My New Obsession---Pēbēo Paints

About two years ago, I decided to try to paint with oil paints. The alcohol inks that create the patterns that I love to make are becoming more difficult to find. I needed to branch out. 

I have always liked a challenge, but I also like to work with art materials that by their very nature create interesting effects. This is not usually a desired characteristic if working in realism as one may be fighting what the paints want to do and what they were made to do. However, I work mainly in abstraction so these types of paints enhance or provide more possibilities.

After painting with several brands of oil paints, I ran across Pēbēo paints and was hooked. The paints, Vitrail, Prisme, and Moon, out of the bottles create three unique patterns without mixing with other paints, thinners, or solvents. 

The Prisme™ paints create a honeycomb effect. The Moon paints create a marbled or hammered effect. The Vitrail mimics glass. When these are combined, there are many variations of effects or patterns possible.

I have not taken any classes working with Pēbēo paints, but I love experimenting to discover my own style and techniques and possible patterns.

Right away, the primary disadvantage that I discovered was that the paints tend to dry out when 1/3 to 1/4 of the bottle is left and it turns to a thick gunk. The Prisme line appears to be the one that has this problem most often although the Moon line occasionally gets too thick as well. When so thick, the paints lose their ability to make the effects that they were created to make, and worst of all if too hardened, one must throw them out. 

Two weeks ago, I decided that I must find a solvent that would save this last 1/3 to 1/4 bottle of paints. After testing seven different solvents and some thinners, I found one that works!  I have tested this over and over with the Prisme paints, and it has worked every time for me.

This magical thinner is Winsor Newton Sansodor™. Although this is technically mineral spirits (according to my research), I tested three other mineral spirits and could not get them to mix into the paint well and so the effects would not develop once they were added. One of the mineral spirits would not mix in at all and one could pour it off with none of the color of the paint mixing in.

I use a dedicated eye dropper and drop in only the amount that I think makes the paint about the same consistency as a new bottle and mix it well. I suggest dropping a few drops in when bottle is down to 1/4 remaining if not painting soon so it will not harden in the bottle before you get to paint again. 

The viscosity and the applied thickness of the paint determines the size of the honeycomb pattern of the Prisme. I found that I could make a pattern much larger than what is ordinarily created by varying the amount of the Sansodor™.  The Prisme remained workable even after several days.

In the photo below the pattern made on the left had Sansador™ added to very thick Prisme that would not flow at all. It was not solid or dried out, but so gunky, it would not come off of a wooden stick. The one on the right was from a new jar of Prisme.

This is also Prisme that had Sansodor™ added as it had thickened to the point of no longer making a pattern. The resulting pattern was not the mini honeycomb pattern, but a much more interesting design.

Now all is not lost if your ink has become so thick that it barely will come off a wooden stick. 

The pattern below with the texture is a result of thick Prisme and Moon that had not thoroughly dried when I applied resin.  I will never waste Pēbēo™ paint again!

The most important tip that I can give when working with the Pēbēo™line is to never use a tool---brush, stirring stick, eye dropper, pipette---when changing from Prisme to Moon or to Vitrail.  Keep them separate.  Otherwise, the patterns these paints were made to create will no longer be possible.  

I will be demo'ing the Pēbēo products for the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild at Art of the Carolinas on November 12 at 2:00.  Please stop by to see me and try out some of the products.  

Jerry's Artarama carries the full line of Pēbēo products in their Raleigh store.  They have the large and small bottles of the Prisme, Moon, and Vitrail and many accessories. 

Note added in response to comment below.

These paints are not inexpensive, but it is possible to use them with other mediums.  I did this with this jellyfish painting.  The body/head of the large jellyfish is Pēbēo Prisme and Moon paints.  The border is my own mixture that I developed years ago, but Pēbēo makes a tube of a product that will work to contain the paints.