Golden Artist Colors

 

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Please click here for an expanded view of the Golden Heavy Body Colour Chart

 

 

Mediums Application Guide

 

INDIVIDUAL GOLDEN GEL PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS

Self-Leveling Clear Gel
Designed to produce an even film with excellent clarity. This gel has similar qualities to the Clear Tar Gel: it has a resinous consistency and offers excellent levelling, yet its viscosity is closer to that of the Soft Gel.This product dries to a flexible, high gloss film, which can increase transparency and sheen while imparting a levelling quality to other GOLDEN Acrylic products. Blends with GOLDEN Acrylic colours to produceglazes without brush-strokes.

Soft Gel (Gloss, Semi-Gloss and Matte)
Thinner than GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylic colours, Soft Gels are moderately pourable and hold only slight peaks. Soft Gel Gloss is ideal for glazing and other techniques where transparency is desired. Also, therecommended acrylic to function as a glue for collaging. Useful as a non-removable isolation coat, applied over the painting before the varnish layer (must be thinned with water - 2 parts Soft Gel Gloss to 1 part water).

Regular Gel (Gloss, Matte and Semi-Gloss)
Same creamy consistency as GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylic colours. Ideal for extending paint and regulating translucency without changing the consistency of the Heavy Body and Matte colours. Holdsmoderate peaks and texture. The Regular Gel Gloss is ideal for glazing and other techniques where transparency is desired.

Heavy Gel (Gloss, Matte and Semi-Gloss)
Thicker consistency than GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylic colours. Blend with colours to increase body. Good for holding peaks. Dries translucent.

Extra Heavy Gel (Gloss & Semi-Gloss)
Thicker consistency than GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylic colours. GOLDEN's thickest gels, along with the High Solid Gels. Blend with colours to increase body. Excellent for holding peaks and impasto techniques. Dries translucent.

High Solid Gel (Gloss)
Thicker consistency than GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylic colours, similar to Extra Heavy Gels. Offers higher gloss, lower shrinkage and dries to the touch quicker than most Gels. Good for holding peaks. Blends withcolours to make them feel more oil-like and increases retention of brushstrokes.

High Solid Gel (Matte)
Thicker consistency than GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylic colours, while being similar to Extra-Heavy Gels. Dries to a matte finish. Offers lower shrinkage and dries to touch quicker than most Gels. Good for holdingpeaks. Blends with colours to make them feel more oil-like and increases retention of brushstrokes.

Fine Pumice Gel
Used to create finely textured surfaces. Dries to a hard film. To increase flexibility, mix in other GOLDEN Gels or Mediums. Blends with GOLDEN Acrylic colours. Useful as a ground for pastels.

Coarse Pumice Gel
Used to create granular textured surfaces. Dries to a hard film. To increase flexibility, mix in other GOLDEN Gels or Mediums. Blends with GOLDEN Acrylic colours. Useful as a ground for pastels.

Extra Coarse Pumice Gel
Used to create granular textured surfaces. Dries to a hard film. To increase its flexibility, mix in other GOLDEN Gels or Mediums. Blends with GOLDEN Acrylic colours.

Clear Granular Gel
The same textural quality as its pumice counterpart, without the grey, opaque grit. Excellent for making translucent, textural glazes. The chroma will not be affected. Blends with GOLDEN Acrylics.

Fine Garnet Gel
The newest textural family members are the Garnet Gels. The particle used is a naturally occurring Almandine Garnet, which has a violet-hued translucency. Dries to a hard film. Increase flexibility by addingother gels and mediums. Blends with GOLDEN Acrylics.

Coarse Garnet Gel
The Coarse Garnet Gel has larger particle size that allows for more of the translucent nature to show. The particle used is a naturally occurring Almandine Garnet, which has a violet-hued translucency. Dries to ahard film. Increase flexibility by adding other gels and mediums. Blends with GOLDEN Acrylics.

Self Leveling Clear Gel
Designed to produce an even film with excellent clarity. The gel has a unique resinous, stringy consistency resulting from the levelling property. This product dries to a flexible, high gloss film, which can increase thetransparency and sheen, while imparting a levelling quality to other GOLDEN Acrylic products. Blends with GOLDEN Acrylic colours to produce glazes.

