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Author: David, Contributing Editor
| A WORD ABOUT TOXICITY OF PAINT
Some acrylic paints are toxic because they are made with pure pigments, containing materials/chemicals that can be harmful to the human body. Pure pigments are mostly found in professional-grade paints, but there are some student colors that use semi-pure to pure pigments. One reason student-grade paints have become so popular, mostly with students and art teachers, is because hues are formulated in place of harmful pigments. A hue is simply a paint that is made with chemicals/materials other than the pure pigment used in that color, usually for those who seek non-toxic paints. The disadvantage to this, though, is the color is, and will never be, the same as the pure one. You might see a color name like 'Cadmium Yellow Hue'. Cadmium is dangerous if not handled in a cautious way. So, the color 'Cadmium Yellow Hue' simply refers to the fact that this paint does not contain pure cadmium and is certified to be non-toxic. The back of your paint tubes will have a circle containing the letters 'AP' or 'CL'. 'AP' means that the paint is certified non-toxic and 'CL' means that there is something harmful about the paint. If one of your paints contains a 'CL' label, there will be a more specific description about its toxicity. For example, a color might say 'harmful if swallowed'. This is obviously common sense, but by stating this, there is something much more dangerous in the paint than there is in standard finger paint. So, check the label on the back of the tube for toxicity rating.The following is an example of a back of a paint tube label; note the letters 'AP' on the left side of the tube. |
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| PAINT NAMES- WHAT DO THEY MEAN?
Throughout your painting experience(s), you will probably come across some paint names which may seem confusing. The name usually refers to the pigment(s) used in the formulation of the paint. For example, 'Titanium White' is called that because it contains a small amount of titanium. It's hard to believe, but there are many paints that contain metals. Another example would be 'Cobalt Blue', made with cobalt. Some names simply describe the color, such as 'Yellow-Green Light',which simply means that the paint is made with yellow and green pigments, and mixed with a lighter pigment. Aside from these types of names, you may come across something that does not fall into either category. Manufacturers often include their own name, such as "Grumbacher Red' or 'Winsor Red'. There are some which you won't be able to understand without trying them. For further study on the composition of paints, Manufacturers' web sites are usually an excellent resource. |
| WHAT BRUSHES DO I NEED?
Just as with paints, there is an enormous selection of brushes to choose from. It's hard to know how well the brushes will suit you unless you actually try them out. This is obviously a hard thing to do, as most stores will not let you try out their brushes! From my experience though, I have not noticed such a big difference between brands. With that said, your concern is mainly with the type of brush, again of which there are many, both in shape and texture: e.g. bristle, natural hair and synthetic. So how do you know what to buy? It's hard to say the exact shapes you should get as everyone has their own way of painting. Basically, it's good to start out with the two most common shapes; flats and rounds. The picture below shows a variety of flat brush sizes. These are used for covering large areas or, using a smaller flat brush, to create small, straight details. The standard sizes of flat brushes are represented as numbers from 1 to 12, 12 being the largest size and 1 being the smallest size. I would suggest buying only about four brushes, from small to large; there is no need to buy a whole range! |
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| Below is a variety of round brushes. These brushes are used for more detailed work and creating "swirling" type motions, often found in waves.
For more detailed information on the differences between types of brushes and hair or synthetic, look at manufacturers' websites. |
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| CLEANING YOUR BRUSHES
Although everyone has their own way of cleaning their brushes, here's what I do: Firstly, I would highly recommend cleaning your brushes after every painting session. 1. Let your brush(es) soak in a container of water for a minute or two. 2. Lightly rinse the paint off your brush(es) with warm water. 3. Designate a bar of soap specifically for brush cleaning. Work your brush(es) through the bar of soap. Then, rinse your brush(es) under warm water again. Repeat this process until all paint is removed from the brush(es) 4. Re-shape and lay your brush(es) flat on a cloth or paper towel to dry. Once dry, be sure to store them either flat or upright on their handle. N.B. Never leave your brush(es) to stand on their hairs! |
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