Impasto, Texture, Gels & mediums - What do you use?

Brad Buchel

I use alot of different artists painting mediums in my paintings to create textured surfaces and various textural effects.

...EG: Appxy Resin, Texture Gel, PVC Glue, Silcon etc etc... I'd be interested to read about what other artists have experimented with to get texture effects in their abstract paintings?

BB
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Dragonlady · Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 4

I'm a bit of a junkie when it comes to impasto gel - I love it! Although it is great for collage effects and texture, I really enjoy using a tiny bit of transparent paint, heaps of impasto gel - do this with a few colours - and then loosely swirl the lot together. As it dries, you can see the different colours blending and mixing and creating their own forms and colours.

The only problem is that it stinks!

Wendy.Bandurski · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:19 am Post subject:

interesting topic - in fact i tend to experiment a lot with inert materials as well.......i use pva a lot and also like to add texture with river sand and also garnet sand (from sandblasters)........it is interesting I do tend to stay away from gels i usually mix the sand directly into gouache.....but I am always looking for other ideas............ Smile

inkstorm · Joined: 19 Nov 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Murray River Region

I have used sand mixed with gesso as a base to paint over. Gel mediums can be fun, too. I have even brushed over the surface with a branch of gumleaves to see the effect, which came out very cool and random!

superfineline · Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Perth

i hate impasto, i feel like such a terror because everyone raves about it...I had a brief affair with gel medium and ended up despising it after it stuck to a easel and tore my canvas.
Im a total slave to liquitex though, it has never failed on me, although I liking atelier's new Fast Fixing medium, not for the drying time but for the fact it fixes the horrible consistency thier paint have had of late, i have a tube of sap green thats like bloody toothpaste, is so sad because i do love that colour but i dont use it for the discusting consistency and my cobalt blue cracks...bah..
but raw sugar does some special stuff when used in gesso as a background texture..

charlie_bruno · Joined: 10 May 2007 Posts: 44

Sand, talc, plaster impasto. I love the plaster/talc as it gives a really good matt look, plaster is that bit finer grit than the talc.

Greef · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Norway

I like to use Tiling putty, u can mix it with acrylic paint to get a really chunky paste and spread it across ur work then let it dry and sand it back. I dont mix the acrylic completely into it but rather leave a swirl effect...gives a nice texture when hard.
I also like to use Contact glue and apply it like jackson pollock would apply paint on a canvas...i find then if i use my heat gun directly after, the glue bubbles up and hardens and gives a great texture, just dont breath!
What else gives a good texture effect is if u spray down for example using spray paint, a coat of paint on a canvas, let it harden, then fill ur brush with a mixture of water and acrylic paint say using a blue...run it over the spray painted surface and because the water and paint resist the surface underneath it begins to bead and separate leaving a really cool effect. I let that dry and run a sealer medium over the top.

superfineline · Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Perth

but how does the tiling putty age? does it crack or does it eventually crumble???
interesting

Greef · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Norway

Well so far the tiling putty has shown no effects from ageing, i always place a sealer over the top to protect it also.

SandyW · Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 123 Location: Victoria Australia

This is a very interesting topic. I don't paint many abstracts but I have become more interested lately. It is good to read about what you folk are using and how you apply the different additives to get the effects you want.I am encouraged to become more adventurous.
Thanks for sharing
Sandy

Steve Gray · Joined: 17 Aug 2008 Posts: 1569 Location: Geelong

The Golden Acrylic mediums are great, I also add marble dust, talc, and aluminum dust (more as a colour really) and PVA. I like the work of Colin Pennock (Scott Livesey gallery in melb) VERY heavy impasto.

For years I had a "thing" against impasto as palette knife application of texture was so "passe'" but over the years seeing so much great texture I realised there was more to texture than met the eye.