How to Make Acrylics Look Like Oil

My painting career has been filled with doubt about whether I should paint with oils or acrylics.  I happen to like both and have worked with both successfully.  Oils are so rich and buttery, but they take at least a few days or weeks to dry (even when mixed with alkyd mediums).  Acrylics, when used thickly, take no more than a few hours or overnight to dry enough to varnish, pack and ship.  Sometimes, though, acrylics can look a bit harsh or "plastic" because they are plastic.  

 

So that's my dilemma.  I paint with the idea that each painting will find a new home fairly rapidly.  I have to ship most of my paintings to my customers.  Time is of the essence.  I routinely use acrylics as my go to medium.  BUT I still want that rich, buttery oil look!  Agh!

 

I finally came across a tip that has helped me achieve the look I want.  I put 20 drops of acrylic retarder in a small 2 ounce spray bottle filled with water.  I shake it up well and use it to spritz my canvas and the paints on my palette (make it moist, not drippy).  This keeps the paint application flowing well so I can blend and soften edges as needed.  I use heavy body acrylic paint, usually Golden brand.  Then I add thick gel medium as well as acrylic retarder to my paint to make the paint nice and impasto thick.  I use bristle brushes and palette knives to apply paint just as I would with oils.

 

Take a look below at Daffodil Surprise detailed photos.  This is a recent acrylic painting that I completed using exactly the technique described.  Looks like an oil painting.  Dry as a bone and ready to go!

 

 

Daffodil Surprise detail showing thick paint

 

Daffodil Surprise detail showing soft edges on right

 

Daffodil Surprise detail showing thick vigorous brushstrokes

 

Copyright Mona Vivar, Daffodil Surprise, 14 inches by 11 inches, acrylic on canvas

Now available in my Ebay store at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

 

How To Make Lights In A Painting Glow

The one thing that magnetically attracts people to a painting is the use of light.  Subtle tones can work in some paintings, but I personally am bowled over by extremes in contrast.  The 17th century Dutch painters, and Johannes Vermeer in particular, were masters of light and contrast.  Their paintings shimmer with light ranging from velvety blacks to brightest whites.  So magical!

 

I am a firm believer that new art can build on the foundation of old art, so I strive to implement techniques used by those masters who have gone before.  I almost always employ both black and white in my paintings.  Even my abstract pieces.  That's how much I think that the Dutch Masters got it right.

 

So how do I make light work in a painting?  One recent example is from my New Orleans series.  I wanted to depict a trolley at night in downtown.  Night scenes have all the right contrast elements of darks and lights which go a long way to making a painting work for me.  The hard part of course is making the lighting in my painting look convincing.  For this I use a tip I learned while watching a painting video by contemporary realist master, David A. Leffel: subtly lighten the area a little nearest the object that light is striking in order to give the illusion of light glowing on the object.

 

Looking at my painting, Trolley Cheer, you see that the strongest light is inside the trolley and along the top of the trolley.  I put my whites in these areas and then lightened the nearest areas.  The yellow border around the trolley windows adds to the illusion of glowing light.  The white top of the trolley fades into pale blue.  The night sky above the trolley is lighter than the sky at the top of the painting.  All of these elements conspire to make the viewer experience the painting as a glowing night scene.  Just what I wanted!

Copyright Mona Vivar, Trolley Cheer, 11 inches by 14 inches, acrylic on canvas

Now available in my Ebay store at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

Black Friday Frenzy And Cyber Monday Too!

Today is Black Friday and everyone is supposed to be out grabbing deals in the wee hours of the morning.  Perhaps you are one of the those folks and just now got back in time to read this post.  Whether you are or are not a Friday bargain hunter, I wanted to offer you the chance to save some money on my art this weekend. 

 

From now through Monday, December 2, I am offering free shipping on all paintings in my Etsy shop and on Buy It Now paintings in my Ebay store.  Grab a cup of coffee, settle down in your favorite spot, and shop the easy way.....

Copyright Mona Vivar, Proud Rooster I, 10 inches by 8 inches, acrylic on canvas

Now available in my Ebay store at Mona Vivar Fine Art 

Watch Birds While I Build My Website

A big part of being an artist that sells art is keeping up with technology.  I ignored computers for a long time after my one and only computer science class in college introduced me to the punch card and computers the size of a room.  Nothing made sense.

