Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylics are nontoxic, water-based acrylic colours that can be intermixed to create an almost endless array of colour tones, tints and shades.
You don’t have to wait for a rainy day to capture the essence of a rainbow! With Duncan® Bisq-Stain® Opaque Acrylics, you can cover your pieces in a wealth of rich, vibrant colours that can be mixed to create even more tones, tints and shades.
Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylics provide solid coverage for your pieces and are water-based for easy cleanup. Use them with stencils, sponging, drybrushing and other decorative painting techniques.
How to Use:
- For solid-colour coverage on bisque and other craft surfaces, apply one or more smooth coats of Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylic colour as needed, using an Opaque brush.
- Thin with water or Duncan Thin ‘n Shade if needed.
- Apply as smoothly as possible.
- Thoroughly wash brushes immediately after use.
Tips and Techniques
- Folk Art Brushwork or Tole Painting - (Pennsylvania Dutch, rosemaling, bauemmalerei, French provincial, Russian, Tyrolean figure painting, Zillertal, etc.) Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylics are ideal for the various brushstrokes used in folk art decorating techniques. A small amount of colour is placed on aluminum foil or a glazed tile for greater control of the amount and placement of colour picked up by the brush, and thinned with water or Thin ‘n Shade to the consistency specified by the particular technique. For blended brushstrokes, the brush is loaded with one colour, then tipped or side loaded with a second colour. For best results use Duncan’s Taklon Series of brushes.
- Folk Art and Country Dot Designs - Spread the undiluted colour shallowly on a glazed tile, dip the end of a stylus or brush handle in the colour, then stamp onto the basecoated ware. Dots of equal size are made by reloading the tool with colour for each application. Dots descending in size are made by continuing to stamp the colour onto the ware without reloading the tool.
- Brushwork - Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylics can be applied over any dry nonfired colour. When creating design work and detailing, use suitable brushes to apply one coat of undiluted colour. Colour should be placed on a palette. Use Taklon Brushes for good results.
- Stenciling - Position stencil on ware and fix in place with transparent tape. Spread a small amount of Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylics colour on tile. Dip brush or sponge in colour, pounce on clean area of tile to remove excess, then wipe on paper towel. Apply colour through stencil with dabbing or light pouncing stroke to create design. Remove stencil when colour is dry, then clean stencil immediately before repositioning it on ware.
- Sponging - Spread a small amount of Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylics colour on a glazed tile, dip a slightly dampened sponge in colour, then blot on paper towel to remove excess. Pounce colour over any dry nonfired colour with quick up-and-down strokes, allowing background to show through here and there. Varying effects can be achieved by using differently textured sponges or crumpled paper towels or tissues.
- As an Antique - All Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylic colours can be used for antiquing by thinning with Thin ‘n Shade, preferably a blend of 50% colour to 50% Thin ‘n Shade. Working with a small area at a time, brush this mixture over a dry piece that has been decorated with any of the Duncan nonfired colour products, being certain to work it into all crevices. Use a soft cloth or facial tissue to wipe back colour, following the contours of the piece. If a lighter finish is desired, dampen a clean cloth or tissue with water and continue removing colour from raised areas of the piece. If a deep-toned antique effect is desired, repeat the antiquing steps.
- Antiquing Bisq-Stain Opaque Acrylics - When dry, Bisq-Stain Opaque colours can be antiqued with any nonfired translucent, or with a nonfired water-based colour that has been mixed with an equal amount of Thin ‘n Shade. Follow antiquing procedure described above.
- Dry Brushing Technique - Drybrushing is generally completed working from a dark colour to a light colour when using nonfired acrylic colours. However, drybrushing can be accomplished using any media, including underglazes, both opaque and translucent. The term “drybrushing” refers to the practice of applying colour with a dry brush. The various colours should slowly be layered onto the ware’s surface and the majority of drybrushing is usually done with acrylic colours.
- Airbrushing - Thin the Bisq-Stain Opaque colour with Thin ‘n Shade or water to the consistency of milk (usually 60% thinner to 40% colour).
- Sealing - Give decorated items a hard, protective finish by applying a Ceramic Spray or Brush-On Sealer over the dry piece.