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Published On: Oct 15, 2004 10:50 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Oct 15, 2004 10:50 PM
OIL PAINTING NOTES
OIL PAINTS (whatever brand you prefer, student
grade is fine.)
...I love their consistency and their pigment-to-oil ratio especially.... Holbein paint is fairly stiff, but has good coverage. Rembrandt tends to be fairly oily and buttery, great for more translucent painting effects.
You can tell how much pigment a tube of paint has by the weight.... One will have more oil or binder, the other will have more pigment..that's the heavy one.
...This is a list of colors I use (You don't have to use these, but it might make it easier to manage if you do.)
...Black: I mix my black using Prussian Blue (French Ultramarine Blue can work in place of Prussian), Alizarin Red and Indian Yellow in equal amounts. If I want the resultant mixture to be warm I push it with more Aliz, if I want it cool, I push the Prussian.
The benefit of mixing my black is two-fold: It's a mixture of colors, not just a dead, flat black. If other colors hit the black the resultant grey is a colorful grey, a beautiful addition, not an eyesore — no mud results from the accidental intermixing.
MY "NICE TO HAVE AROUND" COLORS (These are ones I like but don't necessarily "need."
...BLOXX There's a whole pile of greens and earth colors that Bloxx makes that I can't rattle off the top of my head right now.
...I like the smell, I like how it reduces the paint.... Some use hardware turpentine (which is cheap, but is especially pungent.), others use Permtine, Turpenoid, and various of the other "Odorless" turps. I do not like the odorless stuff because it doesn't seem to reduce the oil but rather break it up into granules.
...I use mostly flats and filberts, with the rounds being for finer detail work.
I would prefer you stay away from stiff bristle brushes as you'll be fighting with the brush as it pulls up what you've already put down.
...I have used Liquin, Venice Turpentine, Linseed Oil, etc. They all have their advantages and their drawbacks.
...For my larger works I prefer to stretch my own canvases.... I like making the various choices as to stretchers and linens, etc. I prefer linen over cotton duck because of the imperfections in the linen, they make for a more enjoyable painting experience for me.
...To stretch a canvas: I fit the stretchers together then lay the frame over my unrolled canvas. I cut the canvas to fit the four sides of the stretchers, roughly three- to-four inches beyond the strips. Using a staple gun I'll place one staple through the linen into the center along one side of a strip. I'll repeat this on the other side, pulling the canvas with canvas pliers.
...What you should see is a diamond formed by the stress pulls in the center of the canvas.
...Stapling one or two staples on either side of the last set of staples work your way on first one side, then the opposite, until the canvas has been stretched. In each instance, pull the linen taut with the canvas pliers, then staple.
When I'm done I like to staple the extra linen to the back of the stretchers, and fold my corners and staple those as well.
...A rainy day is especially good for stretching canvases as the linen has a higher moisture content and as the rain stops, the linen becomes even tighter.
...So I prepare a pile of canvases as once and put them out in the sun to dry.
...I enjoy this stuff because it allows me to "surface" the linen adding texture.... I also love the way the paint slips and slides on the surface of the Underpainting White.
...I love their consistency and their pigment-to-oil ratio especially.... Holbein paint is fairly stiff, but has good coverage. Rembrandt tends to be fairly oily and buttery, great for more translucent painting effects.
You can tell how much pigment a tube of paint has by the weight.... One will have more oil or binder, the other will have more pigment..that's the heavy one.
...This is a list of colors I use (You don't have to use these, but it might make it easier to manage if you do.)
...Black: I mix my black using Prussian Blue (French Ultramarine Blue can work in place of Prussian), Alizarin Red and Indian Yellow in equal amounts. If I want the resultant mixture to be warm I push it with more Aliz, if I want it cool, I push the Prussian.
The benefit of mixing my black is two-fold: It's a mixture of colors, not just a dead, flat black. If other colors hit the black the resultant grey is a colorful grey, a beautiful addition, not an eyesore — no mud results from the accidental intermixing.
MY "NICE TO HAVE AROUND" COLORS (These are ones I like but don't necessarily "need."
