Traditions

Traditions !!

The Paint

Why is the paint so different?

First is the new resin base. Most acrylics (not all) contain resin. The main difference is the quality of the resin and the working properties of that resin. Traditions started with the outlining of performance standards. We created the best paint on paper then set out to build a system that performed to that outline. One of the properties we wanted in the resin was a controlled working time. Another, was resin clarity. We wanted a resin as clear as possible so the color would not be effected by the color of the resin. There were many, many more. As we teach you about this system we will really be learning these performance standards. The control features we wanted narrowed our search. The chemist behind this line found a new resin base that matched our performance outline. It was a new resin to our industry. We are able to control this resin. It doesn't effect any colors added to it. It is softer than most while wet, and harder than most when cured. This resin allows better and quicker brush loading and also levels faster than most in the industry. There are no additives than will damage your brushes. Basically, it is a high performance resin for a quality acrylic paint.

We call this paint a Resin Acrylic because we built the entire system around this wonderful resin. It is the resin in Traditions™ that makes this paint perform so well.

New Technology

Technology has changed in the last 25 years and so has the way paint can be manufactured. No paint company can control the outcome of the painting,
but the artist does have control over the choice of media they work with for a particular effect. Certain pigments will perform very differently for certain techniques. When an
artist wants to use traditional techniques, or to create a particular 'look' they may find greater success when using paint that has been designed for that use.

Artist Grade?

On the market today are many brands of acrylic paint; ranging from studio to craft grade as well as ‘artist grade’ paint and all can be bought in tubes, pots or plastic bottles of some kind.

Understanding which is which and when to use them is the key. This doesn't mean that one paint is better than the other; it only means that each paint serves a purpose, and selecting the right one for the job is easier for the artist if they understand how the paint will perform.

First, where 'pigments' are concerned (this is what gives the paint the colour)
there is no difference between oil, watercolor or acrylic; the companies who make these paints will use many of the same pigments. The difference comes from the workability, quality and the permanence of the pigments and the amount of pigment used to make the paint.

Scroll down for Traditions Seminars and Information ~seminar links are on the left~

The Traditions Education Program

Our dream and vision for a standardized, comprehensive teaching program became a reality this August 2004. Seven decorative painting teachers from across the United States and Canada came to the JansenArt™ Studio in Pennsylvania, U.S. In a collaborative effort, this group of talented artists and teachers developed, designed, and wrote the long awaited 'Tradition's International Teaching Program'. This program is designed to be a developmental program for artists and teachers who want to advance their skills in painting.

Program Initiation

In order to enter this new program you must first attend an introductory one-day seminar. These seminars will be held throughout the U.S. and Canada. Or, you may take an in-home open book written test based solely on the information contained in the JansenArt Traditions Technical Guide.

Program Timetable

The program began in January 2005 and is taught by the following teachers who helped develop the curriculum.

	Heritage Teacher - David Jansen MDA - Pennsylvania. U.S.A
	Heritage Artist - Sue Pruett MDA - California, U.S.
	Heritage Artist - Susan Abdella MDA - California, U.S.
	Heritage Artist - Donna Richards - Utah, U.S.
	Heritage Artist - Gaby Hunter - West Virginia, U.S.
	Heritage Artist - Donna Rose Prestridge, CDA - New Jersey, U.S.
	Heritage Artist - Josette Fleury - Quebec, Canada
	Heritage Artist - Neadeen Masters CDA, B.C. Canada

Among this group, these artists share over one century of traditional painting, teaching methods, and experience, which is reflected in this important educational endeavor. This comprehensive teaching program will provide the decorative art teacher with an in-depth continuous program for their students. This teaching program takes the student on an artistic journey from beginner through advanced. It is designed to educate the student in all technical facets of decorative painting and to bridge the gap from decorative painting to fine art. The student will acquire knowledge of color theory and painting styles, as well as gain the historical significance of decorative art and art principles. This joint effort was made to help standardize the decorative painting industry through education.

