Gradation in Color

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OLD FORUM POSTS

Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy on September 07, 2002

Any suggestions for how to paint gradations of color (as for red blending into yellow) in lettering, as with old circus signs? Book refs are okay, too.

Mike Jackson

Hi Catharine,
I can offer a couple of comments on your question. First, some of the carnival or circus lettering was not actually blended. They might have had two or three colors layered over each other to appear blended...such as a yellow, orange, and red stipe of each color in each letter. The other technique might have been to blend the colors with a broad brush or roller to create a panel of color, and then "cut in" around the lettering with a dark color--leaving the blended lettering.

Also, you might learn how to "cut and roll". With this method, you apply a layer of stencil over your panel, make a pattern, cut the letters out and remove them. Then roll the letters with a roller. At that point, you could do a multiple color roll creating a blend, or you can use an airbrush to create the blend. When the paint is dry, you can remove the stencil, leaving the blended lettering. (some people prefer to remove the stencil before the paint has completely dried).

Blending small lettering with a brush is pretty tricky. Most of the circus lettering you refer to was quite large.

Good luck,
Mike Jackson

Rick Sacks

We usually use a blending agent to slow the colors and promote the blending, whetheer doing it with brushes or rollers. We usually use Smith's Cream or boiled linseed oil. Sometimes we can lay down application tape and cut and peel the letters and then do a roller blend.

Kent Smith

I like to lay down a thin ground of Smith's cream and add boiled oil to the colors. This makes the final top blending with a fogger (yes, I still have a set of them) bleed better. Just finished a heavy stripe on a truck this way yesterday, maroon to lavendar with 6 or so gradiants and maintained a fairly good gloss too. Also added old formula Japan drier since both maroon and carmine are so bad for drying. Trucker could not believe I did it with a brush and in about an hour for both sides when he waited all day last year for someone with an airbrush to do a similar job. Hah!

Carol

But remember the problem I had with Smith's Creme on a vinyl banner.It never did dry. They finally picked it up about about 6 months and I have my fingers crossed that it doesn't return. So don't use the Smith's Creme for extending or blending on vinyl.

Kent Smith

I remember the issue Carol, but I think that would be limited to vinyl surfaces. More recent data from some sources indicates that the oils tend to seal-in the effects of the plasticizers. In order to do blending on vinyl, the surface be thoroughly sealed with and acrylic, up to 4 coats in order to tie the surface. It is also important to increase the relative percentage of drier to counteract the effects of the linseed oils and to use the freshest possible enamels. This reminds me of the oil painting classes I took at DU wherein the watch word was the use of Japan varnishes and Japan driers to be certain that the finish cures properly. This is also true when used on other backgrounds than vinyl but the vinyl banner and sheet materials seem to be the most instable with pre-finished surfaces being the most stable.