Another very useful medium to have is called an "Acrylic Retarder". This is something (clear in appearance) that you add to your acrylic paints to extend the wet time. If you have acrylics, you know how quickly they dry. If you mix in some retarder with your acrylics it will make them dry more slowly (called "extending the wet time") and give you more time to work with the paint while it's wet. I also use my retarder with my powdered pigments (pearl ex, powdered pearls, faerie dust). Just dip the tip of your brush into the retarder, then dip the brush into the powdered pigment..then paint. It's that easy. No need for a sealant afterwards either. I think the brand of retarder I have is Golden. Once again, a very inexpensive item (maybe $3-4 for a jar of it) and it's something I can't think of living without.

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Copyright 2002 Tyra Smith Cloud9@netnet.net
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