 

Time passed (a lot of time) and suddenly I was using computers in my day to day work life as a lawyer, then a gallery manager, a financial advisor and now as a full time artist.  I use Ebay, Etsy, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest with more skill that I would have guessed possible and am now at the final frontier (for the moment) of building my own website with the help of Big Cartel do-it-yourself website builder.

 

At the moment I have my own web page at www.monavivar.com with exactly one piece of art shown.  There is much more to come, so keep your fingers crossed for me.  Meanwhile, here are some birds for your viewing pleasure while I get back to work. 

 

 

Copyright Mona Vivar, Great Blue and Turtle Too, 11 inches by 14 inches, acrylic on canvas

Now in my Ebay store at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

 

Copyright Mona Vivar, Sandhill Cranes, 14 inches by 11 inches, acrylic on canvas

Now in my Ebay store at Mona Vivar Fine Art

 

Why Paint Abstractly Too?

There are many artists who are strictly realistic painters and others who are strictly abstract painters.  Throughout my painting career, I have been predominantly in one camp or the other, but not both at the same time.  Lately, I have found myself following both paths.  I relish the freedom and looseness of abstract expressionism AND the challenge of depicting scenes I find interesting.  So I am doing both.

 

My work benefits from this unorthodox method of development.  The abstract pieces have better composition and harmony because of my realistic work.  My realistic work has more spontaneity and boldness as a result of my abstract work.   Go figure.

 

 

Copyright Mona Vivar, Two, 20" x 16", acrylic on canvas

Now at Mona Vivar Abstract Expressionism Painting on Ebay

 

 

Copyright Mona Vivar, Showin' Off, 12" x 9", acrylic on paper

Now at Mona Vivar Fine Art on Ebay

 

 

Copyright Mona Vivar, Climbing Roses, 12" x 9", acrylic on paper

Now at Mona Vivar Abstract Expressionism on Ebay

 

 

Copyright Mona Vivar, Disconnect, 14" x 11", acrylic on canvas 

Now at Mona Vivar Abstract Expressionism on Ebay

Copyright Mona Vivar, Beauregard Beauty, 12" x 9", acrylic on paper

Now at Mona Vivar Fine Art on Etsy

 

 

 

  

Artful Birds

Birds are one of my favorite painting subjects.  They have all the elements necessary for visual interest--graceful poses, brilliantly colored feathers, funny feet, bright eyes and the ability to fly.  Everyone from the ancient Egyptians to modern photography buffs have made the effort to immortalize these airborne creatures. 

 

I keep a pair of binoculars handy by my windows just in case I see bird activity.  I visit places along the coast and woods to see the large wading birds with their elegant long necks and legs.  I can't seem to get enough of birds and their habitats.  I come home to paint my impressions of birds.  It's hard to do them justice.  I keep trying...
 

 

Copyright Mona Vivar, Flight, 11inches by 14 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available at Mona Vivar Fine Art on Ebay

 

 

    Copyright Mona Vivar, Shore Patrol, 8 inches by 10 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available at Mona Vivar Fine Art on Etsy

                                        

Copyright Mona Vivar, Marsh Dance, 30 inches by 40 inches, acrylic on canvas

Available at Mona Vivar Fine Art on Etsy 

Applause for Golden Artist Colors

This past week I attended a product demonstration given by Golden Artist Colors company at Alabama Art Supply in Mobile, Alabama.  I use Golden brand paints and consider them my first choice of brand for acrylics.  I wanted to learn best practices for using various mediums and techniques to make sure all my paintings are durable for my customers.  As an artist, I also wanted to keep myself alert for new techniques to better my painting skills.

I was delighted with everything about the demonstration.  Artist, K. D. Tobin, was an excellent speaker for the event.  His painting style and process is very different from mine, but everything he discussed kept my thoughts clicking along on how I could use what was said to enhance my paintings. 

 

The next morning I eagerly applied texture and shimmery bronze and gold touches to create shore bird paintings.  What a difference those two additions made!   Both paintings have a sculpture-like relief texture that adds atmosphere and mood.  It is nice to see impressionism and abstraction meet.  I will be doing more of this work.

Hats off to Golden Artist Colors, K. D. Tobin and Alabama Art Supply for a fine learning event!   None of them paid me to say this either....

Copyright Mona Vivar, Shore Birds I, 6 inches by 6 inches, acrylic on canvas

 

Copyright Mona Vivar, Shore Birds II, 6 inches by 6 inches, acrylic on canvas