This is the sixth post in this study. The next–final–post will be about the finished painting. I have finished my initial plan of attack. I always a have a goal when I start out, and I know when I’ve reached it when everything is in its place. Often, the road is circuitous as I uncover…
Two recent links will be useful to people interested in the technical aspects of painting. Tad Spurgeon’s site provides a wealth of information about oils. This site describes how to make oil paints.While I haven’t followed the advice of either:-), both have a lot of reference material.
Here’s a tube of Blockx that’s gone bad. Phtalo green is so strong it overpowers other colors so I don’t use it often, but even so this tube should still be usable. I have other tubes that are much older. As you can see, this tube of phtalo green has become so firm that it can…
Added Richeson and Grumbacher to the table and updated information about the types of oils used in binders; updated several ratings.
The best oil I’ve used has been cold-pressed linseed oil. Cold-pressed oil combines with colors well, and doesn’t ‘suede’ like refined oils. Cold-pressing refers to extracting oil from flax seeds with a mill or press and without heat or chemical processes. The resulting oil is highly acidic, which is why it combines well with pigment.…
I updated the oil paint brand list with information about the binders used by some manufacturers (Blockx, Old Holland, Michael Hadring, Blue Ridge, and Holbein). I also downgraded my ratings for Blue Ridge. I prefer cold-pressed linseed to alkali refined method they use. They also use a blend of walnut and linseed oils. Finally, I’ve used paint from Michael Harding (ultramarine blue) which seems very good, but I haven’t used it enough to rate it.
The latest version of the study shows the painting much advanced. The modelling is done on the cement bench and pediment. The figure modeling needs more refinement, as is evident in this detail. I am still painting according to plan–more or less(!) After a plan is complete, there is always much to be done, especially…
This recently finished sketch is on a canvas board that was prepared as I described in an earlier post. I deviated from my normal medium with the addition of a small amount of stand oil. We lived close to the State hospital in Trenton for several years in a neighborhood called Hilltonia. Hilltonia is a…