Category: Articles On Art

Art Spectrum Colourfix 'Smooth'

19/11/2020

A while back I purchased a couple of sheets of the latest Colourfix paper. It is a smoother version of the standard paper by Art Spectrum and was launched back in 2017
Available colours are the same as the standard Colourfix options which you can view HERE

Art Spectrum® Colourfix™ Smooth is manufactured by screen printing Colourfix™ Smooth Primer onto European Archival 300gsm Hot Pressed watercolour paper making 340gsm pastel paper.
Colourfix™ Smooth is a versatile surface that can be used for pastels, oil colours, acrylics, inks, oil pastels, gouache, watercolours and dry media such as charcoal and pencils.
The Colourfix™ Smooth texture is ideal for pastel artists who are looking for a not so toothy surface. The surface still has enough soft tooth to enable the artist to do multiple layers of pastel.

Colourfix™ Smooth is available:
Colours: 20 (As the Colourfix standard)
Sheet sizes: 23 x 30cm (9” x 12”) and 50x70cm (20” x 28”) 10 sheets per pack.
Rainbow packs available in 23 x 30cm (9” x 12”)
Cool and Warm packs in 23 x 30cm (9” x 12”) size

Primer

You can also purchase Colourfix smooth as a primer which allows you to paint it over any surface and create your art over the top. The primer is available in all colours found in the paper surfaces.

Comparison between the standard Colourfix paper and the smooth version

Below is a magnified image of the Colourfix standard paper versus the smooth surface. As you can see, the standard surface appears quite gritty next to the smooth surface. You can see how the smooth compares to the very popular Pastelmat paper below.

How does the Colourfix smooth compare to Pastelmat?

Here is a magnified image of the Colourfix smooth and Clairfontaine Pastelmat paper comparison. They look and feel exactly the same and I suspect Art Spectrum brought out the Colourfix smooth paper in competition with Pastelmat, knowing how popular the paper is.

Violet flower on Colourfix smooth paper

Having completed a soft pastel drawing on this paper, it reminded me of the popular Pastelmat paper. Pastels go on smoothly and is easy to blend on. As I blend by overlaying pastels rather than using my fingers or tools, this paper makes it easier to do this due to its smoothness, not as easy on the original surface which has more of a tooth. This paper is great for those just starting out with pastels and is suitable for other mediums such as pencils and acrylic paints.

Violet flower in soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix smooth Leaf green dark tone

The latest tutorial available on our website, created for inclusion in our autumn newsletter 2020, shows you how to create a Violet flower on the Colourfix smooth paper. Using soft pastels on the Leaf Green Dark tone (you can use any colour surface) we break down the process of base application with pastel blocks to creating the fine details using the PITT pastel pencils (you can use your own pastel range)

Why not give our pastel tutorial a go - Click to visit the page

NEW COLOURFIX™ OPTIMUM BOARD
ORIGINAL (MEDIUM) TEXTURE

The Colourfix original paper surface is also available in a more robust form known as the 'Optimum board'.
Unlike the Pastelmat surface, who has their own version which includes the foamcore (and was the first to offer this type of surface I believe?), the Colourfix surface also includes a thin layer of aluminium to prevent warping.

Art Spectrum® Colourfix™ Optimum Board is a high density archival and acid free foamcore board, hand screen printed with Art Spectrum® Colourfix™ Primer..
The secret that separates this board from all others is a super thin layer of Aluminum within the board that prevents warping and helps provide this substrate’s lightweight and sturdy characteristics.
Colourfix™ Optimum Board has a robust toothy surface that will hold layers of pastel without the need for fixative, allowing the velvet bloom and vibrant colour of pastel to be preserved.
The new Art Spectrum® Colourfix™ Optimum Board comes in 6 lightfast colours all with the Original Colourfix™ tooth. It is a superb substrate for pastels, oil colours, acrylics, inks, oil pastels, gouache, watercolours, and dry media such as charcoal and pencils.
Colourfix™ Optimum Board is available in 16 x 20” and ready to be framed without the need for a backing board.

What else you should know about this board:
The substrate board is acid free containing no lignin’s.
The glue used in this product is also acid free.
Aluminum thickness: 6.3μm
Colours available: White, Soft Umber, Terracotta, Rose Grey, Blue Haze and Deep Black.
Also available Rainbow Pack which includes one box of each colour