A couple notes:
• Some people have a hard time getting darks in casein because it dries matte. If you've had that issue, you can use black or try the Shiva colors—violet and green.
• They're quite transparent and can give you deep dark mixtures while still keeping some color identity.
• If you paint on illustration board or panel, you can build up some impasto texture. It generally doesn't crack or chip unless you flex the support or really abrade the surface.
• Don't worry if you can't buy casein where you live. You can use Acryla gouache or just acrylic or gouache instead. What I like about casein is that the paint is midway between gouache and acrylic in the strength of the glue-like emulsion, not too sticky or plastic-y and not too soluble after it dries.
jamesgurneyart Yes, the smell can seem sort of medical. They told me it was a preservative to keep the milk-based proteins from spoiling. To me the smell evokes old-school memories of older illustrators doing demos in the 1980s, but I know it may hit others differently.
blackbirdcd "I’ve really enjoyed casein, and I’ve used it a lot for my Space Art livestream. Usually I use casein to emulate the John Berkey style (although I haven’t made my own acrylic/casein mix like he did). The Richeson/Shiva casein is fantastic. I had okay luck varnishing casein but only after applying a layer of clear gloss acrylic.
I've been using Liquitex gloss varnish, especially for dark-keyed paintings.
lorideboerdesigns "Thanks for turning me onto casein, James! You are missing a few of Richeson's newer colors, including Naples yellow, terre verte and I believe there is also now a turquoise one. I am finding that I do need to mix my own browns, as the raw umber seems like it has a bit too much green for my taste."
You're right. My chart also seems to be missing burnt sienna.
Ultramarine blue deep, burnt sienna, Payne's grey, and Permasol blue.
4 comments:
James,
FYI, you received a very nice shout-out from painter Nicolás Uribe on his “Our Painted Lives” YouTube Live Stream (April 5, 2022) channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgWAUV3g1sY&t=4979s
From 1:52:38 to 1:55:20, he answers a viewer question about how to learn color theory. Nicolás suggests two books: (1) Color and Light by James Gurney and (2) Alla Prima by Richard Schmid. He adds that Color and Light is a “totally amazing book” and “very accessible.” “Super easy to read, easy to understand, that’s what makes him a fantastic teacher.” “[James’] knowledge is enormous. His experience is super varied. You can really, really trust what he’s saying.” “James not only has his book, …but you can go to his blog… and its chock full of knowledge.”
Can I mix casein with gouache? Do I need to add emulsion to the casein? I am working on creating my own travel box of colors…adding some gum arabic to the gouache and then putting it in the pans and letting them dry…can I do the same with the casein, and can i mix them with each other? I am thinking particularly of adding the two dark Shiva colors to my palette. It’s been a long time since I did plein air painting, so I am getting my little kit together for the Spring! Thanks for sharing your great ideas!
Can I mix casein with gouache? Yes.
Do I need to add emulsion to the casein? No.
Can I do the same with the casein. Try it experimentally.
aCan i mix them with each other? Yes.
Thank you!
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