Welcome to The Hand Lettering Forum!
This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.

Signmaking 101: Smith's Cream - Techniques and Uses

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

Moderators: Ron Percell, Mike Jackson, Danny Baronian

Post Reply
Dan Seese
Posts: 324
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:29 pm
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Contact:

Signmaking 101: Smith's Cream - Techniques and Uses

Post by Dan Seese »

Danacolors Smiths Cream D406 works well for blending colors when painting a pictorial, a mural or just doing some decorative painting.
I use this formula Bill Hueg wrote down for me and I've found that it always works.
BLENDING CREAM (1 Quart):
Mix equal portions of
  • Boiled Lindseed Oil (1/2 pt.)
    Smith's Cream (1/2 pt.)
    1 Tbsp. Japan Dryer
    Thin with mineral spirits to a heavy stain.
Brush a coat of this solution as a base over the area you plan to paint your pictorial. It keeps it workable for several hours, depending on temperature, wind etc. You can also adjust the amount of Japan Dryer to slow or speed the drying time. I often mix this same formula into the paints I'm using. I also keep a can of it on hand and will use my fitch to pallet it with my color.
Bill uses this with artist oils but I usually just use it with lettering enamels or bulletin enamels. It stays open and blendable but then dries nicely overnight because of the Japan Dryer.
I also use it when I want to marbelize an area. You can make transparent glazes with it and blend them with a soft, dry badger-hair blending brush. I then put down some veins using a striping sword (rather than a goose feather.) While the glaze is workable I blend the veins a bit too. Really adds to the depth and the believablity of the "marble".
ON GLASS:
I've used the blending formula with similar results on glass. Apply a layer of the blending solution to the glass first. It takes some experimentation to know how long the paint will remain open so try a sample first. I will sometimes put down a base color and then "stomp" other colors through the base color with a soft fitch or a sponge. You can also apply your color and then swirl other colors into the base using your fingers (wear latex gloves.) This produces a beautiful effect but you need to be careful not to overwork it or it will turn muddy rather than having colors trail through it.

I understand that you can also use "Jones Cream" the same as Smiths Cream, but I'm not sure who the manufacturer is.
Maybe some others can add their experience to the knowledge base here.
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
Contact:

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Hi Dan....thanx a heap here....printed out Bill's formula, as supplied, as had always "intended" to take it down and never did! Sort of like Tommy's video of the "Boss". Everyone said that "someone" should video tape Rick in the shop just talking and walking arround the place...BUT he was the one who did it.
Post Reply