Gel Painting

Gel Painting

Using ready-made Surface for Pastels Painting

Several good ready-made solutions for pastel surfaces are available at most art supply stores and online. They usually consist of a mix of acrylic medium and various types of grit. Simply paint them on a sheet of paper (such as Rives BFK) that doesn't warp when you apply acrylic paint to it.

You can use these solutions as is, or you can customize a solution by adding acrylic color to the mix. Liquid or low-viscosity acrylics work best, but highviscosity tube colors thinned with water also work well. Because the acrylic medium you're using dries clear and many tube paint colors are transparent, you may want to consider adding a small amount of gesso (a surface primer) or white acrylic paint to control how opaque the surface color is. (For more on acrylic paints and the mediums that go with them, check out Colette Pitcher's Acrylic Painting For Dummies [Wiley].) Acrylic solutions are acid-free and therefore don't affect the pH content of the paper, unlike oil painting solutions, which aren't acid-free and can eat the paper.

The following list gives you some prepared solutions that work well for pastels; some have coarser grits than others, so consider how coarse a surface you want as you decide which to try:

Golden Pumice Gel: This product comes in fine, coarse, and extra coarse varieties; coarse and extra coarse may be too textured for many artists. The fine grit makes a rough pastel surface that is very textured, but the coarse grits are similar to very rough sandpaper and needlessly gobble up your pastels. These rough grits are more appropriate for acrylic painting surfaces than pastel.

Golden Pastel Ground: This surface is fine and less gritty than sanded paper. It's also a finer surface than the surface created by the fine pumice gel in the preceding bullet.

Golden Micaceous Iron Oxide: This product's surface looks and behaves very much like dark gray 200-grit sandpaper.

Liquitex Natural Sand Texture Gel: This gel creates a fine sanded surface.

___________________________________________________________________________________
[phpzon]Gel Painting, 10[/phpzon]

Decleor Cleansing Gel 8.4oz $36 Decleor Cleansing Gel gives a wonderful sensation of freshness and purity from a gel. This gel is specially formulated for combination and oily skin and is used with water.Benefits:The purifying sensation of a gel texture that transforms into a light foam and rinses off without leaving the skin feeling dry and tight.A formula with delectable and high-performance active ingredients, especially for combination and oily skin.Cleanses, purifies and rebalances the skin without disrupting its natural pH balance.Deeply cleanses the skin and prevents the appearance of small blemishes.Decongests, tightens pores and reduces shine through its astringent action.

Auriderm Vanishing Gel 1.76oz $46.71 Auriderm Vanishing Gel helps to improve the appearance of chronic purpura.Purpura is bleeding underneath the skin that looks like a bruise.This bleeding can be caused by weakened blood vessel walls or by repeated trauma - even just a bump.Purpura can be embarrassing and make you feel self-conscious. The use of Auriderm Vanishing Gel can help to strengthen blood vessel walls, as well as reduce or eliminate the pooled blood (hemosiderin) underneath the skin.Auriderm's unique patented ingredient, Vitamin K Oxide, activates the body's natural healing process to help eliminate the unsightly discolorations.Auriderm Vanishing Gel clears most purpura in six to eight weeks when no new injury occurs.

ScarFade Scar Gel 0.5oz $27 Reduce the appearance of scars with the help of ScarFade Scar Gel - a unique formula that is easy to apply, dries quickly and eaves no sticky residue. Another fine product from Hanson Skin Care, this non-allergenic topical silicone ointment is ideal for scar maintenance and beautification. In addition, ScarFade Gel provides a silicone micro-membrane which moisturizes without skin maceration.

Bioelements Gel Therapy 2.5oz $38 Gel Therapy is a supercharged mask laced with essential earth minerals and stress-resisting plant extracts to rapidly remedy dehydration. This gel mask locks in comforting moisture and does away with dullness. This 10-minute mask strengthens, soothes and balances skin leaving it refreshed, revived and infused with much-needed moisture.Benefits:Balances skin's water to oil balance.Hydrates parched skin.Helps to ease sunburned skin.Recommended for all skin types.

Jurlique Lavender Shower Gel 10oz $22 This relaxing foaming cleansing gel leaves your skin feeling clean, fresh and hydrated.

Auriderm Clearing Gel 1.05oz $37.71 Auriderm Clearing Gel helps to improve the appearance of spider veins.Spider Veins are small, thread like veins most often seen on the surface of the skin.They are often formed when a tiny pinhole tear occurs in a capillary beneath the surface of the skin allowing the blood to leak and pool under the skin.These purple, red or blueish discolorations are called spider veins because their wheel and spoke shape resembles a spider web.Spider veins on the face are often caused by Rosacea, chronic sun exposure or an inherited predisposition. The use of Auriderm Clearing Gel can help to strengthen the capillary walls to prevent future leakage.In addition, Auriderm Clearing Gel will reduce or eliminate the pooled blood (hemosiderin) underneath the skin.Auriderm's unique patented ingredient, Vitamin K Oxide, activates the body's natural healing process to help eliminate the unsightly reddish-blue discolorations.

Kelocote Scar Gel 2.12oz $110 Advanced Bio-Technologies, Inc. has developed a revolutionary and patented product that maintains the positive benefits of silicone gel sheets while eliminating the concerns and limitations associated with their use.Kelo-cote® is an innovative topical silicone gel for the management of scars and for the prevention of abnormal scars in the form of hypertrophic scars and keloids. It is indicated for scars resulting from trauma, surgery, burns or other events that result in broken skin.Kelo-cote® gel self-dries to a waterproof, gas permeable membrane that acts like an extra layer of skin. It helps to soften, flatten and smooth the scar while maintaining the moisture balance and elasticity of the adjacent skin. It has also been shown to reduce the discoloration and itching associated with scars.For the management and prevention of scars, Kelo-cote® can be used as soon as the break in the skin is closed (i.e. after stitches are removed).

Neova Smoothing Gel by ProCyte 2oz $26 Neova Smoothing Gel is a 10% non-neutralized Glycolic Acid gel used to exfoliate dead skin cells and increase circulation.Fresher, younger-looking skin is revealed.Skin will be left feeling soft and smooth. Benefits:Exfoliate dead skin cells and increase circulation.Helps even out uneven skin tone and texture.Leaves skin soft and smooth.

EmerginC Spot Lightening Gel 0.5oz $49.5 A potent, effective lightener, this gel is ideal for skin with pigmentation problems. Spot Lightening Gel helps rapidly fade pigmentation spots. Results will vary depending on how old and deep spot is. Often results can be seen very quickly.Benefits:Fades pigmentation spotsPotent and effective formulaFast absorbing spot lightenerIdeal for skin with pigmentation problems

Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser 6oz $25 Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser is a pH-balanced gentle foaming gel cleanser that relieves and protects oily and congested skin. This cleanser contains 1% Willowbark Extract-a natural antiseptic and Beta-Hydroxy Acid to promote cell turnover.This gel cleanser gently balances and clarifies, while promoting skin hydration. Antioxidants soothe and protect and Bearberry Extract helps brighten and even skin tone. It is optimized for use with the Clarisonic Skin Care Brush, leaving your skin feeling and looking smoother.Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser Benefits:Contains a natural antiseptic and promotes cell turnoverGently balances and clarifiesSoothes and protectsBrightens and evens skin tonePromotes skin hyd

---

Painting Gel Transfer in Art Journal