| Art materials FAQ [message #213642] |
Mon, 23 December 2013 05:47  |
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Archive-name: art-materials
Posting-Frequency: Posted on the 10th and 23rd of each month.
Last-Modified: January 22, 2001
Version: 1.42
ART MATERIALS FAQ - Version 1.42
Last updated: January 22, 2001
Written and maintained by R'ykandar Korra'ti <rayek AT murkworks.net>
Sourced from a message in reply to Tygger <graf AT primenet.com>
on alt.fan.furry
Comments and corrections to rayek AT murkworks.net.
[NOTE: Email addresses have had format changes to avoid spammer automated
email-address collectors. Change the " AT " to an "@" sign and this will
recreate the original address. NOTICE: UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL MAIL _WILL_
RESULT IN MY BOYCOTTING THE ADVERTISED COMPANY AND PRODUCT. I reject ALL
spam mail.]
This article, a more formal version of a long post I made on alt.fan.furry,
is intended to discuss materials commonly used in illustrative artwork, and
the durability thereof. It will also comment briefly on how to preserve
the artwork you purchase. The intended audience is comic, illustrative, and
fan artists, the people buying or otherwise acquiring artwork from these
same sources. It is _not_ a fully-comprehensive treatment of the subject,
but is intended as a good set of ground rules for how to make artwork -
particularly artwork done on paper - last.
This version reflects changes and contributions suggested by the following:
Conrad Wong <lynx AT netcom.com>
Araiguma <araiguma AT teamhbbs.com>
Dave Bell <dave.bell AT portofc.org>
Hanno Foest <hanno AT ranea.escape.de>
Remus Shepherd <remus AT netcom.com>
Margaret Organ-Kean <76506.1633 AT CompuServe.COM>
SHERRYS AT delphi.com
Victor Wren <artgoat AT netcom.com>
Neil McAllister <pcm2 AT netcom.com>
Keven Fedirko <altered AT ulix.net>
Ashtoreth <ashy AT woof.net>
Gypsy <gypsy AT fred.net>
Rod Smith <stickmaker AT usa.net>
Ken Stone <sasami AT blaze.net.au>
James Birdsall <jwbirdsa AT picarefy.picarefy.com>
Lyrra Madril <lyrra AT cybernex.net>
Henry Spencer <henry AT zoo.toronto.edu>
Jim Kennedy <jimken AT bellsouth.net>
Karl Meyer <ferret AT enteract.com>
Nozmo <gruffa AT uswest.net>
Joe Bennett <jcab AT 123.net>
Sections with significant amounts of new text or information are noted with
individual contributor credits. I hope this is not too confusing.
Section headers:
INTRODUCTION
PIGMENT AND DYES
DRAWING PAPER
PRINT PAPER
MATTES and BACKING BOARD
THE BUYER'S PERSPECTIVE
REFERENCES
A SUMMARY
----- INTRODUCTION -----
In article <tyggerCuwqHp.3Hp@netcom.com> graf AT primenet.com (Tygger)
wrote:
> Now, here's the interesting part: now I'm being told that an illo coloured
> in marker or an illo with marker and enhanced by colour pencil isn't up to
> par to warrant a min bid of $35-45 in an artshow. It's due to the marker,
> I'm told.
I'm not surprised, at all. I know I adjust my bid based on media - or
rather the durability thereof - and will avoid several processes entirely,
regardless of how much I like the work.
All the materials used to make artwork affect the durability of the
final piece. While this may seem obvious when stated, many artists and
collectors never really think about this when creating, selling, or buying
work.
----- PIGMENT AND DYES -----
The list of commonly used tools and media includes magic marker
(ink), brush (ink), coloured pencil (typically a wax-based carrier, with
embedded pigment), crayon (more wax), oil pastel (a different carrier,
with pigment), watercolour paint, acrylic, and oil paints. All of these
bring with them different issues, both across class of material (magic
marker ink vs. brush ink vs. oil paint, etc) and across brand of
manufacture.
In all cases, there will be one of two classes of colouring agent
in the medium. Most markers - particularly colour markers - use dye. Dye
is always relatively fugitive (or transient, or whatever). It is very
much likely to change colour or fade completely; how definite it is
that this will happen, or how quickly it will happen, depends upon the
dye in question.
One of the biggest problems, generically, is "drift." "Drift" is a
general term indicating one of several issues, most notably fading, colour
change (or "shift"), or outright spread of the colour in an unexpected
and undesirable way. The first is most common; the third, least so, but
still happens.
Pigments are overwhelmingly more likely to last, both in the face
of time and sunlight. Pigments are found in a very small number of
non-refillable pens, in all "India inks," in better watercolours,
acrylics, and so forth. Some pigments - particularly modern experimental
pigments - can also drift, shift, or fade, but this is much less likely
overall. Elemental carbon (the pigment used in "India ink") will likely
not ever exhibit this behaviour, except over timeframes of centuries;
elemental carbon can oxidise over time.
[Decision to explain dye vs. pigment prompted by Victor Wren and
Neil McAllister. Much data to correct prior errors on this subject was
provided by both. Henry Spencer provided data on oxidisation of elemental
carbon pigments, and also notes that metal-oxide pigments will not oxidise
further, being, well, already an oxide. :-) ]
Black line markers:
Markers drift. In fact, they drift _badly_. They're the most ephemeral
of media in common use today. There are a few which are stable (Micron
Pigma pens come to mind; black today, black tomorrow), but most aren't.
How much they end up drifting depends upon how much light exposure they
get (and it does _not_ have to be direct sunlight), as well as the air
circulation, the paper they're used on, and probably half a dozen other
things. Plus, as mentioned above, it varies by marker.
Known stable: Micron Pigma - technical pens, available from .005 to
at least .08cm. I've surveyed a few dozen pens, and this has
been the only one I've found to be considered generally stable.
The reason is that they actually use pigment-based ink, rather
than dye-based, having come up with some way of grinding the
pigment finely enough that it can pass through a marker-type
delivery system. One minor drawback: the pigment can be rubbed
off to a degree by an eraser, resulting in some lightening of
the ink marks. Keep this in mind when working.
Do NOT use: Pilot Razor Points. They're hugely popular because they
feel very good. Don't expose them to air or light, though, if
you want to keep your work's black lines _black_. They fade to
grey or green. They're also water-soluble, even when dry. (On
the other hand, if you only intend to keep the work for a couple
of weeks - say, it's a test sketch - then there's no need to be
concerned.)
Thick black markers:
I've encountered none which are stable. I've been told that this has
to do with the delivery method; the constraints put on the ink by the
felt process prohibit the use of any pigments, so they're all dye based.
Watch out for: Sharpie(R) brand. They produce a _lovely_ black and
are really fun to play with. I still play with them when I'm
touching up a photocopy for submission to a magazine, or when
I'm just screwing around - but I've heard from several artists
that they not only turn green, but produce a yellow bleed on
the paper. (I've seen some hints of this yellow bleed myself.)
This is chromotography in action, and is independent of the
paper used. They also used to contain a rather nasty solvent,
but that appears to have changed recently.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Araiguma]
Also, old Pantone (TM) and the current Design (TM) lines of thick
markers use Xylene. Use only if you've got good air circulation.
[Victor Wren]
Thin/technical colour markers:
I've never seen anyone use these. Micron makes colour tech pens, and
I've recently been told that they, too, are micropigment based and should
therefore have some degree of durability. They currently make nine colours
-
Black, Blue, Red, Green, Brown, Purple, Orange, Rose, and Yellow.
Thick colour markers:
Colour markers drift overall more than B&W, since colour shift
becomes a more crucial factor. Letraset made a Pantone line which
claims a fair degree of stability, but watch out for that lovely
smell of solvent (Xylene; mildly carcinogenic; work in a well-
ventilated area) - it's bad fer ya. Plus, they bleed (upon application,
_not_ later - at least, so far) more than any other marker I've ever used.
Work I've done with these (and touched up with Marvy brand small-points)
has held up so far, when maintained properly. However, I'm not holding my
breath on the Marvy durability, and have been informed [by Araiguma] that
the dyes therein are not particularly lightfast. Also, be careful when
applying these to colour photocopies; Xylene will dissolve some colour
photocopy toners, resulting in a "muddy mess."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong; Araiguma; Victor Wren]
Letraset is now making a new line called Tria, which has three
separate tips of different sizes. They're also dye based, but the solvent
is now 100% alcohol based and therefore much less dangerous. [Neil
McAllister]
[Lyrra Madril] reports that there are several new lines of
pigment-based
thick markers (in the 2.0mm - 3.5mm tip range), and reports good results in
early (six month) testing with Marvy Memory Series Calligraphy Pigments.
Brush pens [Initial data and suggestion to include - Conrad Wong]:
These are similar in behaviour to other colour markers - i.e.,
they have fading problems and should be considered ephemeral. Further,
they are not known for producing initially solid blacks.
Some manufacturers are now making brush-pens which actually have
tiny brushes at the tip, rather than a simple modified felt tip. These
can possibly include pigmented inks, and would therefore last quite a
bit longer. Sakura and Pentel both make dye-based brush-pens of this
type, and - for dye pens - they hold up fairly well. Micron is
apparently also shipping a brush-pen of this type which uses the same
micropigmented ink that their technical pens do, and _that_ one will
be of genuinely long life. [Victor Wren; Neil McAllister] Unfortunately,
they have discontinued shipping the best version of this pen to the
United States, due to poor sales.
Black brush ink:
All "india" ink-based inks should be durable. I've never heard
otherwise. In fact, most brush inks will be more durable than most pen
inks, given the above commentary on delivery systems; you _can_ deliver
a durable pigment with a brush. I've been using Higgins Black Magic in
brushes, but you can shop around; again, any india ink should do.
(As always, be careful; even many "india" inks can be picked up by
skin acids, regardless of how dry they are.)
There are some gotchas to that, however; most importantly, some
"india" inks have a shelf-life, after which the ink begins to clot.
This can cause severe problems with technical pens; if a reliable pen
has started to fail, try new ink. [Victor Wren]
It is also possible to find pens which can be used to apply india
inks; the traditional dip pen should handle most kinds of inks. Virtually
all engineering pens should be able to do this as well.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Dave Bell]
I've also had FW and Kohinoor 3085-F recommended; I'm told it is
easier to apply a thin line with FW than it is with Higgins Black Magic.
[Data from Victor Wren]
Note: Do not use Higgins in a technical pen; it'll be almost
impossible to get back out if it dries. Most "india" inks will chip
away, given enough soap and vibration - Higgins won't. [Ashtoreth]
It has been also reported that Derwent Black nr. 19-67 from their
"Artists" series, in particular, suffers from a yellow bleed over time.
However, this is an older mix and may not apply to current inks. [Ken
Stone]
Pen-style brushes, preloaded [by Conrad Wong]:
There are some pen-style brushes. Japanese stores may sell them;
they will have reservoirs inside. Many brushes contain a special
transparent liquid which turns black on a special paper. Artists will
want to look for brushes that work on 'regular' paper. Watch whether
it's a sable tip or a synthetic tip; the synthetic tips are stiffer,
the sable tips are very soft and, consequently, can be harder to control.
(They can also be necessary to avoid splatter on very rough surfaces -
but this is a technique rather than durability issue.)
Colour brush ink [by Araiguma]:
Depends on the ink, whether dye-based or pigment-based. I wouldn't
hold my breath; it's usually dye. Darker reds and blues _tend_ to be more
lightfast. Yellows are the worst, oranges and greens aren't far behind,
_very_ loosely speaking.
A lot of artists' media these days has lightfastness ratings
on the packaging. If that's not available, it's always worth asking
the store staff.
On the good side, however, is that there is a new line put out by
Higgins which is pigment-based - they refer to them as "fadeproof." FW
also has a pigment-based (acrylic-based, actually) line. Some of FW's
are relatively opaque, so watch out for that if that's not what you want.
Graphite (grey/black pencil):
Extremely durable if appropriately maintained. The only problems are
ruboff and smearing. Protect the piece from direct sunlight and direct
contact and you should be fine. Workable spray fixative will solve most
of the ruboff and smearing problems, but these, too, bring other durability
issues into play. (So far, I have had no problems with higher-quality
spray fixatives.)
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong]
Also recommended: "I've found the crystal fixative (non-workable)
to be better for preventing smudging. To stop smudging with workable
fixative (which is primarily intended for special techniques with pastel,
not for archival use) takes an extremely heavy coating, which alters the
contrast of the pencils." [Victor Wren]
Charcoal [by Araiguma]:
Charcoal, like graphite, is elemental carbon and immune to color
change or degradation. It poses a more serious problem in other areas,
though, as the only thing holding the charcoal on the paper is friction.
As such, it is very vulnerable to static electricity, if not fixed. And
I'm highly dubious about spray-can fixatives, since the ones intended for
the general public (i.e. not museum and conservation professionals) are
"mystery fixatives in mystery solvents" - unknown longevity, stability,
and safety for both the artist and the artwork.
Colour pencil:
So far, so good. I haven't had any fade problems with any of my
colour pencil works. The delivery system is bonded with the pigment,
so there's no limitation imposed that way. Stay with the better brands;
I'm sure the K-mart school supply section store brand will have the
cheapest (and least durable) pigment available. I primarily used to use
Prismacolour pencils; however, Berol was bought out by Sanford - the
maker of the classic wall-mount pencil sharpener - and have had lead
stability problems since. Winsor Newton's pencils, currently, appear
to be a better price/performance union.
[Additional by Araiguma]
Colour pencils, as a class, tend to be a lot more stable than markers,
if only because the carrier (wax) doesn't volatilize very much over
time, and carry pigment off with it. Prismacolors give lightfastness
ratings for the various colors. Of course, take manufacturers' ratings
with a grain of salt; see the "REFERENCES" section below for details.
[Lyrra Madril] reports that Prismacolour Black has exhibited
problems with yellow bleeding, both on the original paper, and on papers
above and below it in a stack. She has also seen this in neon colours.
The pigment colour did not change, but the yellow was an issue. She has
reported better luck with opaque Winsor Newton cake watercolours and
Cara D'ache black pencils.
Chalk pastel [by Araiguma]:
Ones with natural pigments are pretty stable, ones with synthetic
pigments are anybody's guess.
Oil Pastel:
Again, so far, so good. Oil pastels I've done have held up
wonderfully,
even in suboptimal conditions. The only problem with this medium that I've
found is the ease with which it smears and rubs.
Hint: _never_ have the work in contact with _anything_ but air. If you
frame it, use a matte. If you don't, it'll rub off.
[Additional by Araiguma; added bits by Victor Wren]
Problems: They never really dry, and the oil in them can bleed out
into the paper. And if they're really gunked on thickly, the weight can
actually distort the paper they're on. This is a medium that's really best
on surfaces other than paper. However, a proper coat of gesso can make a
stiff piece of illustration board suitable.
Tempera [Suggestion to add by Araiguma]:
Classically pigment in an egg binder, these days it's "loud stuff
of dubious origin and composition." It cracks and peels at the slightest
flexing or fluxing in relative humidity. I've used it for a couple of
temporary projects, and definitely would not recommend it for anything
intended to be preserved. Even when new, it flakes; and worse - at least,
the brand I used - "dusted," with some colours dusting off on touch.
For classical tempera, see "egg tempera," below.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma]
Egg Tempera:
The "real stuff," Classical Tempera, still available commercially,
but often expensive. It will _always_ be listed as "egg tempera." Egg
tempera artists will often go so far as to make their own, in their
quest for the perfect medium. Assuming proper pigment materials have
been chosen, the result is an extremely durable paint, rivaled in this
field only by high-quality oils. (Doing it by hand is also cheaper.)
Watercolours:
Watercolours are generally considered the most ephemeral of the paint
media, on average. This has to do with many people making watercolours use
poor quality pigments and/or dyes in place of the higher quality materials,
and not the media itself, but the end result is essentially the same from
the artist's standpoint. Windsor and Newton claims solid durability, and
I believe rates durability by colour. Daniel Smith has been noted for
developing or implementing more durable pigments, including a replacement
for the inherently fugitive Alizarin Crimson. Dr. Martin's are noted for
being fugitive.
Warning: be prepared to pay for durability; I remember that the
stable watercolours cost about twice as much as other brands. And as
always, take manufacturers' ratings with a grain of salt; see the
"REFERENCES" section below. If all the colours are the same price, that's
a sure sign that corners are being cut somewhere. Further, watch out for
anything that lables itself a "hue;" that's marketing-speak for
"approximated colour via an unknown method."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma, Neil McAllister, Ashtoreth, Gypsy]
Acrylic and oil paints:
Oil paints, on average, tend to be slightly more durable than acrylic
paints. This will vary by brand, and by colour within a brand;
student-grade
paints will generally be less durable than professional or fine-arts lines,
obviously. It is much harder to make a really bad choice in these media,
however, than in markers, where it is very difficult to make a _good_
choice.
Note that any use of oil paints on canvas or illustration board will
cause the board or canvas to dissolve unless the canvas or board is first
prepped with a material called gesso.
Old Holland is considered by some to be the "best" in the field;
they're the same company that made oils used by Vermeer, Van Ruysdael,
and others in the "old master" category of painter. The company is well
over 300 years old. [Ashtoreth, Joe Bennett]
Transparent liquid acrylics [Suggestion to add by SHERRYS AT delphi.com]:
I know very little about these, but have been told that have held up
well to some artists' preliminary sunlightfastness testing.
Photocopier toner, dry [Suggestion to add by Hanno Foest]:
Most dry toners are elemental carbon combined with some binding agent
to allow the carbon to be bound with the paper. This method, in almost all
cases, is heat.
The toner colour itself is stable. Unfortunately, the binder is not
always so, and will often become brittle and flaky with age. Further,
toner binding is particularly sensitive to heat, as anyone who has left a
photocopy in a looseleaf binder exposed to the sun or a heat vent knows;
the toner will transfer off the paper and onto whatever else it may happen
to be touching. Humidity and outright moisture will cause the same sorts of
effects. Laserprinted material may be more resistant to this sort of
effect, as laserprinters often use higher fusing temperatures than
photocopiers.
I've also been told that some toners will sometimes contain
significant
amounts of impurities. The impact of these impurities will depend upon
their
exact composition, and would be impossible to predict in advance.
For more commentary on photocopiers, see below, under "print paper."
----- DRAWING PAPER -----
Let me rant again about paper and backing (some of my favourite
subjects :-) )...
Many artists will go out of their way to use a solid, high-quality,
durable pigment for their work - and will then proceed to paint or draw
on anything they find lying around. Where durability issues are concerned,
however, paper is of prime importance. This is due to the acid content
found in most papers, leading to paper discolouration, pigment
discolouration, and even breakup of the paper.
Fortunately, this is a recognized problem, and you can purchase
paper which has been pH neutralized. This paper will sometimes be
referred to as "acid free," and sometimes "pH neutral." If it doesn't
say, assume it has _not_ been pH neutralized. Strathmore bristol is
a favourite paper for many artists.
It may also be worth your time to check even paper which declares
itself pH neutral, as some companies have been caught shipping high-
acid paper as "pH neutral." Testing can be done in a crude, but
cheap and easy, way by using a pH testing pen, available for three or
four dollars from multiple suppliers. Likewise, stay away from the
cheapest papers; some which are indeed "acid free" may, if short-
grained (like deacidified newsprint), retain a great deal of lignin,
and be accordingly short-lived.
[Araiguma]
Your _very_ best bet would be a paper that's not just pH neutral,
but which is actually buffered with alkaline salts to offset future
degradation. The paper should have a high rag/cotton or alpha cellulose
content; longer fibers, less of the lignin and hemicelloloses that
contribute to acidity in paper.
[Araiguma]
Genuine Bristol paper is 100% cotton rag, with now wood fibre.
If it contains wood, it will say "pine tree Bristol." [Victor Wren]
100% cotton rag is not acidic, and contains no lignin.
As a side comment, let me rant about hemp prohibition. Hemp,
the non-psychoactive portion of the plant which produces marijuana,
produces a _naturally_ pH neutral paper which is of significantly
higher durability than any wood pulp paper. It would also be cheaper
in mass production, and be more suited towards making really large
pieces of illustrative paper. And thanks to the longer fibre length,
it's noticeably more recyclable than wood-pulp paper. Yet another
example of the stupidity of the drug war. End of polemic.
Drawing books containing pH neutral paper only cost a few dollars
more than drawing books with regular high-acid paper. Buy them. Even
if you're just planning on doodling in it, spend the extra three bucks.
That way, if you come out with something you decide you really like and
want to keep, you've got a good chance of doing so.
Of course, not all high-acid papers are equally bad. Newsprint is,
of course, the least durable, and is marketed as such. It's great for
temporary purposes - say, throwing together a couple of composition
sketches, or warming up before figure drawing - but just remember that
it won't last. Butcher paper - just as cheap, nicer to work on - has
the same caveats.
----- PRINT PAPER -----
First off: I will almost never buy anything reproduced on a black
and white photocopier for more than $4. In the US, the paper is
almost guaranteed to be high-acid junk material which will be turning
brown inside five years. Apparently, this is less likely to be the case
in parts of Europe; a German correspondent has tested all of his recent
photocopies and found them all to be on acid-free paper, despite no
efforts on his part to ensure that this was the case. (One way to insure
this is to bring in your own paper. Many copier places will handle this
just fine, as long as it looks like normal paper to them. I imagine it
would help to bring it in with the original wrapper, so they can look
at it and check against the qualities required by their particular copier.)
Colour copiers have different requirements, and as a result,
colour photocopier paper is generally pH neutral in the US. But check
to be sure.
Other than that, the same basic rules listed above apply here, too.
Paper suppliers are generally pretty good at labelling pH neutral papers
as "acid free," so if you're going to make prints, all you have to do is
ask for the right materials. Even in low-volume print runs, this won't
add much to your cost.
----- MATTES and BACKING BOARD -----
These are also often overlooked, even by people who take the
care to use pH neutral paper and lasting pigments. Mattes are less
damaging, since they have limited contact with the piece in question -
but you can still get a nasty brown bleed coming off the edge of a
high-acid matte. This is because the acid in the matte can leak into
the paper it touches.
This is especially true of those evil mattes with the "acid-free"
face and back with pure junk cardboard filler in between. The acid
migrates out of the mat bevels, producing mat burn, and the "acid-free"
face and back can only endure for a little while before they become
acidic, too.
[Araiguma]
The backing board matters more, since it's in contact with all
of your piece. I will often find that people have used cardboard
as backing for their artwork. This is a very bad idea, as cardboard
is _extremely_ high-acid - and fibrous, and likely to shed - and
_will_ degrade the life of your piece if you don't isolate it from
the art paper. If you must use cardboard, separate it from the artwork
by a layer (or two!) of pH neutral paper, or, if you can find it, pH
basic paper, buffered to pH 8.5 or so.
This is even more important when it comes to photographs, as
the acids in the cardboard will also alter the chemicals making the
colours in the print.
Most pre-made mattes I've found have, much to my shock, been
pH neutral. Most backing board material, on the other hand, has _not_.
And it costs half again as much as standard backing material, too.
Foo.
One very important point to note about matte board is that,
even those which are pH neutral are _not_ coloured with a lightfast
medium! They are exclusively ink. Those who like to do little sidebar
illustrations on the matte board should keep this in mind. [Victor Wren]
One topic often overlooked is adhering artwork to acid-free mattes
and backing. There are several ways to do this. Scotch tape is, of course,
right out, and brown masking tape is even worse - it is high acid, and
the adhesive will crystalize and transfer onto the paper, leaving ugly
stains. But if you want to use adhesive tapes, acid-free high-quality
matting tapes are available, as is a white artist's tape made by Scotch
(Tape #285). [White tape and data on masking tape by Victor Wren] Mount
the artwork against the backing (if present) or against the matte (if
not), securing the top two corners if the material is lightweight, and
securing all four corners if not. [Rod Smith]
I prefer to avoid the issue of adhesive-against-artwork entirely,
and use a securing method suggested to me by another artist which avoids
the issue entirely; making art holders out of acid-free paper, and taping
_those_ to the backing board. This is very easy:
Cut triangles out of acid free paper.
Position them on the backing board so that the corners of the
artwork, when placed on the backing board, would be under
the triangles.
Tape the triangles down with acid-free mounting tape.
Insert the artwork.
