Linen is a beautiful material that some artists prefer over cotton canvas for its pronounced weave and sensuous feel. Linen fibers are also stronger than cotton, resulting in a more durable, longer lasting support. While they are durable and rugged, flax fibers absorb moisture from the environment, or an applied product, more quickly than cotton, … Read more
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Spray Fixatives for PanPastels are usually aerosol cans with strong solvents. This new recipe uses a water-based acrylic medium through an airbrush to fix pastels, PanPastels, Charcoal and other delicate media.
(Or, how to keep your tubes from turning into tiny, paint-filled fossils) Let’s be honest—during the heat of painting, “tube maintenance” isn’t high on anyone’s list. We’re more likely to lose the cap than to carefully twist it shut. But once the flurry of creation settles, taking a few minutes to give your paints … Read more
Being able to make paint from pigment powder is empowering and opens up possibilities. While the steps are straightforward, one might have to experiment for a while to get to a formulation that works for a specific application. In this article we provide a general recipe for making acrylic paints from scratch. Please keep in … Read more
New pigmented QoR Watercolors New Iridescent and Interference QoR Watercolors GOLDEN introduced new colors to QoR Watercolors in February of 2024, six months after this article about our lightfast testing of the entire QoR watercolor line. The newest colors were not included in the article since the paints were not yet available to artists. We tested … Read more
Mark Golden: Gordon, thank you so much for allowing me to explore your story and share it with our artist community. As our newest Materials and Applications Specialist, I’m sure they will get to know you and certainly appreciate your expertise, so thank you for this opportunity. Gordon Millsaps: Thanks for showing interest. Mark: You … Read more
A pastel painting radiates color from a matte pigment-rich surface. This distinctive medium is also incredibly fragile, so pastel works are typically displayed behind glass. Fixative coatings provide stabilization, keeping the delicate dry pigment particles from falling off the surface and landing on the glass or frame. We often receive questions from artists regarding fixatives … Read more
By Golden Artist Colors At Golden Artist Colors, we’re deeply committed to developing and supporting materials that reflect the real-world needs and preferences of artists. That’s why we regularly turn to professional painters for insight—not just about how our products perform, but how they feel, mix, and function in the studio. Earlier this year, we … Read more
Since their introduction in 2007, PanPastel Artist Pastels have inspired the pastel world with their pan format and sponge applicators, allowing for smooth, even applications, soft fades and gradients. They combine the visual power of pure pigments with the mixability of paint and can be used with almost any other drawing or painting material, making … Read more
In a previous article The Science and Seduction of Luminescent Colorants, we discussed what makes Fluorescent and Phosphorescent pigments unique. To summarize, electrons can be charged with light energy, causing them to become excited and temporarily jump to a higher orbit. As they release this energy in the form of photons (light), it results in … Read more
