Aldi Impasto

Not, as the title may suggest some kind of Italian starter, rather one of the times that the middle aisle in Aldi has something interesting, in this case a set of “dimensional acrylics”.

I actually got these some time ago, but had a painting that I did with them sat unfinished for some time (and in the end pretty much oblitarated it and began again). For anyone who does not know “impasto” is the technique of using paint thickly, to allow the texture of brush strokes or knife marks to become a part of the painting – the term is indeed Italian and effectively comes from the root word for “paste” as indeed does “pasta”. So anyone still thinking it sounds like an Italian starter is forgiven (I’ll stop drivelling utter shite now)…

Mostly because I have tended to just use cheap sets (acrylics being quite far down the list of my favourtite media nowadays) I’ve tended to work quite thickly when using them and so these thicker paints seemed a fun idea. I have since (due to the tube design) worked out they are most likely made by Mont Marte, a semi-reputable brand.

I had started this illustration based on Susan Cooper’s “Silver on The Tree” some time before, but finding it to misbehave. The texture added from the thicker acrylic has perked it up a little, though I am still not 100 percent pleased with it.

The next picture, I set out with the thick impasto process from the start. I am rather pleased with this one, as I think that the thick acrylic has captured the cold texture of the mountains and forest rather well and with just a nod to Jackson Pollock.

The last of these three is interesting. I started this as a slight extension to “A Somewhat Psychedelic Seascape” which I painted some years ago, but decided I hated it. So I literally scraped paint over and over again as an experiment. I think (being ever so slightly wanky) keep doing so and let the canvas’s reiteration tell a story.