Does anyone have experience using acrylic enamels?

I haave been experimenting with them.

attached is my first try.

The second piece was an old piece that I had enammeled previously and added acrylic tube enamels on top of it with graphite pencil also

Very nice, thanks for sending.  Do you also do watercolors and, if so, which do you prefer?

 

Mary Rose

I use to do watercolors and graphic renderings so this technique appeals to me.

 

Thank you, I appreciate your input.

Mary Rose

Hi Frances
Mày iask what is temperature of kiln for arcylic enameland for how long? Thanks. Pat

Hi Mary Rose,

Acrylic enamel is also call cold enamel, but this is wrong to use the therm of enamel and it create confusion. The name of enamel is the fusion of a glass component and in France they protect it with Decree Law No. 82-223 of 25 February 1982 implementing the Act of 1 August 1905 on fraud and falsification of products or services with regard to enamel and enamelled or vitrified products.
Acrylic component use a temperature of about 120 C that cannot be compare with enamel.
Best regards,

Claude_Eric Jan. Sorry but it says and I quote: Vitrearc Acrylic Enamel GPA-22 Maroon, and then small letters Thompson Enamel P.O.Box 310 Newport KY 41072  859-291-3800  This is directly from the tube of Maroon.

I was just being as accurate as possible.  It works and Pat Liu i dropped heat to about 1420 and let it climb back to 1450.

Hi Frances,

Sorry for misenderstood you are true but the therm is a bit wrong... Here you can read the definition "pre-mixed glass colors in a water emulsion of acrylic polymer resin" for this product this is real enamel. Becaus lot of people or work shop purpose cold enamel therm and create a confusion. Sorry again
Best regards,

thanks all

Hi, I have taken a class with Anne Havel at The J.C. Campbell School and learned “a lot” about acrylic enamels. Go to the net and search Anne Havel and/or acrylic enamels.

Tony Tesone

Thank you Tony, I will check out Anne Havel.

Mary Rose

I found this article on acrylic enamels 

https://www.enamelguildnortheast.org/anne-havels-workshop/

 

Thanks Allen Green

 

Hi

I want to start painting with acrylic enamels and I want to know what are the best base coats for them? Opaque medium-fire enamels? Opals or clear enamels? Has anyone tried on liquid enamels as well? What is your experience on this?

Thank you

Hello Zaynab, when you purchase acrylic enamels you will receive printed information on how to use them.  I have used watercolor enamels and not acrylic, but I think they are pretty similar.  I learned how to use them by reading the information with the watercolors and practicing.

I got a set of enamel acrylics from TE - but didn't get any information on how to use them. I plan to experiment, but I'm trying to find references on using them via kiln fired, not torch.

 

Hi Becky,

These are the instructions my retailer sent to me to use acrylics:

"Standard enamel powder bound and dispersed in a transparent, water emulsion of acrylic polymer resin. A multi-purpose artist’s medium in brilliant colors. All colors can be intermixed. Paint thin or buttery thick using brush, palette knife, spatula etc. Dry one color, overlap with a second or third – one fire. Use in combination with water color enamels, enamel marking crayons, or 80 mesh enamel. Good silk screening potential, water clean-up. The special blends are gold and/or silver bearing.

They fire in the kiln just how you would 80 mesh enamel. We usually use a torch. If using a torch heat until dark red to glowing orange. I usually squirt a little bit of color into a paint palette and apply to an already enameled piece. I use regular paint brushes in many sizes or a dotting stylus. Make sure not to paint on too thick. Let dry completely before firing. With a torch they may flame up a little bit, then turn white, then go to a glossy finish. They can also be used as water color enamels. Just add a little bit of water with a little bit of paint, mix until they become a thin paint consistency, paint your design, dry then fire. I use a heat gun or hair dryer for faster drying."

 

-I have tried them with kiln myself and they need to be fired like 80 mesh enamel. I have used Thompson opaque enamels as the base coat so far and they worked well. I am planning to try liquids soon.

This post was edited by Zaynab Derakhshani at January 6, 2019 6:36 PM EST