Mark Golden on Paint

We’ve gotten off pretty easy so far this fall in Upstate NY. Just a few dustings of snow and a bit of frost on the car to scrape off in the morning. I can only hope that this beginning portends a mild and short winter. Not likely…

This past week I managed to get out to my garage and to bring in those things that will not do well in the cold. Freezing temperatures creates havoc with waterbased materials such as glues, caulks and yes… acrylic paints. Most dispersion (emulsion type) artist paints are protected for several freeze thaw cycles, yet it is best to avoid freezing them in the first place. Paints that do poorly in a deep freeze will look like cottage cheese when they thaw out. This makes them pretty useless for anything. Thinning with water or constant stirring at this point is pretty futile.

This reminds me to suggest as well that after you’ve finished a painting session in your studio and are finished for the evening, don’t let your temperature in the studio drop below 50 degrees F. If you paint on the floor, you might have to keep the temperature even higher, as the floor is usually the coldest part of a room. Essentially you need to keep the paint above 49 degrees F, or you might not achieve adequate film formation or adhesion in the paint. This is the same problem for mural painters trying to get the last bit of painting done while the sun warms the surface. Once the temperature of your drying painting surface drops below the critical film formation temperature no more film formation will occur.

I know it can get quite expensive heating a studio and maintaining adequate ventilation, but keeping a source of fresh air in your studio is an important part of maintaining appropriate hygiene for you and your studio mates. Before it gets really cold, figure out where you’re going to get that fresh air. Taking a cigarette break outside is not what I mean. Stay warm…