Applications & Techniques:
Clear Tar Gel with Patti Brady, Director
Working Artists Program

Working with the Syrupy Feel of Clear Tar Gel

Clear Tar Gel has a unique pourable, (stringy) quality. Here is a fun example to learn a bit about Clear Tar Gel.

Step 1. Paint out a Bright Pyrrole Red surface. I used the Fluid Pyrrole Red, because it has less brush stroke retention than using Heavy Body paint. Let dry.

Step 2. When dry, pour on the Clear Tar Gel, and spread it out with a palette knife covering the entire surface. You will work into the wet gel. The leaves were drawn with a small pushpin. The pushpin was dipped into Fluid Carbon Black paint, and dragged through the surface of the wet Clear Tar Gel. After a line is drawn, go back in and pull the paint in other directions with the pin.

Step 3. The tendrils and branches were dripped, using a mixture of approximately 25% Fluid Carbon Black mixed with Clear Tar Gel. A palette knife was dipped into this mixture and held above the wet painting. Practice dripping the mixture on another surface first, before you attempt this on your leaves. Hold the mixture about six or seven inches above the surface and use a flowing motion, letting the Clear Tar Gel mixture drip off the pointed end of the palette knife.

The Clear Tar Gel will be white when wet, but will dry completely clear.

Make sure you are working on a flat surface. Check to make sure your drying surface is level. If not, the Tar Gel has a "self leveling quality" and will find the level on its own; you might have the surface slide off and end up on the floor!

© Golden Artist Colors, Inc.