Suzette Fram

As the name indicates, acrylic inks are paints that are as liquid and vibrant as ink, yet they are acrylics. I have used both the FW and the Liquitex brands, with equal success.

My best experience with these inks is working on damp watercolour paper where I am able to mix and mingle the inks (by tilting the board the paper is on) and obtain very stunning effects. I have also used acrylic inks over acrylic paint on a canvas; the results are not the same, as the inks cannot penetrate the substrate and if allowed to mix on the surface, the effect is quite different, but nice just the same. The fluidity of the medium gives the ability to obtain effects that you wouldn’t be able to obtain with regular paint and brushes.

‘Red Sky At Night’ ©Suzette Fram – Acrylic Inks poured onto damp watercolour paper

WHAT YOU CAN DO
- You can use these as you would watercolour on paper, whether to paint or pour; they are fabulous for pouring. They work equally well, perhaps even better than watercolour. The colours stay bright and do not fade when they dry.
- You can use them like acrylics, allowing for the fact that they are much more fluid and will move and blend on the canvas. They can go on top of an already existing acrylic layer, but must be given adequate time to dry. You can also mix them with acrylic paints, but I would stick to fluid acrylics when doing that.

‘Sailor’s Delight’ ©Suzette Fram – Acrylic Inks poured onto damp watercolour paper

PROS
- The advantage of the inks is the vibrancy of the colours. They are absolutely bright and wonderful, and they do not fade when they dry, the way watercolours do.
- Also, they are not as temperamental as watercolours and the finished product is not nearly as delicate.

CONS
- There are not as many colour choices as with watercolours or acrylics.
- They are not completely waterproof, as acrylic paints are. I like to finish my work with a coat of acrylic gloss medium. I have found that acrylic inks can sometimes run a bit when the first coat of medium is applied, with unexpected and undesirable results. I solve that problem by spraying a light coat of clear acrylic to seal the work before finishing it with gloss or matt medium. Of course, you can frame it under glass and avoid the problem entirely.

‘Blue Wave’ ©Suzette Fram – Poured Acrylic Inks

CONCLUSION:
I really like these inks. I have had some wonderful results pouring on damp watercolour paper. I also like to pour them over an acrylic painting when I want the colour to drip, splatter, move and blend. I love how bright the colours are and how the colours stay bright even after drying. They are well suited for both watercolour and acrylic artists.

Suzette

“Painters don’t make mistakes. They do layers.” (author unknown)

Cradled panels are wooden boards used as a surface for artwork. The panels are mounted on a ‘cradle’, a frame that is similar to the frame on a stretched canvas. They come in the ¾” and 1½” thickness, just like canvas, and can be hung with or without frames.

The wood is unfinished and depending on your application, requires sealing and prepping before working on. The edges are a little rough. If you’re planning on not framing them, you want to make sure you give them a good sanding, and they’ll need painting.

I have used both the flat panels and the new ones with a raised edge which is particularly suited for fluid mediums, like pouring medium, or encaustic.

FLAT PANELS
I use the flat panels to mount works on paper. After sealing the finished work front and back, I simply glue the work to the panel using gloss medium or gel. You need to apply pressure to insure that the work is properly adhered; I do that by turning the work over onto a non-stick surface like parchment paper, or butcher paper; I then put something heavy on top, like books, and leave it to dry overnight. I haven’t had any problems with this method. I finish the works by painting the edges black.

PANELS WITH RAISED EDGE
More recently, I’ve been working with the panels with the raised edge. I’ve been working with pouring medium and they seemed ideally suited to that purpose. It’s been quite an adventure as I experienced a variety of problems.
• The wood is raw and must be ‘prepared’. That means sealing the wood, and then applying a ground before painting on it. Even though I sealed the panels with GAC700 (a sealing compound recommended at the art store) and then applied gesso or white paint, I experienced some swelling of the wood, resulting in bowing in the middle of the panel.
• When preparing the panels, it is very necessary to sand before, after, and between coats, because even though you are ‘sealing’ the wood, it still raises the grain of the wood and makes for a rough surface.
• The raised edge of these panels is not included in the size, ie a 12×12 panel is 12×12 inside of the raised edges. That means that these do not quite fit inside of a standard 12×12 frame, so framing is trickier.
• The panels tend not to be quite level. If you’re working with a fluid medium, which these panels are intended for, you have to level them by wedging things under the sides or corners, and you really need to use a level every which way, to make sure they’re level. Otherwise, your fluid medium will slowly slide all to one side, with some unexpected and unwanted results.

CONCLUSION:
I am quite happy using the flat panels for mounting works on paper. However, I will not use these panels for painting on. They are just too much trouble and results are somewhat unpredictable.

Suzette

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” (Pablo Picasso)