Do you have an acrylic painting which is not working, possibly because the colours aren’t quite right? Instead of storing it or disposing of it, you might want to try layering on new colours using heavy body and fluid colours.
The advantage of painting over an old work is the the texture of the original painting can be used to let fluid colour pool in and by highlighting the raised parts you can create a new abstract textured painting. You can utilize the existing structure and colour layers while creating a new painting because you do not have to coat the old painting completely before creating a new one, instead integrate the existing structures and let the old colour layers show through in parts. By choosing colours that contrast with the original colours (in this case cool blues and violets on top of the existing warm oranges and yellows) you can create a vibrant painting.
Improve a textured acrylic painting you aren’t happy with by altering the colours using Schmincke Finest Artists Acrylic PrimAcryl and Aero Color Professional Finest Acrylic Ink.
You will need:
• An old, textured acrylic painting on canvas (the structures in the painting on our sample are made with modelling paste fine and coarse, silk paper, sand and various colour layers)
• A few Schmincke PrimAcryl Acrylic colours and Aero Color Professional colours, here: Indigo, Ultramarine, Magenta, Ivory and Titanium white
• A few brushes for acrylics
• Cloth, spray bottle filled with water, palette
• A final varnish for acrylics
Schmincke Modelling Paste
used to build up texture
The Schmincke PrimAcryl and Aerocolor colours that were used for adding new layers to the painting
The painting in our example was painted over from the bottom to the top. Starting with dark blue shades of Indigo and Ultramarine, applying them either purely, or thinned with water or mixed with a little white. Magenta was added to get a bright flow of colours from bright Magenta to Violet blue. For a slight colour change you do not have to clean the brush in between; you can gradually change the colour by adding more colour as you go. In the middle of the painting you can see a dominating magenta application. Be careful not to paint over all the old colour layers. You can create a richer surface if you let the old structures and colours show through (the orange, brown and yellow tones in the example). The painting becomes lighter as we move upwards by using Ivory and Titanium white with a hint of Magenta. To achieve a colour flow in some parts, you can spray a little water on the wet colour; excess water can be removed with a cloth.
Details of the new blue and pink colour layers added
Details of the new blue and pink colour layers added
Details of the new blue and pink colour layers added
After these fluid layers have dried (you can use a hair dryer to accelerate drying) the raised parts of the painting can be highlighted with a little colour using the heavy body PrimAcryl or the fluid Aero Color and a dry flat brush. When the painting is fully dry, you can use a final varnish to protect its surface.
The finished re-painted painting
Schmincke PrimAcryl acrylic colour chart
Click on the underlined link to go to the Schmincke brand department on the Jackson’s Art Supplies website.
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