John and Adrianne from C&T's Sales & Marketing department are playing with acrylic ink on silk
Wow – there is a LOT of chemistry that goes into quality! Our friends at Liquitex® came to C&T for an afternoon to teach us all about their artist-grade acrylic paints, inks, and mediums. This company invented water-based acrylics in the 1950′s; they have top-notch teams of scientists that provide impressive research on a molecular level. The same science that Liquitex developed has even reached into the automotive & industrial coatings industries. Perhaps you have noticed how much longer your car’s original paint job stays looking fresh these days? I remember as a kid, my dad bought a bright red VW Bug…but by the time I was old enough to drive, it was a dull barely-red color. Those days are gone…their molecular research helped define how to improve the color-fastness of paint.
What has become of our conference room table?
We learned how colors made from a single pigment source give you the truest value (closer to the edges of the color wheel) and are better for blending. We learned what distinguishes “artist grade” paints from “student grade” paints. For example, Liquitex paints might cost a little more than other brands up front, but they are loaded with lots more color pigment (instead of being extended with whiteners), plus both the product and packaging are engineered for a long shelf life in many different storage conditions. So a little goes a looong way!
After our chemistry lesson, we reviewed several fun and easy fabric-painting techniques that will be featured in a new book we are releasing in January—more info to come soon – stay tuned!
Then we got to PLAY! Our Operations Manager, was surprised when he pulled into the parking lot to find 15 pieces of painted fabric drying on the ground with rocks, leaves and stencils strategically placed on top for sun-printing. Only a few of us had ever painted on fabric before, but we all got past any “fear of the brush” after just a few minutes of experimentation. Now we all have lovely handpainted fabric swatches decorating our cubicles. I can’t wait to incorporate one of my pieces into a challenge quilt project at my guild!
On the left, C&T's Publisher, Amy Marson, played nice and neat. Me...not so much.
Many thanks to our illustrious teachers—Steve Gallisdorfer from ColArt, C&T Author and Editor, Lynn Koolish, and our Business Development Manager, Mary Wruck.
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6 Comments
Too much Fun!! Wow… and a new book….
eyes are open, ears are listening…
Isn’t it FUN to get messy!!!
Looks like a FABULOUS time.
Liquitex didn’t invent water-based acrylics in the 1950s. Sam Golden is the person who developed it as artist’s material earlier http://www.goldenpaints.com/company/history.php
Hi Alice -
I double-checked with both manufacturers, and while Golden did indeed develop a type of acrylic in the 1940′s, it was not the modern water-based acrylic that Liquitex developed in the 1950′s, which we all know and use today. The Liquitex name came from the invention itself…”liquid texture.” But we all agree that Golden is also a great product! :-)
Looks like fun !! I, too, would have played ‘messy’ !! LOVE the colors and learning CAN be so much fun !
Amy, you look like you're having fun!