Among oil painters, there seems to be a common misconception that glazing is some kind of mystical technique that only a few can master. The basic process is, however, very simple. Glazing is putting one layer of paint over another so that you can see the underlayer through the upper layer of paint. Glazing is a form of indirect painting, which just means that you are painting with more than one layer, allowing previous layers to dry before you add more paint on top.
Glazing can be used for a number of purposes. As I noted my post comparing the glazing methods of Italian and Netherlandish Renaissance painters, glazing can be used to create optical color mixtures (a blue glazed over a yellow makes a green) or to create modeling effects (thicker layers of transparent paint are darker, so you can adjust value by adjusting the thickness of the paint). Some artists glaze over a whole painting to unify the overall tone. Others will glaze specific parts of the painting. One method is to do an initial monotone underpainting (in shades of grey, for example) then apply color over it. This simplifies the process of painting by first tackling pure value, then working out hue and chroma. Some modern portrait painters will do an initial painting of flesh in shades of green (they incorrectly call this a “verdaccio”). They then glaze with reds and oranges (complementaries and near-complementaries to green), providing the flesh tones with a sense of vitality that is difficult to achieve with direct painting. Glazing can also be useful for maintaining chroma in light colors. Mixing with a lot of white will seriously reduce the chroma of most colors, resulting in a look often described as “chalky.” If you glaze the same color over white, however, you can achieve an optical effect that is high in value, with more chroma that you could get by mixing that color with white.
Because a glaze darkens what it covers (unless its a scumble—see below), it is best to do the underpainting lighter than the intended final effect. If you are going to glaze, it’s important for the underpainting to have as smooth a surface as possible. That’s because irregularities will trap excess amounts of paint in the glaze layer, creating weird little spots of darker paint. So, before the paint dries, it’s a good idea to go over it very lightly with a soft dry brush, looking for lumps and gently brushing them down. After the underpainting has dried thoroughly, you may want to wet sand to create as smooth a surface as possible.
In selecting paint colors to glaze with, it is useful to distinguish among opaque colors (like cadmium yellow), semi-transparent colors (like ultramarine blue), and transparent colors (like alizarin crimson). While any of these colors can be used for glazing, transparent and semi-transparent colors are darker when they are put on more thickly. Opaque colors can be used for glazing, but only when they are applied in a thin layer. A thick layer of an opaque color is not a glaze, because you can’t see the underpainting through it.
Many oil painters think that the best way to glaze is to dilute the paint with medium to a watery or syrupy consistency (this is what a lot of art instruction manuals tell you to do). The paint becomes less opaque because the pigment particles are separated by a larger than normal amount of transparent vehicle. This type of glaze is called a dilution glaze. In my (deeply humble) opinion, it’s the wrong way to glaze. It’s bad technique for (at least) three reasons: (1) all of that extra resin and oil will darken and yellow over time, ruining the effect; (2) dilution glazes tend to create a sort of “tinted photograph” effect that doesn’t have the solidity a painter is usually trying to depict; and (3) the documentation I’ve found on historical glazing techniques suggests that only small amounts of resin are detected in glazing layers in Renaissance Netherlandish paintings, which I consider to be the gold standard in glazing for both beauty and longevity.
A better method is called a reduction glaze. This approach involves adjusting the transparency of the paint by adjusting the thickness of the paint layer. While you can do a reduction glaze with nothing but pure oil paint, it helps to first lubricate the surface by applying a very thin layer of a slippery medium. My preferred glazing medium is a 50/50 mixture of black oil (linseed cooked with lead) and Venice turpentine (if you don’t like to use substances containing lead, linseed oil will work almost as well). Studio Products also sells an excellent glazing medium. You can also use plain linseed or walnut oil as a glazing medium. Put a drop of medium on the surface, rubbing it in with your fingers to spread it as far as possible. This way, you can cover a large area with just a few drops of medium. In addition to putting some on the surface, you can also put just a tiny bit of medium in your paint, but I don’t usually find that necessary.
Mix up the color you want to glaze with. Apply it thickly and evenly to the desired area with a brush. It will look like a horrible mess at this stage, but have faith. You will now reduce the thickness of the glaze to the desired opacity and value. Do this by dabbing with a soft brush, smearing with your fingers, rubbing with a cloth or sponge, or whatever works to adjust the glaze to achieve the desired effect. With a little practice, a reduction glaze is really pretty easy. You can get nice gradations in color and value by creating a gradation from thin to thick. Or you can create gradations from one color to another. Once you have the glaze spread to the right thickness, you can, if you like, paint into it with other colors. For example, you can apply light highlights into a wet glaze and then blend it in. If desired, you can let your glaze dry and then add one or more additional layers of glazing. For example, you can get really intense, chromatic darks by glazing with multiple layers of transparent paint.
When mixing colors for a glaze, it is sometimes helpful to add a small amount of white to your mixtures. This provides a greater sense of solidity.
If you glaze with very light colors containing a lot of white, it is usually called a scumble. Titanium white, being very opaque, can be a bad choice for scumbling. Flake white and zinc white are much easier to create transparency effects with. A very white, hazy glaze is called a velatura (“veil”). A velatura can be a great way to depict transparent smoke, haze, or fog.
