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Much easier to go to the huge, 2 story art store in Guad called Lumex that has everything you could want.  It is 3-4 blocks from the cathedral in Centro. Look it up in Google.  You can take a bus from the Chapala bus station on Miguel Martinez that goes to the central Guad bus station.  Then you take a taxi to Lumen if the driver knows the place or to the cathedral.

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34 minutes ago, conejorapido said:

I think you mean Lumen

Careful buying brushes with mink or Kalinsky sable. They are often confiscated. A neighbor bought a whole bunch of them, from a U.S. Customs seizure auction! I would import dry pigments and learn how to mix your own paints. It is easy and very economical.

http://shop.kremerpigments.com/en/

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Lumen in Guadalajara carries a huge variety of art supplies.  The others, no so much.

I've used the "mule" people to get some supplies from the states not available here. 

For Art Supply catalogs, some will and some won't ship to Mexico when you order.  "Cheap Joe's" will ship, last time I looked.

For direct shipping, the item cannot be flammable, which eliminates some painting mediums and paints.

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21 hours ago, gringal said:

Lumen in Guadalajara carries a huge variety of art supplies.  The others, no so much.

I've used the "mule" people to get some supplies from the states not available here. 

For Art Supply catalogs, some will and some won't ship to Mexico when you order.  "Cheap Joe's" will ship, last time I looked.

For direct shipping, the item cannot be flammable, which eliminates some painting mediums and paints.

Thank you for this information. Do you know how I can reach the "mule" people? Lumen's does not carry what I am looking for.

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8 minutes ago, justsayin said:

Thank you for this information. Do you know how I can reach the "mule" people? Lumen's does not carry what I am looking for.

Have you tried getting direct shipping from the catalog?  Much less expensive that way.  I'll contact the person I do joint orders with and get the "mule" person's number to pass on to you.

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2 hours ago, justsayin said:

Thank you for this information. Do you know how I can reach the "mule" people? Lumen's does not carry what I am looking for.

What exactly are you looking for? Maybe I can be your supplier. I have hundreds of raw pigments. If you went to the Kremer site, and noticed the instructions for water glass based paint (also called Keims Mineral Paint in commercial production, this stuff is amazing, stands up to outside conditions, breathable, and with the right pigments (which I mostly have) can withstand up to 1,000 degrees centigrade upon firing.

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You took the words right out of my mouth Chillin. I was going to suggest stating what he/she was looking for. Somebody, somewhere here just might have it and no longer need/want it.

I gave away all my stained glass equipment. Been toting it around Mexico for over 20 years and rarely used it anymore.

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6 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

What exactly are you looking for? Maybe I can be your supplier. I have hundreds of raw pigments. If you went to the Kremer site, and noticed the instructions for water glass based paint (also called Keims Mineral Paint in commercial production, this stuff is amazing, stands up to outside conditions, breathable, and with the right pigments (which I mostly have) can withstand up to 1,000 degrees centigrade upon firing.

I am looking for bottles of Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain in several colors. If anyone has any I would love to buy them from you!

 

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I use Novacolor paints which I buy from the distributor in the states.  Hugh Roberts brings them down for me.  He can be reached at zippmypackages.com.  He pays all the duties at the border and you are obligated for that along with his fee.  I try to wait to put in an order until I have a dozen or so jars.  Gringal uses the same paints and we combine orders.  Big stuff: No problem.  Hugh brought down an 85 lb. easel for me last year.

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Distressing techniques are very easy. If you want to spray them, they have to be very fine, and you have to use what is called a muller for that. There are also air driven atomisers for spatter effects - here is one $3.79. This is an early piece of mine, learning true fresco, it has no carrier other than water, on limeplaster and marble dust. The pigments absorb into the surface like transparent water color. It will never fade in the sun, and can go outside, best protected from heavy rains. This is an illustration from a William Blake poem.lilytrumpet.thumb.jpg.a34c71bb224806d007dc576aae711621.jpg

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On 6/24/2018 at 9:00 AM, gwynne said:

I use Novacolor paints which I buy from the distributor in the states.  Hugh Roberts brings them down for me.  He can be reached at zippmypackages.com.  He pays all the duties at the border and you are obligated for that along with his fee.  I try to wait to put in an order until I have a dozen or so jars.  Gringal uses the same paints and we combine orders.  Big stuff: No problem.  Hugh brought down an 85 lb. easel for me last year.

Thank you! I will check out the web address. I appreciate your help.

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  • 4 months later...
On 6/24/2018 at 9:00 AM, gwynne said:

I use Novacolor paints which I buy from the distributor in the states.  Hugh Roberts brings them down for me.  He can be reached at zippmypackages.com.  He pays all the duties at the border and you are obligated for that along with his fee.  I try to wait to put in an order until I have a dozen or so jars.  Gringal uses the same paints and we combine orders.  Big stuff: No problem.  Hugh brought down an 85 lb. easel for me last year.

Are you still using Hugh Roberts as your "mule" for Novacolor paints? I need to stock up on acrylic paint, mediums, you-name-it! 

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I use Utrecht Art house brand.  Good stuff.  Liquin and turps will not pass customs.  Nothing vaguely flammable.  Use the messenger shipment method, the standard method winds up in the Mex Post office to an unknown fate.  I get delivery at my door.  I have also ordered powdered pigments to use with egg tempera.  Anything past 1 lb. triggers Mexican customs since they think you are an importer.  Oil whites tend to dry dull but you can safely use egg yolk tempera on top of oil and oil on top of tempera.  Tempera dries instantly but needs 2 days for full strength,  it will not peel off.