...BLOXX There's a whole pile of greens and earth colors that Bloxx makes that I can't rattle off the top of my head right now.
...I like the smell, I like how it reduces the paint.... Some use hardware turpentine (which is cheap, but is especially pungent.), others use Permtine, Turpenoid, and various of the other "Odorless" turps. I do not like the odorless stuff because it doesn't seem to reduce the oil but rather break it up into granules.
...I use mostly flats and filberts, with the rounds being for finer detail work.
I would prefer you stay away from stiff bristle brushes as you'll be fighting with the brush as it pulls up what you've already put down.
...I have used Liquin, Venice Turpentine, Linseed Oil, etc. They all have their advantages and their drawbacks.
...For my larger works I prefer to stretch my own canvases.... I like making the various choices as to stretchers and linens, etc. I prefer linen over cotton duck because of the imperfections in the linen, they make for a more enjoyable painting experience for me.
...To stretch a canvas: I fit the stretchers together then lay the frame over my unrolled canvas. I cut the canvas to fit the four sides of the stretchers, roughly three- to-four inches beyond the strips. Using a staple gun I'll place one staple through the linen into the center along one side of a strip. I'll repeat this on the other side, pulling the canvas with canvas pliers.
...What you should see is a diamond formed by the stress pulls in the center of the canvas.
...Stapling one or two staples on either side of the last set of staples work your way on first one side, then the opposite, until the canvas has been stretched. In each instance, pull the linen taut with the canvas pliers, then staple.
When I'm done I like to staple the extra linen to the back of the stretchers, and fold my corners and staple those as well.
...A rainy day is especially good for stretching canvases as the linen has a higher moisture content and as the rain stops, the linen becomes even tighter.
...So I prepare a pile of canvases as once and put them out in the sun to dry.
...I enjoy this stuff because it allows me to "surface" the linen adding texture.... I also love the way the paint slips and slides on the surface of the Underpainting White.
MATERIALS
OIL PAINTS (whatever brand you prefer, student grade is fine.)
My favorite colors are Windsor & Newton. They are the colors I use most. I love their consistency and their pigment-to-oil ratio especially. Other manufacturers' (see MY "NICE TO HAVE AROUND" COLORS) colors have varying consistencies, but which are also interesting and rewarding. Holbein paint is fairly stiff, but has good coverage. Rembrandt tends to be fairly oily and buttery, great for more translucent painting effects.
You can tell how much pigment a tube of paint has by the weight. Heft different companies tubes of, say, Cadmium Red. One will have more oil or binder, the other will have more pigment..that's the heavy one. More pigment is obviously a good thing.
This is a list of colors I use (You don't have to use these, but it might make it easier to manage if you do.)
MY COLOR NECESSITIES (These are the ones I can't do without)
Burnt Sienna
Cadmium Red (Light is probably better than dark)
Alizarin Crimson
Prussian Blue
French Ultramarine Blue
Cobalt Blue
Sap Green
Indian Yellow
Permalba White (Permalba is a brand name...only made by Permalba. It's a wonderful white)
Black: I mix my black using Prussian Blue (French Ultramarine Blue can work in place of Prussian), Alizarin Red and Indian Yellow in equal amounts. If I want the resultant mixture to be warm I push it with more Aliz, if I want it cool, I push the Prussian.
The benefit of mixing my black is two-fold: It's a mixture of colors, not just a dead, flat black. If other colors hit the black the resultant grey is a colorful grey, a beautiful addition, not an eyesore — no mud results from the accidental intermixing.
MY "NICE TO HAVE AROUND" COLORS (These are ones I like but don't necessarily "need." Meaning, these are colors I normally spend time mixing, but here they are ready to rock.) These are listed by brands, as only the brand listed manufactures the color.
HOLBEIN
Rose Grey 1 and 2
Blue Grey
Green Grey
Yellow Grey
REMBRANDT
Rembrandt Yellow
Transparent Oxide Red
BLOXX
There's a whole pile of greens and earth colors that Bloxx makes that I can't rattle off the top of my head right now. When I'm home I'll try to follow this up with a partial list.