Clear Tar Gel
This product is the extreme in levelling. It is designed to produce an even film with excellent clarity. The gel has a unique resinous, stringy consistency and dries to a flexible, high gloss film.Clear Tar Gel can be used to increase transparency and sheen while imparting a levelling quality to other GOLDEN Acrylic products. Excellent for dripping, drizzling effects that no other product will yield. Blendswith all GOLDEN Acrylic colours (though Fluids work best) offering a full range of colours for these techniques. Silk Screen Fabric GelBlends with the GOLDEN Acrylic Paint lines to produce a silk-screen ink for heat-settable textileapplications.

Molding Pastes (Regular, Hard, Light, Extra Heavy)
GOLDEN Molding Pastes are opaque products that can be used to create textural surfaces. Manipulation can be done while wet, or after the paste has dried. Molding Paste and Hard Molding Paste can be sanded, carvedby hand or with power tools, while Extra Heavy Gel/Molding Paste and Light Molding Paste are useful for creating highly textured, impasto techniques.

 

GOLDEN GESSO & GROUNDS

GOLDEN Gesso is a flexible, ready-to-use ground that prepares the surface of a substrate to accept paintsand provides tooth to promote paint adhesion.

GOLDEN Gesso is a flexible liquid ground that seals, protects, and gives "tooth" to substrates, whichpromotes paint adhesion. It is formulated to accept a wide variety of media on many commonly used painting surfaces. It comes ready-to-use, but can be mixed with water for thinner applications. When appliedin thin layers, GOLDEN Gesso will conform to a variety of textured surfaces.

GOLDEN Gesso is available in Black or White, and can be mixed with GOLDEN Acrylics to produce arange of coloured grounds (see below).

PRODUCT APPLICATION:

*Application Methods
GOLDEN Gesso can be brush, roller, trowel or spray-applied. Dilution of the Gesso is only necessary for spray application, but may be desired for brush or roller applications as well. When diluting with water, werecommend a maximum dilution of 25%. Any mixture within this range offers little risk of cracking or other adverse effects.

*Mixing With Other GOLDEN Products
GOLDEN Gesso can be tinted with GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylics, Fluid Acrylics or High Load Acrylics. The High Loads most closely resemble the Gesso since they both possess a high pigment load, a velvety,low-gloss sheen and a similar viscosity. Tinting with High Loads is recommended since they will least alter the attributes of the Gesso. Due to the high pigment/solid concentration, High Load Acrylics and Gessoshould only be applied in thin layers. Thick, single-applications of these products may crack.

*Flexibility
Generally, canvas coated with GOLDEN Gesso may be rolled up without cracking. Cracking may occur if a canvas is overly flexed or stretched.

*Multiple Coats
Although one coat of gesso will provide good adhesion, it may sometimes leave pinholes or uncovered areas. It is recommended to apply at least two coats of gesso to any surface, but especially when painting on canvasor linen. The first coat will penetrate the support and reduce the likelihood of paint delamination. The second coat bonds with the first layer and begins to even out the surface. Subsequent layers of gesso will produce aneven smoother surface. For spray-application, you may have to apply more than 2 coats to achieve a film similar to that achievable by brush application.

*Spray Application Dilutions
The degree to which the GOLDEN Gesso needs thinning depends on what type of spray equipment is being used. No dilution of the Gesso may be required when using equipment with relatively large orifices andsubstantial pressure. Thin Gesso for spraying by blending with GOLDEN Airbrush Medium, which reduces viscosity, improves flow and tip-dry, and promotes levelling. Start with a mixture of 1 part Airbrush Mediumto 1 part Gesso and test spray quality. Additional reduction with the Airbrush Medium may be required, especially with smaller-nozzle equipment and lower air pressures.

