CREATING PIGMENTS.

[eddiesolo]

Right, crunch time. I have decided to have a go at creating my own pigments-having done some research it seems that it appears to be 50/50 regarding 'own' brand to bought-some say it works others say it just dollops and doesn't look right.

For this exercise I will getting a cheap-very cheap or second hand electric coffee grinder-maybe with multiple settings as I need it to be as fine as I can get. For the pigments I will be using oil pastels first-something to do with with more pigment less binder. Once ground the pigments will be stored in plastic sealable bottles.

I have also had a go at making my own fixer using white spirit and Klear, just need to work out the %, the white spirit is the carrier that evaporates leaving the pigment in place while the Klear seals it-well that's the idea.

I am sourcing bits and pieces at the moment, hopefully I can expand on this thread with some pictures when I get all the gear and see if it is an exercise worth doing or not.

Any thoughts or ideas are a welcome chaps, if you have done this yourself, any tips?

Si

[yak face]

Ive used chalk pastels before Si , dont know if oil ones would powder up as well ,I imagine a coffee grinder would make the oil pastels turn into a paste ? All I did was rub the chalk pastel on a piece of coarse sand paper then used the dust it created . hope this helps cheers tony

[eddiesolo]

Ta Tony, I may have got the pastels the wrong way round lol, will have a go and see it it works.

Si

[Guest]

I'd be interested to see the results of the Klear/white spirit combination Si. My personal experience is that the 2 don't combine well, one being acrylic & the other oil-based.

I tried mixing oil paints with Klear & it was a disaster!

For grinding up pastels, a pestle & mortar works perfectly.

[eddiesolo]

I'd be interested to see the results of the Klear/white spirit combination Si. My personal experience is that the 2 don't combine well, one being acrylic & the other oil-based.I tried mixing oil paints with Klear & it was a disaster!

For grinding up pastels, a pestle & mortar works perfectly.

I only want a coffee grinder as I was hoping to get it finer also my dodgy hands means I struggle with a pestle and mortar. Thanks for the heads up Patrick, will have a play about and see what happens, if like your experiments...a mess then lol.

Si

[flyjoe180]

I use chalk pastels too. I create a small amount of chalk from each pastel I need to make the desired colour by scraping with a blade, then mix it and add a little water. You can also add a drop of dish wash detergent to help break the water surface if required. Then brush it on, clean it up as required and seal with a varnish. Oil based pastels are not easy to mix or apply, are almost impossible to spread correctly, and permanently stain the model so if you need to start over (as I usually do) you're in a spot of bother.

[Guest]

If you need to produce a small particle size, you could use a pestle and mortar. Some people have them in the kitchen. The very hard ceramic surfaces are good at grinding powders.