The Heritage Artists, who were the co-authors of this 'International Educational Program', brought a unique flavor and expertise to this system, while standardizing the techniques and methods to be used for teaching with Traditions. These Heritage Artists will be traveling in the United States, Canada, and other locations around the world presenting 'Traditions Teacher' seminars.

For more information about the Traditions International Educational Program, becoming a registered Traditions Teacher, or attending or hosting a Traditions Artist seminar, please contact Sue Pruett MDA

For those of you from Australia, Japan, Europe and South America, we will be presenting these programs in your country this next year. Look to www.jansenarttraditions.com for information and dates.

About the Program

Traditions Artists are required to understand the basics of the Traditions paint line including the pigments and mediums used. This is accomplished by taking a one-day seminar or reading the Traditions Artist Teaching Guide and completing the online test administered by DecoArt. If you wish to continue your education or would like to become a Traditions Teacher, we recommend advancing to the following levels.

Traditions Teacher Levels

Traditions Teacher Level 1:

The Traditions Teacher is a Traditions Artist who wants to educate and elevate artists to new levels. This teacher will be knowledgeable in techniques and colors as they apply to art principles.

The Traditions Teacher will be versed in all the paints and mediums and be able to start new students on their journey.

The Traditions teacher will understand this new resin acrylic and will be able to teach the Traditions Educational Program with the materials and designs provided.

Requirements for the Traditions Teacher:
Attend a 5-day Traditions Teacher Seminar taught by a Heritage Artist.
Actively teach and participate in educational courses.

Heritage Artist - Level 2:

This is an appointment made to qualifying "Traditions Teachers" who have been further trained in traditional and old world techniques by an authorized JansenArt™ Heritage Teacher.

Application for this appointment can be made at any time but positions are limited and will be filled as they become available.

Requirements for the Heritage Artist:

Attend an intensive training course in old world painting techniques and concepts taught by a qualified Heritage Teacher.

Heritage Teacher - Level 3:

The Heritage Teacher is a Heritage Artist who has received extensive training in traditional styles and pigments.
This teacher understands historical styles and their color emulation.
The Heritage Teacher is a multi media teacher trained by the factory to answer technical questions.
The Heritage Teacher thoroughly understands the color wheel as it relates to the chemistry of color.
Requirements for this teacher include:
Attend an intense training at the DecoArt production facility in Stanford, KY.
Attend hands-on training sessions with David Jansen regarding old world techniques and pigments.
Actively teach, publish books, magazine articles, pattern packs, videos or appear on television.
You may also find out more about the JansenArt™ Traditions Artist System at www.jansenarttraditions.com

Traditions Education is for all Artists ~ which one are you?

The Traditions Education program is presented as the 'Teacher Program’; it is also being used as a 'study' program. More students today are looking for this style of education. The program is designed to TEACH at all levels. The nature of this program is for personal artistic development as well as to provide a very strong teaching curriculum for teachers to teach others from.

The program has been developed to build personal skills and to provide a strong painting foundation for the future decorative painter. One does not have to be a 'teacher' to take the program for personal development; however they have to be actively teaching in order register as a Traditions Teacher and in order to teach the program to others.

The program offers a ‘win win’ style of education for all artists, both teachers and students alike.

There are really several ways to gain the Traditions knowledge and to study and learn within the program itself. Here are just some of them.

1.) New Teachers who wish to advance their own painting knowledge as well as have a step by step syllabus to teach from will attend the 5-day Teacher seminar and take the program back to their shops and studios where they will teach it to their local students over an extended timeline.

2.) Experienced Teachers who wish to 'fill in the blanks' in some areas that they may have missed or forgotten along their development and painting careers. Many teachers may not have had the opportunity to study a variety of styles or techniques, and may realize that there are several ‘holes’ in their knowledge.