TURPENTINE
I use English Distilled Turpentine by Windsor & Newton. I like the smell, I like how it reduces the paint. Great stuff. Buddies of mine use all sorts of different stuff. Some use hardware turpentine (which is cheap, but is especially pungent.), others use Permtine, Turpenoid, and various of the other "Odorless" turps. I do not like the odorless stuff because it doesn't seem to reduce the oil but rather break it up into granules. Drives me nuts. Again, a personal preference.
BRUSHES
I prefer soft brushes, synthetics are fine. They're loads cheaper for sure. I like rounds and filberts, also flats. I use mostly flats and filberts, with the rounds being for finer detail work.
I would prefer you stay away from stiff bristle brushes as you'll be fighting with the brush as it pulls up what you've already put down.
PAINTING MEDIUM
I use Galkyd painting medium, manufactured by Gamblin (I think). I use it when I want to hold a stroke, to play with transparency, or to speed drying.
I have used Liquin, Venice Turpentine, Linseed Oil, etc. They all have their advantages and their drawbacks. Again, this is a personal preference of my own. Mostly I just use my turp.
STRETCHING A CANVAS
For my larger works I prefer to stretch my own canvases. I enjoy the process of doing all of this by hand. It's sort of a decompression and a firing up of the juices preparatory to painting. I like making the various choices as to stretchers and linens, etc. I prefer linen over cotton duck because of the imperfections in the linen, they make for a more enjoyable painting experience for me. It's purely an aesthetic choice. I also prefer linen because it's a more durable cloth.
To stretch a canvas: I fit the stretchers together then lay the frame over my unrolled canvas. I cut the canvas to fit the four sides of the stretchers, roughly three- to-four inches beyond the strips. Using a staple gun I'll place one staple through the linen into the center along one side of a strip. I'll repeat this on the other side, pulling the canvas with canvas pliers. This is then repeated on the other two sides.
What you should see is a diamond formed by the stress pulls in the center of the canvas.
Next is a round robin repetition of the same on opposing sides. Stapling one or two staples on either side of the last set of staples work your way on first one side, then the opposite, until the canvas has been stretched. In each instance, pull the linen taut with the canvas pliers, then staple.
When I'm done I like to staple the extra linen to the back of the stretchers, and fold my corners and staple those as well. I'll demonstrate this a little in class.
I like my canvas to be pretty taut, almost like a drum. A rainy day is especially good for stretching canvases as the linen has a higher moisture content and as the rain stops, the linen becomes even tighter.
PREPARING A CANVAS
I do purchase pre-primed linen in rolls, then stretch onto stretchers. I then prime my linen with Windsor & Newton's UNDERPAINTING WHITE. This is an incredibly opaque mixture of lead and white. It's smelly, and probably not healthy to breathe. So I prepare a pile of canvases as once and put them out in the sun to dry. They have to dry at least two or three days.
I enjoy this stuff because it allows me to "surface" the linen adding texture. I see the under-texture as part of the overall impression of the paintings. I also love the way the paint slips and slides on the surface of the Underpainting White.
OIL PAINTS (whatever brand you prefer, student grade is fine.)
My favorite colors are Windsor & Newton. They are the colors I use most. I love their consistency and their pigment-to-oil ratio especially. Other manufacturers' (see MY "NICE TO HAVE AROUND" COLORS) colors have varying consistencies, but which are also interesting and rewarding. Holbein paint is fairly stiff, but has good coverage. Rembrandt tends to be fairly oily and buttery, great for more translucent painting effects.
You can tell how much pigment a tube of paint has by the weight. Heft different companies tubes of, say, Cadmium Red. One will have more oil or binder, the other will have more pigment..that's the heavy one. More pigment is obviously a good thing.
This is a list of colors I use (You don't have to use these, but it might make it easier to manage if you do.)
MY COLOR NECESSITIES (These are the ones I can't do without)
Burnt Sienna
Cadmium Red (Light is probably better than dark)
Alizarin Crimson
Prussian Blue
French Ultramarine Blue
Cobalt Blue
Sap Green
Indian Yellow
Permalba White (Permalba is a brand name...only made by Permalba. It's a wonderful white)
Black: I mix my black using Prussian Blue (French Ultramarine Blue can work in place of Prussian), Alizarin Red and Indian Yellow in equal amounts. If I want the resultant mixture to be warm I push it with more Aliz, if I want it cool, I push the Prussian.