It should look something like this (ASCII art never to scale; if this
doesn't make sense, make sure to display it in Courier, or another
fixed-width
font):
/\ /\
/_/_ _\_\
| / /-------\ \ |
/|T1/ \T2|\
/ / / art \ \ \
\/|/ \|\/
| |
| |
/\|\ /|/\
\ \ \ / / /
\|T3\ /T4|/
|_\_\-------/_/_/
\ \ / /
\/ \/
T1-T4 are triangles of acid-free paper, held down with acid-free
mounting tape. The tape should be OVER the triangles, and should never
touch the artwork itself.
There are also acid-free mounting corners with their own adhesive
available at many art-supply stores; I don't use them because I'm
paranoid about the artwork slipping and coming into contact with the
adhesive. [Karl Meyer] reports that he has had good luck with self-
stick mounting tabs like these, however, particularly when mounting
animation cells.
----- THE BUYER'S STANDPOINT -----
When I consider buying a piece, I look for a note from the artist
which explicitly states that pH neutral paper was used. If I don't
find that, I adjust my willingness to buy accordingly. If I do buy, I
immediately take apart the matte and re-back the original with pH neutral
paper. (This stuff is cheap, not exotic. You can buy a sketchbook full
of it for $7.)
If the picture is backed with cardboard, that's another materials
strike; cardboard is very high-acid material. That, too, always gets
ripped out and replaced. The more of this I have to do, the more the
picture ends up costing me before all is said and done.
I have some originals work by a particular artist hanging in my
bedroom. It needed to be ripped apart, layered in back with pH neutral
paper, and backed with new material. I love this artist's work, but I
wonder whether much of it'll be around in 10 years, given some of the
materials used; the paper is short-fibre and (I suspect) high acid,
and was backed with cardboard. I think _my_ copies will last, because
I've worked to insure it. But most people aren't going to know to do
this.
My _requests_ to all creators and sellers of artwork are:
1) Know your materials. Use stuff that'll last. I'll know, and pay
more for it. This includes your paper. Acid-free illustration
board tends to cost a couple of dollars more, I know, but I'll
make that trade. Consider all markers to be ephemeral unless
proven otherwise, and always remember: photocopies flake,
doubly so when damp, triply so when hot.
2) Don't forget that mattes and backing boards are (typically) paper
too, and affect the things they touch. Most pre-made mattes I've
seen _have_ been acid-free (much to my shock!) but most backing
material is _not_. Be warned, and act appropriately. If you don't
know when buying, _ask_. And if you make prints, make them on good
paper. (I've seen people get everything but that right...) It won't
cost you that much more per print (I've priced it for some of my
own material :-) ) and will be worth it in five years.
3) Show me that you knew what you were doing when you prepped the
work.
Tell me that the paper, backing, mattes are pH neutral. If they
_aren't_, tell me that, too; I'll correct where I can. Give me
clues about the permanence of the media you used - I'll presume
the answers are bad, if you don't speak up.
People have been becoming more aware about these things. Slowly.
----- REFERENCE MATERIALS -----
The following books have been strongly recommended as reference texts
on materials durability.
The Artist's Handbook - Ralph Mayer
"A constant companion... unfortunately, it becomes ever more
dated
as new pigments, materials and products enter the marketplace."
The World's Best Watercolour Paints - by Colin Wilcox, published by
Northern Lights. The most important independent test set.
"Shock. Dismay. Sense of betrayal. And a whole bunch of very
expensive so-called artist grade watercolour tubes into the
garbage. It seems that with everyone taking the makers' word,
had bothered to try the lightfastness tests for themselves..."
"Reading the Wilcox book caused me to radically change my
palette."
The Wilcox Guide to the Best Watercolor Paints - by Michael Wilcox,
published by Northern Lights.
"This is an exhaustively researched reference to all commonly
(and
less commonly) known tube watercolors, listing and rating each
by
manufacturer. It is the most valuable tool I have found for
clearing my palette of fugitive pigments, and I would recommend
it to anyone who works in watercolor." [Gypsy]
Artist's Manual - by Angela Gair
ISBN 0-8118-1377-0, published by Chronicle Books
"It has fast become one of my favorite references, if not my
'bible,' for art materials. It's especially good for beginning
artists. It's a large format paperback and not expensive...
about $22 or $23. I don't have anything to do with the editor
or the publisher...I'm just a fan of the book. Take a look at
it."
[Jim Kennedy]
The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide - by Monoma Rossol
(New York, Allworth Press, 2nd ed. 1994)
"The whole issue of "art hazards" wasn't taken very seriously
until
about fifteen years ago, when it started to become understood
that a
great deal of the allergies, diseases, cancers and neurological
disorders artists were suffering from were preventable by
learning
safer handling of their materials or better planning of their
work
environments. You might wish to include this book in your
reference
list. Thanks." [Nozmo]
----- A SUMMARY -----
For my own work, I use low-cost pH neutral paper (see the above
$7) for most work, or pH neutral illustration board for anything I expect
to want to do on something like that and keep. When I sell, I either
back with pH neutral board (about 50% more expensive than the typical)
or, if I can't (rare circumstances), I isolate the print/drawing/whatever
from the bad backing board with layers of pH neutral paper. And, of course,
I use pH neutral mattes. [Note from Neil McAllister: "If you have to slip
pH neutral paper between a picture and its backing, I'd look for a material
called Glassine. It's a pH neutral separator paper that's got almost a
wax-paper surface. That should be sufficient to keep a picture away from
a bad backing, rather than layers of a more porous acid-free drawing
paper.]
When drawing, I only use markers I have reason to believe are stable,
if I intend to keep the work for more than a couple of months. I've yet to
find a thick, black, controllable marker which I trust to stay, so I use
brush and a permanent well ink instead. For colours, I use the
aforementioned Letraset/Pantone markers or coloured pencil, and hope
the Pantones live up to their billing. I've had it recommended that I
use watercolours instead, as even cheap pigment-based watercolours will
be better than markers.
For submissions, on the other hand - they're not supposed to last
more than a couple of months, so I use whatever's handy that looks good.
Photocopies touched up with Sharpie pens are my favourite, backed with
a cardboard mailer. :-) (The reason I bring this up: remember when you
should spend the money to make it last, and when you don't need to
care.)
Note that none of this costs me any more time or effort than using
high-acid materials. Once you've found a source for all the things you
need, you just remember to go there and buy the right things, rather than
going someplace else and buying the wrong things. It does cost a little
more, but only a very little, and it's a price I'm willing to pay.
Do these things, and your buyers will appreciate it eventually,
even if they don't know about it at time of purchase.
When buying, I check what the artist has used, and correct where
applicable. If the backing material is cardboard or not acid free, I
replace it, or stick in a layer of pH neutral paper. Same with the matte.
If I don't know about the paper, I stick extra layers of acid free paper
behind it, to absorb as much acid from the original paper as I can. I
then frame; this is more expensive, but limits air circulation (which helps
delay acid problems) and also can block some UV light damage. If a piece
is worth it or will be hanging in a high-light area, I'll get special
clear plastic designed to block all UV, and use that instead of glass
in the frame. _Never_ use shrink-wrap for this purpose; it won't help,
and will leak gasses which are actively bad for the piece. Also, never
hang in direct sunlight; anything that can go wrong will go wrong more
quickly when exposed to the sun, even if you've put plastic or glass in
front of it. [Neil McAllister notes again: "Glass with a UV-filtering
coating is also available," and is almost always cheaper than plastic.]
Do these things, and the artwork you buy will last much longer than
it would have otherwise, and at relatively little additional cost. It'll
also look better in the long run. Oh; if you can't frame, do everything
up to that, including the layer of glass or plastic in front, and then
clip (not tape!) it together. That'll save you some money and get you
most of the preservation benefits of a frame.
One final note: I don't pretend that this is a be-all or end-all
treatment on this subject. Reams of academic papers published on the
subject will, in fact, easily demonstrate otherwise. However, I believe
it to be a basically accurate set of rules which, if followed, will
allow a much longer lifespan for artwork, at minimal additional cost
and hassle.
This is version 1.42 of this FAQ. Version 0.1 was my response to
Tygger. Please direct suggestions and error corrections as outlined
above.
- R'ykandar.
----- END ART MATERIALS FAQ V1.42 -----
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| Art materials FAQ [message #217963 is a reply to message #213642] |
Fri, 10 January 2014 05:47  |
infopage
Messages: 33
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Archive-name: art-materials
Posting-Frequency: Posted on the 10th and 23rd of each month.
Last-Modified: January 22, 2001
Version: 1.42
ART MATERIALS FAQ - Version 1.42
Last updated: January 22, 2001
Written and maintained by R'ykandar Korra'ti <rayek AT murkworks.net>
Sourced from a message in reply to Tygger <graf AT primenet.com>
on alt.fan.furry
Comments and corrections to rayek AT murkworks.net.
[NOTE: Email addresses have had format changes to avoid spammer automated
email-address collectors. Change the " AT " to an "@" sign and this will
recreate the original address. NOTICE: UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL MAIL _WILL_
RESULT IN MY BOYCOTTING THE ADVERTISED COMPANY AND PRODUCT. I reject ALL
spam mail.]
This article, a more formal version of a long post I made on alt.fan.furry,
is intended to discuss materials commonly used in illustrative artwork, and
the durability thereof. It will also comment briefly on how to preserve
the artwork you purchase. The intended audience is comic, illustrative, and
fan artists, the people buying or otherwise acquiring artwork from these
same sources. It is _not_ a fully-comprehensive treatment of the subject,
but is intended as a good set of ground rules for how to make artwork -
particularly artwork done on paper - last.
This version reflects changes and contributions suggested by the following:
Conrad Wong <lynx AT netcom.com>
Araiguma <araiguma AT teamhbbs.com>
Dave Bell <dave.bell AT portofc.org>
Hanno Foest <hanno AT ranea.escape.de>
Remus Shepherd <remus AT netcom.com>
Margaret Organ-Kean <76506.1633 AT CompuServe.COM>
SHERRYS AT delphi.com
Victor Wren <artgoat AT netcom.com>
Neil McAllister <pcm2 AT netcom.com>
Keven Fedirko <altered AT ulix.net>
Ashtoreth <ashy AT woof.net>
Gypsy <gypsy AT fred.net>
Rod Smith <stickmaker AT usa.net>
Ken Stone <sasami AT blaze.net.au>
James Birdsall <jwbirdsa AT picarefy.picarefy.com>
Lyrra Madril <lyrra AT cybernex.net>
Henry Spencer <henry AT zoo.toronto.edu>
Jim Kennedy <jimken AT bellsouth.net>
Karl Meyer <ferret AT enteract.com>
Nozmo <gruffa AT uswest.net>
Joe Bennett <jcab AT 123.net>
Sections with significant amounts of new text or information are noted with
individual contributor credits. I hope this is not too confusing.
Section headers:
INTRODUCTION
PIGMENT AND DYES
DRAWING PAPER
PRINT PAPER
MATTES and BACKING BOARD
THE BUYER'S PERSPECTIVE
REFERENCES
A SUMMARY
----- INTRODUCTION -----
In article <tyggerCuwqHp.3Hp@netcom.com> graf AT primenet.com (Tygger)
wrote:
> Now, here's the interesting part: now I'm being told that an illo coloured
> in marker or an illo with marker and enhanced by colour pencil isn't up to
> par to warrant a min bid of $35-45 in an artshow. It's due to the marker,
> I'm told.
I'm not surprised, at all. I know I adjust my bid based on media - or
rather the durability thereof - and will avoid several processes entirely,
regardless of how much I like the work.
All the materials used to make artwork affect the durability of the
final piece. While this may seem obvious when stated, many artists and
collectors never really think about this when creating, selling, or buying
work.
----- PIGMENT AND DYES -----
The list of commonly used tools and media includes magic marker
(ink), brush (ink), coloured pencil (typically a wax-based carrier, with
embedded pigment), crayon (more wax), oil pastel (a different carrier,
with pigment), watercolour paint, acrylic, and oil paints. All of these
bring with them different issues, both across class of material (magic
marker ink vs. brush ink vs. oil paint, etc) and across brand of
manufacture.
In all cases, there will be one of two classes of colouring agent
in the medium. Most markers - particularly colour markers - use dye. Dye
is always relatively fugitive (or transient, or whatever). It is very
much likely to change colour or fade completely; how definite it is
that this will happen, or how quickly it will happen, depends upon the
dye in question.
One of the biggest problems, generically, is "drift." "Drift" is a
general term indicating one of several issues, most notably fading, colour
change (or "shift"), or outright spread of the colour in an unexpected
and undesirable way. The first is most common; the third, least so, but
still happens.
Pigments are overwhelmingly more likely to last, both in the face
of time and sunlight. Pigments are found in a very small number of
non-refillable pens, in all "India inks," in better watercolours,
acrylics, and so forth. Some pigments - particularly modern experimental
pigments - can also drift, shift, or fade, but this is much less likely
overall. Elemental carbon (the pigment used in "India ink") will likely
not ever exhibit this behaviour, except over timeframes of centuries;
elemental carbon can oxidise over time.
[Decision to explain dye vs. pigment prompted by Victor Wren and
Neil McAllister. Much data to correct prior errors on this subject was
provided by both. Henry Spencer provided data on oxidisation of elemental
carbon pigments, and also notes that metal-oxide pigments will not oxidise
further, being, well, already an oxide. :-) ]
Black line markers:
Markers drift. In fact, they drift _badly_. They're the most ephemeral
of media in common use today. There are a few which are stable (Micron
Pigma pens come to mind; black today, black tomorrow), but most aren't.
How much they end up drifting depends upon how much light exposure they
get (and it does _not_ have to be direct sunlight), as well as the air
circulation, the paper they're used on, and probably half a dozen other
things. Plus, as mentioned above, it varies by marker.
Known stable: Micron Pigma - technical pens, available from .005 to
at least .08cm. I've surveyed a few dozen pens, and this has
been the only one I've found to be considered generally stable.
The reason is that they actually use pigment-based ink, rather
than dye-based, having come up with some way of grinding the
pigment finely enough that it can pass through a marker-type
delivery system. One minor drawback: the pigment can be rubbed
off to a degree by an eraser, resulting in some lightening of
the ink marks. Keep this in mind when working.
Do NOT use: Pilot Razor Points. They're hugely popular because they
feel very good. Don't expose them to air or light, though, if
you want to keep your work's black lines _black_. They fade to
grey or green. They're also water-soluble, even when dry. (On
the other hand, if you only intend to keep the work for a couple
of weeks - say, it's a test sketch - then there's no need to be
concerned.)
Thick black markers:
I've encountered none which are stable. I've been told that this has
to do with the delivery method; the constraints put on the ink by the
felt process prohibit the use of any pigments, so they're all dye based.
Watch out for: Sharpie(R) brand. They produce a _lovely_ black and
are really fun to play with. I still play with them when I'm
touching up a photocopy for submission to a magazine, or when
I'm just screwing around - but I've heard from several artists
that they not only turn green, but produce a yellow bleed on
the paper. (I've seen some hints of this yellow bleed myself.)
This is chromotography in action, and is independent of the
paper used. They also used to contain a rather nasty solvent,
but that appears to have changed recently.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Araiguma]
Also, old Pantone (TM) and the current Design (TM) lines of thick
markers use Xylene. Use only if you've got good air circulation.
[Victor Wren]
Thin/technical colour markers:
I've never seen anyone use these. Micron makes colour tech pens, and
I've recently been told that they, too, are micropigment based and should
therefore have some degree of durability. They currently make nine colours
-
Black, Blue, Red, Green, Brown, Purple, Orange, Rose, and Yellow.
Thick colour markers:
Colour markers drift overall more than B&W, since colour shift
becomes a more crucial factor. Letraset made a Pantone line which
claims a fair degree of stability, but watch out for that lovely
smell of solvent (Xylene; mildly carcinogenic; work in a well-
ventilated area) - it's bad fer ya. Plus, they bleed (upon application,
_not_ later - at least, so far) more than any other marker I've ever used.
Work I've done with these (and touched up with Marvy brand small-points)
has held up so far, when maintained properly. However, I'm not holding my
breath on the Marvy durability, and have been informed [by Araiguma] that
the dyes therein are not particularly lightfast. Also, be careful when
applying these to colour photocopies; Xylene will dissolve some colour
photocopy toners, resulting in a "muddy mess."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong; Araiguma; Victor Wren]
Letraset is now making a new line called Tria, which has three
separate tips of different sizes. They're also dye based, but the solvent
is now 100% alcohol based and therefore much less dangerous. [Neil
McAllister]
[Lyrra Madril] reports that there are several new lines of
pigment-based
thick markers (in the 2.0mm - 3.5mm tip range), and reports good results in
early (six month) testing with Marvy Memory Series Calligraphy Pigments.
Brush pens [Initial data and suggestion to include - Conrad Wong]:
These are similar in behaviour to other colour markers - i.e.,
they have fading problems and should be considered ephemeral. Further,
they are not known for producing initially solid blacks.
Some manufacturers are now making brush-pens which actually have
tiny brushes at the tip, rather than a simple modified felt tip. These
can possibly include pigmented inks, and would therefore last quite a
bit longer. Sakura and Pentel both make dye-based brush-pens of this
type, and - for dye pens - they hold up fairly well. Micron is
apparently also shipping a brush-pen of this type which uses the same
micropigmented ink that their technical pens do, and _that_ one will
be of genuinely long life. [Victor Wren; Neil McAllister] Unfortunately,
they have discontinued shipping the best version of this pen to the
United States, due to poor sales.
Black brush ink:
All "india" ink-based inks should be durable. I've never heard
otherwise. In fact, most brush inks will be more durable than most pen
inks, given the above commentary on delivery systems; you _can_ deliver
a durable pigment with a brush. I've been using Higgins Black Magic in
brushes, but you can shop around; again, any india ink should do.
(As always, be careful; even many "india" inks can be picked up by
skin acids, regardless of how dry they are.)
There are some gotchas to that, however; most importantly, some
"india" inks have a shelf-life, after which the ink begins to clot.
This can cause severe problems with technical pens; if a reliable pen
has started to fail, try new ink. [Victor Wren]
It is also possible to find pens which can be used to apply india
inks; the traditional dip pen should handle most kinds of inks. Virtually
all engineering pens should be able to do this as well.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Dave Bell]
I've also had FW and Kohinoor 3085-F recommended; I'm told it is
easier to apply a thin line with FW than it is with Higgins Black Magic.
[Data from Victor Wren]
Note: Do not use Higgins in a technical pen; it'll be almost
impossible to get back out if it dries. Most "india" inks will chip
away, given enough soap and vibration - Higgins won't. [Ashtoreth]
It has been also reported that Derwent Black nr. 19-67 from their
"Artists" series, in particular, suffers from a yellow bleed over time.
However, this is an older mix and may not apply to current inks. [Ken
Stone]
Pen-style brushes, preloaded [by Conrad Wong]:
There are some pen-style brushes. Japanese stores may sell them;
they will have reservoirs inside. Many brushes contain a special
transparent liquid which turns black on a special paper. Artists will
want to look for brushes that work on 'regular' paper. Watch whether
it's a sable tip or a synthetic tip; the synthetic tips are stiffer,
the sable tips are very soft and, consequently, can be harder to control.
(They can also be necessary to avoid splatter on very rough surfaces -
but this is a technique rather than durability issue.)
Colour brush ink [by Araiguma]:
Depends on the ink, whether dye-based or pigment-based. I wouldn't
hold my breath; it's usually dye. Darker reds and blues _tend_ to be more
lightfast. Yellows are the worst, oranges and greens aren't far behind,
_very_ loosely speaking.
A lot of artists' media these days has lightfastness ratings
on the packaging. If that's not available, it's always worth asking
the store staff.
On the good side, however, is that there is a new line put out by
Higgins which is pigment-based - they refer to them as "fadeproof." FW
also has a pigment-based (acrylic-based, actually) line. Some of FW's
are relatively opaque, so watch out for that if that's not what you want.
Graphite (grey/black pencil):
Extremely durable if appropriately maintained. The only problems are
ruboff and smearing. Protect the piece from direct sunlight and direct
contact and you should be fine. Workable spray fixative will solve most
of the ruboff and smearing problems, but these, too, bring other durability
issues into play. (So far, I have had no problems with higher-quality
spray fixatives.)
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong]
Also recommended: "I've found the crystal fixative (non-workable)
to be better for preventing smudging. To stop smudging with workable
fixative (which is primarily intended for special techniques with pastel,
not for archival use) takes an extremely heavy coating, which alters the
contrast of the pencils." [Victor Wren]
Charcoal [by Araiguma]:
Charcoal, like graphite, is elemental carbon and immune to color
change or degradation. It poses a more serious problem in other areas,
though, as the only thing holding the charcoal on the paper is friction.
As such, it is very vulnerable to static electricity, if not fixed. And
I'm highly dubious about spray-can fixatives, since the ones intended for
the general public (i.e. not museum and conservation professionals) are
"mystery fixatives in mystery solvents" - unknown longevity, stability,
and safety for both the artist and the artwork.
Colour pencil:
So far, so good. I haven't had any fade problems with any of my
colour pencil works. The delivery system is bonded with the pigment,
so there's no limitation imposed that way. Stay with the better brands;
I'm sure the K-mart school supply section store brand will have the
cheapest (and least durable) pigment available. I primarily used to use
Prismacolour pencils; however, Berol was bought out by Sanford - the
maker of the classic wall-mount pencil sharpener - and have had lead
stability problems since. Winsor Newton's pencils, currently, appear
to be a better price/performance union.
[Additional by Araiguma]
Colour pencils, as a class, tend to be a lot more stable than markers,
if only because the carrier (wax) doesn't volatilize very much over
time, and carry pigment off with it. Prismacolors give lightfastness
ratings for the various colors. Of course, take manufacturers' ratings
with a grain of salt; see the "REFERENCES" section below for details.
[Lyrra Madril] reports that Prismacolour Black has exhibited
problems with yellow bleeding, both on the original paper, and on papers
above and below it in a stack. She has also seen this in neon colours.
The pigment colour did not change, but the yellow was an issue. She has
reported better luck with opaque Winsor Newton cake watercolours and
Cara D'ache black pencils.
Chalk pastel [by Araiguma]:
Ones with natural pigments are pretty stable, ones with synthetic
pigments are anybody's guess.
Oil Pastel:
Again, so far, so good. Oil pastels I've done have held up
wonderfully,
even in suboptimal conditions. The only problem with this medium that I've
found is the ease with which it smears and rubs.
Hint: _never_ have the work in contact with _anything_ but air. If you
frame it, use a matte. If you don't, it'll rub off.
[Additional by Araiguma; added bits by Victor Wren]
Problems: They never really dry, and the oil in them can bleed out
into the paper. And if they're really gunked on thickly, the weight can
actually distort the paper they're on. This is a medium that's really best
on surfaces other than paper. However, a proper coat of gesso can make a
stiff piece of illustration board suitable.
Tempera [Suggestion to add by Araiguma]:
Classically pigment in an egg binder, these days it's "loud stuff
of dubious origin and composition." It cracks and peels at the slightest
flexing or fluxing in relative humidity. I've used it for a couple of
temporary projects, and definitely would not recommend it for anything
intended to be preserved. Even when new, it flakes; and worse - at least,
the brand I used - "dusted," with some colours dusting off on touch.
For classical tempera, see "egg tempera," below.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma]
Egg Tempera:
The "real stuff," Classical Tempera, still available commercially,
but often expensive. It will _always_ be listed as "egg tempera." Egg
tempera artists will often go so far as to make their own, in their
quest for the perfect medium. Assuming proper pigment materials have
been chosen, the result is an extremely durable paint, rivaled in this
field only by high-quality oils. (Doing it by hand is also cheaper.)
Watercolours:
Watercolours are generally considered the most ephemeral of the paint
media, on average. This has to do with many people making watercolours use
poor quality pigments and/or dyes in place of the higher quality materials,
and not the media itself, but the end result is essentially the same from
the artist's standpoint. Windsor and Newton claims solid durability, and
I believe rates durability by colour. Daniel Smith has been noted for
developing or implementing more durable pigments, including a replacement
for the inherently fugitive Alizarin Crimson. Dr. Martin's are noted for
being fugitive.
