My neice took art in university and I talked to her about the 30% water rule. She was surprised about it as they were never told. This information will save alot of artists paintings. When I got back into painting with acrylics I did a lot of research on the subject and glad I know about this rule. Thanks Clive your explanation was well thought out and I'm glad I found you when I did my search on painting with acrylics.
I guess I was lucky. I've been painting for years and at one point managed an art store for professionals. You explain this very well. Please do a segment on why house paint doesn't act like a high quality artist grade acrylic paint and why mixing the two will ruin a painting. That is a question I'd been asked for years and I'm tired of explaining.
Well it’s basically down to latex or polymer resin many people use house paint and that’s fine for practice or budget many forgers use house paint to mimic oil paint I don’t encourage house paint use but we can’t really say how long it will last even acrylic has only been around since the 50s so there is no true evidence to say how long that lasts either who knows really the Consequence of mixing the two
CLIVE5ART you're right. However, the high viscosity emulsions and one color blend of good acrylic artist paint doesn't mix well with latex paint, although still acrylic, it acts more like an oil paint, as you implied, and causes cells, or beading to acure. Latex also brakes down the binder in acrylic paints so colors don't mix well together. To use latex instead of another type of paint is ok if you don't want it to last long. Look at how many times we have to repaint walls from chips or fading yet a mural done with high quality acrylics tends to hold up longer. I'm glad you know the difference, but so many think all acrylic paint is the same. It does have so much to do with how it's made. I want you to know that of all the artist on RUclips, you are the most interesting and knowledgeable. I enjoy you're channel.
Just recently found your channel and have enjoyed your very interesting & informative videos. I had used acrylics off and on since high school (let's just call that "a few years" and leave it at that 😉😂) but had never before heard what you taught in this video. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Pigment is held in a mix of water and acrylic polymer resin which holds it all together to much water will stop it binding a little know fact glad it helped
I've been add a flowed med.to my paint instead of just water. I'm glad to find out it OK. I find it helps with my painting too.bit makes it Easter. It don't drag like with water. I'm teaching my hubby this way. I ask him to try just using water. He went right back to my bottle of magic as I call it. I'm glad to find out how much water to use with it. I know with watercolor paper it don't matter. It does on other things. I find with a gesso back. It like the moisture too. Can u watercolor on a gessoed canvas.
You can still over thin with flow improver as it's an additive so take care use a medium with it you can get a watercolour effect on canvas it takes a little practice
Hello, again. I had a thought earlier today (see the mind is already working). I had someone gift me w/ some pan paints that have an sheen or an iridescent glimmer to them. Could you use the pan colors with some liquid clear or mix medium to add shimmer to water/waves, etc.? Thanks for your input and great wealth of knowledge.
Can I also use pva as medium or to keep the molecules together then?!🤔.. I also use ”thick & easy” with maltodextrin in sometimes..😬.. Nice and smooth to paint with.. or to do washes on reborns☺️. But in the long run.. I dont know how it affects anything...🥴😖.. heavy body should do it like that too.. I think🤔. Thank you❣️
Now...that was interesting!! Thank you. Just a thought, I do a huge 8ftx5ft painting for our church exhibition, the picture would not be used again and it is only done on 'lining paper' (wallpaper!!) I don't like to spend a great deal on this but can I mix PVA glue with the paint?
There is less water in the paint than you think but it’s more about fillers and less pigment I’ll do a lesson on paint making soon as I have a great deal of knowledge in paint making
Hi, Clive, great video! Got me thinking, I use a spray water bottle to keep acrylic paints on my palate moist, since they dry out fairly fast. I don't believe I come close to the 40% water limit you refer to, but would it be better to use a medium mix, or gloss/matt medium, instead of water? Also, when painting with soft pastels, I use an alcohol wash over pastel to do underpaintings. Would alcohol create the same underbinding situation with acrylic as with water? And, lastly, are the products to extend the drying time of acrylics (extenders) better, worse, or the same as the mediums you covered? Thank you for your comments, and I look forward to viewing your upcoming videos!
