Fixatives for pastels

A range of auxiliaries is available for a better adhesion of the colour or to protect the work for working with pastel, charcoal, chalk and pencils. For dry types of pastels and drawing materials, these are fixatives.

Primers for oil colour

The quality of the preparation determines to a large degree the eventual durability of the work.
Paper, cardboard, wood, cotton and linen, for example, can serve as grounds for oil colour, but not without first being treated. An untreated or insufficiently prepared ground would absorb the oil from the paint and would eventually be damaged by the oil. A layer of paint must have enough oil to surround the pigments and to form a good film. Only then are the pigments sufficiently bonded and early cracks avoided. Talens Gesso Primer has all the necessary properties for a durable result.

Solvents for oil colour

Both white spirit and turpentine can be used to thin paint and clean brushes. Turpentine is often used as a thinner, partly due to the resin-like odour that many artists find pleasant. White spirit is usually used for rinsing out brushes.

Oils for oil colour

The various Talens oils serve primarily as ingredients for the artist to prepare his own mediums and paint. It is not recommended to use pure oil as a medium. A medium must never consist of more than 40% oil. This would make the paint film too fat and too sealed, making it difficult for a next layer to adhere onto it. What's more, the more oil is added, the greater the risk of wrinkling.

Mediums for oil colour

The purpose of a medium is to influence one or more properties of the paint and to make the paint suitable for a certain application. Examples include consistency, gloss, flow, drying time, transparency and durability of a paint film. As an underlying (lean) layer absorbs oil from a subsequent layer, a subsequent layer has to contain relatively more oil. Think of the rule, fat over lean.

Varnishes for oil colour

Talens varnishes give a durable protection to your oil painting.

Auxiliaries for oil colour - miscellaneous

In addition to primers, solvents, oils, mediums and varnishes, Talens also has products to decrease the drying time and for making relief grounds for oil paint.

Sanguine

The colour of the Conté à Paris "Sanguine" pencil is a deep "rust" and its lines are easily blended.
With a sharpened lead : the drawing is accurate, the colour is transparent and if the work is lightly drawn the Sanguine pencil lets the texture of the paper appear.
With a half-worn lead, the opacity increases with the pressure exerted on the pencil.
- Recommended for : nudes, its colour recalls that of the skin when highlighted using white. Blending the colour creates the shading.
- Use : Sanguine is frequently used in skteching to draw the body. For more complex work, it's advisable to use Pierre Noire to emphasise the contrast and white pencil to highlight the areas of light on the body.
- Exist in only 1 medium graduation
- Lenght 176.5 mm / Diameter 8.5 mm / Lead diameter 5 mm

Pierre Noire

The Conté à Paris "Pierre Noire" pencil is a soft lead with a black that is dense, deep, indelible and matt. It is much appreciated for its use on all types of supports : sketch pad, kraft paper, linen canvas...
- Recommended for : nudes, landscapes, laying rapid sketches.
- Use : with a sharpened lead, the drawing is lively and accurate. With a half-worn lead, the work is more spontaneous and free.
- Graduations : H, HB, B, 2B, 3B
- Lenght 176.5 mm / Diameter 8.5 mm / Lead diameter 5 mm

Graphite

The Conté à Paris "Graphite" pencil is particularly smooth. It does'nt "scratch" the paper but slides over the support.
- Recommended for : detailed and accurate work whether this involves building up a sophisticated perspective, a comic-strip character, or a perfectly constructed nude.
- Use : whether beginners or confirmed artists, users have a wide range of grades ar their disposal : the drawing is constructed using "H" or "2H" pencils, then the most contrasted values are highlighted with "B" ou "5B".
- Graduations : 3H, 2H, H, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B
- Length 175 mm / Diameter 6.9 mm / Lead diameter 3 mm

Carbon

The Conté à Paris "Carbon" pencil is derived from traditional charcoal but is stronger, and its lead does not crumble or dirty the hands. Its delicated and detailes finish enables all types of perspectives to be drawn accurately.
- Recommended for : small sketches drawn on the spot. Travel diaries.
- Use : this light and compact crayon is the perfect tool for sketch artists on the move.
- Graduations : 2H, H, HB, B, 2B, 3B
- Lenght 176.5 mm / Diameter 8.5 mm / Lead diameter 4 mm

Charcoal

The Conté à Paris "Charcoal" pencil gives a clean, dense finish of an intense black. Its specialy charcateristic is that it does not break, making it easy to transport. Its advantage is that it blends perfectly with the iron red and sepia penscils.
- Recommended for : sketching long or rapid poses.
- Use : In pencil form, charcoal produces more accurate and carrefully drawn lines than traditional charcoal and it does not dirty the hands.
- Graduations : H, HB, B, 2B
- Lenght 176.5 mm / Diameter 8.5 mm / Lead diameter 4 mm