Warning: be prepared to pay for durability; I remember that the
stable watercolours cost about twice as much as other brands. And as
always, take manufacturers' ratings with a grain of salt; see the
"REFERENCES" section below. If all the colours are the same price, that's
a sure sign that corners are being cut somewhere. Further, watch out for
anything that lables itself a "hue;" that's marketing-speak for
"approximated colour via an unknown method."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma, Neil McAllister, Ashtoreth, Gypsy]
Acrylic and oil paints:
Oil paints, on average, tend to be slightly more durable than acrylic
paints. This will vary by brand, and by colour within a brand;
student-grade
paints will generally be less durable than professional or fine-arts lines,
obviously. It is much harder to make a really bad choice in these media,
however, than in markers, where it is very difficult to make a _good_
choice.
Note that any use of oil paints on canvas or illustration board will
cause the board or canvas to dissolve unless the canvas or board is first
prepped with a material called gesso.
Old Holland is considered by some to be the "best" in the field;
they're the same company that made oils used by Vermeer, Van Ruysdael,
and others in the "old master" category of painter. The company is well
over 300 years old. [Ashtoreth, Joe Bennett]
Transparent liquid acrylics [Suggestion to add by SHERRYS AT delphi.com]:
I know very little about these, but have been told that have held up
well to some artists' preliminary sunlightfastness testing.
Photocopier toner, dry [Suggestion to add by Hanno Foest]:
Most dry toners are elemental carbon combined with some binding agent
to allow the carbon to be bound with the paper. This method, in almost all
cases, is heat.
The toner colour itself is stable. Unfortunately, the binder is not
always so, and will often become brittle and flaky with age. Further,
toner binding is particularly sensitive to heat, as anyone who has left a
photocopy in a looseleaf binder exposed to the sun or a heat vent knows;
the toner will transfer off the paper and onto whatever else it may happen
to be touching. Humidity and outright moisture will cause the same sorts of
effects. Laserprinted material may be more resistant to this sort of
effect, as laserprinters often use higher fusing temperatures than
photocopiers.
I've also been told that some toners will sometimes contain
significant
amounts of impurities. The impact of these impurities will depend upon
their
exact composition, and would be impossible to predict in advance.
For more commentary on photocopiers, see below, under "print paper."
----- DRAWING PAPER -----
Let me rant again about paper and backing (some of my favourite
subjects :-) )...
Many artists will go out of their way to use a solid, high-quality,
durable pigment for their work - and will then proceed to paint or draw
on anything they find lying around. Where durability issues are concerned,
however, paper is of prime importance. This is due to the acid content
found in most papers, leading to paper discolouration, pigment
discolouration, and even breakup of the paper.
Fortunately, this is a recognized problem, and you can purchase
paper which has been pH neutralized. This paper will sometimes be
referred to as "acid free," and sometimes "pH neutral." If it doesn't
say, assume it has _not_ been pH neutralized. Strathmore bristol is
a favourite paper for many artists.
It may also be worth your time to check even paper which declares
itself pH neutral, as some companies have been caught shipping high-
acid paper as "pH neutral." Testing can be done in a crude, but
cheap and easy, way by using a pH testing pen, available for three or
four dollars from multiple suppliers. Likewise, stay away from the
cheapest papers; some which are indeed "acid free" may, if short-
grained (like deacidified newsprint), retain a great deal of lignin,
and be accordingly short-lived.
[Araiguma]
Your _very_ best bet would be a paper that's not just pH neutral,
but which is actually buffered with alkaline salts to offset future
degradation. The paper should have a high rag/cotton or alpha cellulose
content; longer fibers, less of the lignin and hemicelloloses that
contribute to acidity in paper.
[Araiguma]
Genuine Bristol paper is 100% cotton rag, with now wood fibre.
If it contains wood, it will say "pine tree Bristol." [Victor Wren]
100% cotton rag is not acidic, and contains no lignin.
As a side comment, let me rant about hemp prohibition. Hemp,
the non-psychoactive portion of the plant which produces marijuana,
produces a _naturally_ pH neutral paper which is of significantly
higher durability than any wood pulp paper. It would also be cheaper
in mass production, and be more suited towards making really large
pieces of illustrative paper. And thanks to the longer fibre length,
it's noticeably more recyclable than wood-pulp paper. Yet another
example of the stupidity of the drug war. End of polemic.
Drawing books containing pH neutral paper only cost a few dollars
more than drawing books with regular high-acid paper. Buy them. Even
if you're just planning on doodling in it, spend the extra three bucks.
That way, if you come out with something you decide you really like and
want to keep, you've got a good chance of doing so.
Of course, not all high-acid papers are equally bad. Newsprint is,
of course, the least durable, and is marketed as such. It's great for
temporary purposes - say, throwing together a couple of composition
sketches, or warming up before figure drawing - but just remember that
it won't last. Butcher paper - just as cheap, nicer to work on - has
the same caveats.
----- PRINT PAPER -----
First off: I will almost never buy anything reproduced on a black
and white photocopier for more than $4. In the US, the paper is
almost guaranteed to be high-acid junk material which will be turning
brown inside five years. Apparently, this is less likely to be the case
in parts of Europe; a German correspondent has tested all of his recent
photocopies and found them all to be on acid-free paper, despite no
efforts on his part to ensure that this was the case. (One way to insure
this is to bring in your own paper. Many copier places will handle this
just fine, as long as it looks like normal paper to them. I imagine it
would help to bring it in with the original wrapper, so they can look
at it and check against the qualities required by their particular copier.)
Colour copiers have different requirements, and as a result,
colour photocopier paper is generally pH neutral in the US. But check
to be sure.
Other than that, the same basic rules listed above apply here, too.
Paper suppliers are generally pretty good at labelling pH neutral papers
as "acid free," so if you're going to make prints, all you have to do is
ask for the right materials. Even in low-volume print runs, this won't
add much to your cost.
----- MATTES and BACKING BOARD -----
These are also often overlooked, even by people who take the
care to use pH neutral paper and lasting pigments. Mattes are less
damaging, since they have limited contact with the piece in question -
but you can still get a nasty brown bleed coming off the edge of a
high-acid matte. This is because the acid in the matte can leak into
the paper it touches.
This is especially true of those evil mattes with the "acid-free"
face and back with pure junk cardboard filler in between. The acid
migrates out of the mat bevels, producing mat burn, and the "acid-free"
face and back can only endure for a little while before they become
acidic, too.
[Araiguma]
The backing board matters more, since it's in contact with all
of your piece. I will often find that people have used cardboard
as backing for their artwork. This is a very bad idea, as cardboard
is _extremely_ high-acid - and fibrous, and likely to shed - and
_will_ degrade the life of your piece if you don't isolate it from
the art paper. If you must use cardboard, separate it from the artwork
by a layer (or two!) of pH neutral paper, or, if you can find it, pH
basic paper, buffered to pH 8.5 or so.
This is even more important when it comes to photographs, as
the acids in the cardboard will also alter the chemicals making the
colours in the print.
Most pre-made mattes I've found have, much to my shock, been
pH neutral. Most backing board material, on the other hand, has _not_.
And it costs half again as much as standard backing material, too.
Foo.
One very important point to note about matte board is that,
even those which are pH neutral are _not_ coloured with a lightfast
medium! They are exclusively ink. Those who like to do little sidebar
illustrations on the matte board should keep this in mind. [Victor Wren]
One topic often overlooked is adhering artwork to acid-free mattes
and backing. There are several ways to do this. Scotch tape is, of course,
right out, and brown masking tape is even worse - it is high acid, and
the adhesive will crystalize and transfer onto the paper, leaving ugly
stains. But if you want to use adhesive tapes, acid-free high-quality
matting tapes are available, as is a white artist's tape made by Scotch
(Tape #285). [White tape and data on masking tape by Victor Wren] Mount
the artwork against the backing (if present) or against the matte (if
not), securing the top two corners if the material is lightweight, and
securing all four corners if not. [Rod Smith]
I prefer to avoid the issue of adhesive-against-artwork entirely,
and use a securing method suggested to me by another artist which avoids
the issue entirely; making art holders out of acid-free paper, and taping
_those_ to the backing board. This is very easy:
Cut triangles out of acid free paper.
Position them on the backing board so that the corners of the
artwork, when placed on the backing board, would be under
the triangles.
Tape the triangles down with acid-free mounting tape.
Insert the artwork.
It should look something like this (ASCII art never to scale; if this
doesn't make sense, make sure to display it in Courier, or another
fixed-width
font):
/\ /\
/_/_ _\_\
| / /-------\ \ |
/|T1/ \T2|\
/ / / art \ \ \
\/|/ \|\/
| |
| |
/\|\ /|/\
\ \ \ / / /
\|T3\ /T4|/
|_\_\-------/_/_/
\ \ / /
\/ \/
T1-T4 are triangles of acid-free paper, held down with acid-free
mounting tape. The tape should be OVER the triangles, and should never
touch the artwork itself.
There are also acid-free mounting corners with their own adhesive
available at many art-supply stores; I don't use them because I'm
paranoid about the artwork slipping and coming into contact with the
adhesive. [Karl Meyer] reports that he has had good luck with self-
stick mounting tabs like these, however, particularly when mounting
animation cells.
----- THE BUYER'S STANDPOINT -----
When I consider buying a piece, I look for a note from the artist
which explicitly states that pH neutral paper was used. If I don't
find that, I adjust my willingness to buy accordingly. If I do buy, I
immediately take apart the matte and re-back the original with pH neutral
paper. (This stuff is cheap, not exotic. You can buy a sketchbook full
of it for $7.)
If the picture is backed with cardboard, that's another materials
strike; cardboard is very high-acid material. That, too, always gets
ripped out and replaced. The more of this I have to do, the more the
picture ends up costing me before all is said and done.
I have some originals work by a particular artist hanging in my
bedroom. It needed to be ripped apart, layered in back with pH neutral
paper, and backed with new material. I love this artist's work, but I
wonder whether much of it'll be around in 10 years, given some of the
materials used; the paper is short-fibre and (I suspect) high acid,
and was backed with cardboard. I think _my_ copies will last, because
I've worked to insure it. But most people aren't going to know to do
this.
My _requests_ to all creators and sellers of artwork are:
1) Know your materials. Use stuff that'll last. I'll know, and pay
more for it. This includes your paper. Acid-free illustration
board tends to cost a couple of dollars more, I know, but I'll
make that trade. Consider all markers to be ephemeral unless
proven otherwise, and always remember: photocopies flake,
doubly so when damp, triply so when hot.
2) Don't forget that mattes and backing boards are (typically) paper
too, and affect the things they touch. Most pre-made mattes I've
seen _have_ been acid-free (much to my shock!) but most backing
material is _not_. Be warned, and act appropriately. If you don't
know when buying, _ask_. And if you make prints, make them on good
paper. (I've seen people get everything but that right...) It won't
cost you that much more per print (I've priced it for some of my
own material :-) ) and will be worth it in five years.
3) Show me that you knew what you were doing when you prepped the
work.
Tell me that the paper, backing, mattes are pH neutral. If they
_aren't_, tell me that, too; I'll correct where I can. Give me
clues about the permanence of the media you used - I'll presume
the answers are bad, if you don't speak up.
People have been becoming more aware about these things. Slowly.
----- REFERENCE MATERIALS -----
The following books have been strongly recommended as reference texts
on materials durability.
The Artist's Handbook - Ralph Mayer
"A constant companion... unfortunately, it becomes ever more
dated
as new pigments, materials and products enter the marketplace."
The World's Best Watercolour Paints - by Colin Wilcox, published by
Northern Lights. The most important independent test set.
"Shock. Dismay. Sense of betrayal. And a whole bunch of very
expensive so-called artist grade watercolour tubes into the
garbage. It seems that with everyone taking the makers' word,
had bothered to try the lightfastness tests for themselves..."
"Reading the Wilcox book caused me to radically change my
palette."
The Wilcox Guide to the Best Watercolor Paints - by Michael Wilcox,
published by Northern Lights.
"This is an exhaustively researched reference to all commonly
(and
less commonly) known tube watercolors, listing and rating each
by
manufacturer. It is the most valuable tool I have found for
clearing my palette of fugitive pigments, and I would recommend
it to anyone who works in watercolor." [Gypsy]
Artist's Manual - by Angela Gair
ISBN 0-8118-1377-0, published by Chronicle Books
"It has fast become one of my favorite references, if not my
'bible,' for art materials. It's especially good for beginning
artists. It's a large format paperback and not expensive...
about $22 or $23. I don't have anything to do with the editor
or the publisher...I'm just a fan of the book. Take a look at
it."
[Jim Kennedy]
The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide - by Monoma Rossol
(New York, Allworth Press, 2nd ed. 1994)
"The whole issue of "art hazards" wasn't taken very seriously
until
about fifteen years ago, when it started to become understood
that a
great deal of the allergies, diseases, cancers and neurological
disorders artists were suffering from were preventable by
learning
safer handling of their materials or better planning of their
work
environments. You might wish to include this book in your
reference
list. Thanks." [Nozmo]
----- A SUMMARY -----
For my own work, I use low-cost pH neutral paper (see the above
$7) for most work, or pH neutral illustration board for anything I expect
to want to do on something like that and keep. When I sell, I either
back with pH neutral board (about 50% more expensive than the typical)
or, if I can't (rare circumstances), I isolate the print/drawing/whatever
from the bad backing board with layers of pH neutral paper. And, of course,
I use pH neutral mattes. [Note from Neil McAllister: "If you have to slip
pH neutral paper between a picture and its backing, I'd look for a material
called Glassine. It's a pH neutral separator paper that's got almost a
wax-paper surface. That should be sufficient to keep a picture away from
a bad backing, rather than layers of a more porous acid-free drawing
paper.]
When drawing, I only use markers I have reason to believe are stable,
if I intend to keep the work for more than a couple of months. I've yet to
find a thick, black, controllable marker which I trust to stay, so I use
brush and a permanent well ink instead. For colours, I use the
aforementioned Letraset/Pantone markers or coloured pencil, and hope
the Pantones live up to their billing. I've had it recommended that I
use watercolours instead, as even cheap pigment-based watercolours will
be better than markers.
For submissions, on the other hand - they're not supposed to last
more than a couple of months, so I use whatever's handy that looks good.
Photocopies touched up with Sharpie pens are my favourite, backed with
a cardboard mailer. :-) (The reason I bring this up: remember when you
should spend the money to make it last, and when you don't need to
care.)
Note that none of this costs me any more time or effort than using
high-acid materials. Once you've found a source for all the things you
need, you just remember to go there and buy the right things, rather than
going someplace else and buying the wrong things. It does cost a little
more, but only a very little, and it's a price I'm willing to pay.
Do these things, and your buyers will appreciate it eventually,
even if they don't know about it at time of purchase.
When buying, I check what the artist has used, and correct where
applicable. If the backing material is cardboard or not acid free, I
replace it, or stick in a layer of pH neutral paper. Same with the matte.
If I don't know about the paper, I stick extra layers of acid free paper
behind it, to absorb as much acid from the original paper as I can. I
then frame; this is more expensive, but limits air circulation (which helps
delay acid problems) and also can block some UV light damage. If a piece
is worth it or will be hanging in a high-light area, I'll get special
clear plastic designed to block all UV, and use that instead of glass
in the frame. _Never_ use shrink-wrap for this purpose; it won't help,
and will leak gasses which are actively bad for the piece. Also, never
hang in direct sunlight; anything that can go wrong will go wrong more
quickly when exposed to the sun, even if you've put plastic or glass in
front of it. [Neil McAllister notes again: "Glass with a UV-filtering
coating is also available," and is almost always cheaper than plastic.]
Do these things, and the artwork you buy will last much longer than
it would have otherwise, and at relatively little additional cost. It'll
also look better in the long run. Oh; if you can't frame, do everything
up to that, including the layer of glass or plastic in front, and then
clip (not tape!) it together. That'll save you some money and get you
most of the preservation benefits of a frame.
One final note: I don't pretend that this is a be-all or end-all
treatment on this subject. Reams of academic papers published on the
subject will, in fact, easily demonstrate otherwise. However, I believe
it to be a basically accurate set of rules which, if followed, will
allow a much longer lifespan for artwork, at minimal additional cost
and hassle.
This is version 1.42 of this FAQ. Version 0.1 was my response to
Tygger. Please direct suggestions and error corrections as outlined
above.
- R'ykandar.
----- END ART MATERIALS FAQ V1.42 -----
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| Art materials FAQ [message #240838 is a reply to message #213642] |
Thu, 23 January 2014 05:47 |
infopage
Messages: 33
Registered: March 2013
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Archive-name: art-materials
Posting-Frequency: Posted on the 10th and 23rd of each month.
Last-Modified: January 22, 2001
Version: 1.42
ART MATERIALS FAQ - Version 1.42
Last updated: January 22, 2001
Written and maintained by R'ykandar Korra'ti <rayek AT murkworks.net>
Sourced from a message in reply to Tygger <graf AT primenet.com>
on alt.fan.furry
Comments and corrections to rayek AT murkworks.net.
[NOTE: Email addresses have had format changes to avoid spammer automated
email-address collectors. Change the " AT " to an "@" sign and this will
recreate the original address. NOTICE: UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL MAIL _WILL_
RESULT IN MY BOYCOTTING THE ADVERTISED COMPANY AND PRODUCT. I reject ALL
spam mail.]
This article, a more formal version of a long post I made on alt.fan.furry,
is intended to discuss materials commonly used in illustrative artwork, and
the durability thereof. It will also comment briefly on how to preserve
the artwork you purchase. The intended audience is comic, illustrative, and
fan artists, the people buying or otherwise acquiring artwork from these
same sources. It is _not_ a fully-comprehensive treatment of the subject,
but is intended as a good set of ground rules for how to make artwork -
particularly artwork done on paper - last.
This version reflects changes and contributions suggested by the following:
Conrad Wong <lynx AT netcom.com>
Araiguma <araiguma AT teamhbbs.com>
Dave Bell <dave.bell AT portofc.org>
Hanno Foest <hanno AT ranea.escape.de>
Remus Shepherd <remus AT netcom.com>
Margaret Organ-Kean <76506.1633 AT CompuServe.COM>
SHERRYS AT delphi.com
Victor Wren <artgoat AT netcom.com>
Neil McAllister <pcm2 AT netcom.com>
Keven Fedirko <altered AT ulix.net>
Ashtoreth <ashy AT woof.net>
Gypsy <gypsy AT fred.net>
Rod Smith <stickmaker AT usa.net>
Ken Stone <sasami AT blaze.net.au>
James Birdsall <jwbirdsa AT picarefy.picarefy.com>
Lyrra Madril <lyrra AT cybernex.net>
Henry Spencer <henry AT zoo.toronto.edu>
Jim Kennedy <jimken AT bellsouth.net>
Karl Meyer <ferret AT enteract.com>
Nozmo <gruffa AT uswest.net>
Joe Bennett <jcab AT 123.net>
Sections with significant amounts of new text or information are noted with
individual contributor credits. I hope this is not too confusing.
Section headers:
INTRODUCTION
PIGMENT AND DYES
DRAWING PAPER
PRINT PAPER
MATTES and BACKING BOARD
THE BUYER'S PERSPECTIVE
REFERENCES
A SUMMARY
----- INTRODUCTION -----
In article <tyggerCuwqHp.3Hp@netcom.com> graf AT primenet.com (Tygger)
wrote:
> Now, here's the interesting part: now I'm being told that an illo coloured
> in marker or an illo with marker and enhanced by colour pencil isn't up to
> par to warrant a min bid of $35-45 in an artshow. It's due to the marker,
> I'm told.
I'm not surprised, at all. I know I adjust my bid based on media - or
rather the durability thereof - and will avoid several processes entirely,
regardless of how much I like the work.
All the materials used to make artwork affect the durability of the
final piece. While this may seem obvious when stated, many artists and
collectors never really think about this when creating, selling, or buying
work.
----- PIGMENT AND DYES -----
The list of commonly used tools and media includes magic marker
(ink), brush (ink), coloured pencil (typically a wax-based carrier, with
embedded pigment), crayon (more wax), oil pastel (a different carrier,
with pigment), watercolour paint, acrylic, and oil paints. All of these
bring with them different issues, both across class of material (magic
marker ink vs. brush ink vs. oil paint, etc) and across brand of
manufacture.
In all cases, there will be one of two classes of colouring agent
in the medium. Most markers - particularly colour markers - use dye. Dye
is always relatively fugitive (or transient, or whatever). It is very
much likely to change colour or fade completely; how definite it is
that this will happen, or how quickly it will happen, depends upon the
dye in question.
One of the biggest problems, generically, is "drift." "Drift" is a
general term indicating one of several issues, most notably fading, colour
change (or "shift"), or outright spread of the colour in an unexpected
and undesirable way. The first is most common; the third, least so, but
still happens.
Pigments are overwhelmingly more likely to last, both in the face
of time and sunlight. Pigments are found in a very small number of
non-refillable pens, in all "India inks," in better watercolours,
acrylics, and so forth. Some pigments - particularly modern experimental
pigments - can also drift, shift, or fade, but this is much less likely
overall. Elemental carbon (the pigment used in "India ink") will likely
not ever exhibit this behaviour, except over timeframes of centuries;
elemental carbon can oxidise over time.
[Decision to explain dye vs. pigment prompted by Victor Wren and
Neil McAllister. Much data to correct prior errors on this subject was
provided by both. Henry Spencer provided data on oxidisation of elemental
carbon pigments, and also notes that metal-oxide pigments will not oxidise
further, being, well, already an oxide. :-) ]
Black line markers:
Markers drift. In fact, they drift _badly_. They're the most ephemeral
of media in common use today. There are a few which are stable (Micron
Pigma pens come to mind; black today, black tomorrow), but most aren't.
How much they end up drifting depends upon how much light exposure they
get (and it does _not_ have to be direct sunlight), as well as the air
circulation, the paper they're used on, and probably half a dozen other
things. Plus, as mentioned above, it varies by marker.
Known stable: Micron Pigma - technical pens, available from .005 to
at least .08cm. I've surveyed a few dozen pens, and this has
been the only one I've found to be considered generally stable.
The reason is that they actually use pigment-based ink, rather
than dye-based, having come up with some way of grinding the
pigment finely enough that it can pass through a marker-type
delivery system. One minor drawback: the pigment can be rubbed
off to a degree by an eraser, resulting in some lightening of
the ink marks. Keep this in mind when working.
Do NOT use: Pilot Razor Points. They're hugely popular because they
feel very good. Don't expose them to air or light, though, if
you want to keep your work's black lines _black_. They fade to
grey or green. They're also water-soluble, even when dry. (On
the other hand, if you only intend to keep the work for a couple
of weeks - say, it's a test sketch - then there's no need to be
concerned.)
Thick black markers:
I've encountered none which are stable. I've been told that this has
to do with the delivery method; the constraints put on the ink by the
felt process prohibit the use of any pigments, so they're all dye based.
Watch out for: Sharpie(R) brand. They produce a _lovely_ black and
are really fun to play with. I still play with them when I'm
touching up a photocopy for submission to a magazine, or when
I'm just screwing around - but I've heard from several artists
that they not only turn green, but produce a yellow bleed on
the paper. (I've seen some hints of this yellow bleed myself.)
This is chromotography in action, and is independent of the
paper used. They also used to contain a rather nasty solvent,
but that appears to have changed recently.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Araiguma]
Also, old Pantone (TM) and the current Design (TM) lines of thick
markers use Xylene. Use only if you've got good air circulation.
[Victor Wren]
Thin/technical colour markers:
I've never seen anyone use these. Micron makes colour tech pens, and
I've recently been told that they, too, are micropigment based and should
therefore have some degree of durability. They currently make nine colours
-
Black, Blue, Red, Green, Brown, Purple, Orange, Rose, and Yellow.
Thick colour markers:
Colour markers drift overall more than B&W, since colour shift
becomes a more crucial factor. Letraset made a Pantone line which
claims a fair degree of stability, but watch out for that lovely
smell of solvent (Xylene; mildly carcinogenic; work in a well-
ventilated area) - it's bad fer ya. Plus, they bleed (upon application,
_not_ later - at least, so far) more than any other marker I've ever used.