CLIVE5ART wow!! That one statement by you that mediums are essentially... Paint without color... made so many questions I had, suddenly make sense!! Thank you :)
I'm a new painter and I e been combing through these videos to find a way to make my acrylics last longer and paint on smoother other than water, but one is glossy and one is for the canvas but not the paint or maybe you can use it for the paint, it's all so confusing. I'd like a straight answer of something that works without fifty other things and uses. What's a meduimnir maybe it's not called a medium that makes your paint smooth and not dry so fast, that's it and their is no real straight answer that I've found or if it has been it's been distorted with a hundred other things and products or maybe it's just not that simple
Hi Clive. I’m going to be starting acrylics which I have never done before and have been watching hours and hours of different videos, but yours are my favorite. Dumb question… How do you know what is 20, 30 or 40% of water or a medium?
Hi Clive, so appreciated this valuable information, thanks so much! Question, are you familiar with Atlier interactive acyrlic paints? Would you recommend them? If so would you do a review and tutorial? Jen
+Michael Mitchell They are open acrylics I have used them but prefer normal acrylic you can use them in much the same way I can't afford to buy a full set to review unless they send me some to review I have asked but not had a reply
CLIVE5ART ... sorry if I missed something. Am relatively new to your fantastic and very informative YT channel and to acrylics and looking forward to watching more :) I've heard great things about the Aterlier Interactives, especially here in Australia, but can't afford artist grade yet, relying on student, virtually unheard of brand made by Semco. Very basic palette, so will be learning more colour mixing theory and practice! . I do have a question based on your above comment if you have time - what is the difference between 'open' and 'normal' acrylics?
Very well explained video!! I already seen hundreds of videos about (acrylic paintng) and it's the first someone talks about it!! does this counts also for acrilyc painting all those tips??
I have used water thinned acrylic on cold pressed watercolor paper, assuming it would absorb into the paper and remain stable. Am I correct or am I going to regret it down the line? Just moved and watercolors are still lost in the confusion. As usual good info in the video. Thank you.
I've heard this tip before Clive, but then I've heard that you can thin acrylics down to get a watercolour wash? So do I need a medium to get acrylics down to a water colour wash? If so, which one?Cheers
Clive, I used water instead of other midum you showed here and I'm far off in this project. Is there anything to do after the painting is complete to help it stay stable on the canvas (like a resin or clear paint?)
Thanks Clive. Great info. I live in Australia so unfortunately it's too expensive to buy your products to be sent here. i painted a scene with a blue sky and blue in some other objects. Within 6 weeks all the blues had turned pink. is this an example of the instabilty you spoke about?
Pva is a polymer Polyvinyl acetate and acrylic is a polymer resin so they are quite different although it can be used the archival properties are not that good as it will brake down if mixed with acrylic it can also cause paint discolouration and effect the properties of the acrylic ... it can be used in gesso primers as then the pva glue attaches to the canvas then pure acrylic paint can then adhere to the texture of the gesso ... I do not advice pva glue to be used as a medium
Retarder is over used more than 20% can stop the acrylic drying so the technical data sheets say on manufacturer sites Flow improver can impair the paint film if over used both are additives not mediums so don’t contain any acrylic resin
Ah! But if you seal the finish painting with a good sealer than the diluted acrylic will not peel off. Golden paint states that you can add more water because their paint is of higher quality. Again, sealing the finished painting will allow you to preserve the painting and the diluted paint. Of course make sure the painting is completely dry before sealing it. RaffaeloArt
No acrylic can be thinned more than 45% it’s a fact paint is only highly quality due to pigment not binder the binder is the part of the paint that looses its cohesion
I've heard this tip before Clive, but then I've heard that you can thin acrylics down to get a watercolour wash? So do I need a medium to get acrylics down to a water colour wash? If so, which one?Cheers
I have learned that you can water it down like a watercolor, but it willl only work on watercolor paper. Otherwise, it will underbind as Clive explains. I LOVE how Clive presents the analogy of the polymer binders underbinding when he stretches the clay apart.
My neice took art in university and I talked to her about the 30% water rule. She was surprised about it as they were never told. This information will save alot of artists paintings. When I got back into painting with acrylics I did a lot of research on the subject and glad I know about this rule. Thanks Clive your explanation was well thought out and I'm glad I found you when I did my search on painting with acrylics.
It's not that we'll know all the info can be found on the manufacturers web pages
I am just starting out with acrylics and love your tutorials 🥰 ty x
I am learning so much from you. You are my "go to" person for information. Thank you Clive, I would be struggling without you.
Thank you Clive your tutorials/are always helpful especially to those new to working with acrylics!!!