*Sanding
Sanding GOLDEN Gesso is possible; however, due to the flexible acrylic emulsion, the sandpaper will "gum" up rather quickly from the heat generated by sanding. For optimal sanding, use GOLDEN SandableHard Gesso (This product should only be used on rigid supports since it tends to crack when flexed).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Use with Oil Paints
Oil Paints can be applied over acrylic gesso. There is adequate adhesion due to the porosity of the acrylic. To control the penetration of linseed oil into support fibres, a two coat-application of GAC 100 or GAC 700 isrecommended before applying Gesso. This seals the substrate and greatly lessens the amount of oil penetration.GAC 400 can be applied to canvas to stiffen the support before Gesso application. The GAC 400 will provide a stiffness similar to rabbit-skin glue while remaining insoluble in water. (Refer to the InformationSheet: GAC Specialty Acrylic Polymers for further information on these products).

Lowering Absorbency/Tooth
By adding a gel or medium to gesso, one can increase flexibility and lower tooth and absorbency. GOLDEN Gesso can be modified with most GOLDEN Gels & Mediums. However, GOLDEN Soft Gels will leastaffect the feel and thickness of GOLDEN Gesso. Test mixtures to achieve the desired tooth and/or absorbency for each application. Adding GOLDEN GAC 100 (a thin, multi-purpose specialty acrylicmedium) will reduce viscosity (product thickness). This results in a film that is thinner, stronger and more flexible. Additions of more than 10% GOLDEN GAC 100 will lower tooth and opacity of the gesso.

Increasing Tooth or Altering Texture
Tooth can be increased without affecting flexibility or crack resistance by adding GOLDEN Coarse or ExtraCoarse Pumice Gels. These textural gels produce unique surfaces on which to work. These Gels and otherGrounds, such as GOLDEN Acrylic Ground for Pastels, can also be applied over the gesso.

Absorbent Ground
GOLDEN Absorbent Ground is an acrylic liquid surfacing medium that can be used to create a porous, paper-like surface on many different substrates. It is uniquely formulated for unsurpassed absorbent actionwhen dry. Applied over gessoed canvas, the Absorbent Ground allows for raw canvas-like staining on a protected substrate. It also allows watercolours to be used on a stable prepared canvas.

GOLDEN Absorbent Ground, designed for stain and watercolour-type applications, is lightfast, permanentand flexible. It is not intended as a gesso alternative. It must be applied over a pre-primed surface due to its fragile, paper-like nature. Once properly sealed, it is a permanent acrylic film that does not need to be keptunder glass. GOLDEN Varnishes (Polymer & MSA) will protect the artwork from environmental factors such as sunlight and dust.

Painting in an impasto style over GOLDEN Absorbent Ground is not recommended, unless the surface isproperly sealed (see sealing surface section).

Acrylic Ground for Pastels
GOLDEN Acrylic Ground for Pastels is a 100% acrylic medium designed to prepare surfaces for the application of pastels, charcoal and other art media where a coarse tooth is desired. It contains finely groundsand (silica) in a pure acrylic emulsion. Acrylic Ground for Pastels can be applied to paper, canvas, wood or any primed support. This allows almostlimitless applications for media typically confined to standard papers.

INDIVIDUAL GOLDEN MEDIUM PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS

Retarder
GOLDEN Retarder is an additive used to increase the open (drying) time of acrylic paints. Useful for "wet in wet" techniques and reducing skinning on the palette.

Acrylic Flow Release
GOLDEN Acrylic Flow Release is a surfactant. A surfactant is a concentrated surface-active liquid which reduces surface tension, thus improving wetting and increasing the flow of acrylic waterborne paints.

A surfactant is used several ways in acrylic paint making. Surfactants are used to "wet out" pigments to easetheir introduction into an acrylic resin, medium or gel. They can also be added to thinner paint mixtures, such as stains, to help reduce surface tension.

Acrylic Flow Release is very useful for staining techniques, as it dramatically reduces the surface tensionbetween the stain (paint/water) and the support. Certain supports, especially raw canvas, are inherently water repelling in nature and require the use of such a surface-active agent to allow the stain to wet and penetrateinto the support.

GOLDEN Acrylic Flow Release also improves flow for brushing acrylic paints. This allows for improvedlevelling, and reduces bead up due to surface tension.

