Lascaux artists’ Acrylic Colours are ideally suited for mixed media. They are an ideal undercoat for oils. Oil paint can be added on layers of acrylic paint. Painting over fresh dried oil paint with acrylic should be avoided, since the longer drying time of oils may cause cracking or wrinkling. Nor apply a final coat of varnish bevore the oil paint is thoroughly dry.

Lascaux Colours are well suited for airbrush. Depending on the result desired and final purpose for the finished object several ranges with water-resistant finish are available: Lascaux Artists’ Acrylic Colours, Studio Original, Sirius Acrylic Colours and Perlacryl. If water-resistance is not a prerequisite nor desired, one can choose between Aquacryl, Sirius Watercolours, Gouache and Decora. Airbrush is a demanding technique which requires the utmost care and attention to the cleanliness of tools. Nozzle size is chosen based on the desired outcome, however, it should not be any smaller than 0.15 to 0.5 mm. The right balance between pressure, nozzle opening and dilution determines the results. It is always advisable to mix a sufficient amount of paint and to have the colour readily available as remixing of a specific hue might prove difficult. We also recommend to sieve the paint to eliminate extraneous particles. Lascaux Acrylic Colours need to be diluted with water until they reach the desired consistency appropriate for spraying. Add water in small amounts and stir with a continuous motion.The paint’s consistency is determined by the size of nozzle and selected air pressure. Dilution ratio can vary between 1:1 to 1:3 paint/water. Dilution can also be achieved by mixing Lascaux Transparent Varnish and water at a ratio of 1:1 to 1:4 which results in extended work life and delays drying of the paint on the nozzle. Highly diluted colours have a tendency to settle and need to be stirred well before use.

The success, value, and durability of a painting are determined greatly by good planning. It entails the following general guidelines :

• Defining the idea in concrete terms
• determining the quality of the given or chosen support checking on need for priming or pretreatment, which depends on the quality of the support and the type of paint to be used
• selection of suitable colours and painting mediums
• choosing the painting technique
• preparing the colours ( e.g. thinning, thickening, improving adhesiveness, amount, etc. )
• deciding on a special protective final coating ( varnish, sealer )

In this planning phase there are, of course, a number of other factors to be considered: external conditions ( weather, local conditions, time allowed for completion ), proper tools, containers, installations, and accessories, etc.

The physical properties of the support and the pretreatment of the ground determine the durability and permanence of the work. Application of acrylics onto traditional supports such as canvas, cardboard and paper proves largely unproblematic due to the unique properties of this modern colour. These supports can be worked on without special preparation keeping in mind only a few basic principles about priming, acrylic colours application ( e.g. open time, retarded drying ) and painting techniques. The following information concentrates on mural paintings done on concrete and other surfaces found in buildings. These surfaces pose special problems which must be dealt with in a professional manner if the success and durability of the painting is to be ensured.

The following are some basic guidelines which should always be considered about the supports and grounds when painting with acrylics or other paint:

• never paint on alkaline grounds
• surfaces must be clean, greasefree and dry in order to ensure good adhesion for subsequent coating
• walls in wet-rooms are problematic regardless of the ground, due to environmental physics
• the wall should be firm. Old layers of paint should not crumble or flake when painted over, nor should the surface be prone to peeling or chalking. A priming coat will only stabilize the thin exterior layer without penetra- ting into deeper layers. Supports can be stabilized to some extent by first applying a penetrating sealer. However, this is impossible with surfaces that are already loose and starting to disintegrate.
• In such cases, the first step is to reestablish a sound painting surface by removing all the loose material to create an even, stable surface for filling and smoothing with plaster, cement or concrete.
• Layers of old, oily paint and varnish, which make the support too smooth, should first be roughened with a weak ammonium hydroxide solution and if necessary treated with a wash primer.
• Metal surfaces must be free of rust and grease. Ferrous metals should be primed with a matt, synthetic resin antirust coating.
• The support should always be tested for absorbency. Porous or unevenly absorbent surfaces should be sealed with diluted acrylic paint or primer. The basic rule is: the more absorbent the surface the thinner the first coat should be to ensure proper adhesion.

