eSnips Forums

has anyone tried painting with acrylic house paints?

you know, the ones you put on the walls....

is there a major difference between them and regular acrylic paints? maybe not artist ones, but student, etc?

and what about oil based wood paint, have you ever used them on canvas instead of oil paints?

id really appreciate feedback.

thanks!
Lonnie

I know of a guy that uses acrylic house paint but only a specific brand. He does aboriginal dot paintings and recons particular colours in this brand are prefect for representing traditional ochre colours ... Di

When I was an art student I tried house paint (Cheaper) especially for blocking in background on large paintings. Tends to a chalkiness in finished surface. Or Tends to be too plastic in surface. Either way you can dig chunks out with a finger nail if it has been used to any impasto degree. The pigment is not ground as fine and so is harder to control. Harder to blend tonal areas. Doesn't give freedom in the area of painterlyness. Tends to flattern. Has some surprising results as far as colour theory goes when mixing colours as colours tend to be pastle to a degree. Really I guess it is just a different media as the paint is intended to cover large areas with a very flat surface.

I also worked with turps based house oil paint for a while. Takes a long time to dry. If the paint is thick it can take weeks to dry. Developed a technique where I painted very fast and then rotated to board (Not canvas) which resulted in semi-random flow and mixing. Then I would paint over again. Then rotate. Then paint. Till I thought image was resolved.
Wish I still had some of those painting. Grin

But I'm talking 30 years ago, Grin... Bob

Hi - thanks for your feedback -

Ive tried these paints on wood, where they worked nicely, or board - but not on canvas, and before i began my latest masterpiece, i wanted some insider info.....

thanks for this!
And the technique you describe sounds very interesting, on the board....

Lonnie

Like Bob, I also worked with house paints about thirty years ago. It was a matter of cost at the time; I was a student. Now, with the test of time for reference, the house paints have cracked, especially where they were used in large areas. The smaller areas have turned chalky, some with small cracks too. I would not recommend using house paints unless you can't afford the regular ones. You may regret it later. Hope this helped.

yes, this is all good info - thanks very much

ive worked on something a bit now with those acrylic hobby paints, since they are mixe with water already, its easy to cover large surfaces with no brushstroke visible. almost like a print, which is the look im trying to get

thanks guys.

Lonnie

actually with normal/regular accryl a wall is very good paintable. it all depends on how much "normal" accryl u have. and trust me it won't come of that easy. u will be more like working into detail if u use the small tubes but the effort will be worthwhile!

so i guess it seems i only know one regular accryl sort and with that i can paint on walls, wood etc. it works deliciously!

or was it oil paint on a wall? i'm not sure anymore! maybe both

maybe the only difference is the size of the tubes and the quantity of the house accryl that makes the different. House accryl will probably be more used for large area's althought the regular accryl can be used for walls as well. but on wood, i have no idea. i see u got some nice reactions in this topic as well.

I enjoy using house paints because it is very fluid and large range of color choices. It is more similar to acrylic than oil but blends easier. I would not recommend using oil based house paint because it take a long time to dry and is very bad for you. /// The downside to house paint (especially cheap brands) is that it is NOT an archival material. Jackson Pollack used house paints and 20 to 50 years after they were finished. The paint started sliding off the canvas. Most conservators and museums have resorted to displaying his art flat on the ground in order to prevent the paint falling off again. /// In other words, the paintings you do with house paint with deteriorate in your lifetime.

Wow, I didnt know that about Pollacks work.....

Having finished an acrylic painting on canvas is there a need to varnish it to protect it?

hey derek - i was just thinking about this last night, funnily enough!

i think lacquer is needed to help protect the painting. but it can be a matt varnish, so it doesnt interfere with the light reflecting off the painting - it doesnt create a glare. and i bet if you need to brush it off every once in a while of dust, it would be better for it to have a layer of protective lacquer on it...

anyone have something to add? because while i think this is the best way to do it, i have never actually bothered to varnish an acrylic painting....
Lonnie

Lonnie- Thanks for your view on unprotected acrylic paintings. I'll think more about it. Thanks also to esnips.