Put some Venice turpentine into your everyday turpentine (10:1 turpentine to Venice turpentine). You could substitute larch turpentine or Canada balsam for Venice turpentine, both of which are easy to obtain. The admixture of Venice turpentine firms the turpentine without overpowering it. I sometimes use the mix to thin paints, and as an additive in…
Category: Tips and Studies
Cleveland, Shop Talk, Tips and Studies
Spray Varnish
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Varnish is a sore subject. I’ve nearly spoiled some of my own paintings with poor varnish, and I’ve had so-called ‘professionals’ ruin paintings (one frame shop owner in Trenton, NJ left brush hairs in the varnish coat then obliterated the painting’s surface trying to get them off—grrr). Any artist that draws with smudge-able material, such…
Bio, Shop Talk, Tips and Studies, Uncategorized
Love Everything About It
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I love everything about art making. This has always been the case for me, but when I was young I was more impatient. I also had an elevated view about the role of artistes. As a consequence, I was sometimes careless with my equipment. Brushes could remain brush-down in turpentine for days–horror!–until I got around…
Shop Talk, Tips and Studies, Uncategorized
White Paint–in Praise of Lead
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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 usage is relatively modern, dating from the 18th century when it was developed as a replacement for lead white, which was long known to be…
Shop Talk, Tips and Studies
Smooth Move—Smooth Painting Surfaces
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All artists are self-taught today. It doesn’t matter if you have a masters degree or never set foot in an art school–everyone is on their own. The most important piece of painting gear my last professor had was a pair of fishing boots. His technique was to cover the studio floor with huge canvases, and pour…