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NOTES FROM JIM COBB

WHAT COLOUR IS THAT?

As featured in Australian Artist Magazine - click to download the article

A new way to find out how to mix the colours you want!

I have started a series of videos on colour mixing which I mentioned in the last issue but they will appear on the website section of this newsletter because the colours are more accurate on the 'net than in print – however we will also have still shots which you can download showing you what the mixes are to arrive at whatever colour is being shown.

The concept is that if you're painting a landscape and wonder how to mix a green that you need you will able to consult your Smart Phone to match the colour you are looking for or you could look at the chart on your wall. Over time we can accumulate other colours needed for landscapes and then move on to useful colour mixes for figure painting and so on covering all the categories.

As all this is a ‘work in progress’ I would appreciate reader feedback about the way I am proceeding. Please email your feedback to marketing@chromaonline.com.

SHADES OF GREEN

We begin with "shades of green" which will prove to be extremely useful for mixing the many greens you find in the landscape.

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

 

THE MIXED GREENS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ask Me Your Questions

Do you know that Chroma has a technical service facility that can help you with your painting questions? I know that there are many artists who would like to ask questions and emailing them to me is the perfect way to get an answer. Email your question to marketing@chromaonline.com making sure to put ASK JIM in the subject line and I will respond. Please include your phone number in case I need to discuss your question in a little more depth.

Our New Atelier Acrylic Mediums Promotion Continues …

I have decided to extend the Medium’s promotion on our websites only and I have listed them in this month’s internet section. This is a good way to provide access for artists who haven’t been able to get the new Mediums from their local shop.

Another way for you to proceed would be to email us at marketing@chromaonline.com stating who you are and what you want to order and we will send it direct to an art shop that you nominate.

The Unlocking Formula Method

For traditional techniques avoid using Unlocking Formula. For Interactive use add Unlocking Formula with the paints and Mediums either by dipping your brush into the Unlocking Formula as you go along or use an atomiser spray to keep an area activated. Actually we have a great Fine Mist Sprayer in our range you can buy which is specially designed for this job.

  • The New Mediums all have a double function: use with Unlocking Formula for prolonged blending, and use without Unlocking Formula for standard use.
  • The mediums are arranged in a viscosity ladder making it easy for artists to match up the medium to the work that they are doing.
  • They all dry to a satin finish which matches the heavy bodied paints Atelier Interactive and Atelier A2.
  • It is important that these Mediums form a coordinated approach to the use of Mediums which artists should find very useful.
  • All the established mediums, such as Slow, Fast, Universal, etc., remain in place.

I think the Viscosity Ladder concept (click here) which we are using to describe the different Mediums should be very helpful for people who want to match a Medium to the work they do. I need to point out that Clear Painting Medium from the list of established Mediums does work in both the traditional and interactive ways, and sits on the Viscosity Ladder between Middle Medium and Thin Medium.

Atelier Heavy Gel (Satin)

This gives you the body and texture of oil paint – even Heavy Bodied Acrylics need a boost to look like oil paints.

Available in 250ml pots

Atelier Thick Painting Medium

Used to lubricate your painting without losing viscosity – it extends the heavy bodied consistency of the paint itself. It simply will not work unless you use at least one part to one part of paint, because the purpose of the Medium is to create a wet layer, ie. a blanket of wet paint, and once this is established you will not need to spritz with Unlocking Formula much or perhaps not at all, depending on the weather.

When you have finished a layer it can be dried easily by applying warmth (ie. sunlight, draft from an air conditioner or hair dryer).

Available in 250ml bottles and 1L bottles.

 

Atelier Middle Painting Medium

This has a juicy consistency good for lubricating and smoothing out thicker paint and for glazing and so on. It is thinner than the paint itself.

Available in 250ml bottles.

 

Clear Painting Medium

This is the most popular Atelier painting medium and sits between the Middle Medium and the Thin Medium on the Viscosity Ladder. When mixed with Atelier Interactive, you create easy-to-manipulate mixtures that are also useful for edge blending wet over dry, for scumbling and for glazing. You can over paint layers once they are dry, but you can also use the Unlocking Formula to extend wet blending.

 

 

 

 

Atelier Thin Medium

At first this seems to be very watery. It liquefies acrylic dramatically and turns out to be surprisingly useful.

Available in 60ml and 250ml bottles.

Please note:  The above mediums are being added to the existing, long established range of Atelier Mediums - the Slow, Thick Slow, Universal, etc. There are no immediate plans to discontinue a medium that artists may depend on and love.