I'm so happy it helps you understand more
I guess I was lucky. I've been painting for years and at one point managed an art store for professionals. You explain this very well. Please do a segment on why house paint doesn't act like a high quality artist grade acrylic paint and why mixing the two will ruin a painting. That is a question I'd been asked for years and I'm tired of explaining.
Well it’s basically down to latex or polymer resin many people use house paint and that’s fine for practice or budget many forgers use house paint to mimic oil paint I don’t encourage house paint use but we can’t really say how long it will last even acrylic has only been around since the 50s so there is no true evidence to say how long that lasts either who knows really the Consequence of mixing the two
CLIVE5ART you're right. However, the high viscosity emulsions and one color blend of good acrylic artist paint doesn't mix well with latex paint, although still acrylic, it acts more like an oil paint, as you implied, and causes cells, or beading to acure. Latex also brakes down the binder in acrylic paints so colors don't mix well together. To use latex instead of another type of paint is ok if you don't want it to last long. Look at how many times we have to repaint walls from chips or fading yet a mural done with high quality acrylics tends to hold up longer. I'm glad you know the difference, but so many think all acrylic paint is the same. It does have so much to do with how it's made.
I want you to know that of all the artist on RUclips, you are the most interesting and knowledgeable. I enjoy you're channel.
@@CLIVE5ART also how to make acrylic paint is made with the same recipe, just different grades of what manufacturers put it it
Thank you for all your free information. I know it costs you to do this for us. God bless you, brother. Ozarks, USA
Thank you we do invest a lot of time in these for sure
Thank you Clive for the subtitles 😍
Love this information!! Things we newbie painters wouldn’t think about. Headed to your store in a few minutes ✌️
Thank you for your support
fantastically explained Clive, your our artist comfort blanket.... thanks 4 all that you do to educate ppl :-)
Thank you again never been called a blanket 😂
Hi Clive, I am just starting out at Acrylic painting and your videos are super helpful.
Clive, you are a diamond! Thank you so much! 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
Thank you
Clive you should where a lab coat when you do your acrylic science episodes :)
I'm going to get one now 😂😂😂
Jason Bowen .....brilliant!
Thank you Clive...Missouri USA
Thank you so much
Clive you’re the best!!!!
Thank you Clive! New to painting, much to learn. I find your videos very helpful.
Thank you
Great to know! I wasn’t sure on how much water was too much
No more than 45%
Can I fix an acrylic painting that I’ve overworked and paint is coming off on brush?
Just recently found your channel and have enjoyed your very interesting & informative videos. I had used acrylics off and on since high school (let's just call that "a few years" and leave it at that 😉😂) but had never before heard what you taught in this video. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Pigment is held in a mix of water and acrylic polymer resin which holds it all together to much water will stop it binding a little know fact glad it helped
Very good advice Clive, I try to remember in case I messed up on an painting that I'm doing.
I've been add a flowed med.to my paint instead of just water. I'm glad to find out it OK. I find it helps with my painting too.bit makes it Easter. It don't drag like with water. I'm teaching my hubby this way. I ask him to try just using water. He went right back to my bottle of magic as I call it. I'm glad to find out how much water to use with it. I know with watercolor paper it don't matter. It does on other things. I find with a gesso back. It like the moisture too. Can u watercolor on a gessoed canvas.
You can still over thin with flow improver as it's an additive so take care use a medium with it you can get a watercolour effect on canvas it takes a little practice
OK. So what happens if I paint a work of art with over diluted paint on paper/canvas? Like Leonardo's Last Supper for example?
Hello, again. I had a thought earlier today (see the mind is already working). I had someone gift me w/ some pan paints that have an sheen or an iridescent glimmer to them. Could you use the pan colors with some liquid clear or mix medium to add shimmer to water/waves, etc.? Thanks for your input and great wealth of knowledge.
I've not tried to be honest that's not why I made those products but give it a try on a test sheet
Thanks for the valuable tips.
Thanks Clive, Very informative and lots of help. Thank you for taking the time to teach us so much. :-)
Love these tip videos thank you
I love your demos, your tips and advice, and your paintings! Thanks for all the help, signed: A very amateur painter.
Thank you
Hi there,I was wondering.can we add a medium,take gloss for example,after the painting is finished?like just on the surface of the finished work?