Work I've done with these (and touched up with Marvy brand small-points)
has held up so far, when maintained properly. However, I'm not holding my
breath on the Marvy durability, and have been informed [by Araiguma] that
the dyes therein are not particularly lightfast. Also, be careful when
applying these to colour photocopies; Xylene will dissolve some colour
photocopy toners, resulting in a "muddy mess."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong; Araiguma; Victor Wren]
Letraset is now making a new line called Tria, which has three
separate tips of different sizes. They're also dye based, but the solvent
is now 100% alcohol based and therefore much less dangerous. [Neil
McAllister]
[Lyrra Madril] reports that there are several new lines of
pigment-based
thick markers (in the 2.0mm - 3.5mm tip range), and reports good results in
early (six month) testing with Marvy Memory Series Calligraphy Pigments.
Brush pens [Initial data and suggestion to include - Conrad Wong]:
These are similar in behaviour to other colour markers - i.e.,
they have fading problems and should be considered ephemeral. Further,
they are not known for producing initially solid blacks.
Some manufacturers are now making brush-pens which actually have
tiny brushes at the tip, rather than a simple modified felt tip. These
can possibly include pigmented inks, and would therefore last quite a
bit longer. Sakura and Pentel both make dye-based brush-pens of this
type, and - for dye pens - they hold up fairly well. Micron is
apparently also shipping a brush-pen of this type which uses the same
micropigmented ink that their technical pens do, and _that_ one will
be of genuinely long life. [Victor Wren; Neil McAllister] Unfortunately,
they have discontinued shipping the best version of this pen to the
United States, due to poor sales.
Black brush ink:
All "india" ink-based inks should be durable. I've never heard
otherwise. In fact, most brush inks will be more durable than most pen
inks, given the above commentary on delivery systems; you _can_ deliver
a durable pigment with a brush. I've been using Higgins Black Magic in
brushes, but you can shop around; again, any india ink should do.
(As always, be careful; even many "india" inks can be picked up by
skin acids, regardless of how dry they are.)
There are some gotchas to that, however; most importantly, some
"india" inks have a shelf-life, after which the ink begins to clot.
This can cause severe problems with technical pens; if a reliable pen
has started to fail, try new ink. [Victor Wren]
It is also possible to find pens which can be used to apply india
inks; the traditional dip pen should handle most kinds of inks. Virtually
all engineering pens should be able to do this as well.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Dave Bell]
I've also had FW and Kohinoor 3085-F recommended; I'm told it is
easier to apply a thin line with FW than it is with Higgins Black Magic.
[Data from Victor Wren]
Note: Do not use Higgins in a technical pen; it'll be almost
impossible to get back out if it dries. Most "india" inks will chip
away, given enough soap and vibration - Higgins won't. [Ashtoreth]
It has been also reported that Derwent Black nr. 19-67 from their
"Artists" series, in particular, suffers from a yellow bleed over time.
However, this is an older mix and may not apply to current inks. [Ken
Stone]
Pen-style brushes, preloaded [by Conrad Wong]:
There are some pen-style brushes. Japanese stores may sell them;
they will have reservoirs inside. Many brushes contain a special
transparent liquid which turns black on a special paper. Artists will
want to look for brushes that work on 'regular' paper. Watch whether
it's a sable tip or a synthetic tip; the synthetic tips are stiffer,
the sable tips are very soft and, consequently, can be harder to control.
(They can also be necessary to avoid splatter on very rough surfaces -
but this is a technique rather than durability issue.)
Colour brush ink [by Araiguma]:
Depends on the ink, whether dye-based or pigment-based. I wouldn't
hold my breath; it's usually dye. Darker reds and blues _tend_ to be more
lightfast. Yellows are the worst, oranges and greens aren't far behind,
_very_ loosely speaking.
A lot of artists' media these days has lightfastness ratings
on the packaging. If that's not available, it's always worth asking
the store staff.
On the good side, however, is that there is a new line put out by
Higgins which is pigment-based - they refer to them as "fadeproof." FW
also has a pigment-based (acrylic-based, actually) line. Some of FW's
are relatively opaque, so watch out for that if that's not what you want.
Graphite (grey/black pencil):
Extremely durable if appropriately maintained. The only problems are
ruboff and smearing. Protect the piece from direct sunlight and direct
contact and you should be fine. Workable spray fixative will solve most
of the ruboff and smearing problems, but these, too, bring other durability
issues into play. (So far, I have had no problems with higher-quality
spray fixatives.)
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong]
Also recommended: "I've found the crystal fixative (non-workable)
to be better for preventing smudging. To stop smudging with workable
fixative (which is primarily intended for special techniques with pastel,
not for archival use) takes an extremely heavy coating, which alters the
contrast of the pencils." [Victor Wren]
Charcoal [by Araiguma]:
Charcoal, like graphite, is elemental carbon and immune to color
change or degradation. It poses a more serious problem in other areas,
though, as the only thing holding the charcoal on the paper is friction.
As such, it is very vulnerable to static electricity, if not fixed. And
I'm highly dubious about spray-can fixatives, since the ones intended for
the general public (i.e. not museum and conservation professionals) are
"mystery fixatives in mystery solvents" - unknown longevity, stability,
and safety for both the artist and the artwork.
Colour pencil:
So far, so good. I haven't had any fade problems with any of my
colour pencil works. The delivery system is bonded with the pigment,
so there's no limitation imposed that way. Stay with the better brands;
I'm sure the K-mart school supply section store brand will have the
cheapest (and least durable) pigment available. I primarily used to use
Prismacolour pencils; however, Berol was bought out by Sanford - the
maker of the classic wall-mount pencil sharpener - and have had lead
stability problems since. Winsor Newton's pencils, currently, appear
to be a better price/performance union.
[Additional by Araiguma]
Colour pencils, as a class, tend to be a lot more stable than markers,
if only because the carrier (wax) doesn't volatilize very much over
time, and carry pigment off with it. Prismacolors give lightfastness
ratings for the various colors. Of course, take manufacturers' ratings
with a grain of salt; see the "REFERENCES" section below for details.
[Lyrra Madril] reports that Prismacolour Black has exhibited
problems with yellow bleeding, both on the original paper, and on papers
above and below it in a stack. She has also seen this in neon colours.
The pigment colour did not change, but the yellow was an issue. She has
reported better luck with opaque Winsor Newton cake watercolours and
Cara D'ache black pencils.
Chalk pastel [by Araiguma]:
Ones with natural pigments are pretty stable, ones with synthetic
pigments are anybody's guess.
Oil Pastel:
Again, so far, so good. Oil pastels I've done have held up
wonderfully,
even in suboptimal conditions. The only problem with this medium that I've
found is the ease with which it smears and rubs.
Hint: _never_ have the work in contact with _anything_ but air. If you
frame it, use a matte. If you don't, it'll rub off.
[Additional by Araiguma; added bits by Victor Wren]
Problems: They never really dry, and the oil in them can bleed out
into the paper. And if they're really gunked on thickly, the weight can
actually distort the paper they're on. This is a medium that's really best
on surfaces other than paper. However, a proper coat of gesso can make a
stiff piece of illustration board suitable.
Tempera [Suggestion to add by Araiguma]:
Classically pigment in an egg binder, these days it's "loud stuff
of dubious origin and composition." It cracks and peels at the slightest
flexing or fluxing in relative humidity. I've used it for a couple of
temporary projects, and definitely would not recommend it for anything
intended to be preserved. Even when new, it flakes; and worse - at least,
the brand I used - "dusted," with some colours dusting off on touch.
For classical tempera, see "egg tempera," below.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma]
Egg Tempera:
The "real stuff," Classical Tempera, still available commercially,
but often expensive. It will _always_ be listed as "egg tempera." Egg
tempera artists will often go so far as to make their own, in their
quest for the perfect medium. Assuming proper pigment materials have
been chosen, the result is an extremely durable paint, rivaled in this
field only by high-quality oils. (Doing it by hand is also cheaper.)
Watercolours:
Watercolours are generally considered the most ephemeral of the paint
media, on average. This has to do with many people making watercolours use
poor quality pigments and/or dyes in place of the higher quality materials,
and not the media itself, but the end result is essentially the same from
the artist's standpoint. Windsor and Newton claims solid durability, and
I believe rates durability by colour. Daniel Smith has been noted for
developing or implementing more durable pigments, including a replacement
for the inherently fugitive Alizarin Crimson. Dr. Martin's are noted for
being fugitive.
Warning: be prepared to pay for durability; I remember that the
stable watercolours cost about twice as much as other brands. And as
always, take manufacturers' ratings with a grain of salt; see the
"REFERENCES" section below. If all the colours are the same price, that's
a sure sign that corners are being cut somewhere. Further, watch out for
anything that lables itself a "hue;" that's marketing-speak for
"approximated colour via an unknown method."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma, Neil McAllister, Ashtoreth, Gypsy]
Acrylic and oil paints:
Oil paints, on average, tend to be slightly more durable than acrylic
paints. This will vary by brand, and by colour within a brand;
student-grade
paints will generally be less durable than professional or fine-arts lines,
obviously. It is much harder to make a really bad choice in these media,
however, than in markers, where it is very difficult to make a _good_
choice.
Note that any use of oil paints on canvas or illustration board will
cause the board or canvas to dissolve unless the canvas or board is first
prepped with a material called gesso.
Old Holland is considered by some to be the "best" in the field;
they're the same company that made oils used by Vermeer, Van Ruysdael,
and others in the "old master" category of painter. The company is well
over 300 years old. [Ashtoreth, Joe Bennett]
Transparent liquid acrylics [Suggestion to add by SHERRYS AT delphi.com]:
I know very little about these, but have been told that have held up
well to some artists' preliminary sunlightfastness testing.
Photocopier toner, dry [Suggestion to add by Hanno Foest]:
Most dry toners are elemental carbon combined with some binding agent
to allow the carbon to be bound with the paper. This method, in almost all
cases, is heat.
The toner colour itself is stable. Unfortunately, the binder is not
always so, and will often become brittle and flaky with age. Further,
toner binding is particularly sensitive to heat, as anyone who has left a
photocopy in a looseleaf binder exposed to the sun or a heat vent knows;
the toner will transfer off the paper and onto whatever else it may happen
to be touching. Humidity and outright moisture will cause the same sorts of
effects. Laserprinted material may be more resistant to this sort of
effect, as laserprinters often use higher fusing temperatures than
photocopiers.
I've also been told that some toners will sometimes contain
significant
amounts of impurities. The impact of these impurities will depend upon
their
exact composition, and would be impossible to predict in advance.
For more commentary on photocopiers, see below, under "print paper."
----- DRAWING PAPER -----
Let me rant again about paper and backing (some of my favourite
subjects :-) )...
Many artists will go out of their way to use a solid, high-quality,
durable pigment for their work - and will then proceed to paint or draw
on anything they find lying around. Where durability issues are concerned,
however, paper is of prime importance. This is due to the acid content
found in most papers, leading to paper discolouration, pigment
discolouration, and even breakup of the paper.
Fortunately, this is a recognized problem, and you can purchase
paper which has been pH neutralized. This paper will sometimes be
referred to as "acid free," and sometimes "pH neutral." If it doesn't
say, assume it has _not_ been pH neutralized. Strathmore bristol is
a favourite paper for many artists.
It may also be worth your time to check even paper which declares
itself pH neutral, as some companies have been caught shipping high-
acid paper as "pH neutral." Testing can be done in a crude, but
cheap and easy, way by using a pH testing pen, available for three or
four dollars from multiple suppliers. Likewise, stay away from the
cheapest papers; some which are indeed "acid free" may, if short-
grained (like deacidified newsprint), retain a great deal of lignin,
and be accordingly short-lived.
[Araiguma]
Your _very_ best bet would be a paper that's not just pH neutral,
but which is actually buffered with alkaline salts to offset future
degradation. The paper should have a high rag/cotton or alpha cellulose
content; longer fibers, less of the lignin and hemicelloloses that
contribute to acidity in paper.
[Araiguma]
Genuine Bristol paper is 100% cotton rag, with now wood fibre.
If it contains wood, it will say "pine tree Bristol." [Victor Wren]
100% cotton rag is not acidic, and contains no lignin.
As a side comment, let me rant about hemp prohibition. Hemp,
the non-psychoactive portion of the plant which produces marijuana,
produces a _naturally_ pH neutral paper which is of significantly
higher durability than any wood pulp paper. It would also be cheaper
in mass production, and be more suited towards making really large
pieces of illustrative paper. And thanks to the longer fibre length,
it's noticeably more recyclable than wood-pulp paper. Yet another
example of the stupidity of the drug war. End of polemic.
Drawing books containing pH neutral paper only cost a few dollars
more than drawing books with regular high-acid paper. Buy them. Even
if you're just planning on doodling in it, spend the extra three bucks.
That way, if you come out with something you decide you really like and
want to keep, you've got a good chance of doing so.
Of course, not all high-acid papers are equally bad. Newsprint is,
of course, the least durable, and is marketed as such. It's great for
temporary purposes - say, throwing together a couple of composition
sketches, or warming up before figure drawing - but just remember that
it won't last. Butcher paper - just as cheap, nicer to work on - has
the same caveats.
----- PRINT PAPER -----
First off: I will almost never buy anything reproduced on a black
and white photocopier for more than $4. In the US, the paper is
almost guaranteed to be high-acid junk material which will be turning
brown inside five years. Apparently, this is less likely to be the case
in parts of Europe; a German correspondent has tested all of his recent
photocopies and found them all to be on acid-free paper, despite no
efforts on his part to ensure that this was the case. (One way to insure
this is to bring in your own paper. Many copier places will handle this
just fine, as long as it looks like normal paper to them. I imagine it
would help to bring it in with the original wrapper, so they can look
at it and check against the qualities required by their particular copier.)
Colour copiers have different requirements, and as a result,
colour photocopier paper is generally pH neutral in the US. But check
to be sure.
Other than that, the same basic rules listed above apply here, too.
Paper suppliers are generally pretty good at labelling pH neutral papers
as "acid free," so if you're going to make prints, all you have to do is
ask for the right materials. Even in low-volume print runs, this won't
add much to your cost.
----- MATTES and BACKING BOARD -----
These are also often overlooked, even by people who take the
care to use pH neutral paper and lasting pigments. Mattes are less
damaging, since they have limited contact with the piece in question -
but you can still get a nasty brown bleed coming off the edge of a
high-acid matte. This is because the acid in the matte can leak into
the paper it touches.
This is especially true of those evil mattes with the "acid-free"
face and back with pure junk cardboard filler in between. The acid
migrates out of the mat bevels, producing mat burn, and the "acid-free"
face and back can only endure for a little while before they become
acidic, too.
[Araiguma]
The backing board matters more, since it's in contact with all
of your piece. I will often find that people have used cardboard
as backing for their artwork. This is a very bad idea, as cardboard
is _extremely_ high-acid - and fibrous, and likely to shed - and
_will_ degrade the life of your piece if you don't isolate it from
the art paper. If you must use cardboard, separate it from the artwork
by a layer (or two!) of pH neutral paper, or, if you can find it, pH
basic paper, buffered to pH 8.5 or so.
This is even more important when it comes to photographs, as
the acids in the cardboard will also alter the chemicals making the
colours in the print.
Most pre-made mattes I've found have, much to my shock, been
pH neutral. Most backing board material, on the other hand, has _not_.
And it costs half again as much as standard backing material, too.
Foo.
One very important point to note about matte board is that,
even those which are pH neutral are _not_ coloured with a lightfast
medium! They are exclusively ink. Those who like to do little sidebar
illustrations on the matte board should keep this in mind. [Victor Wren]
One topic often overlooked is adhering artwork to acid-free mattes
and backing. There are several ways to do this. Scotch tape is, of course,
right out, and brown masking tape is even worse - it is high acid, and
the adhesive will crystalize and transfer onto the paper, leaving ugly
stains. But if you want to use adhesive tapes, acid-free high-quality
matting tapes are available, as is a white artist's tape made by Scotch
(Tape #285). [White tape and data on masking tape by Victor Wren] Mount
the artwork against the backing (if present) or against the matte (if
not), securing the top two corners if the material is lightweight, and
securing all four corners if not. [Rod Smith]
I prefer to avoid the issue of adhesive-against-artwork entirely,
and use a securing method suggested to me by another artist which avoids
the issue entirely; making art holders out of acid-free paper, and taping
_those_ to the backing board. This is very easy:
Cut triangles out of acid free paper.
Position them on the backing board so that the corners of the
artwork, when placed on the backing board, would be under
the triangles.
Tape the triangles down with acid-free mounting tape.
Insert the artwork.
It should look something like this (ASCII art never to scale; if this
doesn't make sense, make sure to display it in Courier, or another
fixed-width
font):
/\ /\
/_/_ _\_\
| / /-------\ \ |
/|T1/ \T2|\
/ / / art \ \ \
\/|/ \|\/
| |
| |
/\|\ /|/\
\ \ \ / / /
\|T3\ /T4|/
|_\_\-------/_/_/
\ \ / /
\/ \/
T1-T4 are triangles of acid-free paper, held down with acid-free
mounting tape. The tape should be OVER the triangles, and should never
touch the artwork itself.
There are also acid-free mounting corners with their own adhesive
available at many art-supply stores; I don't use them because I'm
paranoid about the artwork slipping and coming into contact with the
adhesive. [Karl Meyer] reports that he has had good luck with self-
stick mounting tabs like these, however, particularly when mounting
animation cells.
----- THE BUYER'S STANDPOINT -----
When I consider buying a piece, I look for a note from the artist
which explicitly states that pH neutral paper was used. If I don't
find that, I adjust my willingness to buy accordingly. If I do buy, I
immediately take apart the matte and re-back the original with pH neutral
paper. (This stuff is cheap, not exotic. You can buy a sketchbook full
of it for $7.)
If the picture is backed with cardboard, that's another materials
strike; cardboard is very high-acid material. That, too, always gets
ripped out and replaced. The more of this I have to do, the more the
picture ends up costing me before all is said and done.
I have some originals work by a particular artist hanging in my
bedroom. It needed to be ripped apart, layered in back with pH neutral
paper, and backed with new material. I love this artist's work, but I
wonder whether much of it'll be around in 10 years, given some of the
materials used; the paper is short-fibre and (I suspect) high acid,
and was backed with cardboard. I think _my_ copies will last, because
I've worked to insure it. But most people aren't going to know to do
this.
My _requests_ to all creators and sellers of artwork are:
1) Know your materials. Use stuff that'll last. I'll know, and pay
more for it. This includes your paper. Acid-free illustration
board tends to cost a couple of dollars more, I know, but I'll
make that trade. Consider all markers to be ephemeral unless
proven otherwise, and always remember: photocopies flake,
doubly so when damp, triply so when hot.
2) Don't forget that mattes and backing boards are (typically) paper
too, and affect the things they touch. Most pre-made mattes I've
seen _have_ been acid-free (much to my shock!) but most backing
material is _not_. Be warned, and act appropriately. If you don't
know when buying, _ask_. And if you make prints, make them on good
paper. (I've seen people get everything but that right...) It won't
cost you that much more per print (I've priced it for some of my
own material :-) ) and will be worth it in five years.
3) Show me that you knew what you were doing when you prepped the
work.
Tell me that the paper, backing, mattes are pH neutral. If they
_aren't_, tell me that, too; I'll correct where I can. Give me
clues about the permanence of the media you used - I'll presume
the answers are bad, if you don't speak up.
People have been becoming more aware about these things. Slowly.
----- REFERENCE MATERIALS -----
The following books have been strongly recommended as reference texts
on materials durability.
The Artist's Handbook - Ralph Mayer
"A constant companion... unfortunately, it becomes ever more
dated
as new pigments, materials and products enter the marketplace."
The World's Best Watercolour Paints - by Colin Wilcox, published by
Northern Lights. The most important independent test set.
"Shock. Dismay. Sense of betrayal. And a whole bunch of very
expensive so-called artist grade watercolour tubes into the
garbage. It seems that with everyone taking the makers' word,
had bothered to try the lightfastness tests for themselves..."
"Reading the Wilcox book caused me to radically change my
palette."
The Wilcox Guide to the Best Watercolor Paints - by Michael Wilcox,
published by Northern Lights.
"This is an exhaustively researched reference to all commonly
(and
less commonly) known tube watercolors, listing and rating each
by
manufacturer. It is the most valuable tool I have found for
clearing my palette of fugitive pigments, and I would recommend
it to anyone who works in watercolor." [Gypsy]
Artist's Manual - by Angela Gair
ISBN 0-8118-1377-0, published by Chronicle Books
"It has fast become one of my favorite references, if not my
'bible,' for art materials. It's especially good for beginning
artists. It's a large format paperback and not expensive...
about $22 or $23. I don't have anything to do with the editor
or the publisher...I'm just a fan of the book. Take a look at
it."
[Jim Kennedy]
The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide - by Monoma Rossol
(New York, Allworth Press, 2nd ed. 1994)
"The whole issue of "art hazards" wasn't taken very seriously
until
about fifteen years ago, when it started to become understood
that a
great deal of the allergies, diseases, cancers and neurological
disorders artists were suffering from were preventable by
learning
safer handling of their materials or better planning of their
work
environments. You might wish to include this book in your
reference
list. Thanks." [Nozmo]
----- A SUMMARY -----
For my own work, I use low-cost pH neutral paper (see the above
$7) for most work, or pH neutral illustration board for anything I expect
to want to do on something like that and keep. When I sell, I either
back with pH neutral board (about 50% more expensive than the typical)
or, if I can't (rare circumstances), I isolate the print/drawing/whatever
from the bad backing board with layers of pH neutral paper. And, of course,
I use pH neutral mattes. [Note from Neil McAllister: "If you have to slip
pH neutral paper between a picture and its backing, I'd look for a material
called Glassine. It's a pH neutral separator paper that's got almost a
wax-paper surface. That should be sufficient to keep a picture away from
a bad backing, rather than layers of a more porous acid-free drawing
paper.]
When drawing, I only use markers I have reason to believe are stable,
if I intend to keep the work for more than a couple of months. I've yet to
find a thick, black, controllable marker which I trust to stay, so I use
brush and a permanent well ink instead. For colours, I use the
aforementioned Letraset/Pantone markers or coloured pencil, and hope
the Pantones live up to their billing. I've had it recommended that I
use watercolours instead, as even cheap pigment-based watercolours will
be better than markers.
For submissions, on the other hand - they're not supposed to last
more than a couple of months, so I use whatever's handy that looks good.
Photocopies touched up with Sharpie pens are my favourite, backed with
a cardboard mailer. :-) (The reason I bring this up: remember when you
should spend the money to make it last, and when you don't need to
care.)
Note that none of this costs me any more time or effort than using
high-acid materials. Once you've found a source for all the things you
need, you just remember to go there and buy the right things, rather than
going someplace else and buying the wrong things. It does cost a little
more, but only a very little, and it's a price I'm willing to pay.
Do these things, and your buyers will appreciate it eventually,
even if they don't know about it at time of purchase.
When buying, I check what the artist has used, and correct where
applicable. If the backing material is cardboard or not acid free, I
replace it, or stick in a layer of pH neutral paper. Same with the matte.
If I don't know about the paper, I stick extra layers of acid free paper
behind it, to absorb as much acid from the original paper as I can. I
then frame; this is more expensive, but limits air circulation (which helps
delay acid problems) and also can block some UV light damage. If a piece
is worth it or will be hanging in a high-light area, I'll get special
clear plastic designed to block all UV, and use that instead of glass
in the frame. _Never_ use shrink-wrap for this purpose; it won't help,
and will leak gasses which are actively bad for the piece. Also, never
hang in direct sunlight; anything that can go wrong will go wrong more
quickly when exposed to the sun, even if you've put plastic or glass in
front of it. [Neil McAllister notes again: "Glass with a UV-filtering
coating is also available," and is almost always cheaper than plastic.]
Do these things, and the artwork you buy will last much longer than
it would have otherwise, and at relatively little additional cost. It'll
also look better in the long run. Oh; if you can't frame, do everything
up to that, including the layer of glass or plastic in front, and then
clip (not tape!) it together. That'll save you some money and get you
most of the preservation benefits of a frame.
One final note: I don't pretend that this is a be-all or end-all
treatment on this subject. Reams of academic papers published on the
subject will, in fact, easily demonstrate otherwise. However, I believe
it to be a basically accurate set of rules which, if followed, will
allow a much longer lifespan for artwork, at minimal additional cost
and hassle.
This is version 1.42 of this FAQ. Version 0.1 was my response to
Tygger. Please direct suggestions and error corrections as outlined
above.
- R'ykandar.
