Friday 7 December 2007

vinegar painting



After visiting Lynda's blog this afternoon and drooling over her exquisite paper samples, I suddenly remembered a technique using vinegar (and probably with brown paper). You'll see the significance of that on Lynda's blog, a must visit!! So I thought I'd put down the instructions if anyone is interested in having a go.

What you need for this technique is the following:
Vinegar, sugar, powder paint, washing up liquid, vinyl silk emulsion.

For mark making you can use vitually anything that makes a good inprint, eg. rags, plasticine, forks,spoons, sponges, old brushes string, cork etc.
First coat some sheets of cartidge paper (or brown paper) with the emulsion, whatever colour you use will show through when you make your marks.



Mix one cup (plastic disposable size) of vinegar, the brown Sarsons type seems to work best, with 2tsp of sugar and a dash of washing up liquid and then add it to enough powder paint to make a consistency that is thick enough to draw into. It will be quite frothy.

Now paint onto the pre-prepared paper and make your marks into the thick solution, while it's still wet.




As it's powder paint the effect is quite chalky but I think you could varnish it with an acrylic varnish, or paint into it.

7 comments:

Julie said...

What an amazing technique Sharon. You get some fascinating marks with this method. I've been painting brown paper myself today :) Thanks for your comments on my blog today. I doubt I'll be painting the skyscapes but they do suggest lovely textures, don't they?

Doreen G said...

Fantastic Sharon----what is vinyl silk emulsion

sharon young said...

Hi Doreen
VSE is a household paint like ordinary emulsion that you paint on interior walls, but it gas a slight sheen and a plasticised surface for kitchens and bathrooms, so you can wipe them easily. It's better for this technique than ordinary emulsion which as it's water based would come off slightly and mix with the vinegar layer. Also it allows for a smother drag of mark making tools.

Val said...

This is a great technique Sharon - looks wonderful - thanks for sharing it with us. Val

Purple Missus said...

This is a new one on me Sharon. Thanks for the instructions. Will certainly give this one a go. Any other unusual techniques up your sleeve?

Ro Bruhn said...

Wow Sharon this looks great, thanks for sharing the technique. I soak scrunched up brown paper from heavy duty brown paper bags in water and vinegar, then paint with acrylics when dry, this gives a very leathery effect. I'm posting some with other papers on my blog tonight.

artfulzebra said...

Mmmmmm, these look great, Sharon! I so have to try this technique out! Thanks!

maz