HOUSE PAINT

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Comment by Wendy Johnson on April 4, 2012 at 3:29pm

Yes, you can definately use house paint. Great for backgrounds or getting interesting "gloppy" textures. In fact, that's all Jackson Pollock used in most of his paintings.

Like Dannie said, the "sample" jars are great. That way you don't have to accumulate a whole bunch of large paint cans and wonder where to store it all. I go to our local dump/recycling centre and they give the stuff there away for free. Lots of great finds. Have even gotten some artist grade paints from there.

Comment by Sandra Henderson on March 27, 2012 at 10:16pm

@ Lea - i didn't like the Atelier "interactive" as one of the things i love about acrylics is the fast drying time - so i switched to Matisse instead.  Also when 'watering down' the house paints i use a product called Floetrol (acrylic paint conditioner) as it reinforces the paint rather than thinning it. "makes water based paint flow and cover like oil paint" - buy it at the same place you buy house paints - soooo much cheaper than buying its equivalent at the art shop and one bottle will last for ages. House painters use it to make the paint go further and it doesn't weaken the ability of the paint to bind like water can when you are wanting to make eg: a thin glaze. It also mixes well with artists acrylics.  Just a little more info you might find useful DeMarie:)

Comment by Bronwyn Palmer on March 27, 2012 at 9:24pm

I have used the sample pots as well. But as Lea said, they behave differently. The house paints are great if you are wanting stuff that you can dribble, splash etc. I don't know how they would react to mixin mediums with them.

Comment by Sandra Henderson on March 27, 2012 at 1:30am

I buy lots of the 250ml and 500ml sample pots - you know, the kind you take home and try a little on your wall to see if you like it or not.  these work out very well when working on large canvases particularly as it saves a lot of money.  We had an Atelier rep here when they first bought out their "interactive" range and he let it slip that all their paints are based on house paints anyway. I also buy some artists paints too but the sample pots have saved me heaps. Check out "Orange Organic" "Gecko Dreams" "Dreamscape" and "Meditation" diptych on my page - these were done mostly with house paint sample pots!  Hope this helps DeMarie!  

Comment by Greef on March 26, 2012 at 11:02pm

One of the biggest tips I was told a few years back from a well known Queensland artist (Ian Smith) Was to use house paint instead of artist quality paint. No only is it much cheaper but it will also last as long especially if you use exterior house paint. 

He also suggested to go to the paint store and ask to see their 2nd's or any paint they had laying around out the back. So when i was in norway i went to the paint store and asked to see if they had discounted paint out the back and this guy shows me out the back to this trolley full of used and unsellable paint cans. I got litres and litres of paint for next to nothing!