Montana Gold Spray Paint

Montana is one of the most recognised and well-respected spray paints on the market. They have just re-launched their vast range of Montana Gold - adding new exciting colours, a bigger range of nozzle widths and new fancy packaging!

Click here to view the new nozzle sizes and full colour chart...

Montana provides a specially developed Low-Pressure-System, for maximum accuracy and professional results. The paint is a high quality acrylic lacquer with a matt finish, which is lightfast and can be applied to a variety of surfaces - including flexible surfaces.

To find out what Montana is really like to use, we asked local spray artist Readybreak (aka Matt Barton) to review them for us, and compare them to the other leading brands of spray paint on the market. Matt is a regular Chromos customer and uses Montana in his work.

'Two-tone' Stencil cut out ... before the spraying. Must require a lot of patience!

'In Dark' - 5 layers on Board, 2010



'Ol' Sushi' - on canvas, 2010

'Out of Space' on board, 2010

Here is what Readybreak has to say:

"I have used both Belton Molotow and Montana Gold in my work, and have found the main differences between the two brands are colour range and can pressure. Montana Gold has by far the biggest and most varied colour range, with more tonal shades for each colour (which is great for producing monotone multilayered stencils). Montana also has lower pressure when spraying, allowing more can control - particularly in the thickness of paint being applied. (Belton Molotow cans have a higher pressure so spray thicker and faster, which can be good for covering larger areas quickly but can get messy and be difficult to spray an even layer). Really it comes down to personal preference and what type of work you do. I do a lot of multi-layer stencil work on canvas so I really like the range of colour and the pressure control of Montana Gold. They are not the cheapest spray paint out there, but in my opinion they do offer the best quality and results for work on canvas or board. Also, Chromos often have special offers on and also do good deals on bulk buy, so its worth stocking up a few cans at a time!"

'Miles Blue' on canvas, 2010

Logan Team System Mountcutters - January 2011 special offer!

Framing can be an expensive business, whether you are framing photography or your own artwork for an exhibition, or you have a special picture you want to frame nicely and give as a gift...

If you do your own framing you will probably have noticed - as I have - how expensive (yet essential for a professional finish) the card mounts are.

So... here is the solution - cut your own mounts!

The tricky thing about cutting your own mounts is getting that lovely 45 degree angle on the cut - a small detail that makes all the difference. Logan mountcutters are specially designed to cut this angle, and enable you to produce professional, unlimited mounts to your own size and specification, for a fraction of the price it would cost to buy ready-made.

I bought a Logan Team System Mountcutter (24") myself a few months ago, as I do a lot of framing and was becoming frustrated by the amount I was spending on mounts. (I hate paying for something when I think I can do it myself!) I have found it to be an excellent purchase and well worth the money - in fact it has definately saved me money over time.

The system comes in 2 parts - the ruler and the blade. The ruler is a very sturdy, metal 24" that can also be used for general cutting. On one side it has a groove that the blade holder fits into. To cut your mount, you simply measure out the size of the hole you wish to cut, mark the mountboard on the back of the card and line up the mark you have made with the special mark on the blade. The blade is spring-mounted, so you push the blade down firmly with your thumb and run the blade along the length of the line to make the cut. Do this 4 times, one for each side of the rectangle you are cutting out, and hey presto - done!

I was a bit nervous when I first used my mountcutter, as I thought it would be quite difficult to master, but it really wasn't - in fact I was surprised how easy it was. So long as you are precise with your measurements and careful with your cuts, you should achieve perfect results. One little note - watch the corners, you may need to push the blade 1mm further than the end of your marked line to ensure your cuts meet at the corners.

RRP £54.95 but currently on offer at Chromos for £39.95! (We also sell the mountboard in a range of colours, A1, £3.55 per sheet).
Grab one while you can!
(reviewed by Lydia)

Merry Christmas to all our customers and readers!

Thank you to our lovely customer Romaine Dennistoun for this fantastic hand-drawn, humourous festive scene!

