Collage Tip #9 (Part II): Creating Textures with Gels & Mediums

It’s time for another instalment of my textures tips.  This one’s about building texture with gels and mediums you can find at the art store.  Once we get into mixing papers with acrylic-based mediums and other materials, we’re entering the territory of mixed media – one that’s become more exciting by the development of acrylic mediums that mimic almost any surface… glass, wax, chalkboard and watercolour.

When it comes to acrylic mediums the most popular brands seem to be Golden and Liquitex.  In Ottawa we are fortunate to have the Tri-Art company which specializes in acrylic paints and mediums; it also offers exciting workshops. 

Some Basics to Keep in Mind…

It’s all in the Mix: Although it goes without saying, I’m going to say it for those newbies to this area… gels and mediums can be used on their own or coloured with acrylic paints and inks as well as all kinds of materials.  Adding colour to them will help you create the illusion of many kinds of surfaces as described above. 

Surface Finish: Gels come in different finishes: matte, semi-gloss or glossy.  Decide which one works best for your project by researching the benefits and qualities of each ahead of time.

Opacity Levels: Mediums and gels dry differently; although most are white in the container, some dry clear and others opaque.  Stores often provide charts similar to colour ones of various gels and mediums so you know what they’ll look like when they’re dry.

Surface Porosity: The surfaces of gels and mediums are often slick.  You’ll find that they repel markers and don’t allow stamping ink to dry fully on them.  When I first started drawing and stamping on mediumed surfaces this drove me crazy!  Through taking a number of workshops I found permanent markers or pens by Sharpie, Sakura Pigma Micron or Gelly Roll pens work well on most gel medium surfaces as does Stazon stamping inks. (Thanks Kelly Kilmer!)

Toxicity: Whether they’re paints, gels or mediums, many brands tout the non-toxicity of their materials.  It’s true they’ve come a long way in creating safer paints, but I still advise you to read labels carefully for materials that contain toxic elements (ie. cadmium, cobalt, magnesium, chromium).  Wear gloves when necessary and work in a well ventilated area.  Working with acrylic mediums and gels give me allergies and headaches (some say it’s due to the formaldehyde in them –yikes!) so I use them sparingly.

Seven Cool Gel & Medium Textures:

Gel Medium: Dries clear.  It’s generally mixed with paint to extend your paint supply.  When it’s wet, you can mix it with all kinds of materials (ie. sand, beads, etc.).  You can also make marks in it with just about anything (ie. pencil, ink nib, stick, sponge, string, bubble wrap, etc.); then let it dry and paint or burnish colour over it to bring out marks and patterns. Squirt it out of a medical syringe dispenser or icing tube and add decorative elements to your work.  The syringe gives a neat stringy effect; while the decorating tube makes your designs look so delicious you’ll want to eat them! (but I don’t recommend it!).   When dry, you can scratch, sand, draw, colour with pencil crayons, markers, watercolour crayons, rubber stamp or paint on it. Golden notes its semi-gloss medium dries with a waxy surface that can be exploited to create wax-like impressions.  Gel medium’s so versatile you can even make photocopy image transfers with it!

Self Leveling Gel: Dries clear.  Applying a thick layer of this over your work will give it a glassy surface.  You can also pour a bit out, add tiny drops of paint or acrylic ink to it and drag through it with a fine tooth comb to create wonderful marbleized effects that are similar to marble Florentine paper.

Light Molding Paste: Dries White/Opaque.  I love to use this with stencils.  Take a stencil (preferably a plastic one) and spread a layer of paste over it with a palette knife; let dry over night.  This medium has a beautiful porous surface.  If you brush on a very thinned out layer of acrylic paint onto it, it will give you a nice soft watercolour wash finish.

Tar or String Gel: Dries Clear.  Add a few drops of your favourite thinned acrylic paint or acrylic ink to it, mix and dip into it with a palette knife and wind it around the surface of your work – it’s like you’re pouring on string hence the name… Jackson Pollock would have loved this!

Micaceous Iron Oxide: Is a grey chalkboard-like colour with a hint a metallic glint to it.  You can paint or draw on it.  Using a white permanent pen, conté, soft pastel or oil pastel will give you a marvellous chalky effect.

Nepheline Gel: Comes in fine, coarse or a very coarse mixture.  This gritty texture is great for mimicking rock-like surfaces found in nature.  I used it to simulate a lava flow once…

Gold Mica Flakes: A clear gel with flakes of gold in it!  It beats brushing on those little flakes of gold leaf paper that get all over your hands and face!

Some medium samples (left to right): Micaceous Iron Oxide; Glass Beads Medium mixed with iridescent gold acrylic ink; Light Molding Paste mixed with metallic rose acrylic craft paint; Gold Mica Flakes Medium on top of metallic blue sapphire acrylic craft paint.

Substrate Note: When using gels or mediums, you’ll want to be sure you’re working on heavy weight papers (ie. 130 -140 lb ones – either Cold or Hot Press (CP or HP)).  For mixed media work I prefer HP paper for its smoothness.

I’m still working on improving my ability to work with gels and mediums.  This summer I took a workshop with my friend, local acrylic mediums expert Susan Ashbrook, to re-acquaint myself with the joys of working with mediums.  After class, my head was spinning with new ideas for projects – the sign of a great workshop!  I highly recommend Susan’s acrylics mediums workshop – she always creates a comfortable atmosphere within which to play creatively. 

When working with gels and mediums, remember it takes time, research and practice to master this stuff.  Have fun experimenting with them.  In my next texture instalment I’ll discuss finding texture tools around the house – Yay!… free tools at your fingertips!

Suggested Reading:
The New Acrylics by Rheni Tauchid (lots of drop dead gorgeous texture photos!)
New Acrylics Essential Source Book by Rheni Tauchid
Acrylic Revolution by Nancy Reyner
Celebrate Your Creative Self by Mary Todd Beam

Other Related Links:
Collage Tip #7 (Part 1): Going Gaga for Magazine Textures!