by talented artists to capture the true colors and significance of famous paintings from the past. Oil paintings can spruce up your office walls as well as can smarten up your home décor. Many art fans collect oil painting reproductions as a hobby hoping to earn a return made on the investment in the future.