Update
Instead of making sure the underpainting surface is smooth before glazing over it, you can deliberately give it lots of texture. Then the glaze will sink into the nooks and crannies, creating a sense of dimensional relief. Rembrandt often used this technique.
I live in a fairly rural area where I can only depend on help from books and/or the Internet when it comes to my new hobby, oil painting. I found the information on glazing helpful in more ways than I can explain. Thank you.
Maryanne,
You’re very welcome.
Are there any other mediums you recommend for reduction glazes? I’ve been using a mixture of stand oil / venice turp and it’s so incredibly thick it barely spreads with rubbing. I’ve read that glazing mediums should have no solvent as not to dissolve previous layers — what do you think?
“Incompetent,”
Stand oil really needs some kind of solvent for most practical uses. I like black oil and Venice turpentine as a glazing medium; you could use linseed instead of the black oil and it would work almost as well.
The best commercial product that I know of for this purpose is the glazing medium sold by Studio Products. Not everything they make is perfect, but the glazing medium is really excellent and fairly inexpensive. It has no solvent, so there are no worries that it will dissolve previous layers. Be sure to stir it before using.
Thanks David. The reason I ask is Eastlake in his book talks constantly on the use of “thick oleo-resinous vehicle”(s) for imparting depth and richness to glazes. I know he’s not held in high esteem in all circles but I find parts of it spot on — such as crisp underpaintings to counteract the softening effect of subsequent glazes/scumbles.
Hello David..and to ‘Incompetent” ( name? ), I am sure you are not incompetent, but seeking good advice. Ive read the lengthy comment by David. As always it gives lots of ‘theory’ and some sharing of practical experience. Glad to see DAvid added important info on NOT having to smooth out the surface..as mater Rembrandt ignored that ‘theoretical academic ‘approach. FYIU..Rembrandt, beinmg the master that jhe was, also did not aqlways wait for the wet paint film to dry..and GLAZED on top of wet paint.. HOW? He used a thixotropic thick gel-like medium ( described in my book). GLAZES are of course a wonderful part of oil painting for all the reasons David cites. David’s suggestion to ‘oil out’ the dry surface with pure linseed oil ( unclear if you say to use it alone, or mixed with the VT?) is not good advice either way. If used alone, this oil is a poor choice because it will drip and any fine details inpainted will blur, and if mixed with VT this oil choice is still a poor choice because it takes many days to dry..and it dries ‘soft’(compared to heated oils). Davids choice of using black oil ( containing hazardous lead) solves the slow drying problem, and venice turpentine ( a sticky balsam) solves the drip problem. But, Venice turpentine , is a balsam, and is ‘brittle’ as it ages..it is also soluable in solvents…even when fully dry and or old ( restoration problems down the line). “Incompetent’s”( sorry to refer to you like that) experience with a mix of stand oil and venice turp is completely unmanagable and a poor choice. I’ve not tried he ‘studio products’ item, and its lack of contents listed, concerns me. ‘Incompetent” also is correct in citing a glaze medium should not contain a solvent because if you rub it in like you should do, it lifts/disrupts the underlaying paint film…. that leaves out the current ’ painting mediums’ sold on the market.
SO..whats the answer? The SIMPLE ANSWER is in my book. Ive posted before, and I have gifted David a copy of my book, ” Oil Painting with ‘Calcite Sun Oil”: Safety and Permanence without Hazardous Solvents, Resins, Varnishes, ans Driers”. My research studies, experiments, and activity as an oil painter for over 50 years allows me to describe a safer , and completely permanent use of materials based on ancient knowledge, and on the results of the current scientific studies of Velazquez, Rembrandt, and Van Eyck, by leaders in conservation and reasearch. i.e. Ernst Van de Wetering, head of the Rembrandt Reaseach Project, and Ms. Carmen Garrido-Perez, Chief conservator of the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain.
The SIMPLE answer lies in either of two easily made, completely safe ( you could eat them) Egg Glair Emulsions, named, ‘Viscous Emulsion” and the ‘Non-Viscous Emulsion”. See my website or write to me. sincerely, Louis
PS: I do appreciate David’s site, and recognize his efforts to inform and assist, and I like that he is alway open to alternate views and updated information.
Hi ‘Incompetent’ (sorry) and David ( I apologize for all the typos in my preceeding letter..It was careless haste on my part). HERE is an additional comment re ‘Incompentent’s’ posting, cut and pasted here:
MY COMMENT:
If the CORRECT linseed oil is used .i.e. UNREFINED Cold Pressed Sun Thickened Linseed Oil…. not slow drying Alkali Refined Stand oil nor even slower drying Alkali Refined unpolymerized linseed oil…. you can have the gel-like viscosity without the RESIN..and have all the resin benefits such as ‘stickiness/adherance’, easier blending, micro-fine details , in addition to the fastest drying required… by simple mixtures of the CORRECT oil with Calcium Carbonate, used in conjunction with either of the two Egg Glair /Oil Emulsions.
This choice and use of ancient materials gives great color depth, deep luster, and hard surface that is needed for endurance, archival permanence and valuable coloristic and textural effects.
