Soraya French explores the possibilities offered by these high-quality spray paints, which she says can help you create a visual feast of textures and effects.
Spray paints are not just for graffiti artists
Spray paints have long been associated with urban, graffiti and street artists. However, in recent years the use of aerosol cans has increased dramatically amongst more mainstream artists, either in mixed media or in its pure form.
Until recently, my own experience of spray paints was limited occasionally to preparing a tinted ground on larger papers or canvases, or at most to enhance a small area of a painting. So I welcomed the opportunity to explore further possibilities.
About Montana
For many years Montana has been at the forefront of developing some of the highest quality spray paints and tools with a diverse range of applications.
The ethos behind the company is innovation, quality and respect for the environment.
Montana Gold Spray paints
Top features:
- Quick-drying
- Controlable and accurate
- Different sized nozzles
- Great range of colours
Montana Gold spray paint is filled with high-covering, quick-drying acrylic lacquer which dries with no cracking or bleaching of colours.
The cans have been especially developed with a low pressure system to provide a greater degree of control and maximum accuracy.
The level cap system provides a variety of different nozzles that are colour coded to help you pick the right thickness or application for your artwork.
Where to buy
A range of Montana Gold Spray Paints can be purchased from Jackson's Art Supplies by clicking here and from art shops and other online retailers.
For a full list of retailers visit Global Art Supplies LTD by
How to work with Montana Gold spray paints
1. Sufaces
Montana Gold is an extremely versatile spray and can be used on many different surfaces such as wood, concrete, metal, glass, canvas or even flexible surfaces.
2. Before you begin
To start, shake the can well, take the nozzle off to remove the lock (a round black ring below the nozzle) and start experimenting.
3. Where to use Montana spray paints
It is best to work in a well –ventilated area or outside.
4. Do I need protective clothing?
Gloves and a mask are also useful for protecting your skin and to prevent inhalation of the spray paint.
5. How much pressure should I apply?
To start I felt out of my comfort zone. It took a while to gauge the right amount of pressure to apply to the can and the distance from my support.
6. How fast should I work?
Sometimes speed is important as the acrylic lacquer tends to dry rapidly and in order to scratch into the layers you need to act fast.
Techniques for using Montana Gold
Dexterity and flexibility are useful assets when working with the spray paint.
Good coordination between the right and left hand is helpful as you may wish to use two sprays simultaneously to mix colours on your support. Or you may want to spray with one hand while manipulating the colour with the other.
There are numerous possibilities; one of the most exciting techniques is the use of a variety of stencils to mask areas and create interesting patterns and depth.
Speciality sprays
In addition there are other speciality sprays for creating different effects.
For example the grey texture spray can be sprayed on thickly and sculpted to create an impasto surface and the desired texture as well as providing a basic foundation.
It can also be used to cover holes, cracks or any irregularity of the support and has anti-corrosive properties.
Montana Gold colours
The Montana Gold range includes:
- 215 acrylic colours
- Two metallic
- Three Chrome Effect colours
- 11 Transparent colours
- Eight flourescent colours
Putting Montana Gold Spray paints to the test
Fishing Nets, Montana Texture and Montana Effect spray paints, (45.5x45.5cm)
- I started by spraying transparent yellow in the sky area then masking the sun with a round lid.
- I applied further transparent colours, purple, blue and yellow.
- I then used Montana Texture to create a little texture on the cottages.
- Granit Effect Grey provided the perfect texture for the harbour wall.
- Fruit netting, a few smaller round lids (for the fenders) and some framing cord were placed as stencils to suggest the ropes.
- I applied layers of blue (Shock colour), red (Shock colour), purple (Transparent) and yellow in varying degrees to mask out the stencils.
- When the paint dried, I lifted the stencils gently to reveal the shapes.
- I sprayed the cottage walls with white, and mixed red and yellow on my palette and applied it on the rooftops and fenders.
Sunset Beach, Montana Granit Effect and Marble Effect, and Montana Texture spray paints, (35.5x53cm)
- I applied a light spray of transparent yellow and again placed a round lid to mask out the sun with further sprays of pink, blue and yellow to create the sunset effect.
- A thin layer of texture provided a slight raised effect on the sea, then I sprayed blue Shock colour in the sea area and scratched some horizontal lines into the surface.
- I applied turquoise spray on the seashore for the shallow waters.
- Heavy sprays of light grey Granit Effect provided the right texture to suggest the roughness of the pebbles; I then used yellow, yellow ochre and orange in varying degrees to paint the beach.
- The waves were painted using white Marble Effect.
- Finally I sprayed some white paint and splattered the surface with my fingers to create the sparkle on the water.
Creating special effects
The new Montana Effect sprays add a whole new dimension.
These enable you to create some unusual and highly interesting effects.
Available Effect Sprays:
- Rust - for the illusion of rust and oxidization
- Glass paint
- Nightglow - with l ight emitting, luminescent pigments
- Vintage - for creating a retro feel
- Marble - creates a deceivingly realistic marble effect
- Hologram glitter - contains fine holographic glitter particles
- Glitter - glitter coating in five metallic colours
- UV effect - a transparent effect paint that is only visible under direct UV light
- Metallic - for creating an abrasion proof metallic effect
- Crackle - for a crackle effect to your colours
- Granite - with fine plastic particles for a deceivingly realistic granite effect
The Marble Effect spray, for example, deposits strands of opaque colour on your support that resemble marble.
Crackle spray works better on a surface primed with colour; the thicker the layer the better the crackle Effect which starts to form as the paint dries.
My favourite is the Granit Effect which is useful for creating rough passages in a painting.
Montana Tech
The Montana Tech series offers different sprays as a perfect addition to Montana colour and Effect sprays.
As well as three varnishes there are now four special primers to prepare your support of choice.
Acetone spray serves as either a thinner or cleaner.
Montana Remover can be used to remove paint residues from a variety of different surfaces.
Another new innovation is the Montana Adhesives, available in both permanent and repositionable – these are extremely useful for stencil work.
The possibilities with spray paints and tools are endless and exciting.
TRY MORE WITH TIPS FROM GLYN MACEY
Montana spray paints are distributed in the UK by Global Art Supplies and available from leading art retailers.
For more information or visit www.globalartsupplies.co.uk