I thought this would be a fitting way to say Merry Christmas to all our customers and readers, who have helped make 2010 another successful year for Chromos. We think it is important to support local buisnesses like us, and we are very grateful for your continued custom and passion for Arts and Crafts in all its splendid diversity. We are happy to continue supplying all you talented and creative people out there with the tools for your artistic endeavours.
Hope to see you all in 2011!

Fragonard Artist's Quality Linen Canvas by Pebeo - canvas of the month!

Pebeo Artist's quality Fragonard Linen Canvas is one of the loveliest and best quality readymade canvases we supply. They are made with 340gsm 100% linen canvas fabric, stretched onto a professional quality frame - providing a very sturdy, 'weighty' product that very rarely warps or curves. The canvas is side-stapled to the frame in the traditional manner, so if left unframed these will be visible when the finished piece is hung.

The Linen canvas fabric is woven with pre-washed long fibres, which gives it its clean look and very good regularity.The Pebeo research laboratory has formulated a new type of acrylic coating, guaranteeing the stability of the canvas, good colour adhesion and total protection of the fibres. The canvases are double-primed with this coating, and can be directly painted onto without an additional layer of primer. This is a particular advantage if you prefer to work onto the lovely linen colour rather than a white surface.

At Chromos we supply these canvases in a range of 14 sizes;

- 5 square sizes:
20x20cm, 30x30cm, 40x40cm, 50x50cm and 60x60cm.

- 2 double-squares and 1 triple-square:
20x40cm, 30x60cm and 20x60cm.

- 6 traditional continental sizes of Figure 5, 6, 8 ,10, 12 & 15:

The 'figure' sizes were worked out many years ago and are traditional French standard canvas sizes. We often receive enquiries as to the actual measurements of these figure canvas dimensions.... So here they are:

Fig. 5 - 35 x 27 cm
Fig. 6 - 41 x 33 cm
Fig. 8 - 46 x 38 cm
Fig. 10 - 55 x 46 cm
Fig. 12 - 61 x 50 cm
Fig. 15 - 65 x 54 cm

Final verdict? Fragonard is definitely worth the extra expense if you are looking for a great, superior canvas upon which to create your masterpiece!

See our previous blog on Pebeo 3D Linen canvas if you are looking for a deep-edge quality linen readmade canvas.

Chromos is on the Channel 4 website!

Check us out... We have recently found out that we are featured on the Channel 4 website, in the Craft Suppliers Directory - 4th no less!

Onwards and upwards...

Just a little extra note - we do actually supply a lot more than just PVA Glue and Varnish, and we can in fact supply you with materials for all the activities mentioned on the directory list (namely: decoupage, Guilding, Glass Painting, Paint effects, Papercrafts and Craftmaking, Printing and Stencilling... not to mention our friendly, helpful and sometimes quite knowledgeable staff!)

Hampshire Artist - Dallas Maughan

Moody Blues

Minstead

Stephanie I

Blueberry Hill

We are delighted to introduce the work of Dallas Maughan - one of our lovely Chromos customers - who was kind enough to get in touch recently and show us some of her beautiful and unique works of art.

Dallas descirbes her work as 'paper-fusion', and uses collage to combine and bring together various papers, beads and other media. She then mounts the final work onto canvas or paper.

We love her delicate, intricate and vibrant designs.

Thank you for sharing Dallas!

STUDENTS! Sale! 20% off everything for one night only, 6-9pm Tues 30th November 2010

STUDENTS! There is a 20% sale on at Chromos for ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Come and grab a last minute bargain from 6 till 9 pm on Tuesday 30th November. Stock up on everything you will need to complete your projects, make that one big purchase you need for your course but have not bought yet because it is too expensive, or simply come and grab some Christmas pressies and get creative with home-made craft goodies!


Also, be there early and receive a free goodie bag full of even more excellent art stuff!
Hope to see you there....

Chromos SALE! 20% off EVERYTHING for 2 days only

As you can see from our fabulous poster, Chromos is having a mad bonanza SALE!! 20% off everything for 2 days only, Friday 12th and Saterday 13th November 9am - 6pm.

