Hibiscus Demo

Diane Mannion, Hibiscus Demo, 4x6" oil on canvas

Oil Over Acrylic

This painting started as a class demo painting oils over acrylics.  If acrylics are thin, it's fine to paint over with oils, but NEVER PAINT ACRYLICS OVER OILS!  A student asked, "why?"  

Don't know the actual chemical reason, but acrylics do not stick very well on top of oils.  Perhaps, it's because oils take much longer to dry and acrylics dry almost instantly.  It's a guestion that might be fun to research on Google.  If anyone has a simple answer, please comment below.

Took my own advice and looked for an answer on Google.  If the oil is dry, over a year, sanded... then perhaps the acrylic will stick.  Tests have shown acrylic could be lifted off the oil with tape.  If you just want to experiment on your own and have fun, then go for it.  But why risk having your masterpiece disintegrate over time.  Just DO NOT PAINT ACRYLICS OVER OILS!

 Demo notes:

First sketched with ultramarine blue acrylic (spots of this bright blue are showing through in the final painting).  Defined the patterns of darks, the composition and rhythm of the piece with the blue acrylic.

 Acrylic ultramarine blue showing under demo.  Cropped (from 6x8" to 4x6") and finished later with oil on top of acrylic.  Most pre-primed canvas is acrylic, but I also have oil-primed linen and would never paint with acrylic on that.

NFS, Painting is not for sale.  Will use this as future teaching aid.

This Saturday, October 12, 11-1:30, I'll be doing a demo at Ringling Englewood Art Center.

And November 1, the Hermitage Paintout!

Information for these two events here.

AND I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO CONVERTING MY FACEBOOK PERSONAL PAGE TO A BUSINESS PAGE!  PLEASE VISIT AND CLICK LIKE TO HELP SPREAD MY FAME AND GLORY WORLDWIDE.  THANKS!!!