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Genesis Paint Questions & Answers

Great news! GENESIS paint has virtually no odor, either in its wet state or as it dries.

What type of paint is GENESIS?

GENESIS is new fine art paint that is neither an oil nor an acrylic - but an easy-to-use, revolutionary new painting system organized and designed to free artists from the restrictions inherent in using oils and acrylics. While very similar to oil paint in feel, opacity, translucence and application, GENESIS HEAT-SET ARTIST OILS solve the 2 key problems that discourage painting activity:

1. Set-up and clean-up.
2. Drying time. (Oils are too slow and acrylics are too fast.)

How does GENESIS dry only when I want it to?

Because of GENESIS paint's unique "drying-on-demand" formulation. All other paints dry through a process of evaporation or oxidation. This drying process can range from a few minutes (too quick at times -especially on brushes and mixing tray) to weeks or months (too slow).
GENESIS will dry when exposed to a temperature of about 265 o F. For the first time, artists can control precisely when and where their paint dries by simply applying heat with our GENESIS Drying Gun or GENESIS Full Canvas Drying Box. A conventional oven can also be used as a full-canvas drying box.

How long does it take to dry?

Just a few minutes. Actual drying time depends on the thickness of the paint and the surface it is being dried on. What is the difference between GENESIS and the new water miscible oil paints? The basic nature of the paint is different. GENESIS uses a non-drying base medium. The others are based on different chemistries requiring various amounts of evaporative drying.

What surfaces can you paint on?

On canvas, wood or metal. Prepare surfaces as for conventional oil paint - with acrylic primer or acrylic gesso. Painting on unprimed or raw surfaces is not recommended.

Why do you sell GENESIS in jars rather than tubes?

Messy tubes are required for paints that will dry when exposed to the air. Often, it is difficult to know exactly what the color in the tube will look like. On the other hand, jars are easy to open and allow you to see the color you are buying or storing on a shelf. Better yet, jars allow you to get at all the paint you have purchased, and can be reused to store custom blends you want to keep. Because GENESIS paint stays wet in the jar even if uncovered there's no waste. Jars can stay uncovered and available for you to paint any time you want.

Can I apply oils or acrylics under or over Genesis?

Because of the very different chemical compositions, DO NOT blend GENESIS together with oils or acrylics.

What thinning and blending mediums can I use and what about using solvents?

We recommend you use the GENESIS Glazing, Thinning and Thick Mediums to alter the flow characteristics. For permanent thinning of the paint, the non-solvent GENESIS Thinning Mediums should be used. You can also use a solvent such as mineral spirits or turpentine for thinning purposes, but do not use traditional oil painting mediums such as linseed oil.

Is there any odor?

Great news! GENESIS paint has virtually no odor either in its wet state or as it dries.

How do you clean up?

Palette: Just remove excess quantities of paint with a palette knife or spatula, then use a window cleaner and soft cloth to wipe the glass palette clean.
Brushes: Since GENESIS does not dry, you do not have to clean your brushes - even if you do not paint again for months. Many artists don't clean their brushes, particularly if they are painting with the same color! To clean, soap and warm water can be used. Some artists prefer rubbing alcohol or a solvent such as mineral spirits to clean.

Any NEW Products?

YES! NEW Removable Varnish and Brush Cleaner, and 4 oz. size jars of White and Mediums.

Are the paints non-toxic?

YES! GENESIS paints and mediums are non-toxic and AP approved through ACMI and labeled according to ASTM D-4236.

What kind of light fastness ratings do the Genesis paints have?

All of the Genesis pigments are ASTM approved pigments and all rank at a light-fastness of 1 (excellent) except the Dioxazine Purple, which ranks as a high 2 (good). [Dioxazine Purple usually ranks in a low 2 to 1.]

What kind of lifetime do the Genesis paints have?

The lifetime of Genesis paints are expected to meet or exceed that of the existing paints on the market, subject to the application the artist's use. There are likely to be the same sort of variants as there are when artists use oils or acrylics in experimental ways on experimental surfaces. [Issues such as cracking, due to poor adherence to the 'fat over lean' principles of traditional oil paints, can be avoided as each layer can be completely dried before moving on to the next one.]

Are there any conservation issues with the paint?

There are not a lot of comments or opinions by conservators yet, as the work being done in Genesis is so new that most conservators have not worked with it yet.

Have there been any concerns with restoration of artworks done in Genesis paints?

Paintings created in Genesis can be readily restored. Recently, Andrew Jackson was in a car accident, with three framed pieces in his car. The damaged work was restored within a few hours, as he was able to go back to his original paint mixes (which he stores on glass in his studio) and use exactly the same paint blends to recreate the steps from before.

Have museums had any issues with accepting works done in Genesis?

There are works in Genesis in major museums across North America. For example, a sculpture finished in Genesis paints by a Canadian artist, is in the permanent collection of the National Museum in Detriot, MI.

Why are there no Cobalts, Cadmiums or other traditional colours in the Genesis colour range?

Genesis is working diligently to keep their pigments all non-toxic and so far have not found pigments (for example, with the properties of Cobalt), that satisfy them.