David Wiseman tests out Abstract Acrylics from Sennelier and finds that they keep their intensity even when diluted and come in innovative transparent pouches.
Sennelier have been making quality colours since 1887 so when I was asked to use and review these new Sennelier Abstract Acrylic paints I eagerly anticipated using colour of the same high quality as their oil paints and pastels, I was not to be disappointed.
Top features:
- The transparent window allows you to see the colours easily
- Easy to squeeze pouches
- Well-pigmented colours
- Doesn't dry out too quickly
- Good buttery consistency
Innovative packaging
Having used acrylic paint for over 40 years, mainly in tubes and pots, Sennelier’s innovative containers took a little while to get used to, but I soon found that the flexible transparent pouches had a number of advantages.
The transparent window in the pouch allows you to see exactly the colour it contains. In a traditional tube, paint often gets left behind as you near the end of the tube.
Although I didn’t finish any of the Sennelier pouches during this trial I found the paint easy to squeeze out and I am sure it would be far easier to get that last precious bit of paint out than it would from a tube.
The screw top worked well and didn’t clog with dry paint, plus the plastic container looks pretty indestructible.
Using acrylic paint
My brief was to make a painting on canvas from scratch using only Sennelier Abstract Acrylic.
I use acrylic paint in all its various guises in any one painting, from diluted and transparent to thick and opaque.
I always begin with the painting stapled to the floor, working with mostly fluid, diluted paint in a series of calligraphic marks and stains using various brushes, rollers, sponges etc.
Well-pigmented acrylic paint is essential
After its first exploratory phase the painting was ready for developing and changing, stretched on its support and on the wall. The paint was applied with brush, roller and sponge without any problems.
I mix the paint for the beginning stage and for later staining and glazing in clear containers.
It is essential that the paint is well pigmented to allow for dilution and I usually use Golden or Liquitex colours to fulfil this requirement.
The Sennelier Abstract Acrylics stood up very well to this test when diluted with both water and acrylic medium. In fact some colours, such as cerulean blue, were so intense I had to use them with care.
The problem with a lot of cheaper colours is their low colour density, so this was definitely not a problem with the Sennelier paint. My paintings are about the quality of the light and I need colours to be clear, luminous and intense in their fluid form.
Acrylic paint is at its best when exploited to the full, so it also has to work well in a thicker, heavy body consistency, for painting wet-into-wet or applying coats of thicker colour.
As my painting progresses it is taken up from the floor and subsequently all the changes are made with the painting stretched on its support and on the wall.
Some more thinly stained areas are added layer over layer, for which the Sennelier paint with its rich intense colours were ideal.
Adding details with Abstract Acrylics
Finished painting. Where Glimmering Pebbles Lie, Sennelier Abstract Acrylic on canvas, (53x70cm). Next I add detail and make changes using the paint straight from the tube – or pouch in this case. I very much enjoyed using Sennelier Abstract Acrylics to create this painting.
Sometimes I use a traditional palette made from a sheet of glass or Perspex painted white; also, colour for small areas of detail are mixed in flat round screw-top containers that can then be kept airtight.
Acrylic paint naturally dries faster than oil and so should be used in a positive way, for overlaying areas of paint, glazing, etc. But you don’t want the paint to dry too quickly and the Sennelier Abstract Acrylic passed this test too, whether exposed on the palette or in my screw-top containers.
I also apply using rollers and sponges and the paint flowed well from its container for this purpose.
Colour choices
As I progress with a painting certain areas are more heavily worked to add detail with a brush, and I had no problem with the paint in its thicker form.
The colours mixed well to make tertiary colours, greys, browns, tinted whites and so on. I had a good range of colours to experiment with but am looking forward to using some that I didn’t have, such as titan buff, burnt green earth, azurblau and carmine red.
Sennelier Abstract colour range is composed of 34 single pigment colours among the 60 shades. 36 satin finish colours, 12 high gloss colours, six iridescent colours and six fluorescent colours.
Where to buy
Sennelier Abstract Acrylics can be purchased for Jackson's Art Supplies by clicking here and from art shops and other online retailers.
Final thoughts
These are not expensive paints and they would be ideal for somebody beginning their first experiments with acrylic. They are also good enough for the more experienced painter and I will definitely use them in conjunction with other brands that I have used for years.
The innovative packaging works well but I would also like to see the colours in pots.
At the moment there are no mediums to go with the colours, such as acrylic medium and gel that Golden and Winsor & Newton produce, but these colours worked fine when used with mediums from these other manufacturers.
Sennelier Abstract Acrylics perform really well against the more established and more expensive brands and I will look out eagerly for future developments.
Sennelier Abstract Acrylic has a good buttery consistency.
Sometimes we may include links to online retailers, from which we might receive a commission if you make a purchase. Affiliate links do not influence editorial coverage and will only be used when covering relevant products.
About David Wiseman
David studied at St Martins School of Art and the Royal College of Art.
He taught painting in numerous art schools and has exhibited widely, including in the New Contemporaries, John Moores Painting Prize, Hayward Annual, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the Discerning Eye and the London Group Open.
David has received many awards and is represented in private collections across the world. He is an elected member of the National Acrylic Painters’ Association and The London Group.
For more information about David and for details of his book Water’s Edge, see www.davidwiseman.org.uk