Starting a painting
Everyone knows how to start a painting, right? You take up your brush and begin–what’s the problem? Joking aside, if you want to create a sketch or study, that IS…
Commercial canvas
I spend a lot of time preparing canvases–stretching, priming, and grounding. The process works well for me but it’s time-consuming. I would gladly buy commercially-prepared canvas but my experience with…
Sinking in (canvases)
I always try to be as efficient as possible with my paintings. But I’m also cheap. The combination of efficiency and cheapness has frequently caused me headaches. Instead of saving…
Get the lead out
OK, the title of this post is a bit of misdirection. I mean to say ‘get the lead in.’ Quick-drying oil is very important for oil painting. Not only do…
Painting flesh
Artists find painting people and portraits difficult. Even artists who can paint complicated landscapes without too much difficulty stumble when they attempt people. Why? Part of the answer is the…
How to–grounds
Most artists do not know how to prepare grounds for oil painting. I know this is true because none of my teachers were able to prepare acceptable grounds, and none…
Another one underway
As I’ve done several times, I intend to document the birth of a painting. The last time, I shared just the early stages of a painting. That’s my plan this…
Oil of Cloves
I’ve been following a reader’s tip for slowing the drying time of oils. Responding to my complaint about how oil paint in jars dries too quickly, reader Clint Atkinson suggested…