3.) Earnest Students who to seek a developmental program for personal study, they too can attend the 5 day Traditions Teacher seminar and work through the manual on their own, at their own pace. (These students may not have access to a shop or studio near by, or where they can attend classes on a regular basis. These students still wish to find a way to study and grow their painting skills)

4.) New as well as Experienced Students who wish to learn a very comprehensive program such as the Traditions Educational can attend weekly classes from a shop or studio who has a registered Traditions Teacher on staff who offers the program in weekly classes. If you are interested in this program ask your local shop to start offering one. Contact anyone of the Heritage Artists for more details about starting a program near you.

5.) Students who are potential teachers may be thinking of taking the next step to begin teaching will have at their fingertips an entire teaching program laid out before them, with no worries about 'what to teach' to their potential students. They will know they are providing the most well rounded program available to day.

6.) Veteran Students who do not have any desire to teach, may also wish to attend either the Traditions 5-day seminar or take the program offered as ongoing weekly classes from a shop or studio. They may do so in order to re-visit and re-learn techniques and theories they never learned correctly or have completely skipped. This is another way to fill in the 'missing links' in knowledge and painting experience.

This Educational program is very comprehensive and it will provide unique benefits to each individual who attends the program because it addresses several important facets of all decorative painting needs. Each artist will reap his or her own unique rewards from this program!

Please contact me for further information or if you have any questions at all.

Traditions Artist Internet forum

If you would like to interact and exchange ideas and network with other artists and teachers who are using Traditions, we invite you to join the Traditions artist forum internet 'list' on Yahoo Groups.

Please visit this link below to join our group

Traditions Artist Internet Forum

HA Newsletters

Archived Heritage Artist Newsletters

HANews1.pdf

HANews2.pdf

HANews3.pdf

Adobe Reader

Big News!

	Academy of Heritage Designers
	Workbooks for the Manual ABC
	Techniques DVD for ABC
	Module D - April '06

Light Fast?

Light fastness? Will the pigment fade or how will it react to light? Light fastness is rated on a scale of 1 down to 4, one means permanent, four means they will begin to fade more quickly. For example in the JansenArt Traditions Line that I work with, which is an acrylic 'Artist grade' paint, all pigments used to create this paint line are rated number #1 with only one pigment, Dioxazine Purple PV23 being a #2. That means they all have a very high permanent quality. No fugitive pigments are used.

Safe?

Are the pigments safe? - Are there any toxic pigments used in the paint; such as those, which are, lead based, cadmium, chromium or cobalt? YES cobalt - For example - In the JansenArt Traditions line - only safe pigments are used. Paints that bear the 'AP' seal of the Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI) are certified non-toxic. Any paint that is non-toxic has to meet the ASTM D-4236 standard. JansenArt Traditions is one of these acrylic 'Artist grade' paints that are non-toxic. However some companies can receive an ASTM D-4236 label if they put on the label that the paint inside is toxic or harmful.

Vehicle?

What is the vehicle? - For example, linseed oil is used in many oil paints and an acrylic dispersion in others. With the JansenArt Traditions paints the vehicle is an acrylic resin, which dries clear - this is an important feature when artists are looking for true colour clarity and durability. Vehicles can be controlled or altered by a paints Media. In the case of Traditions this media is a chemical called Propylene Glycol, which can be used to control the drying time of the paint.

Opacity?

What about opacity for good coverage as well as transparency for layering and dimensional techniques? Many artists will require their paint to perform in both these capacities. When the artist knows what pigments are used to manufacture the colour, that knowledge will provide greater success when selecting one colour over the other. It is important to recognize that some pigments are opaque and others transparent by the nature of the pigment. Knowing the effects will greatly enhance the artist’s work.

Viscosity?

Viscosity – How thick is the paint? - Is it liquid, medium or high viscosity? The Jansen Art Traditions paint is’ medium viscosity' paint. It is thick and creamy which lends itself to many fine art techniques as well as those commonly used in decorative painting today.

Purity?

What about the purity of the pigments? For many artists the use of pure pigment is very necessary for successful mixing - In the Jansen Art Traditions line - there are 50 colours- however 26 of them are 'pure' pigments, there are 3 micas used to create the metallics, and the other 21 are mixes of the pure pigments used to create additional colours for the artists convenience.

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