I would be happy to respond to any inquiries. =louis
My head throbs from reading all the above, but my two cents worth: the SP Glazing medium is really very good. The ingredients, while not listed on the container, are available, to be found on the site, i think the forum…but they include Canada Balsam. Layering it on and glazing into it is really very nice, though a bit tricky till you get the hang of it.
Louis, you should go and check out Wet Canvas, raise some cackles there in the Oil Forum…always a good time, and thanks for your info, and David, Love the Boot Drawing and the Jump Boot painting is Fabulous.
james
Hi James, Thank you for your recommendation :) I do read many sites. Please see my website and write to me. You and I can dialogue about your glazing issues and…more.
sincerely, louis
PS: congrats again on your website, David.
Thank you for the invite, have been to your site, i’ve no real issues concerning glazing, only use it sparingly, am more of a direct painter, ADHD issues keep me from indirect painting….ants in me pants and so on…
David, Have recently got my hands on some Garrett’s copal, very nice medium, copal with stand oil. In glazing and in reg. painting acts very much like Maroger’s, use it in the same manner to, painting into the couch, wondering if you had heard of it, or the SP version and your thoughts. Know you are away for a bit, so no need to get to this immediately….
Enjoy life and the smiles of your little addition,
james
Curious that there doesn’t seem much information available about the oil/calcium carbonate combination. Is it similar to Annigoni’s medium?
In several texts Titian is quoted as saying he used “30 or 40” glazes. Yet in another book I’ve read he allegedly used only two or three, which is supposed to account for the good condition of his works. Maddening…
David and James, ( James, please excuse my comment on Garrets Copal).
Frederic Taubes is the formulator of modern 20th century ‘Copal Painting Mediums”. His line was sold in the 50’s-70’s by Permanent Pigments Co (now defunct). Taubes (b.1900)died in 1981. Taubes’ line offered 1. Copal concentrate= a very viscous mixture of copal resin and stand oil like thick honey 2. Copal Painting Medium –light ( meaning thinned) 3. Copal Painting Medium — heavy(thickened) 4. Copal varnish.
I learned to oil paint with these materials, beginning in about 1957. They really made the oil paint , sold in tubes with the slow drying unpolymerized, alkali refined linseed oil… behave! After Taubes died, his products went off the market, and several copy products surfaced. I have spoken with Mr. Garrett, many years ago. His mother had known Mr. Taubes, and he was/is trying to revive the Taubes line. I tried his product and saw no reason to continue to use it.
Ive spoken with Mr. Taubes’ grandson, Tim. He has told me his grandfathers paintings have lowered in tone. Since Ebay became a reality, I now own 6 Taubes original paintings. The earliest is from the late 30’s ( decided by style , as Taubes, rarely dated his paintings), and the newest are from the 70’s. The older ones have cracks in several areas, dryness, sunken colors, brittleness, etc… not at all like the wonderfully preserved 500 year old paintings of the Van Eycks!
Taubes formulations used mixtures of Petroleum Distillate as the solvent for the Copal resin, and he used today’s slow drying Alkali Refined Linseed oil, thickened by high heat, that we know as Stand Oil… Taubes also used mixtures of unpolymerized ( thin) alkali refined linseed oil, as mixtures with the stand oil… thats how he got the “THIN” MEDIUM and the “HEAVY” MEDIUM, in addition to adding more solvent…
Many of you have seen the fine website by Mr. James C. Groves. He has much to say about hard resins, and produces a long line of amber oil mediums, varnishes, etc. But, I find them all to be unnecessary.
My experience, and the goals I have , are not to raise cackles, but to focus on education and sharing what I have learned. I know today, that with the information in my book, you and I can replicate the Effects of Van Eyck and the early Flemings, and those of Rembrandt… incidentally.. Mr. Taubes in his book ‘The Mastery of Oil Painting” writes a short comment that Rembrandt’s paint was very long and viscous, but it held every brushstroke and knife mark.. ( which long flowing paint does not do, as it fuses and drips, spreads). … Taubes could not explain how Rembrandt did this. I know the way Rembrandt did it. It has a special chapter in my book.
sincerely= louis PS: I am indebted to James Groves, a friend of mine, as it was he who convinced me to hand grind my paints…this venture…led me to the experiments and subsequent formulation of ‘Calcite Sun Oil’, which is now patented.
David, greetings again. Reference MR. Incomp———‘s posting, cut and pasted here with *****:
Thanks for the inquiry. My website gives a brief intro. My formulation is based on the 1990’s studies of Rembrandt’s paintings in the London National Gallery, also the Velazquez paintings in the Prado, Madrid Spain. These and other sources show use of Calcium Carbonate with oil paint..in all the colors..not just as an extender for White. My patent number is 7141109, viewable at the US Patent and Trademark Office website.
You have not read much about it…because it is NEW ( thats why I was awarded a patent )..NEW to todays contempory oil paints and painters, as every book today on oil painting describes necessary use of solvents, driers, resins, varnishes… that ARE NEEDED to make the tube paint behave. AS TO ANNIGONI, I understand he used Emulsions, but thats as much as I know about his methods and materials. Todays manuals give many EMULSION recipes.. involving sometimes complex mixtures of water, yolk, dammar resin, oils, solvents… with painful mixture procedures… when in reality it is the simplest thing to make.
