Polymin
The natural, modern replacement for Ivorine.
Traditional Miniature painters used ivory as a backing for their paintings in the early days of miniature works art but the ivory trade was block from selling it when too many elephants were being destroyed for the product. Ivorine became the product that the Miniaturist turned to around the beginning of the twentieth century when the supply of ivory started to dry up and was used successfully for a good number of years.
The demise of Ivorine production in England in 1994 brought about the need to find another product to satisfy the needs of Miniaturists around the world. Ivorine started to disappear from the markets because the product became very expensive to make and as the polymers/plastics industry expanded and other, cheaper products were made it no longer proved to be a viable proposition for the industry. The last known source of Ivorine was in Italy but has now ceased production due to the market fading completely.
Polymin is an inert product developed by Polymers Plus specifically for artists working on miniature paintings. It was developed after Ivorine became increasingly difficult to source and the miniature painting fraternity was desperately looking for an alternative.
It is supplied in two colours, White which is liked by marine and landscape artists that like the bright background to illuminate the skies and seas or rivers and trees, and Ivory which is used by the more traditional portrait and animal artists because of its gentle background softness.
It is very easy to use and, unlike Ivorine that needed to be cleaned of oily deposits on the surface made by its manufacturing process, Polymin has a clean, ready to use surface that suits all types of painting media such as watercolours, acrylics and oils. It is supplied in its natural form with a semi-transparent finish allowing artists to use a light-box and then back it for support or it can supplied already backed and ready for use.
Its smooth surface is amazingly good for delicate work and allows infinite details to be painted by the most exacting of artists. Added to this it can be wiped clean if a mistake is made which is particularly useful for the painting of unforgiving watercolours. It can be easily cut to the shape of a circle or oval, making it a delightful product for miniature painters that like to use these traditional frames to put around their delicate paintings.