Help: Is Matisee Structure the same as Atelier Interactive??

Tango · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Melbourne

After using Atelier acrylic paints from their start I am dissapointed to find that their Interactive paints are not for me as I have developed my style using the old quick drying formula , and I feel with the interactive they are trying to be all things to all people [ but not me] if I want interactive paint I just change over to oil paint..

Nishart · Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 116 Location: Victoria

thanks for that everyone,

If your interested...here's an update of my first use of Atelier Interactive...

(i am getting the feel for these paints to see if i like them. I do love acrylics & oils in their own right but want to try these for something more flexible in acrylics than the normal type.)

It has been interesting to learn more about these paints. I had my first experience with them last weekend. I wil have to play with some normal acrylics to compare the difference.

My feelings on them so far?...I enjoyed the fluid nature of the paint, the ability to add tiny bits of water (dipping brush in water on occasion) to help it flow better. It was great in giving me time to spread the paint evenly and try to get a more even color or spread of color.

The paint did dry quickly but i got the feeling slightly slower than usual acrylics. I felt I could get a smoother consistency too but that can be done with different mediums for any acrylics I guess. (I think i will try some of the hardening/slowing mediums too at some point)

Having only done one layer to my painting so far, with only one color (& not sealed it first, I am told by my supplier of this canvas i dont need to seal as its already gessoed enough as its a better quality canvas - i will experiment with sealers later). It was a warm night but the paint didnt dry to touch too quickly.

I think the only thing i have found difficult to get used to after using normal acrylics....is that if you try to go over an area you have already painted, if its partially dry/wet, I tended to get some parts of the paint lifting off completely, thus leaving less paint on the surface & sometimes getting pitting off of paint like tiny bits of plastic peeling off sorta.

I think the trick is to do the first layer & if i want to do a second layer, to darken the effect of color, then i need to allow it to dry properly over a few days, so that if i add any water later on it wont lift any old paint & will add paint over the top without any probs.

I am leaving it for a week to ensure it is properly dry, I am gonna see how it handles the next layer on the weekend (if i have enough paint rofl).
I love the color & feel so far though, I just have to get used to it i guess and the different techniques i need to approach it with Smile

....will let you know how it goes if your interested Smile

.

Chrissy D · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 1053 Location: Queensland

I have been using Interactive for a while now (progressively over the last 12months or so)...I find they do dry quick but not as quickly as normal acrylics. There open time is longer and does allow for blending time, but like more acrylics you do need to use mediums to help blending and open/drying time.

I like that interactive are creamier and thicker than normal acrylics allowing for me to be thinned down if need be (I like some thick impasto style work).

Nishart · Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 116 Location: Victoria

Just a quick hello & to say...I am loving the Atelier Interactive paints!
I love their ability to give me more time to paint without drying on me before I am finished and they really have a nice smooth finish I am really liking. I have decided, after much reading, that the slowing agent will more useful for detailed work but so far I am hooked.

The only down side I am finding, getting used to the downtime between layers, but I am ok with it as its alot quicker than oils, smells less & easy to clean....And the other downside is when I was attempting to do a 2nd layer of paint too soon I was accidentally removing bits of paint off the canvas from the first layer. this showed up at plasticy bits sometimes and/or white canvas showing thru. thankfully i noticed this early on, fixed it easily enough, let the canvas thoroughly dry over a few days or at least a week or two and did 2nd layer no prob. Admittedly i did use alot of water on those first two base shades but it did come up well in the end.

I havent used the spray mister yet or the slow medium...yet to see what theyre like.

Brad Buchel

Re Atelier Interactive and Pigments etc...

I wanted to give a plug to these paints and the guys at Chroma. Yes Atelier Interactive are genuinely as good as everyone says they are. In the USA in particular these paints are becoming a big sensation rapidly converting painters from other brands. So much so, I have heard of some artists titling their works in exhibitions as "Medium: Atelier Interative" rather then "Medium: Acrylic Paint". It's a selling point!

Anyone painting in acrylics, or oils for that matter should beg, borrow or buy some tubes and give them a try to explore the new painting possibilities themselves.

I have known Jim Cobb for over 10 years now, his passion for making the best possible paint for artists is truly incredible and very infectious. He invented the formula for Atelier Interactive after a lot of experimentation, (hes always experimenting to improve paints!) he never sits idle; he does this for artists not for profits which is something so rare these days.

This is not new for Jim, many of Chroma's paint products have been 1sts in the industry, not only in Australia but internationally... some have even been patented technology.

Other paint companies watch carefully what Chroma does and some will try to replicate what they do becuase they are the leader and make great paint. Regardless though, I genunnely feel that Jim's paints have that "It" factor, that just can't be replicated. Anything new from Chroma is certainly worth trying...

You can read about their paint here: http://www.atelierinteractive.com or email them and ask them to post you out a little brochure.

Brad.

feebee · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 24 Location: Wollongong

Another Interactive addict checking in...

Having always been into all things arty, I had a tonne of mediums, gels, pastes & mixed media 'stuff' to use in my work, but the majority of my paints were cheap quality.

Now that I have my own art studio, I decided to get a little more serious about my work in regards to attempting to exhibit & sell.

I bought just a few tubes of Interactive & was instantly hooked. I got the hang of using them very quickly, & love the consistency, the rich colour, smooth application, & of course the longer open time.

A short time later, I now own 40 tubes, & a couple of the mediums Smile

If you want to keep working on your piece, with no downtime for wet over dry painting, I totally reccommend trying the Atelier Fast Medium/Fixer. I brush a thin layer over the area I want to work on, & a couple of minutes later, I'm painting again with no re-activation or effect on my previous layer. Great stuff!