YES, MADDENING..THEORISTS AT WORK HERE. Titian painted simply. The Getty museum in LA, CAlifornia published an article describing the method and materials he used to paint a famous painting they have. Titian sized the raw linen canvas..then scrubbed.. not layered… gesso into the weave holes, then sized it again. it gave him a perfectly white surface, that remained flexible.. pictures of the painting are on my website… he then did a thin layered umber/white monotone that dried fast.. then he applied alla prima colors..as only he could do. transparency, translucency, impasto.. beautiful. NOT 30 galzes!
= sincerely= louis
I do not take your comments personally, so do not worry. I forwarded your comments and a link to this to Ron so he may see. In regards the history and the results of using the “accursed” medium (my quotes) I have read statements that basically are the exact opposite of what you have stated and some that vary in minute ways. As with much I read, until I research it myself, the salt shaker stands ready for my mental digestion. I really enjoy painting with no medium except the addition of the actual vehicle in the tube. I have ground my own, and have found it tiresome, while I do care about quality, the demands of the day to day life being different for me today than they might possible been in the thirteenth century lead me to search out quality product available commercially. I would love to read your method, or rather try your medium, it sounds rather interesting, the Whole foods shopping, organic eating tree hugger side of me smiles at seeing something that is done with out harming nature too much and puts things back in the artist’s control. If that time comes, cool. Till then, I seek great craftsman and knowledgeable teachers, such as David here, the people at M.Graham (great environmentalists) and Williamsburg Paints. My young impressionable mind seeks and I shall find.
Thank you so much for the info, and I do hope this turns back to a glazing discussion.
TTFN (tatafornow)
james
Thanks TTFN, I would like to see How Ron ( Garrett) is doing these days. I hope he writes me, he and I will have a nice discussion about things we discussed many years ago..
thanks again=louis
PS: thanks David, for sharing.
I don’t have a lot to add here, but it’s gratifying to see a comment thread on my blog get so interesting.
Louis, I’ve used both alkali-refined and cold-pressed linseed oil, and I can’t say that I’ve noticed a vast difference in their working properties. I’ll have to do some tests using some of the recipes in your book, but in terms of drying time, yellowing, ease of grinding, rheology, and so on, I have not noticed the kinds of striking differences you allude to. Nor have I noticed that Old Holland oil paints (which are ground in cold pressed linseed) are vastly different from other high quality brands of paint that are ground in refined linseed oil.
Care to comment on how you draw your conclusions about linseed oil processing methods?
Please post the results of your tests with Louis’ recipes, David. This is all very intriguing but it would be beneficial to see how they perform in practice.
HI DAVID, and Thank you for the opportunity to respond. First, your readers should know that I gifted you a copy of my book, some prepared ’ calcite sun oil’, and some samples of UNREFINED cold pressed linseed oil that has been sun thickened. Also, I sent some Chalk from Champagne, France/ Calcium Carbonate powder. I felt you were a man of integrity, and since I already know the results, and have testimonials from some very professional painters that have purchased my book ‚I know what the results wil be.. providing you follow instructions correctly. I am trusting.
But, its so simple , that I like to say to artists, “Its as easy as falling off a ladder”. The only real problem is UNLEARNINg those current habits gained from use of Solvent/resin/drier based “painting mediums”. THings so simple as..NOT HAVING a grinding table to change the ‘consistency” of the paint. Look at Velaqzquez self portrait in Las Meninas” and see his palette has NO LITTLE CUPS to hold a liquid for….dipping his brush into and ‘THINNING” his paint. And there are other things/habits to unlearn. My book describes a SAFE and PERMANENT method where you completely eliminate ALL HAZARDOUS materials..i.e. SOLVENTS, DRIERS, VARNISHES, RESINS.
David, tHere is NO noticible difference when you take the two different oils right out of the bottle. You are referring to use of the two oils in their UNPOLYMERIZED state, is my assumption, and I dont mean to assume.
You have not yet made the tests? Then you cannot comment on the results. There are only three very important but simple formulas…. The first is the use of the UNREFINED cold Pressed Sun Thickened Linseed oil.. mixed in the correct ratio with Calcium Carbonate ( of which Chalk of Champagne igives the best result / there are several types) to make the thixotropic gel-like mixture that is called, “Calcite Sun Oil” ( the name has been trademark protected). The other two very simple formulas are the ‘Viscous Emulsion” and the Non-Viscous Emulsiuon” each has a unique property and several important uses.
*****but in terms of drying time
Polymerized Sun thickened UNREFINED cold pressed linseed oil dries within 30 hours..compared to polymerized Alkali REFINED, modern STAND OIL that dries in 3 days.. is quite an important result. It eliminates uses of driers.
**** yellowing,
Yellowing is common to all oils, and linseed has the most. Currently I am testing the ‘WASHING’ of linseed oil by various means. Even the 17th century Flemish master, Rubens, who was born into the greatest of oil painting studio traditions ( that of the Van Eycks) complained of his oil paintings yellowing..IF STORED IN THE DARK… but he gave the remedy to re-blanche . The conclusion is that even WASHED linseed oil will yellow under certain circumstances.