Come and visit our shop to pick up a bargain before christmas... there are lots of lovely gift ideas, from crafty items like candle-making kits and kids stuff, to beautiful box sets of scrumtious oil, acrylic and watercolour paints, pastels and pencils... Also lots of d.i.y ideas, like make your own cards, jewellery, glass and silk painting, decopage... (the list is almost endless!) OR you could knock up a beautiful piece of artwork for that someone special, whilst there is still time to prepare!

Here is a map of our shop location, (made by Hand Drawn Maps) just behind the Abode Hotel, off the High Street:



Don't miss out on your chance to buy quality art materials for great, low prices... We are standing by the tills in readiness for the crowds, and hope to see you there!

Daler-Rowney PREMIUM - Canvas of the Month!

Available in Standard Edge or Deep Edge (3D - 3.7cm depth)

Back-stapled to allow side painting if required

Wedges provided to adjust tension in the traditional manner, if needed

Close-up of canvas texture

Daler Rowney Premium Canvas is one of our Artists' quality canvases, comparable to the Windsor & Newton canvas in terms of quality, and at the top end of our range.

These canvases have been triple-primed with an acrylic primer, so are ready to paint onto. Premium Canvases are perfect for Oil or Acrylic paint, and designed to prevent seepage through the back. They have a medium-fine texture, suitable for fine detail work or heavy texture.

Chromos offers great discounts for bulk buy of this particular canvas, you can visit our website for prices and bargains!

Canterbury Art Fair

Check out the Creek Creative Art & Craft Fair in Faversham from 15th November - part of the Canterbury Art Fair 2010. There will be some stunning, contemporary and affordable art on show, including work by various artists from Shed Space, who debuted at Lounge on the Farm earlier this year... Definitely worth a visit!

visit Kent Art Space or Canterbury Art Fair for more information.

Facebook Announcement

Avid readers, it has been a while since we added a blog - we have been busy with all the students returning to Canterbury - but we are still here, and now we are well and truly au fait with the world of techno-communications, having just joined facebook!

Find us on facebook to find out about art announcements, discounts and sales events, local exhibitions and more. Tell us your art news and send us your pictures, and please feel free to 'share' and introduce us to all your 'arty' friends who might be interested

Come and be our friend! (we are 'Chromos Art')

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1647273206

Canvas of the Month! - PEBEO LINEN 3D

Continuing our mission to become the leading resource for stretched canvas, and aiming to supply as many artists with the facts about canvas (and the canvas itself!) - this month Chromos is launching a new feature - 'Canvas of the Month'. We decided to start with a bit of luxury - the Pebeo Linen 3D range.

This is a deep edge, or 'box' canvas (Depth 3.5cm approx). It is made from 100% Linen with a fine grain surface, and is coated with two layers of clear acrylic primer to give good adhesion to paint and total protection of the fibres. You can paint directly onto the surface or prime it with an oil or acrylic primer. These canvases are available in a range of square and double-, triple- and quadruple-square formats. Many of you may also be pleased to hear that they are manufactured close-to-home in France, and there is a high level of quality control.

The Pebeo Linen 3D canvas has been reviewed by our very own expert painter and artist in residence - Jane Ford

(for more information on Jane and her artwork, please visit previous blog post: http://ukartsupplies.blogspot.com/2010/05/meet-chromos-team-jane-ford.html)

back of canvas - back stapled - wedges provided

close-up of linen texture

close-up of linen weave (light shining through fabric)

Jane Says:

" This stretched canvas is excellent for the discerning and experienced painter, and is reccomended for special work.

I have only ever used this canvas primed (using Roberson Gesso primer) as I need a white surface to wok on. Therefore I could not say how it performs when unprimed... However, they are already sized so if you want to eliminate the scary 'blank white canvas' or want to see the natural linen surface coming through, you can paint directly onto the canvas without priming it first.

This canvas has a nice, subtle surface to paint on - it is fine textured which is good for fine painting and detail work. As it is a deep edge frame, and is back-stapled (as opposed to side-stapled) you can also paint on the sides of the canvas to create a more '3-dimensional' painting if you wish.

