What Artists Test Before Committing To New Paints

Experimenting with new paints is an exciting yet tricky endeavour. After all, the colours might seem perfect in the tube, but in reality, they might be entirely different. This post outlines the factors that artists typically consider when selecting new paints to ensure they are well-prepared before making a purchase.

Colour Accuracy And Consistency

The packaging swatches don’t always accurately show how the pigment will act on canvas or paper. Besides, the lighting and surface texture can make the paint look different.

However, if the colour may not be the priority, the consistency should be. You need to know whether the paint remains consistent throughout the layers, or if it changes when dry in an unexpected way.

Opacity And Coverage

Certain paints have excellent coverage and can be fully applied in a single run, while others refuse to cover and remain transparent if stacked three inches thick. Analysis of coverage helps you to determine the amount of paint that will be required for your application. It also affects planning in that it helps determine how an individual paint fits in your planned layering.

Texture And Flow During Application

Some artists like their paint smooth and fluid, as though it has no body or strength, while others want resistance or body under the brush; Try scratching when you test this. Testing flow helps you to see how the paint will respond to your technique. Texture also determines blending and edge control. A rapid test reveals whether the paint will help you achieve the effects you want.

Longevity And Stability After Drying

It is many days after painting that the artist tends to see how it actually looks. In a few cases, a colour might have shifted ever so slightly or lost only a little of its vibrancy. This process helps you avoid any surprises after you have completed the final touch on the job.

Paints For Art will contribute to overall better long-term outcomes. Top products preserve their paint when it dries in both its look and function.

Drying Time And Workability

If the paints dry too fast, for example, you cannot blend them as much. Also, if they dry slowly, you will have more time to work on your masterpiece. Having tested them, you will understand which options provide more or less flexibility.

When layering or repainting because of mistakes, this feature is even more critical. It is important to comprehend how long a painter stays open to thoroughly understand each phase.

Layering And Mixing Behaviour

First, the new paints have to play nicely with what you already use. After they dry, you’ll need to test how they layer and mix with other colours. This is another preventative measure: colours behave differently once mixed.

Thus, you are safeguarding the guaranteed consistency across all your projects and guaranteeing that your new additions seamlessly work with your current go-to palette.

Finish And Surface Interaction

Testing lets you know how the finish will look once painted and how it reflects light. This will impact your work’s general mood. The surface interaction should also be experimented with. Regardless of how lovely a painting may appear on the canvas, it may perform differently based on the paper and board. Experimenting lets you know what to expect.

Committing With Confidence Starts With Small Tests

Testing new paints, or any other art materials, before adopting them definitely gives you vast clarity on their performance, behaviour, and interaction with existing supplies. The best design then guides your workflow, making it stable, predictable, and, compared to not knowing what to expect, much more enjoyable.

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Adam Regan: Deputy Editor

Features and account management. 3 years media experience. Previously covered features for online and print editions.

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