*****ease of grinding,
The comparision of grinding of either polymerized oils ( refined or unrefined) or unpolymerized oils ( refined or unrefined) is the same, and certainly not of any importance. Work is work, but this is NOT WORK.
****rheology,
Read Van De Weterings comments about Rheology of Rembrandt’s oil paint, in his book..REMBRANDT: THe painter at work. IT GIVES THE VERY BEST argument for use of EGG GLAIR Emulsions, as described in my book. SO , if you have not yet done the tests of combining my ‘calcite sun oil’ in conjunction with the emulsions, , your words cant support an opinion.
****and so on,
David.. excuse me, you could take the time to detail your concerns.
******I have not noticed the kinds of striking differences you allude to.
Your own admission that you have not yet tested nor worked on the information in my book is sufficient to wait until you do.
******Nor have I noticed that Old Holland oil paints (which are ground in cold pressed linseed) are vastly different from other high quality brands of paint that are ground in refined linseed oil.
OF course they are not any better. The major manufacturers that produce the highest quality oil paints… are interested in the integrity of their product, and continued service to artists… and continued sales.
But I am not in the business of manufacturing nor selling oil paints. I am an artist that chooses to purchase a certain brand for the reasons I believe serve me best. Yet, hand grinding oil paint is a true wonder. Only those with blinders on will not even try it. I resisted for many years of my life, now that I do hand grind, its done for only the uderpainting stage, where my choice of oil allows me to use the naturally fastest drying linseed oil, and.. becaue I can eliminate that very slow drying alkali refined UNPOLYMERIZED linseed oil that is used in the formulation of todays tube oil paints. .. ( for shelf life).
*******Care to comment on how you draw your conclusions about linseed oil processing methods?
# A simple test is this. Sun thicken some UNREFINED cold pressed linseed oil for 30 days in summer , in a pure white porcelain glass container. Once the oil is thick and viscous ( polymerized) make some oil paint by hand grinding some dry powdered pigment.
NEXT, make some with todays stand oil the same way NEXT, make some with unpolymerized alkali refined linseed oil the same way.
THE RESULTS will convince you of one of the main arguments my book .. the fast drying without use of solvents, resins, driers….
BUT you will also need to use the simple emulsions to complete the testing.
sincerely, louis happy to respond.
Louis,
I had not realized you were referring only to the suitability of cold-pressed vs. refined oil for the purpose of sun-thickening. That had not previously been clear to me. I apologize for the error.
David, Thanks. The concern of the difference is not ’ suitability’ as much as
the resulting ’ PROPERTIES’ of the two distinct oils. I wish I had the information in my book when I began to oil paint. It would have saved me years of trials and tribulations and limitations….back then I had similar questions as those expressed in the recent letters by your readers on ’ glazing’ and other subjects. The goal of my postings are not to confront nor to insult the intelligence of any reader, but to educate and share valuable information.
You have my book, and samples of the materials. I understand you have been fallow, are raising a child, and away on trips. But, since you have not used the knowledge given you, you do not know the different properties. But, you are not alone as neither have important authors such as Laurie, Eastlake,Taubes, Van De Wetering and others. My book, to the best of my knowledge, is the first to publish the comparative testing data on UNREFINED linseed oil. Hopefully you will read my book and use the materials before commenting on it. Once you do, I know the results—if done correctly— as I have testimonials from some very professional oil painters who have used it.
It is this oil that is key to eliminating all the Hazardous Solvents, Resins, Varnishes and Driers from oil painting… while guaranteeing complete SAFETY and PERMANENCE…. and allowing a full range of technical expression of oil paint for complete mastery of the medium …while making oil painting easy. Once learned, it is “as easy as falling off a ladder”.
As important this oil, it does not function alone…it cannot function alone….it needs to be used in conjunction with either of the two emulsions… each of which has distinct properties and several important functions.
The mastery of oil painting ..if one is concerned with PERMANENCE… requires studious, dedicated and concentrated application and attention to details, and much time. ” Calcite Sun Oil” and its emulsions are possibly not for TTFN, or those with ADHD, or those with ‘ants in me pants’.. this person might do better studying the methods of Jackson Pollock and other ‘action painters’.. dont get me wrong, I LOVE Jackson’s work..he is one of my favs.
sincerely= louis
I will perhaps buy your book, possibly. I am always open to being taught, guided when the light is not clear to me. Though I must, as time permits the busy schedule (lotsa diapers and dance classes to run to), see more than the word of the creator on the subject. Where, other than in your book, may I see and read the testimonials of these other painters? I mean this in not an affronting manner, but in seeking the truth on a subject I would like to read, to know. On any given subject, any, the truth is more faceted than the finest cut diamond, and sometimes finding it is like balancing that same diamond on a blade of grass.
