Are These Paints Worth It?
One of the biggest complaints I hear from beginner artists is they are unsure how to mix paint. In this weeks video we examine some new paints I bought and how they play with each other.
Several weeks ago I attended the virtual Acrylic Live, a 4 day acrylic painting extravaganza where we learned not only how other artists paint using acrylic paints, but we also learned about a lot of new products. This weeks blog and video do a deep dive into the paints I purchased. Click HERE to see that blog post about it.
I purchased Natural Acrylik Paints, (yes that’s how they spell it) for two reasons. I wanted to see if there was a difference in the quality or consistency of the paint and how did they play with other paints. I purchased a set of primaries and white.
From Dick Blick I purchased Unbleached Titanium white and Manganese Blue. Many artists at Acrylic Live used Manganese blue so I wanted to see how it stacked up to the blues I alredy own.
Natural Acrylik Paints
These paints were created by a mom who after having a baby became concerned about paint toxicity and her child. I personally can’t use oil paints because of my lung disease and the solvents needed to clean the brushes. But I like acrylic paints for the exact reason many people hate them. They dry so fast.
In the video I show how and why to make a color chart using the set of primaries I bought plus the unbleached white. I’d never even heard of unbleached titanium white so I needed to see how they worked with this set from Natural Acrylik Paints.
There really is only one way to learn how the paints mix together and what colors can you create and that is with a color chart. Yes it is somewhat tedious because you have to rinse your brush every time you create a new combination but the knowledge you gain is so worth it. Just remember to mark your charts so you know how you created the colors you just created.
So Were They Worth It?
I found the consistency of the paint was very good. It’s not as thick as a heavy body paint, but it was very good and moved well. I liked how they mixed but I haven’t used them enough yet to say I won’t use anything else. They are more expensive than other professional paints, but only slightly and if you’re concerned about paint toxicity these may be just what the doctor ordered. HERE’S a link to their website. I’m not an affiliate and receive nothing for telling you about this paint.
Unbleached Titanium White
I used this on the color chart I made with Natural Acrylik Paint along with the white that came with the set and the results were very interesting.
Titanium White is a not only very opaque but it is also a cool color so it will cool down every color you mix it with. You will probably need to add back in more of the original color or a warm yellow to warm it back up.
Unbleached titanium white is a warm and very light beige and does not cool off your color. So if you’re painting using warm colors it may be well worth the money to use the unbleached version so you don’t have to color correct. If you’re painting with cool colors regular titanium white will cool them down further and you’ll probably need to add more of the original color back in. I purchase most of my art supplies from Dick Blick Art Supplies but you could also try Jerry’s Artarama.
Manganese Blue
I have used Ultramarine Blue for a very long time but several years ago I began experimenting with other blues, like cerulean blue.
In the video I made a color chart with four different blues and cadmium yellow medium, white and unbleached white.
I learned that not all blues are the same and they definitely are not the same when you mix them with another color. It starts at about the 7 minute mark in THIS WEEKS video.
The Verdict
I was very happy with every paint I tried out. I have never been afraid of acrylic paint before because of it’s toxicity but that could be because I didn’t think much about it. But being someone with a crazy autoimmune disease, I do have to watch what I put on and in my body.
I really liked the unbleached titanium white because I always have to color correct when I use titanium white. I will be buying it again.
On the manganese blue test, I liked the color a lot. However, I’m not sure I love it more than Cerulean blue. I’ll will be painting more in the future with it since I have it, so I may decide I like it more than the Cerulean blue. They are both beautiful colors.
The Future
I also bought some new brushes and I’ll be checking them out in a future video. I hope you subscribed to my channel and then click that little notification bell so you’ll always know when a new video comes out. I try to upload around noon on Wednesday but I can’t always guarantee it.
Thanks so much for being here today. You don’t know how much it means to me to have you reading my blog and watching my videos.
Let’s paint together soon!
Sharon
P.S. To view my art click HERE.