----- END ART MATERIALS FAQ V1.42 -----
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| Art materials FAQ [message #243149 is a reply to message #213642] |
Mon, 10 February 2014 05:47 |
infopage
Messages: 33
Registered: March 2013
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Archive-name: art-materials
Posting-Frequency: Posted on the 10th and 23rd of each month.
Last-Modified: January 22, 2001
Version: 1.42
ART MATERIALS FAQ - Version 1.42
Last updated: January 22, 2001
Written and maintained by R'ykandar Korra'ti <rayek AT murkworks.net>
Sourced from a message in reply to Tygger <graf AT primenet.com>
on alt.fan.furry
Comments and corrections to rayek AT murkworks.net.
[NOTE: Email addresses have had format changes to avoid spammer automated
email-address collectors. Change the " AT " to an "@" sign and this will
recreate the original address. NOTICE: UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL MAIL _WILL_
RESULT IN MY BOYCOTTING THE ADVERTISED COMPANY AND PRODUCT. I reject ALL
spam mail.]
This article, a more formal version of a long post I made on alt.fan.furry,
is intended to discuss materials commonly used in illustrative artwork, and
the durability thereof. It will also comment briefly on how to preserve
the artwork you purchase. The intended audience is comic, illustrative, and
fan artists, the people buying or otherwise acquiring artwork from these
same sources. It is _not_ a fully-comprehensive treatment of the subject,
but is intended as a good set of ground rules for how to make artwork -
particularly artwork done on paper - last.
This version reflects changes and contributions suggested by the following:
Conrad Wong <lynx AT netcom.com>
Araiguma <araiguma AT teamhbbs.com>
Dave Bell <dave.bell AT portofc.org>
Hanno Foest <hanno AT ranea.escape.de>
Remus Shepherd <remus AT netcom.com>
Margaret Organ-Kean <76506.1633 AT CompuServe.COM>
SHERRYS AT delphi.com
Victor Wren <artgoat AT netcom.com>
Neil McAllister <pcm2 AT netcom.com>
Keven Fedirko <altered AT ulix.net>
Ashtoreth <ashy AT woof.net>
Gypsy <gypsy AT fred.net>
Rod Smith <stickmaker AT usa.net>
Ken Stone <sasami AT blaze.net.au>
James Birdsall <jwbirdsa AT picarefy.picarefy.com>
Lyrra Madril <lyrra AT cybernex.net>
Henry Spencer <henry AT zoo.toronto.edu>
Jim Kennedy <jimken AT bellsouth.net>
Karl Meyer <ferret AT enteract.com>
Nozmo <gruffa AT uswest.net>
Joe Bennett <jcab AT 123.net>
Sections with significant amounts of new text or information are noted with
individual contributor credits. I hope this is not too confusing.
Section headers:
INTRODUCTION
PIGMENT AND DYES
DRAWING PAPER
PRINT PAPER
MATTES and BACKING BOARD
THE BUYER'S PERSPECTIVE
REFERENCES
A SUMMARY
----- INTRODUCTION -----
In article <tyggerCuwqHp.3Hp@netcom.com> graf AT primenet.com (Tygger)
wrote:
> Now, here's the interesting part: now I'm being told that an illo coloured
> in marker or an illo with marker and enhanced by colour pencil isn't up to
> par to warrant a min bid of $35-45 in an artshow. It's due to the marker,
> I'm told.
I'm not surprised, at all. I know I adjust my bid based on media - or
rather the durability thereof - and will avoid several processes entirely,
regardless of how much I like the work.
All the materials used to make artwork affect the durability of the
final piece. While this may seem obvious when stated, many artists and
collectors never really think about this when creating, selling, or buying
work.
----- PIGMENT AND DYES -----
The list of commonly used tools and media includes magic marker
(ink), brush (ink), coloured pencil (typically a wax-based carrier, with
embedded pigment), crayon (more wax), oil pastel (a different carrier,
with pigment), watercolour paint, acrylic, and oil paints. All of these
bring with them different issues, both across class of material (magic
marker ink vs. brush ink vs. oil paint, etc) and across brand of
manufacture.
In all cases, there will be one of two classes of colouring agent
in the medium. Most markers - particularly colour markers - use dye. Dye
is always relatively fugitive (or transient, or whatever). It is very
much likely to change colour or fade completely; how definite it is
that this will happen, or how quickly it will happen, depends upon the
dye in question.
One of the biggest problems, generically, is "drift." "Drift" is a
general term indicating one of several issues, most notably fading, colour
change (or "shift"), or outright spread of the colour in an unexpected
and undesirable way. The first is most common; the third, least so, but
still happens.
Pigments are overwhelmingly more likely to last, both in the face
of time and sunlight. Pigments are found in a very small number of
non-refillable pens, in all "India inks," in better watercolours,
acrylics, and so forth. Some pigments - particularly modern experimental
pigments - can also drift, shift, or fade, but this is much less likely
overall. Elemental carbon (the pigment used in "India ink") will likely
not ever exhibit this behaviour, except over timeframes of centuries;
elemental carbon can oxidise over time.
[Decision to explain dye vs. pigment prompted by Victor Wren and
Neil McAllister. Much data to correct prior errors on this subject was
provided by both. Henry Spencer provided data on oxidisation of elemental
carbon pigments, and also notes that metal-oxide pigments will not oxidise
further, being, well, already an oxide. :-) ]
Black line markers:
Markers drift. In fact, they drift _badly_. They're the most ephemeral
of media in common use today. There are a few which are stable (Micron
Pigma pens come to mind; black today, black tomorrow), but most aren't.
How much they end up drifting depends upon how much light exposure they
get (and it does _not_ have to be direct sunlight), as well as the air
circulation, the paper they're used on, and probably half a dozen other
things. Plus, as mentioned above, it varies by marker.
Known stable: Micron Pigma - technical pens, available from .005 to
at least .08cm. I've surveyed a few dozen pens, and this has
been the only one I've found to be considered generally stable.
The reason is that they actually use pigment-based ink, rather
than dye-based, having come up with some way of grinding the
pigment finely enough that it can pass through a marker-type
delivery system. One minor drawback: the pigment can be rubbed
off to a degree by an eraser, resulting in some lightening of
the ink marks. Keep this in mind when working.
Do NOT use: Pilot Razor Points. They're hugely popular because they
feel very good. Don't expose them to air or light, though, if
you want to keep your work's black lines _black_. They fade to
grey or green. They're also water-soluble, even when dry. (On
the other hand, if you only intend to keep the work for a couple
of weeks - say, it's a test sketch - then there's no need to be
concerned.)
Thick black markers:
I've encountered none which are stable. I've been told that this has
to do with the delivery method; the constraints put on the ink by the
felt process prohibit the use of any pigments, so they're all dye based.
Watch out for: Sharpie(R) brand. They produce a _lovely_ black and
are really fun to play with. I still play with them when I'm
touching up a photocopy for submission to a magazine, or when
I'm just screwing around - but I've heard from several artists
that they not only turn green, but produce a yellow bleed on
the paper. (I've seen some hints of this yellow bleed myself.)
This is chromotography in action, and is independent of the
paper used. They also used to contain a rather nasty solvent,
but that appears to have changed recently.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Araiguma]
Also, old Pantone (TM) and the current Design (TM) lines of thick
markers use Xylene. Use only if you've got good air circulation.
[Victor Wren]
Thin/technical colour markers:
I've never seen anyone use these. Micron makes colour tech pens, and
I've recently been told that they, too, are micropigment based and should
therefore have some degree of durability. They currently make nine colours
-
Black, Blue, Red, Green, Brown, Purple, Orange, Rose, and Yellow.
Thick colour markers:
Colour markers drift overall more than B&W, since colour shift
becomes a more crucial factor. Letraset made a Pantone line which
claims a fair degree of stability, but watch out for that lovely
smell of solvent (Xylene; mildly carcinogenic; work in a well-
ventilated area) - it's bad fer ya. Plus, they bleed (upon application,
_not_ later - at least, so far) more than any other marker I've ever used.
Work I've done with these (and touched up with Marvy brand small-points)
has held up so far, when maintained properly. However, I'm not holding my
breath on the Marvy durability, and have been informed [by Araiguma] that
the dyes therein are not particularly lightfast. Also, be careful when
applying these to colour photocopies; Xylene will dissolve some colour
photocopy toners, resulting in a "muddy mess."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong; Araiguma; Victor Wren]
Letraset is now making a new line called Tria, which has three
separate tips of different sizes. They're also dye based, but the solvent
is now 100% alcohol based and therefore much less dangerous. [Neil
McAllister]
[Lyrra Madril] reports that there are several new lines of
pigment-based
thick markers (in the 2.0mm - 3.5mm tip range), and reports good results in
early (six month) testing with Marvy Memory Series Calligraphy Pigments.
Brush pens [Initial data and suggestion to include - Conrad Wong]:
These are similar in behaviour to other colour markers - i.e.,
they have fading problems and should be considered ephemeral. Further,
they are not known for producing initially solid blacks.
Some manufacturers are now making brush-pens which actually have
tiny brushes at the tip, rather than a simple modified felt tip. These
can possibly include pigmented inks, and would therefore last quite a
bit longer. Sakura and Pentel both make dye-based brush-pens of this
type, and - for dye pens - they hold up fairly well. Micron is
apparently also shipping a brush-pen of this type which uses the same
micropigmented ink that their technical pens do, and _that_ one will
be of genuinely long life. [Victor Wren; Neil McAllister] Unfortunately,
they have discontinued shipping the best version of this pen to the
United States, due to poor sales.
Black brush ink:
All "india" ink-based inks should be durable. I've never heard
otherwise. In fact, most brush inks will be more durable than most pen
inks, given the above commentary on delivery systems; you _can_ deliver
a durable pigment with a brush. I've been using Higgins Black Magic in
brushes, but you can shop around; again, any india ink should do.
(As always, be careful; even many "india" inks can be picked up by
skin acids, regardless of how dry they are.)
There are some gotchas to that, however; most importantly, some
"india" inks have a shelf-life, after which the ink begins to clot.
This can cause severe problems with technical pens; if a reliable pen
has started to fail, try new ink. [Victor Wren]
It is also possible to find pens which can be used to apply india
inks; the traditional dip pen should handle most kinds of inks. Virtually
all engineering pens should be able to do this as well.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Dave Bell]
I've also had FW and Kohinoor 3085-F recommended; I'm told it is
easier to apply a thin line with FW than it is with Higgins Black Magic.
[Data from Victor Wren]
Note: Do not use Higgins in a technical pen; it'll be almost
impossible to get back out if it dries. Most "india" inks will chip
away, given enough soap and vibration - Higgins won't. [Ashtoreth]
It has been also reported that Derwent Black nr. 19-67 from their
"Artists" series, in particular, suffers from a yellow bleed over time.
However, this is an older mix and may not apply to current inks. [Ken
Stone]
Pen-style brushes, preloaded [by Conrad Wong]:
There are some pen-style brushes. Japanese stores may sell them;
they will have reservoirs inside. Many brushes contain a special
transparent liquid which turns black on a special paper. Artists will
want to look for brushes that work on 'regular' paper. Watch whether
it's a sable tip or a synthetic tip; the synthetic tips are stiffer,
the sable tips are very soft and, consequently, can be harder to control.
(They can also be necessary to avoid splatter on very rough surfaces -
but this is a technique rather than durability issue.)
Colour brush ink [by Araiguma]:
Depends on the ink, whether dye-based or pigment-based. I wouldn't
hold my breath; it's usually dye. Darker reds and blues _tend_ to be more
lightfast. Yellows are the worst, oranges and greens aren't far behind,
_very_ loosely speaking.
A lot of artists' media these days has lightfastness ratings
on the packaging. If that's not available, it's always worth asking
the store staff.
On the good side, however, is that there is a new line put out by
Higgins which is pigment-based - they refer to them as "fadeproof." FW
also has a pigment-based (acrylic-based, actually) line. Some of FW's
are relatively opaque, so watch out for that if that's not what you want.
Graphite (grey/black pencil):
Extremely durable if appropriately maintained. The only problems are
ruboff and smearing. Protect the piece from direct sunlight and direct
contact and you should be fine. Workable spray fixative will solve most
of the ruboff and smearing problems, but these, too, bring other durability
issues into play. (So far, I have had no problems with higher-quality
spray fixatives.)
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong]
Also recommended: "I've found the crystal fixative (non-workable)
to be better for preventing smudging. To stop smudging with workable
fixative (which is primarily intended for special techniques with pastel,
not for archival use) takes an extremely heavy coating, which alters the
contrast of the pencils." [Victor Wren]
Charcoal [by Araiguma]:
Charcoal, like graphite, is elemental carbon and immune to color
change or degradation. It poses a more serious problem in other areas,
though, as the only thing holding the charcoal on the paper is friction.
As such, it is very vulnerable to static electricity, if not fixed. And
I'm highly dubious about spray-can fixatives, since the ones intended for
the general public (i.e. not museum and conservation professionals) are
"mystery fixatives in mystery solvents" - unknown longevity, stability,
and safety for both the artist and the artwork.
Colour pencil:
So far, so good. I haven't had any fade problems with any of my
colour pencil works. The delivery system is bonded with the pigment,
so there's no limitation imposed that way. Stay with the better brands;
I'm sure the K-mart school supply section store brand will have the
cheapest (and least durable) pigment available. I primarily used to use
Prismacolour pencils; however, Berol was bought out by Sanford - the
maker of the classic wall-mount pencil sharpener - and have had lead
stability problems since. Winsor Newton's pencils, currently, appear
to be a better price/performance union.
[Additional by Araiguma]
Colour pencils, as a class, tend to be a lot more stable than markers,
if only because the carrier (wax) doesn't volatilize very much over
time, and carry pigment off with it. Prismacolors give lightfastness
ratings for the various colors. Of course, take manufacturers' ratings
with a grain of salt; see the "REFERENCES" section below for details.
[Lyrra Madril] reports that Prismacolour Black has exhibited
problems with yellow bleeding, both on the original paper, and on papers
above and below it in a stack. She has also seen this in neon colours.
The pigment colour did not change, but the yellow was an issue. She has
reported better luck with opaque Winsor Newton cake watercolours and
Cara D'ache black pencils.
Chalk pastel [by Araiguma]:
Ones with natural pigments are pretty stable, ones with synthetic
pigments are anybody's guess.
Oil Pastel:
Again, so far, so good. Oil pastels I've done have held up
wonderfully,
even in suboptimal conditions. The only problem with this medium that I've
found is the ease with which it smears and rubs.
Hint: _never_ have the work in contact with _anything_ but air. If you
frame it, use a matte. If you don't, it'll rub off.
[Additional by Araiguma; added bits by Victor Wren]
Problems: They never really dry, and the oil in them can bleed out
into the paper. And if they're really gunked on thickly, the weight can
actually distort the paper they're on. This is a medium that's really best
on surfaces other than paper. However, a proper coat of gesso can make a
stiff piece of illustration board suitable.
Tempera [Suggestion to add by Araiguma]:
Classically pigment in an egg binder, these days it's "loud stuff
of dubious origin and composition." It cracks and peels at the slightest
flexing or fluxing in relative humidity. I've used it for a couple of
temporary projects, and definitely would not recommend it for anything
intended to be preserved. Even when new, it flakes; and worse - at least,
the brand I used - "dusted," with some colours dusting off on touch.
For classical tempera, see "egg tempera," below.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma]
Egg Tempera:
The "real stuff," Classical Tempera, still available commercially,
but often expensive. It will _always_ be listed as "egg tempera." Egg
tempera artists will often go so far as to make their own, in their
quest for the perfect medium. Assuming proper pigment materials have
been chosen, the result is an extremely durable paint, rivaled in this
field only by high-quality oils. (Doing it by hand is also cheaper.)
Watercolours:
Watercolours are generally considered the most ephemeral of the paint
media, on average. This has to do with many people making watercolours use
poor quality pigments and/or dyes in place of the higher quality materials,
and not the media itself, but the end result is essentially the same from
the artist's standpoint. Windsor and Newton claims solid durability, and
I believe rates durability by colour. Daniel Smith has been noted for
developing or implementing more durable pigments, including a replacement
for the inherently fugitive Alizarin Crimson. Dr. Martin's are noted for
being fugitive.
Warning: be prepared to pay for durability; I remember that the
stable watercolours cost about twice as much as other brands. And as
always, take manufacturers' ratings with a grain of salt; see the
"REFERENCES" section below. If all the colours are the same price, that's
a sure sign that corners are being cut somewhere. Further, watch out for
anything that lables itself a "hue;" that's marketing-speak for
"approximated colour via an unknown method."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma, Neil McAllister, Ashtoreth, Gypsy]
Acrylic and oil paints:
Oil paints, on average, tend to be slightly more durable than acrylic
paints. This will vary by brand, and by colour within a brand;
student-grade
paints will generally be less durable than professional or fine-arts lines,
obviously. It is much harder to make a really bad choice in these media,
however, than in markers, where it is very difficult to make a _good_
choice.
Note that any use of oil paints on canvas or illustration board will
cause the board or canvas to dissolve unless the canvas or board is first
prepped with a material called gesso.
Old Holland is considered by some to be the "best" in the field;
they're the same company that made oils used by Vermeer, Van Ruysdael,
and others in the "old master" category of painter. The company is well
over 300 years old. [Ashtoreth, Joe Bennett]
Transparent liquid acrylics [Suggestion to add by SHERRYS AT delphi.com]:
I know very little about these, but have been told that have held up
well to some artists' preliminary sunlightfastness testing.
Photocopier toner, dry [Suggestion to add by Hanno Foest]:
Most dry toners are elemental carbon combined with some binding agent
to allow the carbon to be bound with the paper. This method, in almost all
cases, is heat.
The toner colour itself is stable. Unfortunately, the binder is not
always so, and will often become brittle and flaky with age. Further,
toner binding is particularly sensitive to heat, as anyone who has left a
photocopy in a looseleaf binder exposed to the sun or a heat vent knows;
the toner will transfer off the paper and onto whatever else it may happen
to be touching. Humidity and outright moisture will cause the same sorts of
effects. Laserprinted material may be more resistant to this sort of
effect, as laserprinters often use higher fusing temperatures than
photocopiers.
I've also been told that some toners will sometimes contain
significant
amounts of impurities. The impact of these impurities will depend upon
their
exact composition, and would be impossible to predict in advance.
For more commentary on photocopiers, see below, under "print paper."
----- DRAWING PAPER -----
Let me rant again about paper and backing (some of my favourite
subjects :-) )...
Many artists will go out of their way to use a solid, high-quality,
durable pigment for their work - and will then proceed to paint or draw
on anything they find lying around. Where durability issues are concerned,
however, paper is of prime importance. This is due to the acid content
found in most papers, leading to paper discolouration, pigment
discolouration, and even breakup of the paper.
Fortunately, this is a recognized problem, and you can purchase
paper which has been pH neutralized. This paper will sometimes be
referred to as "acid free," and sometimes "pH neutral." If it doesn't
say, assume it has _not_ been pH neutralized. Strathmore bristol is
a favourite paper for many artists.
It may also be worth your time to check even paper which declares
itself pH neutral, as some companies have been caught shipping high-
acid paper as "pH neutral." Testing can be done in a crude, but
cheap and easy, way by using a pH testing pen, available for three or
four dollars from multiple suppliers. Likewise, stay away from the
cheapest papers; some which are indeed "acid free" may, if short-
grained (like deacidified newsprint), retain a great deal of lignin,
and be accordingly short-lived.
[Araiguma]
Your _very_ best bet would be a paper that's not just pH neutral,
but which is actually buffered with alkaline salts to offset future
degradation. The paper should have a high rag/cotton or alpha cellulose
content; longer fibers, less of the lignin and hemicelloloses that
contribute to acidity in paper.
[Araiguma]
Genuine Bristol paper is 100% cotton rag, with now wood fibre.
If it contains wood, it will say "pine tree Bristol." [Victor Wren]
100% cotton rag is not acidic, and contains no lignin.
As a side comment, let me rant about hemp prohibition. Hemp,
the non-psychoactive portion of the plant which produces marijuana,
produces a _naturally_ pH neutral paper which is of significantly
higher durability than any wood pulp paper. It would also be cheaper
in mass production, and be more suited towards making really large
pieces of illustrative paper. And thanks to the longer fibre length,
it's noticeably more recyclable than wood-pulp paper. Yet another
example of the stupidity of the drug war. End of polemic.
Drawing books containing pH neutral paper only cost a few dollars
more than drawing books with regular high-acid paper. Buy them. Even
if you're just planning on doodling in it, spend the extra three bucks.
That way, if you come out with something you decide you really like and
want to keep, you've got a good chance of doing so.
Of course, not all high-acid papers are equally bad. Newsprint is,
of course, the least durable, and is marketed as such. It's great for
temporary purposes - say, throwing together a couple of composition
sketches, or warming up before figure drawing - but just remember that
it won't last. Butcher paper - just as cheap, nicer to work on - has
the same caveats.
----- PRINT PAPER -----
First off: I will almost never buy anything reproduced on a black
and white photocopier for more than $4. In the US, the paper is
almost guaranteed to be high-acid junk material which will be turning
brown inside five years. Apparently, this is less likely to be the case
in parts of Europe; a German correspondent has tested all of his recent
photocopies and found them all to be on acid-free paper, despite no
efforts on his part to ensure that this was the case. (One way to insure
this is to bring in your own paper. Many copier places will handle this
just fine, as long as it looks like normal paper to them. I imagine it
would help to bring it in with the original wrapper, so they can look
at it and check against the qualities required by their particular copier.)
Colour copiers have different requirements, and as a result,
colour photocopier paper is generally pH neutral in the US. But check
to be sure.
Other than that, the same basic rules listed above apply here, too.
Paper suppliers are generally pretty good at labelling pH neutral papers
as "acid free," so if you're going to make prints, all you have to do is
ask for the right materials. Even in low-volume print runs, this won't
add much to your cost.
----- MATTES and BACKING BOARD -----
These are also often overlooked, even by people who take the
care to use pH neutral paper and lasting pigments. Mattes are less
damaging, since they have limited contact with the piece in question -
but you can still get a nasty brown bleed coming off the edge of a
high-acid matte. This is because the acid in the matte can leak into
the paper it touches.
This is especially true of those evil mattes with the "acid-free"
face and back with pure junk cardboard filler in between. The acid
migrates out of the mat bevels, producing mat burn, and the "acid-free"
face and back can only endure for a little while before they become
acidic, too.
[Araiguma]
The backing board matters more, since it's in contact with all
of your piece. I will often find that people have used cardboard
as backing for their artwork. This is a very bad idea, as cardboard
is _extremely_ high-acid - and fibrous, and likely to shed - and
_will_ degrade the life of your piece if you don't isolate it from
the art paper. If you must use cardboard, separate it from the artwork
by a layer (or two!) of pH neutral paper, or, if you can find it, pH
basic paper, buffered to pH 8.5 or so.
This is even more important when it comes to photographs, as
the acids in the cardboard will also alter the chemicals making the
colours in the print.
Most pre-made mattes I've found have, much to my shock, been
pH neutral. Most backing board material, on the other hand, has _not_.
And it costs half again as much as standard backing material, too.
Foo.
One very important point to note about matte board is that,
even those which are pH neutral are _not_ coloured with a lightfast
medium! They are exclusively ink. Those who like to do little sidebar
illustrations on the matte board should keep this in mind. [Victor Wren]
One topic often overlooked is adhering artwork to acid-free mattes
and backing. There are several ways to do this. Scotch tape is, of course,
right out, and brown masking tape is even worse - it is high acid, and
the adhesive will crystalize and transfer onto the paper, leaving ugly
stains. But if you want to use adhesive tapes, acid-free high-quality
matting tapes are available, as is a white artist's tape made by Scotch
(Tape #285). [White tape and data on masking tape by Victor Wren] Mount
the artwork against the backing (if present) or against the matte (if
not), securing the top two corners if the material is lightweight, and
securing all four corners if not. [Rod Smith]
I prefer to avoid the issue of adhesive-against-artwork entirely,
and use a securing method suggested to me by another artist which avoids
the issue entirely; making art holders out of acid-free paper, and taping
_those_ to the backing board. This is very easy:
Cut triangles out of acid free paper.
Position them on the backing board so that the corners of the
artwork, when placed on the backing board, would be under
the triangles.
Tape the triangles down with acid-free mounting tape.
Insert the artwork.