Clearly, the time you have put into your research is monumental, very respectable, but as if you were to attempt to sell this as a business plan, more, much more is required to convince the possible future investors. Your site and all you have written here is filled with valuable, though oft repeated info. Further it I would say. More than your own word is needed to convince the masses, with these posts I understand that is what you are trying. I seek nothing to be given or anything for free, as I would make a poor testing scientist on the medium, I trust others opinions on the matter. I read and listen and seek, then judging the words of others, I decide. I might lack much in couth, but I do paint with the idea of permanence in mind, and studiously…
All this in a nutshell, you might be better at learning how to sell your product better. The info provided is not enough to convince a person to write you a check. Provide balanced, unbiased, testimonials of your method. Provide links to your claims on your site. All this is needed to be believed, to be understood.
Vaya con Dios, adiós, till the next,
james
DAVID, JAMES, Thanks again. It is through exchanges of information that we all learn and grow. I am indebted to every person who ever wrote a book on oil painting, from ancient manuscripts to the present. What is that old saying?”You can learn even from a monkey…how NOT to be a monkey”. James, your letter discloses your honesty and intelligence. I cut and paste portions to respond
***I will perhaps buy your book, possibly. I am always open to being taught, guided when the light is not clear to me.
I hope you do.. at the moment, its not my main interest to make money, as much as it is to begin a grass roots level of creating interest, inquiry and demand. My manuscript grew from the discovery process of experimenting with the oils, calcium carbonate, emulsions and mixtures … the information came together in this effort.
****Where, other than in your book, may I see and read the testimonials of these other painters?
I think I can safely give out some websites to you. Artists publish websites to increase attention to their work. Write to them. I cannot say they will respond, as it is their decision, and they are busy professionals. These three artists are very experienced, having painted at high levels for years and years. Since my book is new, their work that you will see was painted PRIOR to their purchase of my book, and PRIOR to use of my materials or information in my book. But the facts are the facts. I have received their emails telling me of their thoughts and I am deeply gratified by their comments. Its this simple: This method is SAFE, PERMANENT.. and like you have said..I am repeating myself. Best to go see my website and strdy what it has to offer..
**** Clearly, the time you have put into your research is monumental, very respectable,
Thank you..I know when you work with the knowledge and materials, your comments will surprize even yourself.
*****but as if you were to attempt to sell this as a business plan, more, much more is required to convince the possible future investors
Amen..thanks for the internet. It gives visual artists such freedom now to communicate images, knowledge. I do have a business plan. I have an identified market. I received my patent ( its # 7141109) just last November/ 2006. Things take time.
As I just said, your intelligence and sincerity and dedication is evident in the words you write… I have not taken anything you have said as..’ uncouth’. SAFETY and PERMANENCE are the two most important considerations for me at this time in my life…referring to oil painting. I know David has said his philosophy is that, ” ( paraphrased) : be responsible, wash your hands, dont ingest any of these sometimes toxic items”. This is all good and well..but I have a friend who is one of the most responsible parents..yet, accidents happen..one day he found his 2 year old son with the tube paint all over himself and the carpet. What if it had been lead white? Would you take your infant child into the art studio..exposing the child to the hazardous vapors of solvents?? Many experienced professionals have become deathly sick or have doctors orders not to use oil painting materials…because of the solvents involved.
NOW, they can paint safely…….
****** The info provided is not enough to convince a person to write you a check. Provide balanced, unbiased, testimonials of your method. Provide links to your claims on your site. All this is needed to be believed, to be understood. Vaya con Dios, adiós, till the next,=james
See the websites and write to these gifted artists. I have no idea what they will say, but I am convinced they will convince you to buy the book.
http://www.davidterry.com http://www.rics-art.com
http://www.philboatwright.com
others are in development…….
=sincerely, louis
James, David, I know David has the right to edit postings. I included three websites for you to review, but they were excluded from my post. . If you wish, write to my email, ill prpvide them again=louis
Louis,
I did not remove the web sites manually; the comments system removed them automatically. (It’s amazing how many comment spam messages I get here every month; removing URLs is often necessary.) Here they are:
http://www.davidterry.com http://www.rics-art.com
http://www.philboatwright.com
I had to do some editing to get the system to accept them.
Thanks dAvid, Ill be gone on two trips starting friday 5/11. your blog is interesting to read, but ill have no email access until i return on 5/22…Ive enjoyed the communication.
thanks again=louis
Well Im still trying to figure out how best to emulsify the egg white. Its been said that VanEyck didn’t invent oil painting himself but put it to good use, and Cennino advises to pick as few masters as possible to emulate so as to not paint like one or the other. I know Delacroix liked Titian and Rubens and his technique was pretty scrambled by comparison, and I would last choose Titian because thats setting the bar pretty high with all his multiple dryings, but he does like to grisalle like Sheppard and then thumb the paint onto the weave and so forth and even Goya according to Doerner simply uses varnish colors over a raw umber tone which isn’t true either, and Goya’s technique and palette are also needlessly complex to try and emulate; Titian gets where he wants to be in an unknowable intuitive way, and even Reynolds who never taught anyone anything would buy his paintings just to scrape through them to the underpainting trying to figure it all out while the wax was crumbling from the gesso on the carriage ride to his patrons. But chemistry is a way and invention and I think about the technique that gets you there so much the user friendly and idiot proof the better, even VanGogh was very meticulous. I have about ten techniques I use ranging from the hatchlines that would give patience to a saint to the broad treatment of Hals. So I guess to experiment and innovate is part of the aesthetic process where we should really be drawing and designing had the years not claimed so many alchemical foibles.
