Paint cakes, such as tempera cakes, are used by activating them with water and then using a brush to apply the paint. The amount of water you use will change the color intensity.
Using Tempera Paint Cakes
Here's a breakdown of how to effectively use paint cakes, drawing on insights from the provided reference:
Activating the Paint
- Wet Your Brush: Start by dipping your brush into clean water.
- Swirl and Mix: Gently swirl your wet brush on the surface of the paint cake. The video demonstrates that the longer you swirl, the more pigment you'll pick up, and the darker the color will be.
- For a dark, heavy color: Swirl your brush around a bit longer.
- For a light, watery color: Swirl just slightly to pick up less pigment.
- Control Water: Avoid over-saturating the paint cake, which can lead to muddy results. Use a minimal amount of water at first and add more as needed.
Application
- Apply to Paper or Canvas: Once you have paint on your brush, apply it directly to your surface.
- Layering: You can build up layers for deeper colors or for creating different effects by allowing previous layers to dry.
- Experiment: Try out different levels of swirling and mixing to see the variety of colors and effects that you can get from just one paint cake.
Summary of Paint Cake Usage
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1. Wet the brush | Dip your brush in clean water. |
| 2. Swirl on the paint | Swirl your wet brush on the paint cake to pick up pigment. |
| 3. Adjust color intensity | Swirl longer for darker color or less for a lighter color. |
| 4. Apply to surface | Paint onto your paper or canvas. |
| 5. Layer for effect | Build up layers to get your desired effect. |
By following these simple steps you can effectively use paint cakes to achieve various painting styles and effects.
