Artist Problems - The Whites 

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I keep both titanium and zinc in acrylic and oil. But I do find that I use zinc almost none of the time. I'm very careful about the amount of white I add to colors when mixing. But red. Omg. That's the reason to keep zinc.

That's too funny🤣😅😂 Out of context, that statement could get you killed. LOL ...Good info😇

Hello Mike. Very informative video. I paint mostly with watercolor and gouache but I use whites extensively. I use my titanium white to get the strongest whites, such as a reflexion of light but I use it sparingly. I use my zink white for a number of applications. I use it to turn watercolor opaque since it doesn't tint it too much and there are just some colors that aren't available in gouache, I use it in blending a few shades of the same color before I start painting, and if I have a dark area painted but I want to add a soft highlight in that area then I add some zinc white straight on top and just add a wet brush to blend a shade or two lighter on the paper. Thanks again. -Pete

Wow- so many whites!! Thank you for the lesson! I've used oils most of my life (on and off for over 50 years), and I was working on a painting of a bald eagle landing on the top of a dead tree limb. It was a night scene with a large full moon. The more I kept painting it the more naseus I got, and I couldn't figure out why, but then I realized it was the white paint that I used- which was zinc white! I threw it away and bought titanium white and never looked back- and never will use zinc white again.

Very enlightening, and fun.

Titanium white with a liiittle bit of zinc white added in a safflower or sunflower base will be, by far, the least yellowing white. Pure titanium white repels oil, so the oil binder will ooze to the top a little and separate, which will look like more dramatic yellowing. The addition of zinc white will hold on to the oil better, and result in dramatically less yellowing for oil layers thicker than 1.5mm. It's why Michael Harding added a bit of zinc to his Titanium White no. 1 for artists who hate yellowing.

Oh my gosh. I love that shirt. I saw another one on Etsy that I'm dying to have, too. I thought of Mike when I saw it. It's E4 Obi-wan and Luke drawn in the style of Calvin and Hobbes. Awesome!

Oh, it depends upon the reason for needing white. I paint primarily with acrylics. If I am using only transparent paints for my painting, then I use Zinc white. Opaque paints get titanium white. I am partial to the Zinc White though.

Learnt heaps...thanks!

If I use very little titanium quantity meaning only 10% titanium compared to 100% zinc they will behave the same ?. I am thinking that using less titanium will obtain the zinc effect ?.

This video would’ve been much more interesting if you were wearing a pirate suit

Lovely, brother.

Cool, Interesting. Thank you. =) I use Titanium white all the time... and I love Titanium Buff, too. I should get some zinc white, and experiment with it. I use acrylics.... I don't use oils. I didn't know about the other whites you mentioned.

Thank you. Love the humour toning down the info. Titanium or zinc humour ?

Just finding out how all titanium whites are not all opaque even if say they are opaque! Just trying to finish the white snow on top of the mountain & still having to go back & back to get any decent cover? One used is “artist grade” but turned yellowish overnight!

Super helpful thanks,!

Awesome thanks!

I love this guy lol! Great commentary dude!

I would think the titanium/zinc white would be a most versatile white. Failing that....just titanium white. Add some yellow in to make it creamy. I tend to prefer an off-white in my acrylic pours. One reason is my house's walls tend to be ever so slightly yellowish-white (old!) and a painting with titanium or snowy white in it just doesn't look right against it. I actually like the older antique look in a white for walls. Anyway, thanks for this very informative video on the various whites. I particularly was interested in the safe lead white hue paint. I don't do the impasto, but I am always learning, so...

lol - you are very entertaining!

Mixing white for both oil & acrylic. Grumbacher thick gesso for main acrylic opaque white and gamblin quick dry for oil opaque. Unbleached titanium (single pigment) has become a heavy hitter as well. Great info Mike. Thank you for sharing and keep coming back.

can you actually do a titanium white coverage tests for oil and acrylic?