In my experience the Pebeo canvases don't warp - I have never had any problems with them - and once a painting is finished the wedges work really well to help keeo the canvas stretched. All in all I think these are my favourite canvas to work on."

You can find the Pebeo Linen 3D canvas at our Chromos Art Online Shop, just follow the link below:

http://www.chromosart.co.uk/catalog/pebeo-natural-linen-canvas-p-6045.html

Find out more about Pebeo's range of canvases here:

http://www.pebeo.com/us/index.htm

Crafts - the 'Big Bite'

As a crafter, I often use eyelets when card-making & scrapbooking, so you can imagine my joy when I saw the Big Bite from Crop-A-Dile! No more bashing the eyelets with a hammer (often disturbing the neighbours) or fiddling around with silent setters only to find one of the ends has gone missing... The Big Bite allows you to accurately (and quietly!) set eyelets wherever you like on your project.



It looks like a bit of a contraption but don't be afraid, it's really quite easy to use. You just adjust the little black cubes at the front according to what size eyelets you're using, then pull down on the orange handle, et voila! No messy backs or sharp edges.



The Big Bite can also be used to set gromlets, which you can attach to papercrafts, clothes, bags, cushions and more... Perfect for customising! You're not limited to paper crafts either as the Big Bite will go through most surfaces, fabrics, plastic, thin tin, wood, and much more.


Happy crafting!

Reviewed by Leanne, one of our expert crafty ladies! To find out more about this product and more crafty products, follow this link: http://www.weronthenet.com/craftingtools

Tips and Techniques - Gesso Recipe

As promised, following my blog post about Rod Mcintosh ...
(which you can view here:
http://ukartsupplies.blogspot.com/2010/05/kent-artists-dawlton-barn.html)

... here is a reliable gesso recipe, for those of you who are interested in having a go... !

What is Gesso? - - Gesso is a chalk-based, highly absorbent painting surface, traditionally used as a ground for egg tempera painting. It tends to be found on old paintings made in Italy and Northern Europe, but is still used today in contemporary painting and remains a popular surface for egg tempera as well as other media.

There are many variatons of the basic gesso recipe, but it always consists of a combination of animal skin glue and a type of chalk. The most popular (and easiest to source from good art shops like ours!) are Rabbit Skin glue and whiting chalk (calcium carbonate).

Rabbit Skin Glue - - Can be bought either as a dry grainy powder, or ready-hydrated in a thick, jelly-like substance. If it is in powder form, place the required amount of powder into a clean glass vessel. Add cold water slowly (standard ratio is 1 part glue to 15 parts water). Stir, so that all the glue is covered and wet. Leave this mixture to stand for at least 30 minutes, stirring once or twice (if the glue is left unstirred it tends to clump together). After 30 minutes the glue will have swollen to form a mushy paste.

Tip for artists making their own stetchers - - Rabbit skin glue can be used as a size all on it's own. It is great for canvas if you want to prime the surface but retain the unprimed colour of the cloth. It also stretches the canvas nice and tight over the stretcher.

To turn the Rabbit skin glue into a usable solution, it must be gently heated through. The best way to do this is to sit the vessel in a bowl of boiling water. (And keep replacing with new hot water to keep the temperature up!) However, if the glue is over-heated, it will loose some of its water content and consequently will become stronger and stronger. (this could cause problems if there is a discrepancy of glue strength between different layers on the same panel, and could lead to warping).

Making Gesso - - chalk (or gypsum) 1 part : 1 part liquid (animal skin) glue
Always add the chalk to the glue, not the other way round. Spoon the chalk into the liquid glue slowly and allow it to fall beneath the surface, gradually absorbing into the glue by its own gravity. Try to avoid stirring as this will cause unwanted air bubbles. Once you have added the chalk to the glue, leave it for 15-20 minutes and allow it to settle on the bottom of the vessel. Don't worry if the glue cools and forms a jelly during this process - it can always be re-heated again in a water-bath. When ready to use, stir very slowly (again, try to avoid air bubbles). The gesso should have the consistency of single cream - if it is too thick simply dilute with some luke-warm water and stir slowly before using.