Polymer Medium (Gloss)
A general purpose liquid medium useful for creating glazes, extending colours, enhancing gloss and translucency and increasing film integrity. Its unique feel is oil-like or resinous in nature, and promotes flowand levelling.

Fluid Matte Medium
A liquid medium useful for extending colours, decreasing gloss and increasing film integrity. Useful for blending with GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics to decrease the gloss without increasing viscosity.

Matte Medium
A general purpose, pourable medium useful for extending colours, decreasing gloss and increasing film integrity. Can be used as a ground instead of gesso.

Super-Loaded Matte Medium
Same consistency as the regular Matte Medium, but with three times more matting solids. Excellent for lowering sheen of glossy paints and other mediums (the least addition of medium is required). Slightlyincreases opacity.

Airbrush Medium
Modifies the GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics for airbrush/spray application. Blends easily with the Fluid Acrylics to yield a paint mixture with the proper viscosity for airbrushing. Effectively decreases clogging and tipbuild-up during spraying, eliminating the largest drawback to airbrushing with acrylics. While designed with the Fluid Acrylics in mind, Airbrush Medium will also reduce the Heavy Body, Matte, High Load,Iridescent/Interference and Fluorescent Acrylics and GOLDEN Mediums and Gessos for spray applications.

Airbrush Transparent Extender
Essentially a "colourless airbrush colour". Designed for extending GOLDEN Airbrush Colours to increase film hardness for better frisketing, and to lower the pigmentation of the colours. This allows an artist toachieve a transparent paint without sacrificing spraying properties. Also useful as a topcoat for frisketing on softer acrylics. Blend with GAC 500 (2:1) to Airbrush Transparent Extender for a sprayable isolation coatbefore varnishing. While designed with the Airbrush Colours in mind, Airbrush Transparent Extender will also reduce the Fluids, Heavy Body, Matte, High Load, Iridescent/Interference and Fluorescent Acrylics forspray applications.

Silk-Screen Medium
A water-borne system designed to blend with acrylic paints for silk-screen application. Increases working time and retards paint from drying in the screen. Safe to use with minimal odour. Mix 1 part Silk-ScreenMedium with 1 part GOLDEN Acrylic colours (Heavy Body, Matte or Fluid) and use this mixture to screen with. The Silk-Screen Medium is not designed to impart opacity, hence the opacity of the mixture will bedetermined by the nature of colour being used and the ratio of paint to Medium used.

 

GAC SPECIALTY POLYMER ACRYLIC MEDIUMS

GAC-100 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion useful for diluting and extending colours as well as increasing flexibility and film integrity. Wets out solids more readily than other polymers and is useful for creating homemadepaints. The best Support Induced Discoloration-blocker we make.

GAC-200 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion that is the hardest and least flexible of GOLDEN acrylics. Useful for increasing film hardness and reducing tack. Increases adhesion to non-porous surfaces, such as glass. Used inits pure form, it is limited to applications on non-flexible supports. Generally recommend a maximum level of GAC-200 be 75% of the entire paint mixture. Great for increasing durability of GOLDEN Acrylic Paintsfor mural use.

GAC-400 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion which dries to a hard, stiff film. When applied over a fabric support, such as cotton, linen or silk, the GAC 400 will serve to dramatically stiffen the support. This allows the artist totransform a lightweight fabric into a free-standing form that will hold its shape. If laundering stability is essential, the polymer can be heat-set.

GAC-500 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion with levelling ability, that forms a hard, glossy film. Useful for increasing film hardness and reducing tack, while maintaining flexibility. The hardest polymer that is suitable forflexible supports.

GAC-700 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion that offers excellent film clarity and gloss. Excellent for sealing various supports to protect against Support Induced Discoloration. Useful for glaze applications, but care needs to beexercised to avoid foaming. Offers reduced shrinkage.

GAC-800 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion that does not craze in pours/puddles. That is to say that it dries with the same uniform surface and dimensional integrity as when wet (other GACs will craze, developing shrinkagecrevices running across the surface). Dries with good gloss and flexibility, but only moderate clarity. Useful to increase adhesion to chalky surfaces.

