Which Paint Should You Choose for Which Area?
Artistic paints are very diverse, and each has many different areas of use. Knowing which paint will yield better results for a wide variety of painting surfaces comes from understanding the basic characteristics of artistic paints. First and foremost, it should be known that every paint consists of color-providing pigments and the binders necessary for these pigments to adhere to each other and achieve a paint consistency. In this article, after briefly mentioning how artistic paints were obtained using traditional methods in history, natural and synthetic pigments, and binder types, we will examine the most commonly used types of artistic paints in detail today.
How Were Painting Paints Made in History?
In human history, the art of painting began before the transition to agrarian societies, with pictures drawn on cave walls by hunter-gatherer societies, which generally contained animal figures. This art form, which is so ancient and ingrained in the genes of humanity, has developed over millennia to reach its modern and technological appearance today. The first paints in history were made by crushing paint essences obtained from minerals, animals, and plants found in nature into pigments. To these pigments, binding substances such as egg white, natural glues, resins obtained from plants like gum arabic, and beeswax were added.
One of the most famous types of paint in history is tempera. Tempera is a water-based paint, usually obtained by combining and crushing egg white and natural pigments, that possesses a timeless durability. Many paintings from the Renaissance period found on church walls and wooden panels were created with this type of paint. This type of paint became less used after the widespread adoption of oil painting in the 15th century.
Pigments were obtained from natural minerals and stones. Pigment is the general name for color-providing molecules that have the property of partially absorbing and reflecting light. For example, iron oxide was used for red, and the lapis lazuli stone was used to obtain the color blue. Paints containing these types of natural mineral oxides are also called earth pigments. For instance, since ocher soil contains iron oxide, pigment was also obtained from this soil. To obtain black paint, charcoal was used, just as pencils are made from carbon today. In addition to inorganic substances, natural pigments could also be made from animal and plant sources. For example, a red dye called carmine was obtained by drying and crushing an insect called cochineal and was a very valuable paint. Both in fine arts and traditional arts, these earth and organic paints were used for centuries in processes such as painting, fabric dyeing, and wood painting, and continue to be used by artists who wish to keep traditional methods alive.
Comparison of Artistic Paint Characteristics: What Are the Differences Between Oil Paint, Acrylic Paint, Watercolor, and Gouache Paint?
Paints are fundamentally divided into two: oil-based and water-based. Although acrylic paint is water-based, it occupies a middle ground between watercolor and oil paint in terms of its creamy texture and the pleasure of application resembling oil paint. While oil paints were used in ancient Indian and Chinese civilizations, their use in the art of painting in a technical sense began to be addressed in art history alongside the paintings of the famous Dutch painter Jan van Eyck. This type of paint is obtained by mixing vegetable oils with pigments. The most commonly used vegetable oils are linseed oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, poppy seed oil, and walnut oil. Thanks to these oils, oil paint provides a brighter, highly durable finish with a very long drying time. Because oil paint dries slowly, it is possible to make retouches and corrections on the painting, which is the most prominent feature of this paint.
Acrylic paint is famous for its flexible and multi-purpose use. Chemically produced acrylic vinyl binders give the paint a plastic-like texture. Acrylic paint creates a layer on the surface it is applied to. When thick layers of paint are applied, it is also possible to create embossed, sculptural-style paintings on the painting surface with these paints. The fact that acrylic paint dries early due to being water-based and becomes matte after drying are its disadvantageous sides. Applying a glossy varnish over this paint after it has dried adds depth and shine to the artwork.
The most important difference between watercolor and gouache paint is that watercolor creates a transparent layer of color, while gouache paint has opaque properties. While color tones are lightened by adding water in watercolor, lighter tones are obtained by mixing with white gouache paint in gouache. In addition to the art of painting, gouache paint is also used in different painting techniques such as illumination (tezhip), miniature, and wood painting.
Every paint has its own unique characteristics, and those who paint choose paints that suit their own style and taste as they gain experience over time. If you want to be able to make corrections afterwards, achieve bright and vivid color images, and have a painting experience with a thick and oily consistency paint, you should prefer oil paint. If you prefer paints that contain fewer toxic substances, acrylic, watercolor, and gouache paints are healthier in this respect. However, many painters prefer oil paint because of its unique features and the unique painting pleasure it provides. Another important criterion in choosing paint is the choice of the surface to be painted. If your goals include painting on many different surfaces or doing hobby work on items at home, acrylic paint will be the right choice. Due to its ability to adhere to wood, glass, ceramic, and cardboard surfaces in addition to paper and canvas, acrylic paint has a very wide range of uses.
Watercolor, on the other hand, is the primary preference for many art enthusiasts due to its transparent structure, the ability to blend colors by thinning with water, the ability to be reused by adding water after drying, and its ease of application on paper. Although gum arabic is used as a binder in both watercolor and gouache, the fact that gouache is opaque due to the filler material in its content is the main reason why this paint is preferred in some areas over watercolor. As mentioned above, in addition to illumination, miniature, and wood painting, designers also frequently use gouache. We offer all these paint varieties to everyone who is passionate about art, with the assurance of Karin Sanat, a brand specializing in the supply of art materials in Turkey, at high quality and affordable prices. Art is a gift. We welcome you to our Karin Sanat online art materials store to reward yourself and your loved ones.