One of the many outstanding features of Lascaux Acrylic Colours is their ease of application. Also, depending on the technique, they can be applied directly on the raw support or on a pretreated ground. Highly absorbent fabrics need to be first sealed with Lascaux Acrylic sizing, whereas mineral supports need preparation with a primer : either water-based Lascaux Hydro-Sealer, diluted 1:4 with water, or solvent-based Lascaux Paraloid B72-10 % when bleed through of water-based products is expected as is the case with applications of lime wash and plaster. Lascaux Primer, Uni-Primer, Gesso or the White 982 of the Studio Original Colours, have good coverage particularly on canvas and are used to prepare a white ground for paintings. The primer should be diluted about 25 % with water and applied to the previously impregnated or clean surface with a brush or roller. A second layer can be applied, depending on covering power required. When the primer is applied without sizing on a support directly, it needs to be diluted at a ratio of 1:1 with water ( except when prone to bleeding ).

Most types of textiles are suited for acrylic painting. They include linen, jute, canvas, and also the synthetic fabrics such as polyester, polyamide, polypropylene, fibreglass- and monofil fabric. Raw linen, cotton and other natural textiles should be thoroughly washed in warm water prior to stretching onto stretchers to remove most of the finishing agent. The fabric may shrink as much as 5 to-10 % depending on water temperature. Afterwards the fabric is mounted onto stretchers. Highly absorbent fabrics, whether organic or synthetic, should first be impregnated with Lascaux Acrylic Sizing. To create the desired ground dilute Lascaux Primer or Gesso at a ratio of 10-25 % with water and apply in one or several coatings. Intermediate sanding is possible. For colourless priming use Lascaux Medium 2 matt diluted with approx. 25 % water. Painting directly onto unprimed and unsized canvas is possible, provided the fabric is tightly woven. Highly diluted acrylic colours, however, might bleed through to the back. Depending on the density of fabric the support may have to be sized first. Lascaux Cotton Duck Canvas 10, a 475 g/m2, 250 cm wide cotton canvas is ideally suited for direct painting, even with paint in extreme dilution.

Most linen available through art supply stores have already been primed with an acrylic or a synthetic latex resin and are generally suitable for acrylic painting. However, one needs to consider that quality levels among ready-made supports vary greatly.

Generally suited for direct application of paint without primer. If priming is desired it should be applied front and back.

Wood needs to be completely dry and dirt-free ( sanded off or washed with solvent ). To prevent warping we recommend sizing front and back sides with Lascaux Transparent Varnish 1, gloss, diluted with water at a ratio of 1:2 up to 1:3 and eliminating portruding fibres with fine-grained sandpaper. Surfaces can be painted onto after sizing or after adding an additional coat of Lascaux Primer, Gesso or Studio Original White, in each case diluted with water to 10-25 %.

Uncoated MDF supports can be painted on directly with white primer or acrylic paint. For more information on painting on coated MDF supports please see paragraph “synthetics”.

Fresh stucco should be thoroughly dry and grease-free before sizing with Lascaux Acrylic Paraloid B 72-10 % ( solvent-based sealer ). To prepare a white or coloured ground use Lascaux primers or acrylic colours.

Pure lime mortar takes a long time to set and has a strong tendency to crack. The ground should first be allowed to tho-roughly dry, then be rubbed down with a piece of wood to remove loose sand particles. The next step is to apply a single coat of sizing with Lascaux Hydro-Sealer, diluted 1:4 with water. A single coat of primer is applied by using Lascaux Primer or Lascaux Studio Original White, each diluted at least 25 % with water. See also the chapter “Fairfaced Concrete”.

Fresh fair-faced concrete must be clean and dry ( max. 2-3 % of residual moisture ) before it is suitable for painting. If a wooden formwork was used, the concrete must be cleaned with a brush or rather a pressure washer, to remove loose concrete, burrs, wood splinters and traces of formwork oil. Concrete with a very smooth surface ( especially those cast in plastic or metal formworks ) should be cleaned with special care. If necessary, perfectly smooth surfaces should be roughened with fine sandpaper. Paraloid B72-10 % or Lascaux Hydro-Sealer can be applied, diluted at a ratio of 1:4 with water, in areas with special requirements such as bathrooms or outdoors. Subsequently apply one or two coats of Uni-Primer, diluted with approx. 10 % water, or Studio Original White 982, diluted with 10-25 % water. Exterior painting on fairfaced concrete can be treated either with a fresco technique or prepared as follows: sizing with Lascaux Hydro-Sealer, diluted at a ratio of 1:4 with water and then apply one single coat of Lascaux Medium 2 matt diluted by 25 %. This treatment prepares the concrete surface without altering its matt character or colour. The sized surface is then ready to be painted with acrylic colours or gilded with Mixtion gold leaf.

Follow the same procedure as for stucco or fairfaced concrete. Painting on glazed bricks is only suitable for indoor as adhesion of paint layers proves inadequate when exposed to weather.