All the oil painting I do is Bob Ross style so I buy the Bob Ross brand titanium white in the 16 oz jars from this place online called Jerry's Artorama. In my watercolor painting, I don't use white. If I mess up and cover my white space a little bit, I scrape it out with a knife.

I would like to know the difference between artist grade T white vs student grade T white ?

Titanium-Zinc white is the best all around choice:)

I’m clearly jumping into this channel very late. But did you quote Han Solo while wearing a Boba Fett shirt?

My artist friend told me he prefers zinc now I understand why. He also thought titanium was more chalky which I could agree with.

Isn't flake white best for mixing flesh tones? I read this is because it has the quality of producing more glowy translucent colors. I have purchased a tube of Gamblin's flake white replacement to try because titanium white tens to make flesh look too milky and have a pasty look. I have a tube of real flake white but have been afraid to use it, not because I am worried about myself (it's not like I am planning on eating it) but because I will need to take my rags and brush cleaning slush to a hazardous waste facility. Anyway, what's the word on the best white for mixing flesh tones?

Well, that certainly explains why my mars black didn’t turn grey today when I added zinc white! Mystery solved....and the Chinese white mystery as well! I always buy titanium white acrylic, and I never liked zinc white, but couldn’t figure out Why? Mind blown! Lol.

I did a pastel painting and used lead white , I gessoed an area of my water color paper and covered it with lead white to create a stucco paint texture, had to literally force the paint out of the tube very stiff stuff. I keep more acrylic titanium white in stock then zinc white but zinc white has very good translucent properties and I do mix it with titanium. Yes, lots of info , but you are funny enough to watch the video over again lol Do you have the link for the black video ? Winks Lisa

Great info! Just a fun fact, Titanium white is the demise of many art counterfeiters. Earlier this year just for shits and giggles, I took all my whites and made a test panel. Half of the panel was Gesso primed, the other half Oil primed. The Gamblin Flake turned yellow after 5 months, more so on the Gesso Primed side. The Permalba definitely has a different tone. Almost blue, maybe considered a cooler hue. The big surprise is the Gamblin Flake, seriously it looks like Naples Yellow on both the standard Gesso and expensive Oil Primed sides. As for the Titaniums, I tested Charvin, Gamblin, Lukas standard, Lukas Berlin and Lukas 1862. Not much difference after 5 months with the Titaniums. The most noticeable difference with Titaniums is the sheen. Surprisingly the Titaniums had more sheen on the Gesso side. This really was a test for cheap Gesso vs the expensive Oil primer. I did lots of colors on the test panel, but thats a different topic. Fun as always!

I Googled chinese white origin.... had to add the word paint cause it went there.😂

i only ever use craft paints that are so so cheap. i guess if i really wanna COVER something that really needs coverage, i usually just use gesso. but i do mixed media stuff, not the fine art stuff, so... :/

Hi, could u provide link to music that u play when u show the video title. Thanks.

I have a question. I found a site where you can buy real powder pigments to make your own pain with. How do you think the pure lead white pigment would work with an acrylic medium to make a real lead white acrylic?

What white stays white under uv light and not reflect blue or purple

Great video. I didn’t know white had different tinting strengths.

Well yellow white is warm

Acrylic artist here. LOVE my zinc white! Watching this I am so glad I decided to go acrylic instead of oils. LOL.

Damn I need what's not titanium or zinc white

What's with the audio in this video? I feel like I'm wearing ear plugs.

Your company name gives impression of Hindu God. 🙏 Honest virtuous

I think the most important thing people need to know about black-and-white is that they are technically not a color they are shades.

Surely not lead humour :)

Museums have problems with Zink white, it destroing the painting. Lead should be banned. Sweden have not had any leadpaint for many years.

I can almost picture a racist asking what would happen if things were reversed.

Odd, the nose isn't that prominent, and yet the shitty humor is registering at about a 7 on the bagel meter.