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Grainy paints / What do you use?

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 6:02 pm
by Griffin.benko
I currently use Golden Acrylic paints and distilled water for marbling. My size is made using Jacquard carrageenan at a ratio of 18g per gallon of water. I often find that some colors result in a very grainy pattern, almost like a broken emulsion. I notice it most in my black but it happens with others as well. Is there something I can do to prevent this?

I will be making my size a bit thicker to see if the paint will spread less. I recently purchased a new black and it had the same results as the other tube which I bought 2 years ago.

Alternatively, does anyone have suggestions for other paints/inks to marble with? I'm growing frustrated with my results from Golden Acrylics and would like something that yields higher quality results.

Thanks for any help!

Re: Grainy paints / What do you use?

Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 3:00 pm
by ScottC
Yes, I often see this too... I'm using the same paints.

Re: Grainy paints / What do you use?

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 12:34 pm
by Marblemad
Hi
I use jacquard marbling paints
I also use the createx airbrush paints which can be diluted with jacquard gall or distilled water
None of those are grainy but I always struggle with black as it seems to cling to carrageenan so when I lift my leather from the tray it gets covered in the black sludge but that might just be a leather problem

Re: Grainy paints / What do you use?

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 7:06 pm
by ScottC
Yes, I also find that the black washes off much more easily than the other paints.

Re: Grainy paints / What do you use?

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 9:32 pm
by Griffin.benko
Still find myself having issues with Golden Fluid acrylics breaking apart on the surface of my size. Today, they broke apart on a fresh bath and continued to do so after working a bit. Sometimes, this problem does not happen at all however.

Attached are a few photos of what I'm talking about. Not sure how to fix this problem. It seems to happen with many colors. Generally, the first color I use will break up but it is not the only one to do so. Here's what I'm using:

Size - 5 L water, tap: 1/4c Carrageenan
Alum - 1 T Alum: 1c Water, tap
Paints - 1 T water, distilled: 10 drops Golden Fluid Acrylics
I use both brushes and eyedroppers with the paints and it happens with both.

Re: Grainy paints / What do you use?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 5:34 pm
by SouthHillKaren
I use mostly Golden Fluid Acrylics and Jacquard Air Brush colors, on a methylcel vat. I have noticed that black slides off easier than other colors, also red. I assume it is a characteristic of those particular colors. Each color is a tiny bit different chemically. I mix Jacquard Air Brush black with Golden Carbon Black fluid acrylic, works pretty well. I am trying different strengths of alum on the paper, maybe more or less will help with both blacks and red. Mostly, I find that freshly mixed black solution and a nice fresh vat of methylcellulose gives me good results. I have been trying to increase the grainy look, so have been experimenting with helping it to happen. Results so far: grainy result is definitely encouraged by hotter air, and air in movement over the vat (pigment on surface dries and shrinks into tiny bits, but will stick to the alum on the paper) and if the pigment mix and/or vat have been aged. I have one bottle of blacksolution which is several weeks old, and it seems good at clumping up. I do wonder if it would be better to buy smaller bottles of the original black acrylic. Perhaps even limited exposure to air causes the pigment to "age" in the bottle?

Re: Grainy paints / What do you use?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:46 am
by RodrickTe
That might very well be it, Karen. This happens to me a lot as well and now that I'm thinking about it, I never bought small bottles of the black acrylic. I'll try this out next time I need to buy some.

Re: Grainy paints / What do you use?

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 3:01 am
by Liberty Grove Paper Arts
I use Galen Berry's Marbling paints and have had excellent luck with them. At times they have crazed but that is very rare and usually only after they have been contaminated by being left open or mixed with tap water which contains minerals, etc. his website is https://marbleart.us/. I have just started experimenting with Utrecht paints, mixing my own paints, using their Artists acrylics with distilled water and have been getting great results also. Sometimes the crazing is just a gift, giving the finished piece such an interesting look. While it sometimes distresses students in my classes, most often they like it as it gives such an interesting result.