It can be done but if the bonds of the paint are too weak it can still peal overtime
Wonderful advice as always Clive! And demonstrated well! And I use Clive's Medium mix and liquid clear!
Thank you Alan
Can I also use pva as medium or to keep the molecules together then?!🤔.. I also use ”thick & easy” with maltodextrin in sometimes..😬.. Nice and smooth to paint with.. or to do washes on reborns☺️. But in the long run.. I dont know how it affects anything...🥴😖.. heavy body should do it like that too.. I think🤔. Thank you❣️
Now...that was interesting!! Thank you. Just a thought, I do a huge 8ftx5ft painting for our church exhibition, the picture would not be used again and it is only done on 'lining paper' (wallpaper!!) I don't like to spend a great deal on this but can I mix PVA glue with the paint?
If you paint on paper the rule does not apply as the print absorbs in to the paper and yes you can mix pva with acrylic not too much tho
Many thanks. much appreciated. Video's are a great help!
Thank you. This information is very helpful.
Hi Oliver, Thank you for this information. I've been thanking about this a lot lately. You information iis more detailed.
Thank you glad to help clive
Thank you so much for all your wonderful videos. I do have a suggestion though. Is it possible to use only one camera?
Yes you could if you wanted too I use multiple angles as it suited to my way of production
Love from Uganda you just saved my life hahah thanks Clive new subscriber!!!!!
Thank you for your support
the whole worlds about money and robbing costumers paint is watered down already in tubes by the seller
There is less water in the paint than you think but it’s more about fillers and less pigment I’ll do a lesson on paint making soon as I have a great deal of knowledge in paint making
Can you fix a work in progress that has been under binding?
Thanks so much for. Info.very kind of u.bless u.
This was so interesting! I learned a lot. Thank you.
Thank you for your support type on #clive5art in the search bar all my lessons will pop up
Hi, Clive, great video! Got me thinking, I use a spray water bottle to keep acrylic paints on my palate moist, since they dry out fairly fast. I don't believe I come close to the 40% water limit you refer to, but would it be better to use a medium mix, or gloss/matt medium, instead of water? Also, when painting with soft pastels, I use an alcohol wash over pastel to do underpaintings. Would alcohol create the same underbinding situation with acrylic as with water? And, lastly, are the products to extend the drying time of acrylics (extenders) better, worse, or the same as the mediums you covered? Thank you for your comments, and I look forward to viewing your upcoming videos!
CLIVE5ART wow!! That one statement by you that mediums are essentially... Paint without color... made so many questions I had, suddenly make sense!! Thank you :)
Great tips, thank you for explains so well!
You’re welcome
Helpful advice, thanks Clive
😊😊👍👍
I'm a new painter and I e been combing through these videos to find a way to make my acrylics last longer and paint on smoother other than water, but one is glossy and one is for the canvas but not the paint or maybe you can use it for the paint, it's all so confusing. I'd like a straight answer of something that works without fifty other things and uses. What's a meduimnir maybe it's not called a medium that makes your paint smooth and not dry so fast, that's it and their is no real straight answer that I've found or if it has been it's been distorted with a hundred other things and products or maybe it's just not that simple
Try using a gel retarder with a spot of water that should be fine
Hi Clive. I’m going to be starting acrylics which I have never done before and have been watching hours and hours of different videos, but yours are my favorite. Dumb question… How do you know what is 20, 30 or 40% of water or a medium?
Hi Pam not simple more experience but just don’t over thin keep it like cream
Hi Clive, so appreciated this valuable information, thanks so much! Question, are you familiar with Atlier interactive acyrlic paints? Would you recommend them? If so would you do a review and tutorial? Jen
+Michael Mitchell They are open acrylics I have used them but prefer normal acrylic you can use them in much the same way I can't afford to buy a full set to review unless they send me some to review I have asked but not had a reply
CLIVE5ART ... sorry if I missed something. Am relatively new to your fantastic and very informative YT channel and to acrylics and looking forward to watching more :) I've heard great things about the Aterlier Interactives, especially here in Australia, but can't afford artist grade yet, relying on student, virtually unheard of brand made by Semco. Very basic palette, so will be learning more colour mixing theory and practice! . I do have a question based on your above comment if you have time - what is the difference between 'open' and 'normal' acrylics?
Thanks for the information.
Very well explained video!! I already seen hundreds of videos about (acrylic paintng) and it's the first someone talks about it!! does this counts also for acrilyc painting all those tips??