The benefit of mixing my black is two-fold: It's a mixture of colors, not just a dead, flat black. If other colors hit the black the resultant grey is a colorful grey, a beautiful addition, not an eyesore — no mud results from the accidental intermixing.
MY "NICE TO HAVE AROUND" COLORS (These are ones I like but don't necessarily "need." Meaning, these are colors I normally spend time mixing, but here they are ready to rock.) These are listed by brands, as only the brand listed manufactures the color.
HOLBEIN
Rose Grey 1 and 2
Blue Grey
Green Grey
Yellow Grey
REMBRANDT
Rembrandt Yellow
Transparent Oxide Red
BLOXX
There's a whole pile of greens and earth colors that Bloxx makes that I can't rattle off the top of my head right now. When I'm home I'll try to follow this up with a partial list.
TURPENTINE
I use English Distilled Turpentine by Windsor & Newton. I like the smell, I like how it reduces the paint. Great stuff. Buddies of mine use all sorts of different stuff. Some use hardware turpentine (which is cheap, but is especially pungent.), others use Permtine, Turpenoid, and various of the other "Odorless" turps. I do not like the odorless stuff because it doesn't seem to reduce the oil but rather break it up into granules. Drives me nuts. Again, a personal preference.
BRUSHES
I prefer soft brushes, synthetics are fine. They're loads cheaper for sure. I like rounds and filberts, also flats. I use mostly flats and filberts, with the rounds being for finer detail work.
I would prefer you stay away from stiff bristle brushes as you'll be fighting with the brush as it pulls up what you've already put down.
PAINTING MEDIUM
I use Galkyd painting medium, manufactured by Gamblin (I think). I use it when I want to hold a stroke, to play with transparency, or to speed drying.
I have used Liquin, Venice Turpentine, Linseed Oil, etc. They all have their advantages and their drawbacks. Again, this is a personal preference of my own. Mostly I just use my turp.
STRETCHING A CANVAS
For my larger works I prefer to stretch my own canvases. I enjoy the process of doing all of this by hand. It's sort of a decompression and a firing up of the juices preparatory to painting. I like making the various choices as to stretchers and linens, etc. I prefer linen over cotton duck because of the imperfections in the linen, they make for a more enjoyable painting experience for me. It's purely an aesthetic choice. I also prefer linen because it's a more durable cloth.
To stretch a canvas: I fit the stretchers together then lay the frame over my unrolled canvas. I cut the canvas to fit the four sides of the stretchers, roughly three- to-four inches beyond the strips. Using a staple gun I'll place one staple through the linen into the center along one side of a strip. I'll repeat this on the other side, pulling the canvas with canvas pliers. This is then repeated on the other two sides.
What you should see is a diamond formed by the stress pulls in the center of the canvas.
Next is a round robin repetition of the same on opposing sides. Stapling one or two staples on either side of the last set of staples work your way on first one side, then the opposite, until the canvas has been stretched. In each instance, pull the linen taut with the canvas pliers, then staple.
When I'm done I like to staple the extra linen to the back of the stretchers, and fold my corners and staple those as well. I'll demonstrate this a little in class.
I like my canvas to be pretty taut, almost like a drum. A rainy day is especially good for stretching canvases as the linen has a higher moisture content and as the rain stops, the linen becomes even tighter.
PREPARING A CANVAS
I do purchase pre-primed linen in rolls, then stretch onto stretchers. I then prime my linen with Windsor & Newton's UNDERPAINTING WHITE. This is an incredibly opaque mixture of lead and white. It's smelly, and probably not healthy to breathe. So I prepare a pile of canvases as once and put them out in the sun to dry. They have to dry at least two or three days.
I enjoy this stuff because it allows me to "surface" the linen adding texture. I see the under-texture as part of the overall impression of the paintings. I also love the way the paint slips and slides on the surface of the Underpainting White.
Posted: Sun - October 19, 2003 at 06:52 PM