To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>, <PaperMacheArt-AT-yahoogroups.com>
Date: Sat, 13 May 2006 01:59:56 -0400
Subject: [Puptcrit] Water-based Shellac and water-dispersed pigments


I got some waterbased shellac and some pgiements (in water dispersion) to try out this week.

Water based shellac is pretty hard to find, as it is a relatively new product, or so I was told.
It took three years for my new favorite pigment store to get a regular supply.
It is more expensive than regular alcohol-based shellac. About 10$ canadian for a 250ml bottle.


Here is the online store for the real store I went to:
http://www.kamapigment.com/
Click on Online catalogue for the online store.

They sell almost everything to make your own paints and finishes, including classic stuff like animal hide glue, fish glue, all the old style natural resins and fillers, and even empty tubes for your paints.
I love their technical know-how. They make a lot of their own products, and are proud of real quality products and services. A visit to their store means that I will learn something new.
Reminds me of a potions store, or an alchemist's studio.
You would be amazed at the colors and substances in various glass and plastic jars and bags.
They have real paint samples, and they even framed them in a gilded wooden frame (they sell the gold leaf stuff too)

Pigments in water dispersions are simply a high concentration of high quality pigments suspended in pure water.
Nothing added. Wonderful to make ANY waterbased paints or mediums.
Ideal if you need to avoid dangerous dusts. Mixing dry pigments is very hasardous  to human and pet health, but mixing liquid pigments produces no dust.


Wonderful stuff so far, at least for the first use I had for them.

I made a permanent black ink. 
This was reccomended by the store owner who sold me the shellac and some pigments in water dispersion.
Simplest thing in the world. Just mix a drop of pigment in many drops of water-based shellac.
He told me to add 4 parts of water, but I apparently didn't need any water this time (pure burst of sudden lazyness). I will try with water next time (after all, if it works with even less product, I would save even more!).

Result:
The blackest of black I ever tried, and it went on so smoothly I was blown away.
I tested the ink against smudging, once it was dry.  It resists water and even saliva.

Since the pigments I use are lightfast and permanent, this is a way to make the best ink I have ever tried, for a fraction of the cost of anything else available. Better yet, I have total control over the color, and strenght of pigmentation.

I might not use this as a permanent finish on objets yet. I was told waterbased shellac is less strong as a finish than its alcohol counterpart. Not surprising, as all the water-based finishesIve tried were less strong than their oil-based counterparts.

I might use this as a good liquid paint to make my next puppet's miniature eyes...

More about waterbased paints, mostly to make acrylic paint in my case: I buy the water-dispersed pigments only for the colors I use the most. I my case, these are usually the real earth colors, and black. The rest of the colors I buy in dry form (only those that mix well in water), in regular tubes or the Liquitex concentrated little jars.
A tube lasts me a long time. A bottle of dispersion lasts even more.
You wouldn't believe the economy I make on paints nowadays. Unless you tried it yourself.
Just make sure you choose the easy way, and ask for colors that mix well without any additives or fuss.
I go only as afar as adding my pigments to a base, like the waterbased shellac, or gum arabic, or acrylic medium.

Another great paint medium, that is stronger than acrylic medium, is the glue Weldbond, it makes a good glossy scratch resistant paint. It looks just like white glue when in the bottle, but dries tranaparent, is more flexible, more adhesive (one of te best waterbase adhesives in the world) and is acid-free. Added bonus: it is better, yet much less expenxie than good artist quality acrylic gel medium. It is too thick for most people to use from the bottle, so just dilute.

Extra tip: when diluting waterbased paints, to be the most scientific and safest possible, use distilled water.
I don't yet. The water quality here is constant and I've never had any problem. I would use distilled water anytime I am not sure of water quality and content, like when travelling. A collegue had one of his large format acrylic painting develop a GREEN mold from within. It totally ruined his many weeks of detail work. He now paints exclusively with distilled water. 

 










Mathieu René Créaturiste
Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
www.creaturiste.com
creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
(514) 274-8027
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