Sunday 4 November 2012

Bitumen - A Superb Base for Painting on Canvas

I often use bitumen and rubber cement on my canvases. I love the feel, the smell, the texture, the markings, the colour - and of course, the end result.


So what exactly is bitumen?

Bitumen can be described as a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid which is found in most crude petroleum as well as in some natural deposits.
 
It is sometimes referred to as asphalt, and it is thick and heavy. It sometimes has to be heated or diluted before it will flow.

The primary use of bitumen is in road construction, where it is used as the glue or binder for the aggregate particles. Rubber cement is often used to waterproof shower cubicles.

In making a canvas, the bitumen provides a wonderful texture that is heavy, and industrial in appearance, that once dried leaves grooves and marks that sit deep and hard. 


I love it as a base medium and encourage you to take a look at some of the end results at our ETSY store.
 Some new canvases will coming soon...

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