Follow the same procedure as for fairfaced-concrete. Always use Lascaux Uni-Primer which acts as a gripcoat for the cement.

If colour is to be applied over a painted surface, the first step is to check the condition of the old coat, particularly the adhesion and absorption. Special care must be taken with painted surfaces outdoors. Old coats with poor adhesion should be partially or completely removed. Well preserved old coats should be washed with a solution of water and a small amount of ammonium. Clean the surface well before applying the new paint. Old mineral lime paints should first be checked for chalking and absorption. Chalking coats should be washed off as above. Depending on the absorption of the support after cleaning, it should be treated with solvent based Lascaux Paraloid B 72-10 %. This should be diluted so that once dry, the priming coat does not have a glossy appearance.

Follow procedures as described for fresh or coated plaster. See paragraph “Coated Surfaces”.

Lascaux Acrylic Colours exhibit good adhesion on a variety of non-absorbent synthetics. They include acrylic glass, poly-ester, PVC, melamine resin etc. They should then be lightly sanded with abrasive paper and subsequently cleared of dust and grease with e.g. methylated spirit. For white priming we recommend Lascaux Uni-Primer, whereas for transparent priming use Medium 1, gloss. When painting mix Lascaux Acrylic Colours with Medium 1, gloss or Transparent Varnish 1, gloss at a ratio of 1:1 up to 1:2 which increases adhesion even further.

Adhesion on glass proves problematic in the case of mechanical stress. It may prove insufficient, especially when expected to withstand the exposure to water. However, Lascaux Acrylic Colours are well suited for behind glass painting due to their short drying time which allows for uninterrupted rapid working. To prepare the surface it needs to be carefully cleaned and degreased. For transparent surface treatment and priming we recommend Lascaux Medium 1, gloss.

Non-ferrous metals or alloys such as aluminium, brass, copper, as well as zinc and galvanized iron can be directly painted on with Lascaux Colours. We recommend a wet abrasive treatment with a coarse synthetic sponge before thorough cleaning and degreasing. White priming on such supports should be done with Uni-Primer thinned with 10 % water. For transparent priming use Transparent Varnish 1, gloss diluted with water at a ratio of 4:1. Acrylic paint can be mixed with Lascaux Transparent Varnish 1, gloss for more durability and even better adhesion. Ferrous metals need to be completely rust-free and coated with a matt antirust primer based on synthetic resin. For transparent priming on stainless steel use Lascaux Transparent Varnish 1, gloss diluted to a ratio of 4:1 with water. For white priming use Lascaux Uni-Primer diluted with 10 % water or a 2K-epoxy primer. Subsequently follow procedure as described above.

Check natural stones for absorbency and signs of potential crumbling. Loose particles on highly absorbent stones need to be brushed off and the stone should then be sized with Lascaux Hydro-Sealer diluted to a ratio of 1:4 with water. With natural stone it is also advisable to apply a wash primer, e.g. Lascaux Transparent Varnish 1, gloss diluted to a ratio of 1:4 with water. Afterwards natural stone can be painted with Acrylic Colours. To obtain a particularly hard paint film Lascaux Acrylic Colours can be mixed with Lascaux Transparent Varnish 1, gloss. For white undercoating use Lascaux Uni-Primer diluted with 10 % water.

It is always advisable to enhance the durability of a work and protect it from possible damage by varnishing with a sealing agent even when acrylic colours dry to a water- and weather-resistant finish. A suitable varnish effectively protects acrylics against dirt, mechanical stress, light and weathering. For indoor application Lascaux acrylic varnish will be sufficient in most cases but with strong exposure to UV rays and for outdoor applications it is recommended to seal with Lascaux Transparent Varnish UV. Moisture-sensitive paintings can be protected against wear and corrosion by spraying with Lascaux Fixative ( light protection and little change of surface ) or varnishing with Lascaux UV Protect ( homogeneous film, strong protection against mechanical stress and UV exposure, possible changes in the appearance of the surface ). If a painting ever gets damaged, we recommend getting in touch with us before trying repairs on your own or contact a restorer directly.

Once dried, Lascaux Acrylic Colours are not resoluble in water but can always be swelled in methylated spirit and other solvents. Lascaux Gouache Colours dry to a water-soluble finish. Removing paint spots from clothing is problematic as all pigments exhibit a special preference for textile fibres. However, often stains can be removed from clothing with liquid detergent applied directly by means of a compress. Hard-dried brushes can be soaked and cleaned with undiluted Lascaux Brush Cleaner first and subsequently washed with water and soap.