Acrylic paint / Light over dark
Hello all. I'm just starting out painting with acrylics. I just did a little test painting and here is a link to it. imgur.com/ZXTgzGd
I didn't really do much of anything. I was frustrated that the red wasn't actually red when I put it on top of the completely dry blue. The blue I had painted was bone dry.
I had painted the blue background with water added in. Once that had dried I painted the red with no water added into the paint.
Can anybody help me with this? Any idea how I can make that red pure red when I make my brush stroke? I circled in the painting what it looks like when I make my stroke. It's a dark red-blue-purple color. Most of the other strokes I went over again with more red.
I know the background wasn't wet. I kept touching it and scratching it with my finger. The red paint I kept dipping my brush into was staying pure red.
Thanks for your help.
Keith
I didn't really do much of anything. I was frustrated that the red wasn't actually red when I put it on top of the completely dry blue. The blue I had painted was bone dry.
I had painted the blue background with water added in. Once that had dried I painted the red with no water added into the paint.
Can anybody help me with this? Any idea how I can make that red pure red when I make my brush stroke? I circled in the painting what it looks like when I make my stroke. It's a dark red-blue-purple color. Most of the other strokes I went over again with more red.
I know the background wasn't wet. I kept touching it and scratching it with my finger. The red paint I kept dipping my brush into was staying pure red.
Thanks for your help.
Keith
Comments6
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Not ever acrylic paint is a solid opaque color. The way I see it is that you're looking at one of two problems. Either A: You're using cheap/student grade paint that will be relatively transparent regardless of how thick you apply the paint... or B: You're using a transparent red rather than an opaque red.
You need to do opacity tests on your paint - or if you're using an artist quality is should give you things like opacity, light fastness etc on the label.
Reds are often more transparent, you'll often find where your cool blue is opaque, the cool red is only semi opaque.
Acrylic as others have said isn't a fast medium, but you may if you pick and choose colours, be able to find more opaque ones that allow you to do what you want.
Also, if you are using impasto paints, you want to go for a good brand - the better quality paints will have a higher pigment load and you'll have less unwanted transparency issues. The cheaper brands have less pigment and more bulking agent, so run into the issues you're having more often.
Reds are often more transparent, you'll often find where your cool blue is opaque, the cool red is only semi opaque.
Acrylic as others have said isn't a fast medium, but you may if you pick and choose colours, be able to find more opaque ones that allow you to do what you want.
Also, if you are using impasto paints, you want to go for a good brand - the better quality paints will have a higher pigment load and you'll have less unwanted transparency issues. The cheaper brands have less pigment and more bulking agent, so run into the issues you're having more often.
Layers. It looks like you just have one or two layers. To get a solid color with acrylics it often takes more than one. Additionally, the brands of paint will make the job easier or harder. I'd highly recommend Liquitex or Golden. They're very pigment-rich. Paints with a lower pigment content and more water can be tricky to work with.
For starters, you need to be far more patient. I am not really sure that acrylics are suitable for the style you did there, they work best in layers.
When you are painting on a darker background, some colours will always show through to the background due to their pigments; reds & yellows are prime examples of this.
The best way around it is to use one of a few methods:
- Re-paint the area you need to go over white (in fact, mix white/red to create a pinkish colour and use that as the base, as it will stick in fewer layers to begin with I find), then paint it red.
- Don't paint over the sections that you need to be brighter with dark colours.
- Use the darkness that it adds to create new shades and darker outcomes. You can also build up the layers on this so that the red becomes brighter.
In short, like with coloured pencils, paints are not 'fast' mediums, either acrylic or oil. They take time and patience to get a smooth outcome and that's something you're just going to have to learn to deal with.
When you are painting on a darker background, some colours will always show through to the background due to their pigments; reds & yellows are prime examples of this.
The best way around it is to use one of a few methods:
- Re-paint the area you need to go over white (in fact, mix white/red to create a pinkish colour and use that as the base, as it will stick in fewer layers to begin with I find), then paint it red.
- Don't paint over the sections that you need to be brighter with dark colours.
- Use the darkness that it adds to create new shades and darker outcomes. You can also build up the layers on this so that the red becomes brighter.
In short, like with coloured pencils, paints are not 'fast' mediums, either acrylic or oil. They take time and patience to get a smooth outcome and that's something you're just going to have to learn to deal with.
I see. Thank you for the response. I was not very patient, you are correct. I was kind of just testing the waters. Thank you for the advice. It's very much appreciated!