Derivan matisse

Artists choosing their first acrylic paints may be mystified by the multitude of options available to them. One thing they can be certain of is that Matisse paints will provide the best initiation to acrylic painting possible. Any art teacher will confirm that poor quality paints result in a great deal of difficulty during the learning experience. With colours that are pure, brilliant and totally gorgeous, the quality of Matisse Acrylic Paints is without equal. You can be sure your finished work will maintain its brilliance because all Matisse paints are lightfast and permanent. Better still they are Australian made at the Derivan factory in the Inner West of Sydney

Once you’ve decided to buy the best and select Matisse, there are more choices to be made. How does one know whether to buy

Structure or Flow Formula? You need to give some consideration to what your needs are because there is a Matisse product to suit them.

Let’s start with Structure, which has a firm buttery consistency, thicker than that of Flow Formula. It is most suitable for artists who are looking for an impasto appearance, where their brushstrokes remain showing after the paint has dried. If you prefer a surface that looks somewhat like an oil painting, particularly if you want to sometimes paint with a painting knife, Matisse Structure is the one to choose. Nevertheless, when mixed with water, or better still, with an appropriate medium such as Matisse Spreader Medium MM8, it is also highly suitable for transparent techniques. For watercolour techniques, either Structure or Flow can be used with Matisse Surface Tension Breaker MM3.

If you prefer a smooth surface, as many photo-realist artists do, then Flow Formula is the paint for you. Or to create an authentically contemporary look with splashes, runs and dribbles, mix Flow Formula with Acrylic Painting Medium MM9. As the name suggests, Matisse Flow Formula is most suitable for the artist who requires flowing strokes, making it the acrylic paint of choice for muralists, faux finish artists, and decorative artists. Airbrush artists are able to use Flow Formula with very little dilution.

Now comes the most difficult choice of all – colour! How does one choose a small selection from the amazing range available? Matisse makes that decision easy for you too, by producing a number of sets that are great value with eight tubes of paint and two tubes of medium. Artists intending to paint diverse subject matter should select the Matisse Primary Set, available in both Structure and Flow, containing colours recommended by leading art schools to mix any colour on the spectrum. In the Structure range, artists who are more specific about subject matter can consider the sets created for Portrait, Landscape or Seascape art works. An Australian Colours set comes in both Structure and Flow. For a really inexpensive option there is a small Intro Set with four colours and one medium in both the Structure and Flow Formula.