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using acrylics
questions and answers (FAQ)
Why
haven’t I seen KROMA paint in stores?
Where are you located?
Do you ship?
Is KROMA paint compatible
with other brands of acrylic paint?
Can I
mix KROMA acrylics with other types of paint?
Are KROMA paints lightfast?
Are KROMA tube colours
the same viscosity as KROMA jar colours?
What is the shelf life
of KROMA paint?
Are KROMA paints non-toxic?
Are they safe for
children to use?
Which white should
I choose?
Which black should
I choose?
How can I slow the
paint’s drying time?
Why haven’t I
seen KROMA paint in stores?
KROMA paint is only available directly from us. Because
we do not distribute to stores, we are able to keep our
prices low while maintaining a close relationship with our
customers.
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Where are you located?
Our shop
is located in the NetLoft
building on Granville Island underneath the Granville
St. Bridge in Vancouver B.C. The Granville
Island website has a detailed map and directions.
The Net Loft building is just across the street from Granville
Island public market. The entrance to our shop is on the
exterior of the Net Loft building on Duranleau St opposite
the maritime stores.
Free 3hr parking is available throughout Granville Island.
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Do you ship?
Yes.
We are happy to arrange for shipping via mail or courier.
Cost depends on weight, volume and how soon you need your
shipment.
For example a fifteen colour group set of 60ml tubes can
be sent via Canada Post to anywhere in the Western region
of Canada for $10.00 and will arrive the next business day,
or to anywhere in Canada for $14.00 and will arrive within
two business days in major centers.
For larger, heavier quantities we usually use Greyhound
or UPS couriers.
Please contact us for information about shipping costs for
specific orders.
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Is KROMA paint compatible
with other brands of acrylic paint?
Yes.
KROMA paint is made with 100% acrylic resin and can be used
with other brands of artist’s quality acrylic paint.
Liquitex and Golden are examples of other brands of artist’s
quality paints. Mixing acrylic brands is generally acceptable;
but as each manufacturer uses a unique recipe, there is
a potential for incompatibility.
Some of the cheapest student grade acrylic paint is made
using less expensive resins and their compatibility with
KROMA should be tested before using.
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Can I mix KROMA acrylics
with other types of paint?
Acrylics should not be mixed with oil or wax based products.
However, acrylic is ideal for use underneath oils as a ground
or when underpainting the first stages of an oil painting.
Acrylics can be used in combination with other water-based
paints such as watercolours, gouache, water-based inks and
acrylic latex housepaint, though thorough testing of specific
combinations is advisable before beginning a project.
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Are KROMA paints lightfast?
Yes.
All the pigments that we use are lightfast. In artist-grade
paints, only pigments that have a lightfast rating of I,
(excellent) or II, (very good) are used. Refer to the colour
chart for information on the properties of individual colours.
Note that the cadmiums have excellent lightfastness but
are not weatherfast. We do not recommend their use in outdoor
murals. Zinc white has excellent lightfastness but on exposure
to exterior conditions has a tendency to "chalk"
or develop a dusty surface.
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Are KROMA tube colours the same viscosity
as KROMA jar colours?
Yes.
While some companies offer paint in more than one thickness
and package them in corresponding packaging, with thicker,
paste like paint in tubes and thinner, fluid paint in jars
or bottles, KROMA paint is formulated in one viscosity which
falls somewhere in between these two extremes, and is suited
to a wide variety of applications.
The viscosity of the paint does not reflect the amount of
pigment it contains, but rather the amount of thickeners
used. KROMA acrylics are fully loaded with pigments. The
thickness of the paint can be altered by using clear mediums
and gels to make it thicker, or can be diluted with fluid
mediums or water to make it thinner and to achieve watercolour–like
effects and washes. Powdered solids can also be added such
as calcium carbonate or sand to create peaks or granular
textures.
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What is the shelf life
of KROMA paint?
We recommend that you do not buy more paint than you expect
to use within two years. However unopened paint stored in
its original packaging can last over a decade.
The lifespan of KROMA paint once opened will be affected
by your working habits and storage conditions. The main
reason for storage problems of water-based paint is microorganisms
growing in the paint. Microorganisms may be introduced into
your jars of paint if you add water to the jar or if you
dip wet brushes into the jar. The less exposure to air and
contaminants the longer your paint will last. With good
working habits you should have years of trouble free use.
Here are some tips that will help take care of your paint:
- Store paint in a cool dry place away
from sunlight.
- Do not allow paint to freeze.
- Keep tools and work areas clean and
dry.
- Do not leave brushes and tools soaking
in water for long periods. A damp environment will encourage
microorganisms like bacteria to grow in your brushes.
- Do not store paint mixed with water
in a jar for long periods. If you need to store pre-mixed
slurries of paint mixed with water, call us for instructions
on how best to do this.
- Occasionally there is slight separation
of the ingredients in the jar when paint is kept for years.
On its own this separation is not necessarily a problem.
Mixing is all that is required in this case.
- Consider using our 150ml and our 60ml
metal laminate tubes. These packages will provide the
longest shelf life compared to any other type of packaging
as the paint in the tube has very minimal contact with
the air or with tools and brushes.
- If you ever notice anything unusual
call our shop noting the lot number of the paint and ask
about it right away. We can help assess the problem and
provide solutions.
Once the paint is applied and dry it is
resistant to all types of deterioration. In drying the liquids
evaporate from the paint, leaving a material that no longer
has any susceptibility to problems from micro bacteria.
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Are KROMA
paints non-toxic? Are they safe for children to
use?
None of the raw materials
used to make KROMA paint are controlled or hazardous materials.
However paints, like all artists materials are chemicals,
and care should be taken to avoid ingestion or prolonged
skin contact.
For detailed information refer to our notes on health
and safety and our Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSD
sheets).
MSD
sheet for paints
MSD
sheet for dry pigment
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Which white
should I choose?
Titanium white is an opaque white with good coverage. Zinc
white is more transparent than titanium white and when blended
with other colours, allows more of their colour to be visible.
Zinc makes tints that have fuller colour and are less "pastel".
See Titanium
White and Zinc
White for examples of how they compare and for
more detailed information.
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Which black should I choose?
We make three different blacks, each pigment having different
qualities.
Mars black has medium tint strength, and medium sheen and
is a good all round black suitable for most applications.
Carbon black is good for glazing because its high tint strength
means that an even dark tone can be produced in highly diluted
mixes. Bone black is useful as a ground, because its rough
surface makes a good bond with other paint, and because
it has lower tint strength, is useful in precise work for
desaturating colours in fine increments.
See the notes on individual blacks, bone
black, carbon
black and mars
black for examples and more information.
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How can I slow the paint’s
drying time?
Temperature and humidity effect the drying time of acrylic
paints. As the acrylics dry through evaporation, they will
set more quickly in dry hot environments, and dry slower
in a humid setting. When working the amount of "open"
time can be increased by using a spray bottle to mist the
palette with water, which allows more time before the paint
dries on the palette. Some artists wet the back of their
canvas while working which keeps moisture in the under layers
as well as keeping the surface of their painting cool which
slows the drying time.
KROMA acrylics are formulated to have a slightly longer
drying time than other brands of acrylic paint. The use
of retarding mediums should not be over relied on as even
a very small amount of these modifiers can drastically alter
the chemical balance of the paint interfering with its adhesive
and film forming properties. Retarders should be used only
very sparingly. The result of adding too high a proportion
of retarder can be a gluey, sticky mess that may never dry
or form a cohesive film.
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