Something interesting, Pacheco had said of El Greco, “no one ever in the history of art had worked so hard for so poor results”, and I suppose he was referring to El Greco’s clay dolls, and El Greco said about Michelangelo that “he didn’t know how to paint” so I guess there was no love lost there.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x104/beehiveX/view1.jpg
I guess my point about Titian beyond the notion that he’s too complex to emulate is that he wound up painting later in his career very different from where he started painting in the northern manner; so its hard to find the smoking gun in one grisaille or the other in one defining statement because according to the needs of the situation and his fancy he varied his technique, and could be in areas of the painting. He does everything that could be accomplished in the medium and was the epitomy of the Venetian styles that carried over into the Baroque.
HI DAVID AND TOMBOBICHE. ITS INTERESTING TO SEE THAT TOMBOBICHE’S POST DATED NOV.2008, ID ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, FROM THE PREVIOUS POST. HOW TIME FLIES WHEN ONE PAINTS.
WITH PERMISSION, ILL WRITE IN CAPS. I CUT AND PASTED TOMBOBICHE’S LETTER, WHICH IS WRITTEN IN LOWER CASE.
Well Im still trying to figure out how best to emulsify the egg white. THE EMULSION MUST FIRST E MADE ACCORDING TO A FORMULA. THEN, THE APPLICATION METHOD MUST BE KNOWN TO USE IT EFFECTIVELY. I GUESS I COULD COPY AND PASTE ALL 130 PAGES OF MY BOOK HERE, TO GIVE ALL THE INFORMATION IT HAS, BUT I DO NOT THINK THAT IS CALLED FOR.
WHY NOT HAVE YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY ORDER THE BOOK AND THEN IT WILL BE AVAILBLE FRRE TO THEIR READERS. ITS NOW BEEN PUBLISHED BY WORDCLAY, AND LIBRARYS CAN GET IT. ITS ON AMAZON AND OTHER ONLINE STORES TOO..SORRY IF I SOUND LIKE IM TRYING TO SELL IT…IM JUST TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW TO GET IT SO YOU CAN GET THE KNOWLEDGE. AND…IM SORRY YOU ARE WASTING SO MUCH TIME TRYING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL…BY TESTING AND EXPERIMENTING WITH THE TWO EMULSIONS IVE DESCRIBED.. ITS JUST SAD, WHEN THE METHOD IS IN A BOOK.
YES HE DID. ITS AN ANCIENT MEDIUM. VAN EYCK WAS TRAINED AS AN EGG TEMPERA PAINTER- THATS THE REASON I BELIEVE HE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE THE EMULSIONS.. BUT AGAIN..THE APPLICATION METHOD IS CERTAINLY THE SECOND HALF OF THAT ’ LOST SECRET’. IF ITS NOT USED CORRECTLY, THE EMULSION FORMULA FAILS. I HAD AN EPIPHANY ONE DAY, AFTER I HAD FORMULATED THE TWO SIMPLE EMULSIONS, AND DEVELOPED THEIR APPLICATION METHOD…TO HAVE READ THAT THOUGH VASARI WROTE ABOUT THE LOST VAN EYCK SECRET…AND HE NEVER FOUND IT… WROTE THAT HE HAD ‘TRIED’ EMULSIONS…BUT THAT THEY DID NOT ’ WORK’ FOR HIM. THAT REMINDS ME OF YOUR EFFORTS… AND SO IT BECAME CLEAR THAT HAVING THE EMULSION, YET NOT KNOWING HOW TO USE IT , CAUSED HIM TROUBLES.
and Cennino advises to pick as few masters as possible to emulate so as to not paint like one or the other. I DONT AGREE WITH THAT- NOT IN OUR MODERN INFORMATION AGE
I know Delacroix liked Titian and Rubens and his technique was pretty scrambled by comparison, SO VERY TRUE- EXCELLENT OBSERVATION.
and I would last choose Titian because thats setting the bar pretty high with all his multiple dryings, but he does like to grisalle like Sheppard and then thumb the paint onto the weave and so forth TITIAN WAS THE TEACHER OF REMBRANDT, RUBENS, VELAZQUEZ AND A HOST OF BAROQUE PAINTERS. TITIAN WAS THE STANDARD. AND TITIAN PAINTED WITH SIMPLE MEANS. I LIKE TO REFER TO THE OIL I DESCRIBE TODAY AS ’ THE REBIRTH OF THE OLD MASTERS SUPERIOR OIL’, AS IT IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE MEDIUM, AND SINCE THAT YEAR AND A HALF PASSED, IVE DEDICATED THAT TIME TO SOLVING THE CLEANSING OF THE UNREFINED OIL. IVE FINALLY FOUND EXCELLENT WAYS TO DO IT…AGAIN… BASED ON OLD METHODS, MADE MODERN. I DONT RECOMMEND YOU WASTE YOUR TIME REINVENTING MY PROGESS..ITS JUST NOT NEEDED. MY WEBSITE HAS THE SIMPLEST METHOD THERE WITH FULL INSTRUCTIONS. THE BOOK HAS SEVERAL OTHERS, INCLUDING PACHECOS 17TH CENTURY METHOD- FRANCISCO PACHECO WAS VELAZQUEZ TEACHER. IM CONFIDENT VELAZQUEZ USED PACHECOS METHOD.