It should look something like this (ASCII art never to scale; if this
doesn't make sense, make sure to display it in Courier, or another
fixed-width
font):
/\ /\
/_/_ _\_\
| / /-------\ \ |
/|T1/ \T2|\
/ / / art \ \ \
\/|/ \|\/
| |
| |
/\|\ /|/\
\ \ \ / / /
\|T3\ /T4|/
|_\_\-------/_/_/
\ \ / /
\/ \/
T1-T4 are triangles of acid-free paper, held down with acid-free
mounting tape. The tape should be OVER the triangles, and should never
touch the artwork itself.
There are also acid-free mounting corners with their own adhesive
available at many art-supply stores; I don't use them because I'm
paranoid about the artwork slipping and coming into contact with the
adhesive. [Karl Meyer] reports that he has had good luck with self-
stick mounting tabs like these, however, particularly when mounting
animation cells.
----- THE BUYER'S STANDPOINT -----
When I consider buying a piece, I look for a note from the artist
which explicitly states that pH neutral paper was used. If I don't
find that, I adjust my willingness to buy accordingly. If I do buy, I
immediately take apart the matte and re-back the original with pH neutral
paper. (This stuff is cheap, not exotic. You can buy a sketchbook full
of it for $7.)
If the picture is backed with cardboard, that's another materials
strike; cardboard is very high-acid material. That, too, always gets
ripped out and replaced. The more of this I have to do, the more the
picture ends up costing me before all is said and done.
I have some originals work by a particular artist hanging in my
bedroom. It needed to be ripped apart, layered in back with pH neutral
paper, and backed with new material. I love this artist's work, but I
wonder whether much of it'll be around in 10 years, given some of the
materials used; the paper is short-fibre and (I suspect) high acid,
and was backed with cardboard. I think _my_ copies will last, because
I've worked to insure it. But most people aren't going to know to do
this.
My _requests_ to all creators and sellers of artwork are:
1) Know your materials. Use stuff that'll last. I'll know, and pay
more for it. This includes your paper. Acid-free illustration
board tends to cost a couple of dollars more, I know, but I'll
make that trade. Consider all markers to be ephemeral unless
proven otherwise, and always remember: photocopies flake,
doubly so when damp, triply so when hot.
2) Don't forget that mattes and backing boards are (typically) paper
too, and affect the things they touch. Most pre-made mattes I've
seen _have_ been acid-free (much to my shock!) but most backing
material is _not_. Be warned, and act appropriately. If you don't
know when buying, _ask_. And if you make prints, make them on good
paper. (I've seen people get everything but that right...) It won't
cost you that much more per print (I've priced it for some of my
own material :-) ) and will be worth it in five years.
3) Show me that you knew what you were doing when you prepped the
work.
Tell me that the paper, backing, mattes are pH neutral. If they
_aren't_, tell me that, too; I'll correct where I can. Give me
clues about the permanence of the media you used - I'll presume
the answers are bad, if you don't speak up.
People have been becoming more aware about these things. Slowly.
----- REFERENCE MATERIALS -----
The following books have been strongly recommended as reference texts
on materials durability.
The Artist's Handbook - Ralph Mayer
"A constant companion... unfortunately, it becomes ever more
dated
as new pigments, materials and products enter the marketplace."
The World's Best Watercolour Paints - by Colin Wilcox, published by
Northern Lights. The most important independent test set.
"Shock. Dismay. Sense of betrayal. And a whole bunch of very
expensive so-called artist grade watercolour tubes into the
garbage. It seems that with everyone taking the makers' word,
had bothered to try the lightfastness tests for themselves..."
"Reading the Wilcox book caused me to radically change my
palette."
The Wilcox Guide to the Best Watercolor Paints - by Michael Wilcox,
published by Northern Lights.
"This is an exhaustively researched reference to all commonly
(and
less commonly) known tube watercolors, listing and rating each
by
manufacturer. It is the most valuable tool I have found for
clearing my palette of fugitive pigments, and I would recommend
it to anyone who works in watercolor." [Gypsy]
Artist's Manual - by Angela Gair
ISBN 0-8118-1377-0, published by Chronicle Books
"It has fast become one of my favorite references, if not my
'bible,' for art materials. It's especially good for beginning
artists. It's a large format paperback and not expensive...
about $22 or $23. I don't have anything to do with the editor
or the publisher...I'm just a fan of the book. Take a look at
it."
[Jim Kennedy]
The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide - by Monoma Rossol
(New York, Allworth Press, 2nd ed. 1994)
"The whole issue of "art hazards" wasn't taken very seriously
until
about fifteen years ago, when it started to become understood
that a
great deal of the allergies, diseases, cancers and neurological
disorders artists were suffering from were preventable by
learning
safer handling of their materials or better planning of their
work
environments. You might wish to include this book in your
reference
list. Thanks." [Nozmo]
----- A SUMMARY -----
For my own work, I use low-cost pH neutral paper (see the above
$7) for most work, or pH neutral illustration board for anything I expect
to want to do on something like that and keep. When I sell, I either
back with pH neutral board (about 50% more expensive than the typical)
or, if I can't (rare circumstances), I isolate the print/drawing/whatever
from the bad backing board with layers of pH neutral paper. And, of course,
I use pH neutral mattes. [Note from Neil McAllister: "If you have to slip
pH neutral paper between a picture and its backing, I'd look for a material
called Glassine. It's a pH neutral separator paper that's got almost a
wax-paper surface. That should be sufficient to keep a picture away from
a bad backing, rather than layers of a more porous acid-free drawing
paper.]
When drawing, I only use markers I have reason to believe are stable,
if I intend to keep the work for more than a couple of months. I've yet to
find a thick, black, controllable marker which I trust to stay, so I use
brush and a permanent well ink instead. For colours, I use the
aforementioned Letraset/Pantone markers or coloured pencil, and hope
the Pantones live up to their billing. I've had it recommended that I
use watercolours instead, as even cheap pigment-based watercolours will
be better than markers.
For submissions, on the other hand - they're not supposed to last
more than a couple of months, so I use whatever's handy that looks good.
Photocopies touched up with Sharpie pens are my favourite, backed with
a cardboard mailer. :-) (The reason I bring this up: remember when you
should spend the money to make it last, and when you don't need to
care.)
Note that none of this costs me any more time or effort than using
high-acid materials. Once you've found a source for all the things you
need, you just remember to go there and buy the right things, rather than
going someplace else and buying the wrong things. It does cost a little
more, but only a very little, and it's a price I'm willing to pay.
Do these things, and your buyers will appreciate it eventually,
even if they don't know about it at time of purchase.
When buying, I check what the artist has used, and correct where
applicable. If the backing material is cardboard or not acid free, I
replace it, or stick in a layer of pH neutral paper. Same with the matte.
If I don't know about the paper, I stick extra layers of acid free paper
behind it, to absorb as much acid from the original paper as I can. I
then frame; this is more expensive, but limits air circulation (which helps
delay acid problems) and also can block some UV light damage. If a piece
is worth it or will be hanging in a high-light area, I'll get special
clear plastic designed to block all UV, and use that instead of glass
in the frame. _Never_ use shrink-wrap for this purpose; it won't help,
and will leak gasses which are actively bad for the piece. Also, never
hang in direct sunlight; anything that can go wrong will go wrong more
quickly when exposed to the sun, even if you've put plastic or glass in
front of it. [Neil McAllister notes again: "Glass with a UV-filtering
coating is also available," and is almost always cheaper than plastic.]
Do these things, and the artwork you buy will last much longer than
it would have otherwise, and at relatively little additional cost. It'll
also look better in the long run. Oh; if you can't frame, do everything
up to that, including the layer of glass or plastic in front, and then
clip (not tape!) it together. That'll save you some money and get you
most of the preservation benefits of a frame.
One final note: I don't pretend that this is a be-all or end-all
treatment on this subject. Reams of academic papers published on the
subject will, in fact, easily demonstrate otherwise. However, I believe
it to be a basically accurate set of rules which, if followed, will
allow a much longer lifespan for artwork, at minimal additional cost
and hassle.
This is version 1.42 of this FAQ. Version 0.1 was my response to
Tygger. Please direct suggestions and error corrections as outlined
above.
- R'ykandar.
----- END ART MATERIALS FAQ V1.42 -----
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| Art materials FAQ [message #245254 is a reply to message #213642] |
Sun, 23 February 2014 05:47 |
infopage
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Archive-name: art-materials
Posting-Frequency: Posted on the 10th and 23rd of each month.
Last-Modified: January 22, 2001
Version: 1.42
ART MATERIALS FAQ - Version 1.42
Last updated: January 22, 2001
Written and maintained by R'ykandar Korra'ti <rayek AT murkworks.net>
Sourced from a message in reply to Tygger <graf AT primenet.com>
on alt.fan.furry
Comments and corrections to rayek AT murkworks.net.
[NOTE: Email addresses have had format changes to avoid spammer automated
email-address collectors. Change the " AT " to an "@" sign and this will
recreate the original address. NOTICE: UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL MAIL _WILL_
RESULT IN MY BOYCOTTING THE ADVERTISED COMPANY AND PRODUCT. I reject ALL
spam mail.]
This article, a more formal version of a long post I made on alt.fan.furry,
is intended to discuss materials commonly used in illustrative artwork, and
the durability thereof. It will also comment briefly on how to preserve
the artwork you purchase. The intended audience is comic, illustrative, and
fan artists, the people buying or otherwise acquiring artwork from these
same sources. It is _not_ a fully-comprehensive treatment of the subject,
but is intended as a good set of ground rules for how to make artwork -
particularly artwork done on paper - last.
This version reflects changes and contributions suggested by the following:
Conrad Wong <lynx AT netcom.com>
Araiguma <araiguma AT teamhbbs.com>
Dave Bell <dave.bell AT portofc.org>
Hanno Foest <hanno AT ranea.escape.de>
Remus Shepherd <remus AT netcom.com>
Margaret Organ-Kean <76506.1633 AT CompuServe.COM>
SHERRYS AT delphi.com
Victor Wren <artgoat AT netcom.com>
Neil McAllister <pcm2 AT netcom.com>
Keven Fedirko <altered AT ulix.net>
Ashtoreth <ashy AT woof.net>
Gypsy <gypsy AT fred.net>
Rod Smith <stickmaker AT usa.net>
Ken Stone <sasami AT blaze.net.au>
James Birdsall <jwbirdsa AT picarefy.picarefy.com>
Lyrra Madril <lyrra AT cybernex.net>
Henry Spencer <henry AT zoo.toronto.edu>
Jim Kennedy <jimken AT bellsouth.net>
Karl Meyer <ferret AT enteract.com>
Nozmo <gruffa AT uswest.net>
Joe Bennett <jcab AT 123.net>
Sections with significant amounts of new text or information are noted with
individual contributor credits. I hope this is not too confusing.
Section headers:
INTRODUCTION
PIGMENT AND DYES
DRAWING PAPER
PRINT PAPER
MATTES and BACKING BOARD
THE BUYER'S PERSPECTIVE
REFERENCES
A SUMMARY
----- INTRODUCTION -----
In article <tyggerCuwqHp.3Hp@netcom.com> graf AT primenet.com (Tygger)
wrote:
> Now, here's the interesting part: now I'm being told that an illo coloured
> in marker or an illo with marker and enhanced by colour pencil isn't up to
> par to warrant a min bid of $35-45 in an artshow. It's due to the marker,
> I'm told.
I'm not surprised, at all. I know I adjust my bid based on media - or
rather the durability thereof - and will avoid several processes entirely,
regardless of how much I like the work.
All the materials used to make artwork affect the durability of the
final piece. While this may seem obvious when stated, many artists and
collectors never really think about this when creating, selling, or buying
work.
----- PIGMENT AND DYES -----
The list of commonly used tools and media includes magic marker
(ink), brush (ink), coloured pencil (typically a wax-based carrier, with
embedded pigment), crayon (more wax), oil pastel (a different carrier,
with pigment), watercolour paint, acrylic, and oil paints. All of these
bring with them different issues, both across class of material (magic
marker ink vs. brush ink vs. oil paint, etc) and across brand of
manufacture.
In all cases, there will be one of two classes of colouring agent
in the medium. Most markers - particularly colour markers - use dye. Dye
is always relatively fugitive (or transient, or whatever). It is very
much likely to change colour or fade completely; how definite it is
that this will happen, or how quickly it will happen, depends upon the
dye in question.
One of the biggest problems, generically, is "drift." "Drift" is a
general term indicating one of several issues, most notably fading, colour
change (or "shift"), or outright spread of the colour in an unexpected
and undesirable way. The first is most common; the third, least so, but
still happens.
Pigments are overwhelmingly more likely to last, both in the face
of time and sunlight. Pigments are found in a very small number of
non-refillable pens, in all "India inks," in better watercolours,
acrylics, and so forth. Some pigments - particularly modern experimental
pigments - can also drift, shift, or fade, but this is much less likely
overall. Elemental carbon (the pigment used in "India ink") will likely
not ever exhibit this behaviour, except over timeframes of centuries;
elemental carbon can oxidise over time.
[Decision to explain dye vs. pigment prompted by Victor Wren and
Neil McAllister. Much data to correct prior errors on this subject was
provided by both. Henry Spencer provided data on oxidisation of elemental
carbon pigments, and also notes that metal-oxide pigments will not oxidise
further, being, well, already an oxide. :-) ]
Black line markers:
Markers drift. In fact, they drift _badly_. They're the most ephemeral
of media in common use today. There are a few which are stable (Micron
Pigma pens come to mind; black today, black tomorrow), but most aren't.
How much they end up drifting depends upon how much light exposure they
get (and it does _not_ have to be direct sunlight), as well as the air
circulation, the paper they're used on, and probably half a dozen other
things. Plus, as mentioned above, it varies by marker.
Known stable: Micron Pigma - technical pens, available from .005 to
at least .08cm. I've surveyed a few dozen pens, and this has
been the only one I've found to be considered generally stable.
The reason is that they actually use pigment-based ink, rather
than dye-based, having come up with some way of grinding the
pigment finely enough that it can pass through a marker-type
delivery system. One minor drawback: the pigment can be rubbed
off to a degree by an eraser, resulting in some lightening of
the ink marks. Keep this in mind when working.
Do NOT use: Pilot Razor Points. They're hugely popular because they
feel very good. Don't expose them to air or light, though, if
you want to keep your work's black lines _black_. They fade to
grey or green. They're also water-soluble, even when dry. (On
the other hand, if you only intend to keep the work for a couple
of weeks - say, it's a test sketch - then there's no need to be
concerned.)
Thick black markers:
I've encountered none which are stable. I've been told that this has
to do with the delivery method; the constraints put on the ink by the
felt process prohibit the use of any pigments, so they're all dye based.
Watch out for: Sharpie(R) brand. They produce a _lovely_ black and
are really fun to play with. I still play with them when I'm
touching up a photocopy for submission to a magazine, or when
I'm just screwing around - but I've heard from several artists
that they not only turn green, but produce a yellow bleed on
the paper. (I've seen some hints of this yellow bleed myself.)
This is chromotography in action, and is independent of the
paper used. They also used to contain a rather nasty solvent,
but that appears to have changed recently.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Araiguma]
Also, old Pantone (TM) and the current Design (TM) lines of thick
markers use Xylene. Use only if you've got good air circulation.
[Victor Wren]
Thin/technical colour markers:
I've never seen anyone use these. Micron makes colour tech pens, and
I've recently been told that they, too, are micropigment based and should
therefore have some degree of durability. They currently make nine colours
-
Black, Blue, Red, Green, Brown, Purple, Orange, Rose, and Yellow.
Thick colour markers:
Colour markers drift overall more than B&W, since colour shift
becomes a more crucial factor. Letraset made a Pantone line which
claims a fair degree of stability, but watch out for that lovely
smell of solvent (Xylene; mildly carcinogenic; work in a well-
ventilated area) - it's bad fer ya. Plus, they bleed (upon application,
_not_ later - at least, so far) more than any other marker I've ever used.
Work I've done with these (and touched up with Marvy brand small-points)
has held up so far, when maintained properly. However, I'm not holding my
breath on the Marvy durability, and have been informed [by Araiguma] that
the dyes therein are not particularly lightfast. Also, be careful when
applying these to colour photocopies; Xylene will dissolve some colour
photocopy toners, resulting in a "muddy mess."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong; Araiguma; Victor Wren]
Letraset is now making a new line called Tria, which has three
separate tips of different sizes. They're also dye based, but the solvent
is now 100% alcohol based and therefore much less dangerous. [Neil
McAllister]
[Lyrra Madril] reports that there are several new lines of
pigment-based
thick markers (in the 2.0mm - 3.5mm tip range), and reports good results in
early (six month) testing with Marvy Memory Series Calligraphy Pigments.
Brush pens [Initial data and suggestion to include - Conrad Wong]:
These are similar in behaviour to other colour markers - i.e.,
they have fading problems and should be considered ephemeral. Further,
they are not known for producing initially solid blacks.
Some manufacturers are now making brush-pens which actually have
tiny brushes at the tip, rather than a simple modified felt tip. These
can possibly include pigmented inks, and would therefore last quite a
bit longer. Sakura and Pentel both make dye-based brush-pens of this
type, and - for dye pens - they hold up fairly well. Micron is
apparently also shipping a brush-pen of this type which uses the same
micropigmented ink that their technical pens do, and _that_ one will
be of genuinely long life. [Victor Wren; Neil McAllister] Unfortunately,
they have discontinued shipping the best version of this pen to the
United States, due to poor sales.
Black brush ink:
All "india" ink-based inks should be durable. I've never heard
otherwise. In fact, most brush inks will be more durable than most pen
inks, given the above commentary on delivery systems; you _can_ deliver
a durable pigment with a brush. I've been using Higgins Black Magic in
brushes, but you can shop around; again, any india ink should do.
(As always, be careful; even many "india" inks can be picked up by
skin acids, regardless of how dry they are.)
There are some gotchas to that, however; most importantly, some
"india" inks have a shelf-life, after which the ink begins to clot.
This can cause severe problems with technical pens; if a reliable pen
has started to fail, try new ink. [Victor Wren]
It is also possible to find pens which can be used to apply india
inks; the traditional dip pen should handle most kinds of inks. Virtually
all engineering pens should be able to do this as well.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Dave Bell]
I've also had FW and Kohinoor 3085-F recommended; I'm told it is
easier to apply a thin line with FW than it is with Higgins Black Magic.
[Data from Victor Wren]
Note: Do not use Higgins in a technical pen; it'll be almost
impossible to get back out if it dries. Most "india" inks will chip
away, given enough soap and vibration - Higgins won't. [Ashtoreth]
It has been also reported that Derwent Black nr. 19-67 from their
"Artists" series, in particular, suffers from a yellow bleed over time.
However, this is an older mix and may not apply to current inks. [Ken
Stone]
Pen-style brushes, preloaded [by Conrad Wong]:
There are some pen-style brushes. Japanese stores may sell them;
they will have reservoirs inside. Many brushes contain a special
transparent liquid which turns black on a special paper. Artists will
want to look for brushes that work on 'regular' paper. Watch whether
it's a sable tip or a synthetic tip; the synthetic tips are stiffer,
the sable tips are very soft and, consequently, can be harder to control.
(They can also be necessary to avoid splatter on very rough surfaces -
but this is a technique rather than durability issue.)
Colour brush ink [by Araiguma]:
Depends on the ink, whether dye-based or pigment-based. I wouldn't
hold my breath; it's usually dye. Darker reds and blues _tend_ to be more
lightfast. Yellows are the worst, oranges and greens aren't far behind,
_very_ loosely speaking.
A lot of artists' media these days has lightfastness ratings
on the packaging. If that's not available, it's always worth asking
the store staff.
On the good side, however, is that there is a new line put out by
Higgins which is pigment-based - they refer to them as "fadeproof." FW
also has a pigment-based (acrylic-based, actually) line. Some of FW's
are relatively opaque, so watch out for that if that's not what you want.
Graphite (grey/black pencil):
Extremely durable if appropriately maintained. The only problems are
ruboff and smearing. Protect the piece from direct sunlight and direct
contact and you should be fine. Workable spray fixative will solve most
of the ruboff and smearing problems, but these, too, bring other durability
issues into play. (So far, I have had no problems with higher-quality
spray fixatives.)
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong]
Also recommended: "I've found the crystal fixative (non-workable)
to be better for preventing smudging. To stop smudging with workable
fixative (which is primarily intended for special techniques with pastel,
not for archival use) takes an extremely heavy coating, which alters the
contrast of the pencils." [Victor Wren]
Charcoal [by Araiguma]:
Charcoal, like graphite, is elemental carbon and immune to color
change or degradation. It poses a more serious problem in other areas,
though, as the only thing holding the charcoal on the paper is friction.
As such, it is very vulnerable to static electricity, if not fixed. And
I'm highly dubious about spray-can fixatives, since the ones intended for
the general public (i.e. not museum and conservation professionals) are
"mystery fixatives in mystery solvents" - unknown longevity, stability,
and safety for both the artist and the artwork.
Colour pencil:
So far, so good. I haven't had any fade problems with any of my
colour pencil works. The delivery system is bonded with the pigment,
so there's no limitation imposed that way. Stay with the better brands;
I'm sure the K-mart school supply section store brand will have the
cheapest (and least durable) pigment available. I primarily used to use
Prismacolour pencils; however, Berol was bought out by Sanford - the
maker of the classic wall-mount pencil sharpener - and have had lead
stability problems since. Winsor Newton's pencils, currently, appear
to be a better price/performance union.
[Additional by Araiguma]
Colour pencils, as a class, tend to be a lot more stable than markers,
if only because the carrier (wax) doesn't volatilize very much over
time, and carry pigment off with it. Prismacolors give lightfastness
ratings for the various colors. Of course, take manufacturers' ratings
with a grain of salt; see the "REFERENCES" section below for details.
[Lyrra Madril] reports that Prismacolour Black has exhibited
problems with yellow bleeding, both on the original paper, and on papers
above and below it in a stack. She has also seen this in neon colours.
The pigment colour did not change, but the yellow was an issue. She has
reported better luck with opaque Winsor Newton cake watercolours and
Cara D'ache black pencils.
Chalk pastel [by Araiguma]:
Ones with natural pigments are pretty stable, ones with synthetic
pigments are anybody's guess.
Oil Pastel:
Again, so far, so good. Oil pastels I've done have held up
wonderfully,
even in suboptimal conditions. The only problem with this medium that I've
found is the ease with which it smears and rubs.
Hint: _never_ have the work in contact with _anything_ but air. If you
frame it, use a matte. If you don't, it'll rub off.
[Additional by Araiguma; added bits by Victor Wren]
Problems: They never really dry, and the oil in them can bleed out
into the paper. And if they're really gunked on thickly, the weight can
actually distort the paper they're on. This is a medium that's really best
on surfaces other than paper. However, a proper coat of gesso can make a
stiff piece of illustration board suitable.
Tempera [Suggestion to add by Araiguma]:
Classically pigment in an egg binder, these days it's "loud stuff
of dubious origin and composition." It cracks and peels at the slightest
flexing or fluxing in relative humidity. I've used it for a couple of
temporary projects, and definitely would not recommend it for anything
intended to be preserved. Even when new, it flakes; and worse - at least,
the brand I used - "dusted," with some colours dusting off on touch.
For classical tempera, see "egg tempera," below.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma]
Egg Tempera:
The "real stuff," Classical Tempera, still available commercially,
but often expensive. It will _always_ be listed as "egg tempera." Egg
tempera artists will often go so far as to make their own, in their
quest for the perfect medium. Assuming proper pigment materials have
been chosen, the result is an extremely durable paint, rivaled in this
field only by high-quality oils. (Doing it by hand is also cheaper.)
Watercolours:
Watercolours are generally considered the most ephemeral of the paint
media, on average. This has to do with many people making watercolours use
poor quality pigments and/or dyes in place of the higher quality materials,
and not the media itself, but the end result is essentially the same from
the artist's standpoint. Windsor and Newton claims solid durability, and
I believe rates durability by colour. Daniel Smith has been noted for
developing or implementing more durable pigments, including a replacement
for the inherently fugitive Alizarin Crimson. Dr. Martin's are noted for
being fugitive.
