Archival questions

 

Archival Questions

Hi David,
Can there be varying degrees of "archival" with regard to paint? In other words, can one type of paint be archival, but not AS archival as another kind of paint?  Or, if paint is archival, it's archival, end of story? Help. 
Thanks, Kelli

Hi Kelli,

There are definitely varying degrees of LIGHTFASTNESS when it comes to paints.  That is, some colors will take longer to fade, and are therefore more lightfast than others.  That has to do with the properties of the individual pigments rather than the quality of the paint itself.  So even within a professional grade of artist's paints there will be varying degrees of lightfastness between pigments (colors).  But the best quality, professional artist paints are all made to the highest standards so that they will last as long as possible.  Lesser grades (the inexpensive paints), and student quality paints are not made to the same standards and should never be considered ‘archival’ or permanent.  They will fade faster, darken and yellow, crack more, have less adhesive strength, and so on.  Use these for practice and experimentation but not for paintings that you want to last for future generations to enjoy. 

That said, the term "Archival" is usually used in reference to paper, boards, tapes, glues and so on.  To meet the standard of archival quality these products must be acid free and not break down or deteriorate under normal museum conditions. 

Good question, cheers, David

Hi, I have a full can of beautiful grey acrylic wall paint for interiors (egg finish). I am tempted to use it on already gessoed, stretched canvas as a background for acrylic painting.
What do you think about it, is it safe? 
Thanks, LES

Hi Les,

By “safe” I assume you mean will it be “permanent.”  The answer is no.  So it really only depends on how long you want the painting to look good.  House paint is manufactured for walls, not artist’s paintings, and contains many ingredients that may cause unpleasant and unpredictable results in the painting: cracking, flaking, wrinkling, yellowing, darkening, etc.  In fact, most commercial house paint is specifically engineered to deteriorate within a few years so that you will be inspired to repaint your walls...  if you are just making a practice piece or are not concerned with permanence, go ahead.  Otherwise, try mixing your own grey color using permanent artist's materials.  Have fun, David