Everthing you wanted to know about Oil Painting .

Coriolana · Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 83 Location: New South Wales

Hi Jim,

I'm in Sydney at TAFE (Western Sydney Institute, Kingswood Campus). I have finished a Cert IV in Fine Arts in 2007-8 (painting, drawing, life drawing, ceramics, printmaking, art photography, art history, digital photography, professional practice etc) . I also did another painting subject on top of the Cert IV. This year I enrolled in the Adv Dip but am just doing painting subjects 2 days a week. Hope to finish the other subjects next year.

I did a Dip of Graphic Design before all this at the same TAFE. I only started painting when I started the Cert IV - had done drawing at TAFE 18 years ago (one night a week over 3 years).

Last years paintings were rubbish. I'm hoping to do better this year. Not sure what sort of paintings I want to do. I'm just trying out different things and maybe it will come to me what it is that I need to concentrate on. My other major with be either photography or printmaking.

Recently had a teacher who mentioned the numerous layers of gesso. She was great, showed us a lot to do with glazes etc. She was filling in for my regular teacher.

Sorry if I'm asking dumb questions, I just want to find out as much as I can.

thanks

Carol

Coriolana · Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 83 Location: New South Wales

Hi Rabbit,

I know you are very very busy. So when you have time can you answer this.

When you started this thread you were talking about white oil paint and said "Yep there are other colours you can use to make paint lighter without it looking flat and chalky (that using white sometimes does). But that is another story".

Can you explain how to lighten a colour without using white please.

Thanks a bunch (of carrots)

Carol

Allison- · Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 192 Location: Hobart

I use naples yellow to lighten with oils... or cad. or lemon yellow depending on warmth or coolness that is desired. Titanium White is cold so for very light highlights I tend to use a tiny bit of white with Naples yellow....The same goes with darkening....try not to use black unless you absolutely have to...try and use raw umber and a warm or cool blue depending on what tone you need
(also you can add a bit of burnt sienna for warmth)

and if you need it darker then you could try a tiny bit of black in the mix.

Coriolana · Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 83 Location: New South Wales

thanks Allison. On reading the Rabbits early posts I noticed that he mentioned Jaune Brillant as well

Very Happy

Carol

J I M · Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 101

Yep , people sometimes use Naples Yellow...Jaune Brilliant is a similar colour, but warmer than Naples Yellow.

A lot of artist use Unbleached Titanium white, which is like a very pale grey.

I use very little white, preferring to use a colour to lighten instead....

Other colours I use is Bluff by Vasari

http://www.shopvasaricolors.com/

Also Vasari King's Blue Extra Pale for lightening up some blues and Vasari Rosebud for some violets/pinks.

But the colours I'm after are specific to my paintings & not for everyone.

....and before people get all excited about buying Vasari oils....you cannot buy them in Australia, only directly from the USA, online and a min order of US$500 at a time Shocked

I'm about to put another order in, splitting the costs with another artist in Byron Bay

PS Vasari are probably the best oil paints in the world & are very useful to artists like myself who want a slow drying oil paint........they stay wet on the palette for over a month and take a few extra days to dry when worked with other paints/medium

Coriolana · Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 83 Location: New South Wales

Thanks JIM, you are a wealth of knowledge!

Carol Very Happy

Allison- · Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 192 Location: Hobart

Allison- · Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 192 Location: Hobart

anybody know anything about oil painting at night time??? what colour should the canvas be toned and should it be toned darker than normal??

is there anything to watch out for?

know of any painters who have painted outdoors at night???

thanks,
Allison.

Devilbiss · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 2522 Location: Sydney

I don't know of anyone who paints out doors at night, but I've done plenty of night fishing. I found that a headlamp was very usefull.
I would also suggest starting with a black primed canvas.
Hopefully Jim will respond to your question and give you more and better advice.
I know that it would be easier (but less interesting) to work from photos.
Good luck, I think you are almost heading into the unknown here.

Loosid · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 146 Location: Sydney

The American artist Frederick Remington, who did magnificent work documenting the vanishing of the 'old west', did some interesting works in his later career specifically dealing with night scenes. I think he died in about 1909.

gggraph

Allison- · Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 192 Location: Hobart

yeah i just got some reference photos developed and the lady said to me: "so you realise the photos are quite dark?"" hehehe....

well also, it is extreme because drunks walk past my painting spot at night and we get hoons allll the time.

taking reference photos at night on a highway.. deters the hoons though.

i hate hoons. really really hate them.

Allison
Smile

The Pook · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 2823 Location: Tasmania

Allison- · Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 192 Location: Hobart

ok stupid question--- I need to whiten the edges of my stretched canvas...just white gesso? over the smudge marks? .....will it cover on the first go or will i need 2 or 3 layers?

p.s i just tried my first go at damar varnish the other night and i can safely say i hate the bloody stuff!

The Pook · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 2823 Location: Tasmania