Warning: be prepared to pay for durability; I remember that the
stable watercolours cost about twice as much as other brands. And as
always, take manufacturers' ratings with a grain of salt; see the
"REFERENCES" section below. If all the colours are the same price, that's
a sure sign that corners are being cut somewhere. Further, watch out for
anything that lables itself a "hue;" that's marketing-speak for
"approximated colour via an unknown method."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma, Neil McAllister, Ashtoreth, Gypsy]
Acrylic and oil paints:
Oil paints, on average, tend to be slightly more durable than acrylic
paints. This will vary by brand, and by colour within a brand;
student-grade
paints will generally be less durable than professional or fine-arts lines,
obviously. It is much harder to make a really bad choice in these media,
however, than in markers, where it is very difficult to make a _good_
choice.
Note that any use of oil paints on canvas or illustration board will
cause the board or canvas to dissolve unless the canvas or board is first
prepped with a material called gesso.
Old Holland is considered by some to be the "best" in the field;
they're the same company that made oils used by Vermeer, Van Ruysdael,
and others in the "old master" category of painter. The company is well
over 300 years old. [Ashtoreth, Joe Bennett]
Transparent liquid acrylics [Suggestion to add by SHERRYS AT delphi.com]:
I know very little about these, but have been told that have held up
well to some artists' preliminary sunlightfastness testing.
Photocopier toner, dry [Suggestion to add by Hanno Foest]:
Most dry toners are elemental carbon combined with some binding agent
to allow the carbon to be bound with the paper. This method, in almost all
cases, is heat.
The toner colour itself is stable. Unfortunately, the binder is not
always so, and will often become brittle and flaky with age. Further,
toner binding is particularly sensitive to heat, as anyone who has left a
photocopy in a looseleaf binder exposed to the sun or a heat vent knows;
the toner will transfer off the paper and onto whatever else it may happen
to be touching. Humidity and outright moisture will cause the same sorts of
effects. Laserprinted material may be more resistant to this sort of
effect, as laserprinters often use higher fusing temperatures than
photocopiers.
I've also been told that some toners will sometimes contain
significant
amounts of impurities. The impact of these impurities will depend upon
their
exact composition, and would be impossible to predict in advance.
For more commentary on photocopiers, see below, under "print paper."
----- DRAWING PAPER -----
Let me rant again about paper and backing (some of my favourite
subjects :-) )...
Many artists will go out of their way to use a solid, high-quality,
durable pigment for their work - and will then proceed to paint or draw
on anything they find lying around. Where durability issues are concerned,
however, paper is of prime importance. This is due to the acid content
found in most papers, leading to paper discolouration, pigment
discolouration, and even breakup of the paper.
Fortunately, this is a recognized problem, and you can purchase
paper which has been pH neutralized. This paper will sometimes be
referred to as "acid free," and sometimes "pH neutral." If it doesn't
say, assume it has _not_ been pH neutralized. Strathmore bristol is
a favourite paper for many artists.
It may also be worth your time to check even paper which declares
itself pH neutral, as some companies have been caught shipping high-
acid paper as "pH neutral." Testing can be done in a crude, but
cheap and easy, way by using a pH testing pen, available for three or
four dollars from multiple suppliers. Likewise, stay away from the
cheapest papers; some which are indeed "acid free" may, if short-
grained (like deacidified newsprint), retain a great deal of lignin,
and be accordingly short-lived.
[Araiguma]
Your _very_ best bet would be a paper that's not just pH neutral,
but which is actually buffered with alkaline salts to offset future
degradation. The paper should have a high rag/cotton or alpha cellulose
content; longer fibers, less of the lignin and hemicelloloses that
contribute to acidity in paper.
[Araiguma]
Genuine Bristol paper is 100% cotton rag, with now wood fibre.
If it contains wood, it will say "pine tree Bristol." [Victor Wren]
100% cotton rag is not acidic, and contains no lignin.
As a side comment, let me rant about hemp prohibition. Hemp,
the non-psychoactive portion of the plant which produces marijuana,
produces a _naturally_ pH neutral paper which is of significantly
higher durability than any wood pulp paper. It would also be cheaper
in mass production, and be more suited towards making really large
pieces of illustrative paper. And thanks to the longer fibre length,
it's noticeably more recyclable than wood-pulp paper. Yet another
example of the stupidity of the drug war. End of polemic.
Drawing books containing pH neutral paper only cost a few dollars
more than drawing books with regular high-acid paper. Buy them. Even
if you're just planning on doodling in it, spend the extra three bucks.
That way, if you come out with something you decide you really like and
want to keep, you've got a good chance of doing so.
Of course, not all high-acid papers are equally bad. Newsprint is,
of course, the least durable, and is marketed as such. It's great for
temporary purposes - say, throwing together a couple of composition
sketches, or warming up before figure drawing - but just remember that
it won't last. Butcher paper - just as cheap, nicer to work on - has
the same caveats.
----- PRINT PAPER -----
First off: I will almost never buy anything reproduced on a black
and white photocopier for more than $4. In the US, the paper is
almost guaranteed to be high-acid junk material which will be turning
brown inside five years. Apparently, this is less likely to be the case
in parts of Europe; a German correspondent has tested all of his recent
photocopies and found them all to be on acid-free paper, despite no
efforts on his part to ensure that this was the case. (One way to insure
this is to bring in your own paper. Many copier places will handle this
just fine, as long as it looks like normal paper to them. I imagine it
would help to bring it in with the original wrapper, so they can look
at it and check against the qualities required by their particular copier.)
Colour copiers have different requirements, and as a result,
colour photocopier paper is generally pH neutral in the US. But check
to be sure.
Other than that, the same basic rules listed above apply here, too.
Paper suppliers are generally pretty good at labelling pH neutral papers
as "acid free," so if you're going to make prints, all you have to do is
ask for the right materials. Even in low-volume print runs, this won't
add much to your cost.
----- MATTES and BACKING BOARD -----
These are also often overlooked, even by people who take the
care to use pH neutral paper and lasting pigments. Mattes are less
damaging, since they have limited contact with the piece in question -
but you can still get a nasty brown bleed coming off the edge of a
high-acid matte. This is because the acid in the matte can leak into
the paper it touches.
This is especially true of those evil mattes with the "acid-free"
face and back with pure junk cardboard filler in between. The acid
migrates out of the mat bevels, producing mat burn, and the "acid-free"
face and back can only endure for a little while before they become
acidic, too.
[Araiguma]
The backing board matters more, since it's in contact with all
of your piece. I will often find that people have used cardboard
as backing for their artwork. This is a very bad idea, as cardboard
is _extremely_ high-acid - and fibrous, and likely to shed - and
_will_ degrade the life of your piece if you don't isolate it from
the art paper. If you must use cardboard, separate it from the artwork
by a layer (or two!) of pH neutral paper, or, if you can find it, pH
basic paper, buffered to pH 8.5 or so.
This is even more important when it comes to photographs, as
the acids in the cardboard will also alter the chemicals making the
colours in the print.
Most pre-made mattes I've found have, much to my shock, been
pH neutral. Most backing board material, on the other hand, has _not_.
And it costs half again as much as standard backing material, too.
Foo.
One very important point to note about matte board is that,
even those which are pH neutral are _not_ coloured with a lightfast
medium! They are exclusively ink. Those who like to do little sidebar
illustrations on the matte board should keep this in mind. [Victor Wren]
One topic often overlooked is adhering artwork to acid-free mattes
and backing. There are several ways to do this. Scotch tape is, of course,
right out, and brown masking tape is even worse - it is high acid, and
the adhesive will crystalize and transfer onto the paper, leaving ugly
stains. But if you want to use adhesive tapes, acid-free high-quality
matting tapes are available, as is a white artist's tape made by Scotch
(Tape #285). [White tape and data on masking tape by Victor Wren] Mount
the artwork against the backing (if present) or against the matte (if
not), securing the top two corners if the material is lightweight, and
securing all four corners if not. [Rod Smith]
I prefer to avoid the issue of adhesive-against-artwork entirely,
and use a securing method suggested to me by another artist which avoids
the issue entirely; making art holders out of acid-free paper, and taping
_those_ to the backing board. This is very easy:
Cut triangles out of acid free paper.
Position them on the backing board so that the corners of the
artwork, when placed on the backing board, would be under
the triangles.
Tape the triangles down with acid-free mounting tape.
Insert the artwork.
It should look something like this (ASCII art never to scale; if this
doesn't make sense, make sure to display it in Courier, or another
fixed-width
font):
/\ /\
/_/_ _\_\
| / /-------\ \ |
/|T1/ \T2|\
/ / / art \ \ \
\/|/ \|\/
| |
| |
/\|\ /|/\
\ \ \ / / /
\|T3\ /T4|/
|_\_\-------/_/_/
\ \ / /
\/ \/
T1-T4 are triangles of acid-free paper, held down with acid-free
mounting tape. The tape should be OVER the triangles, and should never
touch the artwork itself.
There are also acid-free mounting corners with their own adhesive
available at many art-supply stores; I don't use them because I'm
paranoid about the artwork slipping and coming into contact with the
adhesive. [Karl Meyer] reports that he has had good luck with self-
stick mounting tabs like these, however, particularly when mounting
animation cells.
----- THE BUYER'S STANDPOINT -----
When I consider buying a piece, I look for a note from the artist
which explicitly states that pH neutral paper was used. If I don't
find that, I adjust my willingness to buy accordingly. If I do buy, I
immediately take apart the matte and re-back the original with pH neutral
paper. (This stuff is cheap, not exotic. You can buy a sketchbook full
of it for $7.)
If the picture is backed with cardboard, that's another materials
strike; cardboard is very high-acid material. That, too, always gets
ripped out and replaced. The more of this I have to do, the more the
picture ends up costing me before all is said and done.
I have some originals work by a particular artist hanging in my
bedroom. It needed to be ripped apart, layered in back with pH neutral
paper, and backed with new material. I love this artist's work, but I
wonder whether much of it'll be around in 10 years, given some of the
materials used; the paper is short-fibre and (I suspect) high acid,
and was backed with cardboard. I think _my_ copies will last, because
I've worked to insure it. But most people aren't going to know to do
this.
My _requests_ to all creators and sellers of artwork are:
1) Know your materials. Use stuff that'll last. I'll know, and pay
more for it. This includes your paper. Acid-free illustration
board tends to cost a couple of dollars more, I know, but I'll
make that trade. Consider all markers to be ephemeral unless
proven otherwise, and always remember: photocopies flake,
doubly so when damp, triply so when hot.
2) Don't forget that mattes and backing boards are (typically) paper
too, and affect the things they touch. Most pre-made mattes I've
seen _have_ been acid-free (much to my shock!) but most backing
material is _not_. Be warned, and act appropriately. If you don't
know when buying, _ask_. And if you make prints, make them on good
paper. (I've seen people get everything but that right...) It won't
cost you that much more per print (I've priced it for some of my
own material :-) ) and will be worth it in five years.
3) Show me that you knew what you were doing when you prepped the
work.
Tell me that the paper, backing, mattes are pH neutral. If they
_aren't_, tell me that, too; I'll correct where I can. Give me
clues about the permanence of the media you used - I'll presume
the answers are bad, if you don't speak up.
People have been becoming more aware about these things. Slowly.
----- REFERENCE MATERIALS -----
The following books have been strongly recommended as reference texts
on materials durability.
The Artist's Handbook - Ralph Mayer
"A constant companion... unfortunately, it becomes ever more
dated
as new pigments, materials and products enter the marketplace."
The World's Best Watercolour Paints - by Colin Wilcox, published by
Northern Lights. The most important independent test set.
"Shock. Dismay. Sense of betrayal. And a whole bunch of very
expensive so-called artist grade watercolour tubes into the
garbage. It seems that with everyone taking the makers' word,
had bothered to try the lightfastness tests for themselves..."
"Reading the Wilcox book caused me to radically change my
palette."
The Wilcox Guide to the Best Watercolor Paints - by Michael Wilcox,
published by Northern Lights.
"This is an exhaustively researched reference to all commonly
(and
less commonly) known tube watercolors, listing and rating each
by
manufacturer. It is the most valuable tool I have found for
clearing my palette of fugitive pigments, and I would recommend
it to anyone who works in watercolor." [Gypsy]
Artist's Manual - by Angela Gair
ISBN 0-8118-1377-0, published by Chronicle Books
"It has fast become one of my favorite references, if not my
'bible,' for art materials. It's especially good for beginning
artists. It's a large format paperback and not expensive...
about $22 or $23. I don't have anything to do with the editor
or the publisher...I'm just a fan of the book. Take a look at
it."
[Jim Kennedy]
The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide - by Monoma Rossol
(New York, Allworth Press, 2nd ed. 1994)
"The whole issue of "art hazards" wasn't taken very seriously
until
about fifteen years ago, when it started to become understood
that a
great deal of the allergies, diseases, cancers and neurological
disorders artists were suffering from were preventable by
learning
safer handling of their materials or better planning of their
work
environments. You might wish to include this book in your
reference
list. Thanks." [Nozmo]
----- A SUMMARY -----
For my own work, I use low-cost pH neutral paper (see the above
$7) for most work, or pH neutral illustration board for anything I expect
to want to do on something like that and keep. When I sell, I either
back with pH neutral board (about 50% more expensive than the typical)
or, if I can't (rare circumstances), I isolate the print/drawing/whatever
from the bad backing board with layers of pH neutral paper. And, of course,
I use pH neutral mattes. [Note from Neil McAllister: "If you have to slip
pH neutral paper between a picture and its backing, I'd look for a material
called Glassine. It's a pH neutral separator paper that's got almost a
wax-paper surface. That should be sufficient to keep a picture away from
a bad backing, rather than layers of a more porous acid-free drawing
paper.]
When drawing, I only use markers I have reason to believe are stable,
if I intend to keep the work for more than a couple of months. I've yet to
find a thick, black, controllable marker which I trust to stay, so I use
brush and a permanent well ink instead. For colours, I use the
aforementioned Letraset/Pantone markers or coloured pencil, and hope
the Pantones live up to their billing. I've had it recommended that I
use watercolours instead, as even cheap pigment-based watercolours will
be better than markers.
For submissions, on the other hand - they're not supposed to last
more than a couple of months, so I use whatever's handy that looks good.
Photocopies touched up with Sharpie pens are my favourite, backed with
a cardboard mailer. :-) (The reason I bring this up: remember when you
should spend the money to make it last, and when you don't need to
care.)
Note that none of this costs me any more time or effort than using
high-acid materials. Once you've found a source for all the things you
need, you just remember to go there and buy the right things, rather than
going someplace else and buying the wrong things. It does cost a little
more, but only a very little, and it's a price I'm willing to pay.
Do these things, and your buyers will appreciate it eventually,
even if they don't know about it at time of purchase.
When buying, I check what the artist has used, and correct where
applicable. If the backing material is cardboard or not acid free, I
replace it, or stick in a layer of pH neutral paper. Same with the matte.
If I don't know about the paper, I stick extra layers of acid free paper
behind it, to absorb as much acid from the original paper as I can. I
then frame; this is more expensive, but limits air circulation (which helps
delay acid problems) and also can block some UV light damage. If a piece
is worth it or will be hanging in a high-light area, I'll get special
clear plastic designed to block all UV, and use that instead of glass
in the frame. _Never_ use shrink-wrap for this purpose; it won't help,
and will leak gasses which are actively bad for the piece. Also, never
hang in direct sunlight; anything that can go wrong will go wrong more
quickly when exposed to the sun, even if you've put plastic or glass in
front of it. [Neil McAllister notes again: "Glass with a UV-filtering
coating is also available," and is almost always cheaper than plastic.]
Do these things, and the artwork you buy will last much longer than
it would have otherwise, and at relatively little additional cost. It'll
also look better in the long run. Oh; if you can't frame, do everything
up to that, including the layer of glass or plastic in front, and then
clip (not tape!) it together. That'll save you some money and get you
most of the preservation benefits of a frame.
One final note: I don't pretend that this is a be-all or end-all
treatment on this subject. Reams of academic papers published on the
subject will, in fact, easily demonstrate otherwise. However, I believe
it to be a basically accurate set of rules which, if followed, will
allow a much longer lifespan for artwork, at minimal additional cost
and hassle.
This is version 1.42 of this FAQ. Version 0.1 was my response to
Tygger. Please direct suggestions and error corrections as outlined
above.
- R'ykandar.
----- END ART MATERIALS FAQ V1.42 -----
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| Art materials FAQ [message #247146 is a reply to message #213642] |
Mon, 10 March 2014 05:47 |
infopage
Messages: 33
Registered: March 2013
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Archive-name: art-materials
Posting-Frequency: Posted on the 10th and 23rd of each month.
Last-Modified: January 22, 2001
Version: 1.42
ART MATERIALS FAQ - Version 1.42
Last updated: January 22, 2001
Written and maintained by R'ykandar Korra'ti <rayek AT murkworks.net>
Sourced from a message in reply to Tygger <graf AT primenet.com>
on alt.fan.furry
Comments and corrections to rayek AT murkworks.net.
[NOTE: Email addresses have had format changes to avoid spammer automated
email-address collectors. Change the " AT " to an "@" sign and this will
recreate the original address. NOTICE: UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL MAIL _WILL_
RESULT IN MY BOYCOTTING THE ADVERTISED COMPANY AND PRODUCT. I reject ALL
spam mail.]
This article, a more formal version of a long post I made on alt.fan.furry,
is intended to discuss materials commonly used in illustrative artwork, and
the durability thereof. It will also comment briefly on how to preserve
the artwork you purchase. The intended audience is comic, illustrative, and
fan artists, the people buying or otherwise acquiring artwork from these
same sources. It is _not_ a fully-comprehensive treatment of the subject,
but is intended as a good set of ground rules for how to make artwork -
particularly artwork done on paper - last.
This version reflects changes and contributions suggested by the following:
Conrad Wong <lynx AT netcom.com>
Araiguma <araiguma AT teamhbbs.com>
Dave Bell <dave.bell AT portofc.org>
Hanno Foest <hanno AT ranea.escape.de>
Remus Shepherd <remus AT netcom.com>
Margaret Organ-Kean <76506.1633 AT CompuServe.COM>
SHERRYS AT delphi.com
Victor Wren <artgoat AT netcom.com>
Neil McAllister <pcm2 AT netcom.com>
Keven Fedirko <altered AT ulix.net>
Ashtoreth <ashy AT woof.net>
Gypsy <gypsy AT fred.net>
Rod Smith <stickmaker AT usa.net>
Ken Stone <sasami AT blaze.net.au>
James Birdsall <jwbirdsa AT picarefy.picarefy.com>
Lyrra Madril <lyrra AT cybernex.net>
Henry Spencer <henry AT zoo.toronto.edu>
Jim Kennedy <jimken AT bellsouth.net>
Karl Meyer <ferret AT enteract.com>
Nozmo <gruffa AT uswest.net>
Joe Bennett <jcab AT 123.net>
Sections with significant amounts of new text or information are noted with
individual contributor credits. I hope this is not too confusing.
Section headers:
INTRODUCTION
PIGMENT AND DYES
DRAWING PAPER
PRINT PAPER
MATTES and BACKING BOARD
THE BUYER'S PERSPECTIVE
REFERENCES
A SUMMARY
----- INTRODUCTION -----
In article <tyggerCuwqHp.3Hp@netcom.com> graf AT primenet.com (Tygger)
wrote:
> Now, here's the interesting part: now I'm being told that an illo coloured
> in marker or an illo with marker and enhanced by colour pencil isn't up to
> par to warrant a min bid of $35-45 in an artshow. It's due to the marker,
> I'm told.
I'm not surprised, at all. I know I adjust my bid based on media - or
rather the durability thereof - and will avoid several processes entirely,
regardless of how much I like the work.
All the materials used to make artwork affect the durability of the
final piece. While this may seem obvious when stated, many artists and
collectors never really think about this when creating, selling, or buying
work.
----- PIGMENT AND DYES -----
The list of commonly used tools and media includes magic marker
(ink), brush (ink), coloured pencil (typically a wax-based carrier, with
embedded pigment), crayon (more wax), oil pastel (a different carrier,
with pigment), watercolour paint, acrylic, and oil paints. All of these
bring with them different issues, both across class of material (magic
marker ink vs. brush ink vs. oil paint, etc) and across brand of
manufacture.
In all cases, there will be one of two classes of colouring agent
in the medium. Most markers - particularly colour markers - use dye. Dye
is always relatively fugitive (or transient, or whatever). It is very
much likely to change colour or fade completely; how definite it is
that this will happen, or how quickly it will happen, depends upon the
dye in question.
One of the biggest problems, generically, is "drift." "Drift" is a
general term indicating one of several issues, most notably fading, colour
change (or "shift"), or outright spread of the colour in an unexpected
and undesirable way. The first is most common; the third, least so, but
still happens.
Pigments are overwhelmingly more likely to last, both in the face
of time and sunlight. Pigments are found in a very small number of
non-refillable pens, in all "India inks," in better watercolours,
acrylics, and so forth. Some pigments - particularly modern experimental
pigments - can also drift, shift, or fade, but this is much less likely
overall. Elemental carbon (the pigment used in "India ink") will likely
not ever exhibit this behaviour, except over timeframes of centuries;
elemental carbon can oxidise over time.
[Decision to explain dye vs. pigment prompted by Victor Wren and
Neil McAllister. Much data to correct prior errors on this subject was
provided by both. Henry Spencer provided data on oxidisation of elemental
carbon pigments, and also notes that metal-oxide pigments will not oxidise
further, being, well, already an oxide. :-) ]
Black line markers:
Markers drift. In fact, they drift _badly_. They're the most ephemeral
of media in common use today. There are a few which are stable (Micron
Pigma pens come to mind; black today, black tomorrow), but most aren't.
How much they end up drifting depends upon how much light exposure they
get (and it does _not_ have to be direct sunlight), as well as the air
circulation, the paper they're used on, and probably half a dozen other
things. Plus, as mentioned above, it varies by marker.
Known stable: Micron Pigma - technical pens, available from .005 to
at least .08cm. I've surveyed a few dozen pens, and this has
been the only one I've found to be considered generally stable.
The reason is that they actually use pigment-based ink, rather
than dye-based, having come up with some way of grinding the
pigment finely enough that it can pass through a marker-type
delivery system. One minor drawback: the pigment can be rubbed
off to a degree by an eraser, resulting in some lightening of
the ink marks. Keep this in mind when working.
Do NOT use: Pilot Razor Points. They're hugely popular because they
feel very good. Don't expose them to air or light, though, if
you want to keep your work's black lines _black_. They fade to
grey or green. They're also water-soluble, even when dry. (On
the other hand, if you only intend to keep the work for a couple
of weeks - say, it's a test sketch - then there's no need to be
concerned.)
Thick black markers:
I've encountered none which are stable. I've been told that this has
to do with the delivery method; the constraints put on the ink by the
felt process prohibit the use of any pigments, so they're all dye based.
Watch out for: Sharpie(R) brand. They produce a _lovely_ black and
are really fun to play with. I still play with them when I'm
touching up a photocopy for submission to a magazine, or when
I'm just screwing around - but I've heard from several artists
that they not only turn green, but produce a yellow bleed on
the paper. (I've seen some hints of this yellow bleed myself.)
This is chromotography in action, and is independent of the
paper used. They also used to contain a rather nasty solvent,
but that appears to have changed recently.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Araiguma]
Also, old Pantone (TM) and the current Design (TM) lines of thick
markers use Xylene. Use only if you've got good air circulation.
[Victor Wren]
Thin/technical colour markers:
I've never seen anyone use these. Micron makes colour tech pens, and
I've recently been told that they, too, are micropigment based and should
therefore have some degree of durability. They currently make nine colours
-
Black, Blue, Red, Green, Brown, Purple, Orange, Rose, and Yellow.
Thick colour markers:
Colour markers drift overall more than B&W, since colour shift
becomes a more crucial factor. Letraset made a Pantone line which
claims a fair degree of stability, but watch out for that lovely
smell of solvent (Xylene; mildly carcinogenic; work in a well-
ventilated area) - it's bad fer ya. Plus, they bleed (upon application,
_not_ later - at least, so far) more than any other marker I've ever used.
Work I've done with these (and touched up with Marvy brand small-points)
has held up so far, when maintained properly. However, I'm not holding my
breath on the Marvy durability, and have been informed [by Araiguma] that
the dyes therein are not particularly lightfast. Also, be careful when
applying these to colour photocopies; Xylene will dissolve some colour
photocopy toners, resulting in a "muddy mess."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong; Araiguma; Victor Wren]
Letraset is now making a new line called Tria, which has three
separate tips of different sizes. They're also dye based, but the solvent
is now 100% alcohol based and therefore much less dangerous. [Neil
McAllister]
[Lyrra Madril] reports that there are several new lines of
pigment-based
thick markers (in the 2.0mm - 3.5mm tip range), and reports good results in
early (six month) testing with Marvy Memory Series Calligraphy Pigments.