GAC-900 Acrylic
A liquid acrylic polymer emulsion which when heat-set offers a very soft hand and laundering stability. This product is most useful to artists painting on clothing. GAC 900 can be blended with various acrylic coloursto produce fabric paints that can be airbrush, hand brush or screen applied.

Acrylic Glazing Liquid (Gloss & Satin)
GOLDEN Acrylic Glazing Liquid (AGL) is a 100% Acrylic, water-based emulsion, developed to be used with waterborne paint systems for interior glazing applications. Acrylic Glazing Liquid can be used for awide variety of techniques, which require longer open times, including:

*Wood Graining
*Marbling
*Trompe L'Oeil
*Additive and Subtractive Techniques
*Glazing

Fine Art Applications
Acrylic Glazing Liquid also proves useful in fine art glazing applications, such as mural and easel painting. Use this product in the same manner as an oil painter uses linseed oil and turpentine. Below is a list ofpossible uses of Acrylic Glazing Liquid techniques:

*Slow drying colour glazes.
*Thinning medium for better brushability.
*Pre-glazing before paint application.
*Smoother wet-in-wet blending.

It is imperative that this product be used for thin layer applications. Thick layers of the Glazing Liquid, inexcess of 1/16", will not dry properly, remaining tacky for extended periods of time.

 

INDIVIDUAL GOLDEN VARNISH PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS

Polymer Varnish (w/UVLS)
GOLDEN Polymer Varnish with UVLS (Ultra Violet Light Stabilizers) is a water-based acrylic polymer varnish formulated to provide additional protection from ultraviolet radiation. This helps delay the inevitablefading that occurs in materials which may be fugitive in nature.

Polymer Varnish is designed as a topcoat for acrylic paints and offers a removable protective surface to therelatively soft acrylic paint layer. It has a harder film than most acrylic paints, which diminishes the susceptibility of the surface to dust and dirt, and provides increased protection from scratching, marring andmoisture. It has adequate flexibility to withstand normal handling conditions, including loose rolling. For interior use only. The product is not recommended for use on furniture or other surfaces subject to physicalcontact during use.

Polymer Varnish remains soluble in alkaline solvents, such as ammonia. This means the varnish can beeasily removed, taking with it any accumulated surface contamination without damaging the painting surface. The use of such a removable varnish provides a valuable tool to anyone trying to restore or clean a painting.

Polymer Varnish (Gloss) dries to a highly reflective finish. Polymer Varnish (Satin) offers moderatereflection, similar to most matte varnishes. The Matte is exceptionally flat. The different finishes can be intermixed, or used sequentially, to achieve the desired sheen. Note: Polymer Varnish (Satin) and (Matte)will lighten dark value colours, which is typical of non-gloss varnishes.

MSA Varnish (w/UVLS)
GOLDEN Mineral Spirit Acrylic Varnishes with UVLS (Ultra Violet Light Stabilizers) dry to a tough, yet flexible protective finish. The UVLS system provides increased resistance to the harmful effects ofultraviolet radiation, making the product suitable for exterior as well as interior application. For restoration purposes, the varnish may be removed with mineral spirits or turpentine.

MSA Varnish can be used over a wide variety of paints, including acrylic, oil, alkyd, egg tempera,watercolour, and casein. As a topcoat for acrylics, it provides a harder, lower tack surface that is much less susceptible to dirt and is more mar resistant. When spray applied, it functions well as a consolidant formediums such as soft pastel, chalk, oil pastel, charcoal, tempera and dry pigment. It can also be mixed with oil and alkyd paints to accelerate drying and improve flexibility.

MSA Varnish (Gloss) dries to a highly reflective finish. MSA Varnish (Satin) offers moderate reflection, similar to most matte varnishes. MSA Varnish (Matte) finish is exceptionally flat. Thedifferent finishes can be intermixed, or used sequentially, to achieve the desired sheen. Note that thematte and satin MSA varnishes will lighten dark value colours, which is typical of reduced sheen varnishes.

For more information on Golden colours and products please visit www.goldenpaints.com