Acrylics
Hi everyone and welcome again to Tuesdays with T. If you are thinking you missed my post from last week….you are partially correct, but only because I got so busy that I forgot. I had a client in Hollywood and a client up north in Tracy, CA. It is wedding season, so invitations and place cards are high in demand. I do have a few food photography sessions this week so look forward to more on those posts next time. For now, let’s talk about calligraphy and using acrylic paint on a large-scale format. The brilliance and texture are unlike the ease of using inks and nibs. The brush is intimidating as I never know whether the strokes I need are the same as the strokes the brush wants. Well here are a few tips that I just learned with this last project.
Whatever you do, prep your medium be it wood, metal or cork as you don’t want the acrylic to bleed. I used a 24 x 24 wood piece and I prepped it with gesso. Prepping the wood took 24 hours so make sure you allocate enough time in your project schedule. It is not difficult, but each coat needs to fully dry in between and you want to sand between each coat as well for a smooth finish.
Make sure you do a test run with the acrylic so that you get the right texture and color. Acrylics tend to get darker when you apply consecutive coats. I used a series 3 in a Winsor Newton cobalt blue which applied evenly and could have been complete with just one coat.
Another tip…..always write out your font ahead of time as there is no erasing so no room for error. Once you start, keep a small bowl of water and clean white rags. If you make a mistake while the acrylic is wet, use a clean brush and little water, swirl is around and then wipe off with a clean wet rag. Once your project is complete, be sure to apply a sealant. This will prevent smudges, improve contrast and preserve you artwork.
One final tip allow enough time so you aren’t rushed. Calligraphy is relaxing and beautiful, but customers pay well for my talent and I value them.