Brush pens [Initial data and suggestion to include - Conrad Wong]:
These are similar in behaviour to other colour markers - i.e.,
they have fading problems and should be considered ephemeral. Further,
they are not known for producing initially solid blacks.
Some manufacturers are now making brush-pens which actually have
tiny brushes at the tip, rather than a simple modified felt tip. These
can possibly include pigmented inks, and would therefore last quite a
bit longer. Sakura and Pentel both make dye-based brush-pens of this
type, and - for dye pens - they hold up fairly well. Micron is
apparently also shipping a brush-pen of this type which uses the same
micropigmented ink that their technical pens do, and _that_ one will
be of genuinely long life. [Victor Wren; Neil McAllister] Unfortunately,
they have discontinued shipping the best version of this pen to the
United States, due to poor sales.
Black brush ink:
All "india" ink-based inks should be durable. I've never heard
otherwise. In fact, most brush inks will be more durable than most pen
inks, given the above commentary on delivery systems; you _can_ deliver
a durable pigment with a brush. I've been using Higgins Black Magic in
brushes, but you can shop around; again, any india ink should do.
(As always, be careful; even many "india" inks can be picked up by
skin acids, regardless of how dry they are.)
There are some gotchas to that, however; most importantly, some
"india" inks have a shelf-life, after which the ink begins to clot.
This can cause severe problems with technical pens; if a reliable pen
has started to fail, try new ink. [Victor Wren]
It is also possible to find pens which can be used to apply india
inks; the traditional dip pen should handle most kinds of inks. Virtually
all engineering pens should be able to do this as well.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Dave Bell]
I've also had FW and Kohinoor 3085-F recommended; I'm told it is
easier to apply a thin line with FW than it is with Higgins Black Magic.
[Data from Victor Wren]
Note: Do not use Higgins in a technical pen; it'll be almost
impossible to get back out if it dries. Most "india" inks will chip
away, given enough soap and vibration - Higgins won't. [Ashtoreth]
It has been also reported that Derwent Black nr. 19-67 from their
"Artists" series, in particular, suffers from a yellow bleed over time.
However, this is an older mix and may not apply to current inks. [Ken
Stone]
Pen-style brushes, preloaded [by Conrad Wong]:
There are some pen-style brushes. Japanese stores may sell them;
they will have reservoirs inside. Many brushes contain a special
transparent liquid which turns black on a special paper. Artists will
want to look for brushes that work on 'regular' paper. Watch whether
it's a sable tip or a synthetic tip; the synthetic tips are stiffer,
the sable tips are very soft and, consequently, can be harder to control.
(They can also be necessary to avoid splatter on very rough surfaces -
but this is a technique rather than durability issue.)
Colour brush ink [by Araiguma]:
Depends on the ink, whether dye-based or pigment-based. I wouldn't
hold my breath; it's usually dye. Darker reds and blues _tend_ to be more
lightfast. Yellows are the worst, oranges and greens aren't far behind,
_very_ loosely speaking.
A lot of artists' media these days has lightfastness ratings
on the packaging. If that's not available, it's always worth asking
the store staff.
On the good side, however, is that there is a new line put out by
Higgins which is pigment-based - they refer to them as "fadeproof." FW
also has a pigment-based (acrylic-based, actually) line. Some of FW's
are relatively opaque, so watch out for that if that's not what you want.
Graphite (grey/black pencil):
Extremely durable if appropriately maintained. The only problems are
ruboff and smearing. Protect the piece from direct sunlight and direct
contact and you should be fine. Workable spray fixative will solve most
of the ruboff and smearing problems, but these, too, bring other durability
issues into play. (So far, I have had no problems with higher-quality
spray fixatives.)
[R'ykandar Korra'ti; Conrad Wong]
Also recommended: "I've found the crystal fixative (non-workable)
to be better for preventing smudging. To stop smudging with workable
fixative (which is primarily intended for special techniques with pastel,
not for archival use) takes an extremely heavy coating, which alters the
contrast of the pencils." [Victor Wren]
Charcoal [by Araiguma]:
Charcoal, like graphite, is elemental carbon and immune to color
change or degradation. It poses a more serious problem in other areas,
though, as the only thing holding the charcoal on the paper is friction.
As such, it is very vulnerable to static electricity, if not fixed. And
I'm highly dubious about spray-can fixatives, since the ones intended for
the general public (i.e. not museum and conservation professionals) are
"mystery fixatives in mystery solvents" - unknown longevity, stability,
and safety for both the artist and the artwork.
Colour pencil:
So far, so good. I haven't had any fade problems with any of my
colour pencil works. The delivery system is bonded with the pigment,
so there's no limitation imposed that way. Stay with the better brands;
I'm sure the K-mart school supply section store brand will have the
cheapest (and least durable) pigment available. I primarily used to use
Prismacolour pencils; however, Berol was bought out by Sanford - the
maker of the classic wall-mount pencil sharpener - and have had lead
stability problems since. Winsor Newton's pencils, currently, appear
to be a better price/performance union.
[Additional by Araiguma]
Colour pencils, as a class, tend to be a lot more stable than markers,
if only because the carrier (wax) doesn't volatilize very much over
time, and carry pigment off with it. Prismacolors give lightfastness
ratings for the various colors. Of course, take manufacturers' ratings
with a grain of salt; see the "REFERENCES" section below for details.
[Lyrra Madril] reports that Prismacolour Black has exhibited
problems with yellow bleeding, both on the original paper, and on papers
above and below it in a stack. She has also seen this in neon colours.
The pigment colour did not change, but the yellow was an issue. She has
reported better luck with opaque Winsor Newton cake watercolours and
Cara D'ache black pencils.
Chalk pastel [by Araiguma]:
Ones with natural pigments are pretty stable, ones with synthetic
pigments are anybody's guess.
Oil Pastel:
Again, so far, so good. Oil pastels I've done have held up
wonderfully,
even in suboptimal conditions. The only problem with this medium that I've
found is the ease with which it smears and rubs.
Hint: _never_ have the work in contact with _anything_ but air. If you
frame it, use a matte. If you don't, it'll rub off.
[Additional by Araiguma; added bits by Victor Wren]
Problems: They never really dry, and the oil in them can bleed out
into the paper. And if they're really gunked on thickly, the weight can
actually distort the paper they're on. This is a medium that's really best
on surfaces other than paper. However, a proper coat of gesso can make a
stiff piece of illustration board suitable.
Tempera [Suggestion to add by Araiguma]:
Classically pigment in an egg binder, these days it's "loud stuff
of dubious origin and composition." It cracks and peels at the slightest
flexing or fluxing in relative humidity. I've used it for a couple of
temporary projects, and definitely would not recommend it for anything
intended to be preserved. Even when new, it flakes; and worse - at least,
the brand I used - "dusted," with some colours dusting off on touch.
For classical tempera, see "egg tempera," below.
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma]
Egg Tempera:
The "real stuff," Classical Tempera, still available commercially,
but often expensive. It will _always_ be listed as "egg tempera." Egg
tempera artists will often go so far as to make their own, in their
quest for the perfect medium. Assuming proper pigment materials have
been chosen, the result is an extremely durable paint, rivaled in this
field only by high-quality oils. (Doing it by hand is also cheaper.)
Watercolours:
Watercolours are generally considered the most ephemeral of the paint
media, on average. This has to do with many people making watercolours use
poor quality pigments and/or dyes in place of the higher quality materials,
and not the media itself, but the end result is essentially the same from
the artist's standpoint. Windsor and Newton claims solid durability, and
I believe rates durability by colour. Daniel Smith has been noted for
developing or implementing more durable pigments, including a replacement
for the inherently fugitive Alizarin Crimson. Dr. Martin's are noted for
being fugitive.
Warning: be prepared to pay for durability; I remember that the
stable watercolours cost about twice as much as other brands. And as
always, take manufacturers' ratings with a grain of salt; see the
"REFERENCES" section below. If all the colours are the same price, that's
a sure sign that corners are being cut somewhere. Further, watch out for
anything that lables itself a "hue;" that's marketing-speak for
"approximated colour via an unknown method."
[R'ykandar Korra'ti, Araiguma, Neil McAllister, Ashtoreth, Gypsy]
Acrylic and oil paints:
Oil paints, on average, tend to be slightly more durable than acrylic
paints. This will vary by brand, and by colour within a brand;
student-grade
paints will generally be less durable than professional or fine-arts lines,
obviously. It is much harder to make a really bad choice in these media,
however, than in markers, where it is very difficult to make a _good_
choice.
Note that any use of oil paints on canvas or illustration board will
cause the board or canvas to dissolve unless the canvas or board is first
prepped with a material called gesso.
Old Holland is considered by some to be the "best" in the field;
they're the same company that made oils used by Vermeer, Van Ruysdael,
and others in the "old master" category of painter. The company is well
over 300 years old. [Ashtoreth, Joe Bennett]
Transparent liquid acrylics [Suggestion to add by SHERRYS AT delphi.com]:
I know very little about these, but have been told that have held up
well to some artists' preliminary sunlightfastness testing.
Photocopier toner, dry [Suggestion to add by Hanno Foest]:
Most dry toners are elemental carbon combined with some binding agent
to allow the carbon to be bound with the paper. This method, in almost all
cases, is heat.
The toner colour itself is stable. Unfortunately, the binder is not
always so, and will often become brittle and flaky with age. Further,
toner binding is particularly sensitive to heat, as anyone who has left a
photocopy in a looseleaf binder exposed to the sun or a heat vent knows;
the toner will transfer off the paper and onto whatever else it may happen
to be touching. Humidity and outright moisture will cause the same sorts of
effects. Laserprinted material may be more resistant to this sort of
effect, as laserprinters often use higher fusing temperatures than
photocopiers.
I've also been told that some toners will sometimes contain
significant
amounts of impurities. The impact of these impurities will depend upon
their
exact composition, and would be impossible to predict in advance.
For more commentary on photocopiers, see below, under "print paper."
----- DRAWING PAPER -----
Let me rant again about paper and backing (some of my favourite
subjects :-) )...
Many artists will go out of their way to use a solid, high-quality,
durable pigment for their work - and will then proceed to paint or draw
on anything they find lying around. Where durability issues are concerned,
however, paper is of prime importance. This is due to the acid content
found in most papers, leading to paper discolouration, pigment
discolouration, and even breakup of the paper.
Fortunately, this is a recognized problem, and you can purchase
paper which has been pH neutralized. This paper will sometimes be
referred to as "acid free," and sometimes "pH neutral." If it doesn't
say, assume it has _not_ been pH neutralized. Strathmore bristol is
a favourite paper for many artists.
It may also be worth your time to check even paper which declares
itself pH neutral, as some companies have been caught shipping high-
acid paper as "pH neutral." Testing can be done in a crude, but
cheap and easy, way by using a pH testing pen, available for three or
four dollars from multiple suppliers. Likewise, stay away from the
cheapest papers; some which are indeed "acid free" may, if short-
grained (like deacidified newsprint), retain a great deal of lignin,
and be accordingly short-lived.
[Araiguma]
Your _very_ best bet would be a paper that's not just pH neutral,
but which is actually buffered with alkaline salts to offset future
degradation. The paper should have a high rag/cotton or alpha cellulose
content; longer fibers, less of the lignin and hemicelloloses that
contribute to acidity in paper.
[Araiguma]
Genuine Bristol paper is 100% cotton rag, with now wood fibre.
If it contains wood, it will say "pine tree Bristol." [Victor Wren]
100% cotton rag is not acidic, and contains no lignin.
As a side comment, let me rant about hemp prohibition. Hemp,
the non-psychoactive portion of the plant which produces marijuana,
produces a _naturally_ pH neutral paper which is of significantly
higher durability than any wood pulp paper. It would also be cheaper
in mass production, and be more suited towards making really large
pieces of illustrative paper. And thanks to the longer fibre length,
it's noticeably more recyclable than wood-pulp paper. Yet another
example of the stupidity of the drug war. End of polemic.
Drawing books containing pH neutral paper only cost a few dollars
more than drawing books with regular high-acid paper. Buy them. Even
if you're just planning on doodling in it, spend the extra three bucks.
That way, if you come out with something you decide you really like and
want to keep, you've got a good chance of doing so.
Of course, not all high-acid papers are equally bad. Newsprint is,
of course, the least durable, and is marketed as such. It's great for
temporary purposes - say, throwing together a couple of composition
sketches, or warming up before figure drawing - but just remember that
it won't last. Butcher paper - just as cheap, nicer to work on - has
the same caveats.
----- PRINT PAPER -----
First off: I will almost never buy anything reproduced on a black
and white photocopier for more than $4. In the US, the paper is
almost guaranteed to be high-acid junk material which will be turning
brown inside five years. Apparently, this is less likely to be the case
in parts of Europe; a German correspondent has tested all of his recent
photocopies and found them all to be on acid-free paper, despite no
efforts on his part to ensure that this was the case. (One way to insure
this is to bring in your own paper. Many copier places will handle this
just fine, as long as it looks like normal paper to them. I imagine it
would help to bring it in with the original wrapper, so they can look
at it and check against the qualities required by their particular copier.)
Colour copiers have different requirements, and as a result,
colour photocopier paper is generally pH neutral in the US. But check
to be sure.
Other than that, the same basic rules listed above apply here, too.
Paper suppliers are generally pretty good at labelling pH neutral papers
as "acid free," so if you're going to make prints, all you have to do is
ask for the right materials. Even in low-volume print runs, this won't
add much to your cost.
----- MATTES and BACKING BOARD -----
These are also often overlooked, even by people who take the
care to use pH neutral paper and lasting pigments. Mattes are less
damaging, since they have limited contact with the piece in question -
but you can still get a nasty brown bleed coming off the edge of a
high-acid matte. This is because the acid in the matte can leak into
the paper it touches.
This is especially true of those evil mattes with the "acid-free"
face and back with pure junk cardboard filler in between. The acid
migrates out of the mat bevels, producing mat burn, and the "acid-free"
face and back can only endure for a little while before they become
acidic, too.
[Araiguma]
The backing board matters more, since it's in contact with all
of your piece. I will often find that people have used cardboard
as backing for their artwork. This is a very bad idea, as cardboard
is _extremely_ high-acid - and fibrous, and likely to shed - and
_will_ degrade the life of your piece if you don't isolate it from
the art paper. If you must use cardboard, separate it from the artwork
by a layer (or two!) of pH neutral paper, or, if you can find it, pH
basic paper, buffered to pH 8.5 or so.
This is even more important when it comes to photographs, as
the acids in the cardboard will also alter the chemicals making the
colours in the print.
Most pre-made mattes I've found have, much to my shock, been
pH neutral. Most backing board material, on the other hand, has _not_.
And it costs half again as much as standard backing material, too.
Foo.
One very important point to note about matte board is that,
even those which are pH neutral are _not_ coloured with a lightfast
medium! They are exclusively ink. Those who like to do little sidebar
illustrations on the matte board should keep this in mind. [Victor Wren]
One topic often overlooked is adhering artwork to acid-free mattes
and backing. There are several ways to do this. Scotch tape is, of course,
right out, and brown masking tape is even worse - it is high acid, and
the adhesive will crystalize and transfer onto the paper, leaving ugly
stains. But if you want to use adhesive tapes, acid-free high-quality
matting tapes are available, as is a white artist's tape made by Scotch
(Tape #285). [White tape and data on masking tape by Victor Wren] Mount
the artwork against the backing (if present) or against the matte (if
not), securing the top two corners if the material is lightweight, and
securing all four corners if not. [Rod Smith]
I prefer to avoid the issue of adhesive-against-artwork entirely,
and use a securing method suggested to me by another artist which avoids
the issue entirely; making art holders out of acid-free paper, and taping
_those_ to the backing board. This is very easy:
Cut triangles out of acid free paper.
Position them on the backing board so that the corners of the
artwork, when placed on the backing board, would be under
the triangles.
Tape the triangles down with acid-free mounting tape.
Insert the artwork.
It should look something like this (ASCII art never to scale; if this
doesn't make sense, make sure to display it in Courier, or another
fixed-width
font):
/\ /\
/_/_ _\_\
| / /-------\ \ |
/|T1/ \T2|\
/ / / art \ \ \
\/|/ \|\/
| |
| |
/\|\ /|/\
\ \ \ / / /
\|T3\ /T4|/
|_\_\-------/_/_/
\ \ / /
\/ \/
T1-T4 are triangles of acid-free paper, held down with acid-free
mounting tape. The tape should be OVER the triangles, and should never
touch the artwork itself.
There are also acid-free mounting corners with their own adhesive
available at many art-supply stores; I don't use them because I'm
paranoid about the artwork slipping and coming into contact with the
adhesive. [Karl Meyer] reports that he has had good luck with self-
stick mounting tabs like these, however, particularly when mounting
animation cells.
----- THE BUYER'S STANDPOINT -----
When I consider buying a piece, I look for a note from the artist
which explicitly states that pH neutral paper was used. If I don't
find that, I adjust my willingness to buy accordingly. If I do buy, I
immediately take apart the matte and re-back the original with pH neutral
paper. (This stuff is cheap, not exotic. You can buy a sketchbook full
of it for $7.)
If the picture is backed with cardboard, that's another materials
strike; cardboard is very high-acid material. That, too, always gets
ripped out and replaced. The more of this I have to do, the more the
picture ends up costing me before all is said and done.
I have some originals work by a particular artist hanging in my
bedroom. It needed to be ripped apart, layered in back with pH neutral
paper, and backed with new material. I love this artist's work, but I
wonder whether much of it'll be around in 10 years, given some of the
materials used; the paper is short-fibre and (I suspect) high acid,
and was backed with cardboard. I think _my_ copies will last, because
I've worked to insure it. But most people aren't going to know to do
this.
My _requests_ to all creators and sellers of artwork are:
1) Know your materials. Use stuff that'll last. I'll know, and pay
more for it. This includes your paper. Acid-free illustration
board tends to cost a couple of dollars more, I know, but I'll
make that trade. Consider all markers to be ephemeral unless
proven otherwise, and always remember: photocopies flake,
doubly so when damp, triply so when hot.
2) Don't forget that mattes and backing boards are (typically) paper
too, and affect the things they touch. Most pre-made mattes I've
seen _have_ been acid-free (much to my shock!) but most backing
material is _not_. Be warned, and act appropriately. If you don't
know when buying, _ask_. And if you make prints, make them on good
paper. (I've seen people get everything but that right...) It won't
cost you that much more per print (I've priced it for some of my
own material :-) ) and will be worth it in five years.
3) Show me that you knew what you were doing when you prepped the
work.
Tell me that the paper, backing, mattes are pH neutral. If they
_aren't_, tell me that, too; I'll correct where I can. Give me
clues about the permanence of the media you used - I'll presume
the answers are bad, if you don't speak up.
People have been becoming more aware about these things. Slowly.
----- REFERENCE MATERIALS -----
The following books have been strongly recommended as reference texts
on materials durability.
The Artist's Handbook - Ralph Mayer
"A constant companion... unfortunately, it becomes ever more
dated
as new pigments, materials and products enter the marketplace."
The World's Best Watercolour Paints - by Colin Wilcox, published by
Northern Lights. The most important independent test set.
"Shock. Dismay. Sense of betrayal. And a whole bunch of very
expensive so-called artist grade watercolour tubes into the
garbage. It seems that with everyone taking the makers' word,
had bothered to try the lightfastness tests for themselves..."
"Reading the Wilcox book caused me to radically change my
palette."
The Wilcox Guide to the Best Watercolor Paints - by Michael Wilcox,
published by Northern Lights.
"This is an exhaustively researched reference to all commonly
(and
less commonly) known tube watercolors, listing and rating each
by
manufacturer. It is the most valuable tool I have found for
clearing my palette of fugitive pigments, and I would recommend
it to anyone who works in watercolor." [Gypsy]
Artist's Manual - by Angela Gair
ISBN 0-8118-1377-0, published by Chronicle Books
"It has fast become one of my favorite references, if not my
'bible,' for art materials. It's especially good for beginning
artists. It's a large format paperback and not expensive...
about $22 or $23. I don't have anything to do with the editor
or the publisher...I'm just a fan of the book. Take a look at
it."
[Jim Kennedy]
The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide - by Monoma Rossol
(New York, Allworth Press, 2nd ed. 1994)
"The whole issue of "art hazards" wasn't taken very seriously
until
about fifteen years ago, when it started to become understood
that a
great deal of the allergies, diseases, cancers and neurological
disorders artists were suffering from were preventable by
learning
safer handling of their materials or better planning of their
work
environments. You might wish to include this book in your
reference
list. Thanks." [Nozmo]
----- A SUMMARY -----
For my own work, I use low-cost pH neutral paper (see the above
$7) for most work, or pH neutral illustration board for anything I expect
to want to do on something like that and keep. When I sell, I either
back with pH neutral board (about 50% more expensive than the typical)
or, if I can't (rare circumstances), I isolate the print/drawing/whatever
from the bad backing board with layers of pH neutral paper. And, of course,
I use pH neutral mattes. [Note from Neil McAllister: "If you have to slip
pH neutral paper between a picture and its backing, I'd look for a material
called Glassine. It's a pH neutral separator paper that's got almost a
wax-paper surface. That should be sufficient to keep a picture away from
a bad backing, rather than layers of a more porous acid-free drawing
paper.]
When drawing, I only use markers I have reason to believe are stable,
if I intend to keep the work for more than a couple of months. I've yet to
find a thick, black, controllable marker which I trust to stay, so I use
brush and a permanent well ink instead. For colours, I use the
aforementioned Letraset/Pantone markers or coloured pencil, and hope
the Pantones live up to their billing. I've had it recommended that I
use watercolours instead, as even cheap pigment-based watercolours will
be better than markers.
For submissions, on the other hand - they're not supposed to last
more than a couple of months, so I use whatever's handy that looks good.
Photocopies touched up with Sharpie pens are my favourite, backed with
a cardboard mailer. :-) (The reason I bring this up: remember when you
should spend the money to make it last, and when you don't need to
care.)
Note that none of this costs me any more time or effort than using
high-acid materials. Once you've found a source for all the things you
need, you just remember to go there and buy the right things, rather than
going someplace else and buying the wrong things. It does cost a little
more, but only a very little, and it's a price I'm willing to pay.
Do these things, and your buyers will appreciate it eventually,
even if they don't know about it at time of purchase.
When buying, I check what the artist has used, and correct where
applicable. If the backing material is cardboard or not acid free, I
replace it, or stick in a layer of pH neutral paper. Same with the matte.
If I don't know about the paper, I stick extra layers of acid free paper
behind it, to absorb as much acid from the original paper as I can. I
then frame; this is more expensive, but limits air circulation (which helps
delay acid problems) and also can block some UV light damage. If a piece
is worth it or will be hanging in a high-light area, I'll get special
clear plastic designed to block all UV, and use that instead of glass
in the frame. _Never_ use shrink-wrap for this purpose; it won't help,
and will leak gasses which are actively bad for the piece. Also, never
hang in direct sunlight; anything that can go wrong will go wrong more
quickly when exposed to the sun, even if you've put plastic or glass in
front of it. [Neil McAllister notes again: "Glass with a UV-filtering
coating is also available," and is almost always cheaper than plastic.]
Do these things, and the artwork you buy will last much longer than
it would have otherwise, and at relatively little additional cost. It'll
also look better in the long run. Oh; if you can't frame, do everything
up to that, including the layer of glass or plastic in front, and then
clip (not tape!) it together. That'll save you some money and get you
most of the preservation benefits of a frame.
One final note: I don't pretend that this is a be-all or end-all
treatment on this subject. Reams of academic papers published on the
subject will, in fact, easily demonstrate otherwise. However, I believe
it to be a basically accurate set of rules which, if followed, will
allow a much longer lifespan for artwork, at minimal additional cost
and hassle.
This is version 1.42 of this FAQ. Version 0.1 was my response to
Tygger. Please direct suggestions and error corrections as outlined
above.
- R'ykandar.
----- END ART MATERIALS FAQ V1.42 -----
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