Preparing the surface - - A first 'grip' coat is generally applied to the panel surface, (this coat should consist mainly of glue) followed by 4 to 10 coats of gesso. Allow each coat to dry before applying the next. To avoid slight brush marks you can use a fine sandpaper to sand down each layer, ensuring an ultra-smooth finish.

As well as a perfect surface for egg tempera, gesso can also be used to try out more experimental techniques with other materials, and can be sanded down to remove or distort the image. It is a beautiful, traditional technique that has stood the test of time and I am sure it will continue to be a preferred surface for artists to paint on for many years to come.

(Information taken from 'The Artist's Handbook' by Pip Seymour ISBN 0-572-02866-0)

Meet the team - Angela Malone

A staff member since Chromos's early days - way back in '94 - Ange has been here since the beginning. This year she has been busy completing her BA (hons) Fine Art degree at UCA, (University for the Creative Arts) Canterbury. In addition, she has also just won a prestigious prize - the Thomas Fattorini prize as part of the British Art Medal Society's annual competition for students - for her winning medal entry based on Samurai Warriors.

'Mind no mind' modern side

'Mind no mind' ancient side

The work features two Samurai figures against a tree-shaped background. One side of the medallion features an ancient, battle-ready warrior wearing detailed traditional dress, and on the reverse side there is a figure of a modern day practitioner, representing the daily practice wear of the Samurai.

The tree references continuity, knowledge and the passage of time. The upper edge of the tree has been shaped and polished to represent the traditional 'hamon' (tempered edge) of the Samurai weponry.

Angela's medallion will displayed on show at the British Museum from the 7th June until the 12th July.

Read more on the UCA website:

http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/index.cfm?articleid=28155

or on the Fattorini website:

http://www.fattorini.co.uk/BAMS_Student_Medals.aspx

Angela also has work showing in the current exhibition at the Chapter House, Canterbury, running from 23rd till 30th June.

Well Done Ange - We are all very proud of you!!

Mad about Canvas!

It's June already, so to celebrate I thought I would tell you all about our excellent value canvases! Perhaps you are lucky enough to have a well heated/air conditioned/well lit art studio to work in, but for most of us it's a case of finding an empty corner somewhere or a dusty garage space, and cramming yourself in there whenever you can in order to make a bit of work! What better way to use the warm weather and long daylight hours of natural light than to make some paintings!

For more information about painting surfaces I found a great and informative page on Winsor & Newton's website:
http://www.winsornewton.com/products.aspx?PageID=121
Canvas is a popular, well tried and tested painting surface, mainly used for Oil or Acrylic paints (which can be either thinned down, straight out of the tube or heavy texured impasto). However, canvas is very versitile, and I have seen canvas with pencil work, stencil, collage, sewn and ripped canvas, and even elephant dung hung on gallery walls!

At Chromos, we have big ambitions... We aim to become the UK's largest canvas supplier and best priced supplier by the end of the year (if we are not already!) We have a HUGE range of ready stretched canvas available in all shapes and sizes, from deep edge or narrow, student to artist quality, triple primed cotton duck or linen... the choice is endless! And if you prefer to make your own stretchers, we also have Cotton Duck 12oz, Calico (a thinner, cheaper canvas) and Linen available by the metre, as well as all the little extras such as canvas pliers etc.... Just click the link to go directly to our online shop:

http://www.chromosart.co.uk/catalog/-c-33.html

Don't forget to send us some pictures of your finished masterpieces... Happy painting!

Kent Artists - Phil Lightman

Local artist Phil Lightman has kindly sent us some pictures of his recent paintings - all done using watercolour and gouache on watercolour paper.

"The Jaguar was my Dad’s one and the little boy is me, standing by my mum with my Dad checking the dipstick. The car was actually white, but I thought maroon would make the painting brighter..."
I particularly like the painting of the Jaguar, and think that it was a good idea to take a bit of creative licence and make the car maroon - it works well! What a great idea to go back and look through old photos as inspiration for new artwork.

