Rant
I was taught nothing of practical use about painting when I was a student. Worse than the daily dose of esoteric BS was the relentless, sneering attack on the subjects…
How I paint: mediums and thinners
This photo shows painting cups in front of my custom-made palette. I always use this selection of mediums and solvents when I paint. In the left-most container is my medium.…
Update to Oil Paint Brand Table
Added Richeson and Grumbacher to the table and updated information about the types of oils used in binders; updated several ratings.
RGH vs Utrecht
A reader asks wether I prefer Utrecht flake white or RGH’s. To answer the question directly: I prefer Utrecht (barely). Utrecht covers better and has more body. To demonstrate this,…
Homemade drying oil
The crude container that I made with a lead sheet contains 16 oz. of cold-pressed walnut oil. I’ll leave the oil in the container for several months before straining it…
In the studio 4/5/15
I got some painting time this Easter morning with Washington Square. The under-painting is finished except for the figures behind and to the right of the white-shirted foreground figure. I…
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…
White Paint–in Praise of Lead
The most important color–by far–is white. White oil paint comes in three flavors: Zinc white (zinc oxide, PW4, usually called Chinese White when used in watercolors). Although known from ancient times, its common…