DOERNER WAS A TIRELESS WORKER- BUT LACKED MODERN SCIENCE- HE WAS WRONG ON MANY ACCOUNTS. AND HE ‘GUESSED ’ REMBRANDT USED RESINS…THE CURRENT STUDIES SHOW NO RESIN IN REMBRANDTS WORK.
ACTUALLY I DISAGREE.
Titian gets where he wants to be in an unknowable intuitive way, GREAT OBSERVATION. TITIAN PAINTED IN A SIMPLE METHOD THAT ALLOWED HIM MAXIMUM FREEDOM…AS SIMPLICITY WILL DO.
and even Reynolds who never taught anyone anything would buy his paintings just to scrape through them to the underpainting trying to figure it all out while the wax was crumbling from the gesso on the carriage ride to his patrons. REYNOLDS WAS A TERIBLE CRAFTSMAN- LACKED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE OLD MASTERS. HIS WORK IS PROOF OF NOT USING WAX IN YOUR PAINT, YET, BECAUSE DOERNER AND MAROGER AND OTHERS ADVISE ITS USE..LOTS OF NAIVE PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY READ AND GO ON TRYING THINGS OUT. WE HUMANS DO NOT LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE THE DECOMPOSITION OF OUR PAINTINGS IF MADE WITH POOR MATERIALS.
AND APPLICATION CHOICES
But chemistry is a way and invention and I think about the technique that gets you there so much the user friendly and idiot proof the better, even VanGogh was very meticulous. VAN GOGH WAS A GREAT CRAFSTSMAN, AND HIS STYLE REQUIRED HIM TO TRY UNORTHODOX METHODS. BUT IN CREATIVE WORK, ONE MUST THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. ONE REMBRANDT SMALL PAINTING IS A JUMBLE OF PASTED AND CUT PARTS, ALL SEEMED TOGETHER…. I THINK HE WOULD HAVE LOVED PHOTOSHOP.
I have about ten techniques I use ranging from the hatchlines that would give patience to a saint to the broad treatment of Hals. So I guess to experiment and innovate is part of the aesthetic process where we should really be drawing and designing had the years not claimed so many alchemical foibles. YES YES YES…. EXCELLENT COMMENT…AND VERY POETIC TOO.
NO, ITS NOT A COMMENT ON HIS USE OF CLAY DOLLS- A METHOD EL GRECO LEARNED FROM THE VENETIANS….. ACTUALLY, PACHECO WENT TO SEE EL GRECO PAINT. AND SAW THAT EL GRECO WAS ACTUALLY PUTTING A GREAT DEAL OF PATIENT WORK INTO ‘FINISHING’ A PART ON HIS PAINTING…THE WORD ’ FINISHING’ MEANS BLENDING AND DETAILING AND ALL THAT ONE DOES… BUT THEN EL GRECO, AFTER HE HAD ’ FINISHED’ THE PAINTING TO ‘PERFECTION’…THEN GOT A FULL BRUSH AND SLASHED AT IT TO CREATE HIS TRADEMARK LOOSE IMPRESSIONISTIC TOUCHES.
AND HE ALSO SAID HE WOULD REPAINT THE SISTINE CHAPEL..’ AND DO IT RIGHT’.
YOU KNOW..WHEN WE TURN 40..OUR EYES GIVE OUT SLOWLY.
IM SURE REMBRANDT AND TITIAN SUFFERED FROM THE SAME…CAUSING THEIR WORK TO BECOME MORE BROAD. AND BESIDES ONE GETS VERY TIRED OF REPETITION. EVER HEAR BOB DYLAN SING ’ BLOWING IN THE WIND’ TODAY? ..IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKEHIS 1962 VERSION WE ALL KNOW.
so its hard to find the smoking gun in one grisaille or the other in one defining statement because according to the needs of the situation and his fancy he varied his technique, and could be in areas of the painting. He does everything that could be accomplished in the medium and was the epitomy of the Venetian styles that carried over into the Baroque. SO VERY TRUE. HE WAS THE ’ GOD’ OF PAINTING TO ALL THAT FOLLOWED HIM.
SINCERELY=LOUIS
Thats totally cool. When I was in college they taught me to paint like Matisse and Franz Kline, but I like the realist style and I guess my teachers thought I was typical; and I still like to paint things I imagine and cut and paste better than extrapolating from reality on the go. So Ill certainly try the ILL and I’m curious about the dual composite Varnish of Rembrandt and want to test the lean and thick on it so thankyou like Titian had set “thirty or forty” but he must have been thinking about the whole thing lol “hasta cuatro veces y tiempo para gastar!” ok well cheers tombobiche
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x104/beehiveX/Harry_Dean_Stanton.jpg
Oh I used to know the chemist/sculptor who made all the statues of the fascist dictator Rojas Pinilla; he was a Frenchman and a terrible alcoholic and was forced eventually to replace the heads on all the statues but he had a good line of art products too in clays and paints.