Liquitex demo
Recently I had the opportunity to attend a demonstration/lecture of Liquitex acrylic products. Topics covered included paints, mixing, mediums, gels and varnishes. While the lecturer demonstrated the products in action, samples artwork made with different mediums were passed around the room so we could see upclose the finished results. I came away with more knowledge of their paint mediums and a very generous gift pack: brochures, full colour catalog, a 100+ page comprehensive guide to acrylics and a few samples in retail size bottles (wheee!). The print material are also available on Liquitex‘s website in PDF format.
Some notes…in case anyone else finds this useful.. 
- When diluting paint, always use no more than 30% water. Otherwise underbinding will occur and dulls colour. While paint may hold up today, we don’t know for how long (may eventually flake if it’d been watered down too much).
- What to use in place of water? Use mediums because they contain polymers/resin binders and increase vibrancy of colours.
- Retarder/extender: can add up to 25% retarder. If possible, use blending medium instead.
- Blending gel/medium: has a percentage of retarder, plus polymers (so you can add as much blender as you like). Slows drying time up to 40%. Smooths blending. Economizes paint by stretching but will thin pigment load.
- Varnishes: matte absorbs light (dulls colour) while gloss reflects (brightens colour)
- Hue (acrylics): these are substitutes for original colours that may not be lightfast or may be toxic.
Mixed Media
- All of the gels make excellent adhesives and are archival, non-yellowing.
- Ultra matte gel: makes paint more opaque and is a true matte
- Clear gesso: creates tooth and has matte sheen (vs. matte medium which has slight satin sheen)
- Pouring medium: dries smooth, aternative to 2 part resin epoxy (which is toxic) (I observed a sample and found the dried surface is not glass hard, and can be scratched with a bit of pressure, say, from a fingernail edge. I’m wondering if something similar can be achieved with a gloss varnish..?)
Other tips:
- Keep gels/medium from drying in bottle by wiping rims with wet paper towel so crust don’t form (which would create pockets for air to get in)
- Shelf life of paint in bottle? The lecturer guessed it could be anywhere from 3 to 15 years. Check the consistency.
Now armed with a colour chart, I’m really tempted to add a few new colours to my collection (tough choice!). Although I’ve been using their products for a few years, it’s refreshing to discover new ideas and possibilities. If you ever have the chance to attend such a demo in your area, I would highly recommend it. ^_^
April 5th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Great notes! Who offered the demo in your area? This sounds really informative and I’d like to go to one myself. I use all Liquitex goods like the mixing medium, but didn’t really have an idea what it did besides the fact that yes, I should use it. LOL Thanks for the literature link. I can study up about my liquitex now!
August 11th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
I was just googling Liquitex demos and found your blog! If you are in Western Canada, I must have been the artist you heard speak!
About the pouring medium and the hardness of the film. All acrylic polymer films will be somewhat soft to the touch even after fully curing. As I mentioned at the lecture, Gloss medium will craze when poured so not a good subsitute for epoxy. Use Soluvar to protect the paint film. Extra coats will help. Refer to the directions in the Acrylic book on page 57.
September 24th, 2009 at 8:24 am
milk> The demo was offered by a local art supply store. I find that sometimes the descriptions on the bottles are usually too brief or cryptic (like my bottle of acrylic flow release) so to have all this info freely available is fantastic.
Michele> Hi! Thank you for the clarification. Many of the mediums still remain unknown territory to me. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to attend your lecture, and thank you again for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us!