Phil does take commissions so if you are interested please enquire through us at Chromos!

Life Drawing in Margate - Roy Eastland - 19th June 2010

Local Artist Roy Eastland is holding a one-day Life Drawing class on Saturday 19th June, 10 - 4pm. Don't miss out!

Roy is very good at what he does, and I wanted to tell you all about him and this fantastic opportunity to learn from him through his classes, as I really love his work. Amongst his successes so far, he has shown work in the BP Portrait award at the National Portrait Gallery, London, and the Jerwood Drawing Prize. One of his regular galleries, Caxton Contemporary in Whitstable, has some more information available to view: http://www.caxtoncontemporary.co.uk/artists/roy_eastland.php

You can sign up to his one-day class at any Kent Adult Education Office: www.kentadulteducation.co.uk (course code 4161 MAR 09 B) or by phoning 0845 605606

Only £25!

See you there!

Roberson & Co - Glaze Medium

Product Review by John W (our resident fountain of knowledge on all things related to painting!)

- Glaze Medium is very effective for 'realist' styles of painting. Essentially, it is a fast drying (overnight), clear varnish, to which oil paint is added in order to make a glaze. (It is not used on its own).

- A little paint, added to the glaze medium and brushed over a passage of painting, will tint the background colour, whilst still allowing the background to show through clearly.

- Glazes can be built up, layer after layer, over a fairly monochromatic ground to achieve an 'Old Master' finish, which allows light to refract through the layers to the white ground and back.

- This would have been the technique as used by Van Eyck, Leonardo and countless painters from the 16th century onwards.

- Alternatively, glazes can be used over thicker impastoed paint to subtly change the colour values. For instance, to deepen and add life to shadows, or to vary the colour around highlights and half-tones. This would have been the way glazes were used by Rembrandt, Titan and Caravaggio.

'Conversion of St. Paul' - Caravaggio - 1600 (approx.)

- Oil glazes are best carried out with transparent (non-opaque) oil colours, and really are a versatile way to add another dimension to a painting.

- Glaze medium is available in a Matt or Gloss finish, and is sold at Chromos in 60ml, 250ml, 500ml or 1 litre bottles.

Glaze medium is also a well-known favourite with many contemporary painters and translates well to modern styles of painting, for examlpe one of my personal favourites, Justin Mortimer: http://justinmortimer.co.uk/Portraits.htm
Please send us YOUR photos of your own work done using this product, and we will post it up here....

Meet the Chromos Team! Jane Ford

Jane works part-time in our Chromos shop in Canterbury. The rest of her time is spent working hard in her studio creating wonderful paintings for her two regular galleries - Galeria San Maurizio, Venice, and the Val Gould Gallery, Sandwich, Kent - as well as new work for various upcoming exhibitions throughout the year.
Jane was born in Staffordshire and studied fine art at the Newcastle, Longton and Stoke Schools of Art.
The folloing two paintings are from a new series of work, titled 'Big Apple Dreaming'. Images of New York as reflected in Skyscrapers. All are oil colour on canvas.

Series on British Wildlife. Charcoal images of the more mysterious of our wildlife.

Venetian portraits in the old Venetian style of paintings. These are what Jane is really well known for:

Upcoming shows:
May:
- The Opus Gallery Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Venetain Portraits - Hares.
- Pilgrims Way Artists Lenham, Kent. Big Apple Dreaming Series.

June:

- Untitled Gallery Art fair Chelsea Town Hall, London. Big Apple Dreaming Series.

Sept:

- The Blackheath Gallery Blackheath, London. Venetian Portraits.

- Brighton Art Fair Big Apple Dreaming Series.

Nov:

- The Blackheath Gallery Blackheath, London. Hares.

To find out more about Jane Ford and her work please visit her site: www.janefordart.com
Well done Jane - how do you manage to find the time to fit everything in, thats what I am wondering!

Next time we hear from Jane I will make sure I ask her more about her techniques and the materials she uses.