I only import the cad yellows and orange.  Maybe alaz crimson.  Napthol red is intense and lasts forever.  For all other colors I use the local ATL brand which is much cheaper.  Efrem Gonzales and the small shop close to the Salvadors theatre carries ATL.

I paint on Masonite which the lumberyard cuts to preferred sizes.  I use vinyl white house paint to prime since the acylic gesso remains too absorbent and has large particles that need to be sanded.  Under a microscope gesso has pits that absorb the paint into the substrate.

Had trouble with fine lines in oil.  Bought a couple of pinstriping brushes and tied them to a chopstick.  The amount of body hair allows loading of enough paint whereas riggers are too soft and the paint peters out.  For really fine lines egg yolk tempera in somewhat wet oil works good since the water content keeps the line from spreading.

For impasto I add either powdered chalk or talcum to oil paint.  Saturation is not noticeably affected.  The local marble dust is too coarse but can be used.

Best palette material I have found is freezer paper which Superlake has at times.   Will not absorb and can be thrown away.  Also the cheap plastic coated paper plates are good.  The super cheap paper napkins are good for wipes and can be discarded.  Jara's carries agua ras which is Mex equivalent to US paint thinner.  Mex paint thinner contains acetone that kills brushes and leaves you high.

 

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46 minutes ago, gringal said:

My old instructor in using archival materials and methods just turned over in his grave.

😎

A classicist huh? Since this thread has evolved into art and technique, here is one of the very few songs about art, composed as an Andy Warhol tribute by two former Velvet Underground members.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzwY7fcdg8w
Quote

The trouble with a classicist
He looks at a tree
That's all he sees, he paints a tree
The trouble with a classicist
He looks at the sky
He doesn't ask why, he just paints the sky

The trouble with an impressionist
He looks at a log, he doesn't know who he is standing staring at this log
And surrealist memories are too amorphous and proud
While those downtown macho painters are just alcoholic

That's the trouble with impressionists
That's the trouble with impressionists
That's the trouble with impressionists
That's the trouble with impressionists

The trouble with personalities, they're too wrapped up in style
It's too personal, they're in love with their own guile
They're like illegal aliens, trying to make a buck
They're driving gypsy cabs but they're thinking like a truck

That's the trouble with personalities
That's the trouble with personalities
That's the trouble with personalities
That's the trouble with personalities

I like the druggy downtown kids who spraypaint walls and trains
I like their lack of training, their primitive technique
I think sometimes it hurts you when you stay too long in school
I think sometimes it hurts you when you're afraid to be called a fool

That's the trouble with classicists
That's the trouble with classicists
That's the trouble with classicists
That's the trouble with classicists

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2 minutes ago, CHILLIN said:

A classicist huh? Since this thread has evolved into art and technique, here is one of the very few songs about art, composed as an Andy Warhol tribute by two former Velvet Underground members.

 

May you someday buy a house or car built in the spirit of that song.😁

If you mean creating art work  that will last as long as the buyer does ? What a concept !!  🙄

 

 

 

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My old instructor in using archival materials and methods just turned over in his grave.

******************************************

On the contrary, egg tempera predates oil by several centuries.  There are egg tempera paintings in fine shape from the 14th. century.

The intricate jewelry on old masters portraits was done in egg tempera on an oil foundation.  Egg yolk is an emulsifier that accepts both water and oil.  By adding linseed to the yolk/water mixture and adjusting the water/oil ratio one can extend drying time and do some blending.  An equilibrium can be reached where the mixture is soluble in either water or oil.

The water soluble oil paints offered by big name manufacturers aren't rocket science but a reversion to a method that fell into disuse.  When I see some old masterpieces I give homage to an unknown chicken that made it all possible.

 

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26 minutes ago, bajandy said:

My old instructor in using archival materials and methods just turned over in his grave.

******************************************

On the contrary, egg tempera predates oil by several centuries.  There are egg tempera paintings in fine shape from the 14th. century.

The intricate jewelry on old masters portraits was done in egg tempera on an oil foundation.  Egg yolk is an emulsifier that accepts both water and oil.  By adding linseed to the yolk/water mixture and adjusting the water/oil ratio one can extend drying time and do some blending.  An equilibrium can be reached where the mixture is soluble in either water or oil.

The water soluble oil paints offered by big name manufacturers aren't rocket science but a reversion to a method that fell into disuse.  When I see some old masterpieces I give homage to an unknown chicken that made it all possible.

 

I was referring more to matters like the house paint on masonite (hopefully, the light brown acid free type) and this one:

"For impasto I add either powdered chalk or talcum to oil paint."

I also wonder about the "fat over lean" aspect of the method, or maybe I didn't understand your explanation well enough.

But......if this all works for you,  enjoy.  As Chillin implied, Classicists miss the point of it all. He may be right.  :)

I don't imagine that this discussion is of much interest in to the general web audience and we should end about now? Okay?

 

 

 

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44 minutes ago, hilobarbie said:

Well,  I was enjoying the discussion and methods.  Don't assume we all are bored.

Come to the ASA meeting tomorrow and you'll find lots of people willing to discuss this sort of thing !  Some, (including yours truly) are art teachers and enjoy it.  You don't need to be an artist and attendance is free.

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