Artist Materials and Techniques

Each semester at the Academy of Art University we have a class where we talk about materials.  It is a fun topic at times but it can also be exhausting as well as a big time and money waster. That is because there are so many choices out there and it can often be confusing on what to buy. In an effort to help save you time and money I will periodically review some products that I recommend. For convenience, I have begun to list some books and products on my blog sidebar.

Last week I tried a set of Fastmatte colors made by Gamblin. The Fastmatte colors primary advantage is the quick dry time. This is especially nice in the winter where paintings can take weeks to dry. They are a touch stiffer and stickier than regular oils but have a nice body and potency. (One thing to note is that they have a slight odor due to the alkyd resin additive, so use adequate ventilation.) These paints work well for initial paint layers, especially if you want to start dry brushing and scumbling an hour or so after you begin. If you like a bit longer dry time, I have found that just using the FastMatte Titanium White with regular oils helps to speed up and even out the dry-time of the entire painting, allowing you to “oil up” in subsequent painting sessions without worrying whether some of the areas in the painting are dry or not. I also recommend trying the Windsor and Newton Fast Drying White to see which one works best for you.