The Sleepy Knitter asks: Why [would] an artist would choose casein over gouache OR gouache over casein in an individual painting scenario? If I were you and preparing my plein-air kit for the day, what would make me choose the casein kit over the gouache kit, or vice versa? I'm debating whether to upgrade my student gouache kit to a professional one or instead to buy a professional casein kit.
I often prefer casein when I want a fuller-bodied paint and a more closed surface when it dries. Casein can feel more like oil paint as it comes off the brush, giving you a more buttery tactile experience. When I am in an "oil mood" I often reach for casein.
I painted for many years in oil, but I've mostly put that medium aside because of the toxic mineral spirits and the difficulty with cleanup. Also, casein is typically less expensive per cc than either gouache or oil, allowing you to use it more freely.
On the other hand, gouache is a great choice for its fine detail capabilities and a wider range of color choices. It generally offers a higher pigment concentration and can provide a smoother, more precise finish. Gouache is also retains its solubility even after it dries, whereas casein resists reactivation once dry.
Finally, the aroma of gouache is negligible, while casein has a striking "cleaning-solvent-like" smell that you should test first to make sure you're OK with it. Some folks love it and some don't like it, but I wouldn't use casein in an enclosed space among strangers in the wild for that reason.
I tried using Casein. Unfortunately for me I was one of those people who couldn’t handle the smell. I’ve heard of people describing it as a “heavy duty make-up smell”, and that is what it seemed like to me. Unfortunately, it gave me a headache and was too much for me indoors. So I donated it to a different artist. But I could see how working with the medium would be fun. I totally agree with James’s recommendation to test some of it first.
ReplyDeleteJeff Jordan here, Jim. I, too, had solvent issues, and gave up oils for Golden Open acrylics, but ended up with a dislike of acrylics for the third time, just couldn't quite make them do what I could do with oils. A new friend got me interested in Holbein Aqua oils. I tried them and fell back in love with oils. Except for the surfactant that allows brush cleaning with water, they're exactly the same as oils, as I was told by one of the owners of Hobein USA my new friend put me in touch with. I give them my highest recommendation! I've aso used Holbein gouache, and love that medium as well, but I orefer to paint on Birch plywood, so oils work better for that, too....
ReplyDeleteCasein used to be cheaper than acrylics but I think they are a lot more expensive now. For burnt sienna I think 37ml of casein costs about the same as 59 ml of Golden. I like them but I also notice the smell.
ReplyDeleteRegarding oils and solvents, I also switched to water soluble oil paint. I think they are more expensive than comparable regular oils and I think they have generally lower pigment loads. Since I have no trouble cleaning (regular) oil paint off of my brushes with soap and water and since I can use acrylics for block ins so I don’t need turpentine at all, Im starting to wonder if the water solubles are worth it.
Been years since I painted in oil, but have you tried using safflower oil to clean brushes as a way to ditch OMS? As I recall, the process is 1. you scrub as much off the brushes on paper towel as you can, 2. dip it in safflower oil and repeat until no pigment comes off, and 3. squeeze off any excess safflower oil. As a non-oxidizing oil it basically replacess the linseed to such an amount that your brush stays soft, then next time you paint you've got enough linseed to negate the minimal amount of safflower left coating the brushes.
ReplyDeleteAnyone have any experience with M.Graham oil paints? As they use walnut oil instead of linseed? I haven't used oils in a very long time and the information on their website is intriguing!
ReplyDeleteMr. Gurney, what does "resist activation" mean exactly, please? Long story short, I just discovered that a wet brush activated casein after two years on paper and Aquabord. No applications were near impasto thickness, either. I had swatched every color, and every color lifted when tested. Mixed colors lifted, too. Shouldn't it have cured to be insoluble well before two years? Could the Richeson batches have been bad? How can paintings ever be cleaned in this case? I am a bit distressed about this.
ReplyDeleteDJ, Sorry if it has been distressing. When casein dries, if it has enough milk proteins to bind the pigment, it should be relatively resistant to reactivation — less resistant relative to acrylic, which has a stronger emulsion strength, and more resistant than gouache, which readily dissolves. Good idea to test these things first before you commit to a painting.
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