I only deal with acrylic so yes
Sir u explained well im it helps me alot.U r really Great Sir thanks alot
Good advice, Clive.
Thank you don't forget you can thin down as much as you like on paper with water
I have used water thinned acrylic on cold pressed watercolor paper, assuming it would absorb into the paper and remain stable. Am I correct or am I going to regret it down the line? Just moved and watercolors are still lost in the confusion. As usual good info in the video. Thank you.
Your ok on paper or any absorbent substrate the paint will be stable no matter how much water is added
Thank you.
😊👍
Thanks for this. Very easy to understand, which I need!! :-)
I've heard this tip before Clive, but then I've heard that you can thin acrylics down to get a watercolour wash? So do I need a medium to get acrylics down to a water colour wash? If so, which one?Cheers
You can but water will brake down the paint film as long as it's sealed between a coat of medium it should be stable thin of it like a sandwich
can you use water find down PVA glue as this is used to seat things before painting on to them?
PVA polymer vinyl adhesive is as its says polymer based it can be used but it's not known how stable the paint film will be, all I can say experiment
Clive, I used water instead of other midum you showed here and I'm far off in this project. Is there anything to do after the painting is complete to help it stay stable on the canvas (like a resin or clear paint?)
Water is fine as long as you don’t over thin more than 45%
Thanks Clive. Great info. I live in Australia so unfortunately it's too expensive to buy your products to be sent here. i painted a scene with a blue sky and blue in some other objects. Within 6 weeks all the blues had turned pink. is this an example of the instabilty you spoke about?
Blue turned pink ??? Could be ultramarine blue you used and it got bleached out unsure on this one could be your paint
I'm sure it was the paint. I have changed to professional quality as these were student paints. Thanks for your help.
Let me know pro paints have more pigment and are a lot more stable
What happens when you use water and a small amount of color to make a glaze to change a color on the canvas?
As long as it’s painted over or varnished at the end it will be fine
Thank you.
Your welcome
so Clive if I have a medium mix I can add water to it ? up to 40 % ish I do have a slo dri blending medium
I would recommend thinning it about 35% but you can take it to 50% at a push,, slow dri not sure
oki thank you am in trial times so I try try and learn lol be well Clive
Ok I’m here if you need advice
Can I just use diluted PVA adhesive as a thinning medium?
Pva is a polymer Polyvinyl acetate and acrylic is a polymer resin so they are quite different although it can be used the archival properties are not that good as it will brake down if mixed with acrylic it can also cause paint discolouration and effect the properties of the acrylic ... it can be used in gesso primers as then the pva glue attaches to the canvas then pure acrylic paint can then adhere to the texture of the gesso ... I do not advice pva glue to be used as a medium
I don’t understand the want to dilute acrylics so much....just use water colors if that’s your style.
Sir can i use epoxy as a medium in my acrylic paints?
No I would not recommend it
Can i repeate same paint on the same canvas, to fix the bad acrylic colour
Yes you can layer paint to fix problems
CLIVE5ART ,thanku so much,,i m big fan of ur paintings nd i tried to do same paintings like u
What happens if you put to much retarder or flow improver to acrillics?
Retarder is over used more than 20% can stop the acrylic drying so the technical data sheets say on manufacturer sites
Flow improver can impair the paint film if over used both are additives not mediums so don’t contain any acrylic resin
what do you use to glaze?
Matt / gloss medium with a touch of water
airbrush mediium
Ah! But if you seal the finish painting with a good sealer than the diluted acrylic will not peel off.
Golden paint states that you can add more water because their paint is of higher quality.
Again, sealing the finished painting will allow you to preserve the painting and the diluted paint.
Of course make sure the painting is completely dry before sealing it. RaffaeloArt
No acrylic can be thinned more than 45% it’s a fact paint is only highly quality due to pigment not binder the binder is the part of the paint that looses its cohesion
I've heard this tip before Clive, but then I've heard that you can thin acrylics down to get a watercolour wash? So do I need a medium to get acrylics down to a water colour wash? If so, which one?Cheers
I have learned that you can water it down like a watercolor, but it willl only work on watercolor paper. Otherwise, it will underbind as Clive explains. I LOVE how Clive presents the analogy of the polymer binders underbinding when he stretches the clay apart.
Thank you I love to teach in an easy way so even kids can learn