Everthing you wanted to know about Oil Painting .

Brainless 1

But were afraid to ask ?

Go on ........ ask the rabbit.

splintered_image · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 41 Location: NSW

Hmmm... Whats the difference between scumbling and glazing?

Brainless 1

splintered_image,

Thanks for asking this poor peg legged brainless rabbit a question, for a moment there I was worried that aspiring artists would find it awkward getting oil painting advice from me.

I know, for some it would be difficult to confess to colleagues , when asked " where did you learn that ? " to respond " a little pegged legged pink rabbit told me ".

Ok to your question ; "Hmmm... Whats the difference between scumbling and glazing?"

Firstly , the "Hmmm" , I sense a little apprehension in your tone, don't worry I'll make it as painless as possible.

The difference is................ a lot !

There's your answer Very Happy

Alright ! , OK , you want a little more detail than that, here goes;

The difference is all about wetness & transparency;

Glazing is the application of a thin layer of transparent or semi-transparent paint over a painted surface to modify the original colour.

Scumbling is the application of an opaque or semi-opaque colour over a painted surface that modifies it without completely concealing it.

In scumbling , the paint is often dryer or stiffer than in glazing.

Application of scumbling is liken to dry-brushing, appling the paint by dragging it across the surface of the canvas to partially cover the underlying surface. Or the application of a semi-transparent layer over another without totally concealing it, but accentuating it by making brush strokes visible.

Glazing on the other hand is a wetter process, mainly made up of medium and a little bit of colour and applied evenly over the surface that needs modifying.

Well , there ya go .... the succint answer.

PS, I have been known to use my tail to scumble my paintings..... well that's what I tell people the morning after a drinking binge when I accidently sit on my palette , then stumble about the studio , falling backwards over canvases.

Embarassed

sunday · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 3995 Location: Victoria

Hi Brainless 1,
Is there any point outlaying money for each of the oil painting mediums 1-4; or is it just as good and cheaper to just use refined linseed oil in varying quantities; or is it just a matter of preference?
thanks Brainless 1; it's great having our very own oil-painting-dear-Annie.
Sunday

Brainless 1

Sunday,

Don't do it !

Disclaimer- Art Stretchers , please don't sue me for what I am about to say!!

But the oil painting mediums 1 - 4 ( in my humble opinion ) are awful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( geez , how many exclamation marks was that ? ).

The mediums you use for oil painting are of utmost importance and of course quality is paramount. Their purpose goes beyond just making the paint more fluid, they must remain as clear as possible over time and also give the paint film enough elasticity so as not to crack from expansion an contraction.

OK back to the AS 1- 4 , the problem I have with them is that they are way too yellow to start with......... *alarm bells ringing*

Also their simplistic 1-4 ( dodo proof ) sequence of " fat over lean " 4 bottle approach is for me .......... an insult to one's intelligence . Sure we have all heard the term "Stupid as a painter", but really do we need it to be bottled in such a way?

Sunday , are you so stupid that you cannot paint "fat over lean" without the need of pre-bottled formulas ?

No ! of course not ( you cant be, you asked this rabbit for advice ).

OK , so what's the solution ?

I'll bloody well tell ya !

What medium you choose depends on a lot of factors such as drying time , how you paint or how many layers of oil paint you use.

I use several mediums, but I don't intermix them ( they are used for different reasons).

I found that the best oil painting medium is "OLD HOLLAND , OIL PAINTING MEDIUM ". Seniors sell it in Melbourne and Parkers in Sydney.
It is made from only cold-pressed linseed oil from the first pressing . The bottles are nearly clear and it is about as good a oil painting medium you can get. They also sell a quick dry version.

What you do , depending on how many layers of paint you apply is get little jars and write 1, 2 , 3 on them .
Mix 50/50 for jar 1 with either Gum Turps, Distilled turps or Odourless solvent and use for your under-painting.

2nd layer 75% medium + 25% turps

3rd layer 100% medium.

The mix and how many bottles is not totally critical ( it can be 2 jars 50% + 100% or 4 jars 50%,70%,85% ,100% you get the picture )

The other all round good medium is "LANGRIDGE, PAINTING MEDIUM", do the same thing with the bottles. I believe this medium has a bit of stand oil in it that makes it look a bit yellow , but it doesn't become yellower with time.

This medium is good if you want the oil to start tacking and put subsequent layers on top. It allows you to both keep working on wet parts , but as it tacks , it allows you add brushstrokes above.

If you want a hell of a lot of time to work , blending etc, then use "BLOCKX , PURIFIED POPPY OIL" of all the mediums it is the slowest drying and the least yellowing with time.

I'm tired now , must lay down Cool

sunday · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 3995 Location: Victoria

Hang on don't go away yet.
What about if you want to go back to a paintng you last worked on about 8 months ago (after all this time I've finally figured out what it needs). Do I really need to use a retouch varnish?
You see I am a bit stupid, no formal art education and a salesman's dream Embarassed

Thanks Brainless 1, I won't pester you again for a little while after this one.
Sunday

splintered_image · Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 41 Location: NSW

w00t! Thanks. Very Happy

I've heard that using turps can make paint flake off, since it breaks the bond between oil and canvas, or something like that. I'm guessing that this only happens if you use lots of turps and very little oil... But then I've read that either Renoir or one of the other Impressionists used to leave some paint on blotting paper to soak out excess oil, then dilute it with straight turps, resulting in a matt finish once dry. I'd like to give this a try, but I don't want the paint flaking off after a year or two... Can you please explain what exactly causes the paint to flake off? It'd be much appreciated. Very Happy

Oh, and also... where did you learn all this stuff? I'm really keen on finding out as much as possible about the practical side of oil painting, since I want my paintings to last...

sunday · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 3995 Location: Victoria

Isn't it something to do with the turps drying too quickly if you use it in your upper layers; so things dry on top before they have dried underneath - then it shrinks and begins to crack?

I only use turps on my first layer when I'm just blocking in basic shapes and I want a nice thin consistency. I like using it this way because it dries very quickly so you can move ahead with the painting straight away.

Just my opinion - I would never profess to have the same knowledge as the rabbit, and I would hate to step on his toes - whoops sorry I think that might be a sore point with him Wink

sunday

Brad73 · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Posts: 2206 Location: Tamworth

Oh Brainless 1, can you help?
For those of us in forum land who would like to begin the art of oil painting, what paints would you say would be the best to start with?

Brainless 1

Brainless 1

Brainless 1

Brainless 1

all right Brad73,

I'll elaborate a little . I am a strong believer that you always used the best quality materials and damn the expense!

OK here it is a hierarchal list of the quality of oil paints according to the rabbit.

WORLDS FINEST OIL PAINTS

Old Holland
Blockx

BLOODY GOOD OIL PAINTS

W&N
Sennelier
Gamblin
Rowney
Rembrandt
Schmincke

ORDINARY OIL PAINTS

Art Spectrum
any of the above brands that make a Student Grade oil paint.

Ok so there you have it Brad73......so use any of the Bloody good brands or the Finest. Of the finest Blockx is cheaper than Old Holland , but Old Holland has over 128 colours.

The real question is which colours should you use ?????? So far it hasn't been asked. Rolling Eyes

sunday · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 3995 Location: Victoria

Ok then you've sparked my curiosity, do you have a particular palette of colours that you recommend?

thanks for the advice so far too; sure beats buying another book that doesn't quite answer all the questions.

Brainless 1