Take It To The Next Level

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Comment by Laurel Sternberg on July 19, 2011 at 3:38am

I use a mixture of Safflower and Clove Oils, 50/50. The clove slows the drying but is too caustic on its own. I'm told it will eat into the canvas. If I really want to keep a canvas wet over a month or more, I store it in a plastic-covered box at the end of each day. For brush cleaning I use odorless Eco-House thinner, keeping the container covered except when I dip into it, and I wear a glove. I need my central nervous system.

Comment by Christine Rossi on August 13, 2010 at 9:58am

Agree with the turpentine comment. I found that 91% rubbing alcohol works well for cleaning brushes especially when mixing with beeswax medium or walnut oil.

Comment by Tom David on August 11, 2010 at 1:41pm

Sloan. . . Don't know what mediums you are using, but my favorite oil medium is Liquin. Galkyd works ok, but tries faster than I like and gets a bit too sticky to fast. But I use it sometimes when I want to work more quickly. I usually stay away from linseed oil because they yellow over time. Walnut oil, I think is superior to Linseed - because it doesn't yellow. I like the effect of stand oil, but don't use it much. I tend to do quite of bit of painting with Open Acrylics (Golden) and then glazing over with oils. That way I can work quickly, resolving color and composition problems before moving to oils. I NEVER use turpentine. It is HIGHLY TOXIC. It is dangerous to use even in a well ventilated area. It can kill you. If you can smell it, it is entering your body. Use mineral spirits purchase from Daniel Smith or Gamsol made by Gambil and purchased about anywhere. About hopping around. . .I think it's a good thing to work with a body of work, completing 20 to 30 major paintings in a series before moving on. We learn from our mistakes. Hopping around cheats us of this learning opportunity. Take care. Good luck

Comment by Donald Kennedy on July 28, 2010 at 9:51am

dear Sloane, The Mona Lisa wasn't painted on setting you of course meant one sitting one sits for a portrait and a cup is set upon a table. Two words with two different meanings. Charcoal is used in painting so that an image maybe moved with redrawing the image, first a pounce is made and pounced on the primed canvas, If the image isn't placed to your liking it can be fogged off and repositioned by re-pouncing the image. It works best on large canvases or murals. Some times I put a piece of velum or yellow tracing paper over an image to protect the under image., it is through back to the Beaux Arts movement were a scaled drawing was superimposed with multi layers of tracing paper in order to illuminate rescaling each variation or iteration of the original drawing. Remember work begets work. All the best Donald

Comment by Tracy Duran on July 27, 2010 at 2:18pm

I would recommend mixing your own painting medium, you can control everything about it that way. The mixture I use is traditionally 1/3 turp, 1/3 oil (stand or linseed) and 1/3 damar varnish. I always use stand oil and vary the mixture according to what I want it to do (dry quickly, have a heavier body or drip) starting with equal parts turp and oil with a small amount of the damar. I have also recently been experimenting with an eco-house drier called Cozica Drier Blend which is similar to the damar without the potency. Hope this was helpful.

Comment by Alison Galvan on July 26, 2010 at 3:23pm

Hi Everyone, I've moved across Canada in the past few months and have definitely been out of the loop, but I'm back now and have jumped back into my painting and sculpting with relish! I've uploaded two new pieces, one entitled "Birch Trees in Autumn" and "Cedar". Would love any critiques anyone would like to offer.
One question I have for everyone. As you will see my painting "Cedar" looks so different when photographed in natural light and photographed lit up inside. It's hard because my work is 3D relief and therefore casts shadows that are hard to overcome when taking pictures. Could you guys give me your opinion on which you like better, the lit one, or the natural light. Also for entering competitions should I send both images so that they get the idea, or just go with one?
Thanks Everyone. It's good to be back. Look forward to chatting more often!
All the best,
Alison

Comment by Christine Rossi on July 23, 2010 at 1:20pm

Hi Sloane,
Claudio is right on.
Just work when you can. I have some things that sit around and I go back to and change significantly and other things that get done quickly and that is it. And its okay to paint over or discard something that isn't working.
I like a flat, translucent finish so I mix my oils with a beeswax medium. Linseed oil medium for glazing on thin layers.
I have been working in mixed medium lately so haven't been using oils but when I do that's what I use.
Matisse took a long time to finish his paintings also. Sometimes years.
Its a time honored tradition....:)

Comment by Slone Fries on July 22, 2010 at 11:39am

I am amazed at the dedication to the painting. The ability he had to know what to do with each individual layer. Knowing how to create that warm depth and knowing what to do with each layer still has me fumbling around a bit. Despite how others ay view a painting I am working on, I always get frustrated and either paint over it or let it sit for the rest of its unfinished life. Since I value your opinion so much Claudio can you advise me on 3 things? First, how do you choose what you mix your oils with? What gives you the best results? Second, what happenes when you get frustrated with your paintings? Third, sometimes I feel that if I only have a couple of hours to paint it's uselessp to even start. Can I work on a painting a few hours at a time and if so how? Do I just work on one section, a few colors, a layer, what is the best way to go about painting when you have time restraints? (Missed Talking to you)

Comment by Claudio fiori on July 20, 2010 at 2:28am

Hi, dear Sloane.
First of all I'll like to underline one point.
In the 15th century an Artist did not enjoy all the freedom of expression we have nowdays,
The sponsors of the Arts were the church and aristocracy only, so, the freedom of expression was relegated to the technique or metod used.
Raffaello used the "ideal "as his form of expression,Michelangelo, instead used the strength of the body to affirm the power of the soul living within , in the case of Leonardo, it was the "Sfumato"which means something like, blended or indefinible or, just perceptable.
The Mona Lisa painting is one of the very few example of a painting made without a commission and just for the Artist pleasure ( or exercise ).
It took Leonardo more than ten years to accomplice it , is very small, so it could be carried around in the many places Leonardo had to go.
This painting it was started in Florence, continued in Milan and finished in France.
It was a painting without a deadline, it was painted for Leonardo himself and it was the work of a lifetime and ,of course,not for sale.
Are you still amazed by the 30 or so layers?
Ciao bella, next time i'll tell you about my ideas on mediums, subjects,composition and their application.
Nice to be back.

Comment by Christine Rossi on March 1, 2010 at 1:36pm

Hi Sloane,
I am glad this is still active. I haven't join the group on Facebook because Facebook is like the black hole of time, which I don't have a lot of. I continue to check in even though I don't participate actively...
I am trying to juggle a full time job and schedule time to work at my craft to keep the creative juices flowing. As well as getting into galleries. I will update my work on this site some time in the very near future. Keep it up, it is good to have this site.

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