So, can I have a job at Chroma as spokeman? Very Happy

Hey, I've got to fund my addiction somehow lol.

thecatsgrin · Joined: 18 Apr 2009 Posts: 2181 Location: Gippsland

I stumbled across this thread the other day, and was curious... i always used what ever paint was on hand (usually jo sonja and house paint!) but i made a note to myself if i sold anything in the 1st show i had entered this year, then i would buy myself some better paints, i bought mattise, love them, but after reading this, i was as i said, curious , and needed a new blue paint, so.... i got a tube of the atelier today!! I was really impressed they had the exact blue i was after... i wont need to mix my own now!!
So i will let you know how i find it after a bit of a play around later!! (the colour has me sold so far!!)

Nishart · Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 116 Location: Victoria

Hey all,

Its great to hear about other people experimenting with these too Smile

.

Thought I would add an update re using Atelier Interactive on a canvas I am working on for the Chelsea Art Show. I did the next stages of the canvas.

Stage 2:
(cant remember if I mentioned this bit previously)
Over a period of 3-5 days I did 1 layer per day of a dry paint affect. Its hard to say if its better than normal acrylics with this (not alot of experience), though it did seem to make the process easier to get the right affect without the paint going chalky before I was done. The only way i can put it, it seemed to make the process less frustrating than when I have used normal acylics. Maybe I am biased but whenever I use normal acrylics (even matisse) I was never quite happy with the dry time and the affects.

Stage 3:
This time I needed to do most of it with a dry smudged/messy affect. I watered down (alot) some white (Titanium) white in a small bowl, added small amounts of some brown to get a hint of off white color, it wasnt quite what I wanted, so added some (Matisse acrylic) green (my own mix from a yellow & blue) & got the hint of color I wanted. I wanted it to drip easily, so flicked it across the canvas in several spots. It was a watery white but not a watercolor see thru white. I then smudged it with paint knife and then a damp baby bib (yep i have confiscated it for my painting lol).

At this point in painting I went oh DARN!(but more colorful lol) I have stuffed up the previous stage completely, what am i going to do about the art show. Some hours later, wearing PJ's, thus getting some paint spots & smudges all over them, I managed to rescue it to an awesome affect. One lesson learnt...dont be afraid to mess over the previous layer. Obviously it depends on what affect your after I guess.

Ultimately, I found these paints coped with being smudged with a damp baby's bib (with at least 4 distinct spots of different paint color on it), dabbed with scrunched newspaper, flicked with a paint brush, all done in a period of 3-4 hours. As I was mostly working with very thin amounts of paint at each application, the painting was quite quick drying in one sitting. One of the couple of occasions that the paint was a tiny bit thicker, I just gave them a bit of time to dry (got a drink etc) while I waited.

I dont miss the chalky mess I used to get with other acrylics. Yep I know, I am probably over bragging these paints...I am sorry for that. I am just so wrapped to find some paints that are so user friendly for an old oils artist. It suits my need to be safe around family members & I dont have to worry about smells & difficult to clean messes off carpet (well not as much lol). I was so frustrated with normal acrylics before finding these paints that I was about to resort to only using house paint sample pots! Smile

lol.

Just in case anyone asks...I still like house paint pot samples but the atelier interactive give me a bit more flexibility if I want a thicker paint affect.

I am about to do the next stage & paint with a thick brush using thick brush strokes while allowing some different selected colors of white & brown intermix...hopefully it dries quick enough for me to finish the rest of it off. Doing these things at the last minute for an artshow really is madness rofl.

Dont know if this topic has helped people make up their minds regarding Atelier Interactive but I thought the feedback of my experimenting with them might be useful info for someone Smile

. I have found reading other people's notes has helped me & been very useful. Its meant I have learnt a better way to approach using these paints & how to use them more affectively.

jasmine

thecatsgrin · Joined: 18 Apr 2009 Posts: 2181 Location: Gippsland

jasmine

yeah those sales can be great Wendy - I've picked up some of the higher series colours in those sales as well. thanks for letting me know the riot prices. Smile

feebee · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 24 Location: Wollongong

jasmine

Fantastic Feebee! You've saved me a lot of researching time! Thanks! Very Happy

Tango · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Melbourne

Or you could join the Smart Art Club, which is now for FREE and get them even cheaper Atelier Interactive Series 1 $4.75. Series 2 $5.15 - $5.75. Series 3 $6.80-$6.95. Series 4 $8.40-$8.95. Series 5 $12.75. Series 6 $16.20. www.smartartclub.com.au

Nishart · Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 116 Location: Victoria

Wow thats great prices. Whats the Smart Art Club?

The Artshop guys have been very helpful when I have purchased stuff. They do have alot of stock you can order, even if its not on the shelf.

A brief update: ever have one of those "Oh no" moments? Spending weeks getting layers of paint to the right affect, ready for the main picture over the top and then completely stuffing it up.

Yep I had to start over with a new canvas, doh!! It doesnt look as good (the base painting) but I am still happy with it and have gained new ideas on how to make it better than the original canvas i stuffed up lol.

Though my dilemma in meantime. I have found new art show in Cranbourne I can enter work into, if i have time to.

Anyone got any ideas on how to loosen up acrylic paint so i can reuse the original canvas? I want to get rid of the thick parts of paint that I cant hide if i reuse the canvas. Anyone got any ideas?