Longevity Of The Paintings

 

One of the main goals of the artist Yordan Kondov is to create paintings that could last for centuries. For this reason he developed a series of techniques that can ensure the long life of all paintings he creates. There are plenty of factors that play a key role in maintaining a piece of art in a good condition. Everything starts with the way a painting was created.

The Canvas

Kondov uses cotton based canvases that are more coarse. This approach provides better adhesion for the acrylic paint. It is not as demanding as oil based paints  but still prefers rough surfaces to which the polymers can stick to. This is the reason the artist does not use pre primed canvases because many of them are too smooth and could not give the so-called “tooth” that is essential when it comes to prevention of any deterioration. 

It is true that smoother surfaces provide better ability for blending colors. It is also true that such canvases help artists make longer and faster brush strokes. Nevertheless when it comes to longevity of a painting (oil or acrylic) the coarser the canvas the better adhesion we can expect. Such surfaces create many difficulties which Kondov learned to overcome with brush techniques and carefully selected sets of brushes.

Another argument against the usage of ready made canvases is the fact that companies have no obligation to share their fabrication methods. Naturally they are secret so an artist could never fully trust such a product. We can never be sure about the chemical composition primer and its quality and durability. Most businesses tend to use cheaper materials to achieve higher profits and no consumer is able to control this process.

The Primer

This is the next crucial step when it comes to creating a painting that could last for centuries. Kondov uses high quality Dutch acrylic based primer which ensures the long life of each of the paintings the artist creates. He applies multiple thin and even layers of primer (ground). It is water based and the application of thicker layers creates moist pockets. In theory acrylic materials are water resistant but water has the ability to soften the paint.

Such moist and soft spots on the canvas create weak places in the painting which are prone to deterioration over time. It is impossible to determine when such problems will manifest themselves. It could be between five days and fifty years. One thing is clear - such painting will not be able to last centuries in good condition. To Yordan Kondov such risk is unacceptable and he always makes everything possible to ensure the longevity of his artwork.

A layer of primer should be dry and cured. Dry means to not stain when touched. Cured means that the layer is dry in its inner surface as well. If the primer is cured it will not smell at all. This is a very effective way to understand when the canvas is ready for the next coat of ground. 

The Paint

It is needless to say that the quality of the acrylic paint is of huge importance. Kondov prefers Liquitex. Their quality is really extraordinary but the color palette the company offers does not include all the pigments the artist prefers. Because of that Yordan also uses acrylic products of Royal Talens and a local manufacturer. These paints possess high amounts of pigment and less water.

The Pigments 

It is easy to say that every artist needs high quality pigments. They are pretty much standardized chemical compounds produced by large factories around the globe. Different paint brands could use the same pigments produced by the same companies. It is important to know the nature of every pigment. Some possess longer life and some shorter. The pigments with a short lifespan are called fugitive colors. Yordan always avoids them for obvious reasons. Fluorescent colors are famous for their fading over time but there are others that should also be avoided.

Kondov uses high staining and lightfast pigments in all of his paintings to ensure the longevity of his artwork.  Among his favorite colors are Phthalocyanine blue (PB15:1 , PB15:2) and Chlorine Brominated Phthalocyanine (PG36)

It was invented less than a hundred years ago but manufacturers claim it can stay unchanged for two centuries in museum conditions. Among Yordan's  other favorite pigments are Pyrrol Orange (PO73), Primary magenta, Rose Magenta, Bismuth Yellow (PY184G) and UltraMarine Violet (PV15).

All of these pigments are proven to be excellent and very lightfast and highly staining. Kondov chose these colors because of their appearance and longevity.

Brush Techniques

Acrylics are water soluble and because of that too many artists allow themselves to add water to the paint. In theory there is nothing wrong with this approach. The problem occurs when we seek longevity of our artwork. Acrylic polymers could be considered as a type of glue that has to stick to the canvas. What happens when you dilute an adhesive with water - you have less adhesion.

The polymers cannot form a coherent film and the result is a shorter lifespan of the painting. The tricky part is that even with excessive amounts of water the painting could last for many years. 

Nevertheless Kondov believes when it comes to paintings the goals must be much higher. 20 or 30 years is nothing for a work of art.

Because of that Yordan never uses water or retarders in his paints. This way is much harder to blend colors because acrylics dry very fast. Nevertheless the artist managed to develop brush techniques that could allow the desired look of his artwork without sacrificing longevity.  

The brush choice is what allows Kondov to create soft edges without diluting the paints with water. Yordan prefers white taklon brushes because of their versatility and ability to hold a lot of paint without losing the shape of the brush itself. The artist is able to create hard and soft edges with only one dip in the paint. Removing what is left of the paint is done on a dry sheet of paper so again - no use of water.