The winter of ’14 has been the coldest in recent memory. Lake Erie remains frozen, as can be seen in this recent photo from my bedroom balcony. Take cheer! Summer will return and transform the lake into scenes like this one:
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…
Do you remember your first encounters with great art? I vividly recall my introduction to certain artists–life-changing discoveries that revolutionized my views about art. The composer Berlioz recalled his introduction to Shakespeare this way: “Shakespeare, coming upon me unawares, struck me like a thunderbolt. The lightning flash of that sublime discovery opened before me at…
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.
Today I worked on these paintings. Both are titled ‘Main Street.’ Each is taken from a one-block area of–you guessed it–Main Street in our small town. #1 (bottom painting) might end up being called ‘Antique Shop,’ or some-such. While not identical, both are roughly the same size. As you can see from the photograph, both…
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…