Along 4th Street is 40″ x 50.” The surface is very good and the painting is moving well. When the surface is solid, I do less re-painting and things go faster. I’ve written about how much I like RGH’s Extra-fine Flake white. That white is ground with safflower oil. I’ve also been using walnut oil…
The studio is busy just now. The drawing is a study for a large painting I’m preparing to launch. The figures, except for the right-hand two, are prominent in the new painting’s design. I plan 2-3 more figures in the large painting. ‘Large’ in this case means 4.5′ by 5.5′, The drawing is pen &…
RGH has the best deal for the all-important flake white. Their cremnitz white extra fine is $46.25 for a 250 ml jar. By comparison, a 237 ml jar of Williamsburg’s flake white is $57. Old Holland, which I don’t buy because of their lurid prices, costs $172 for 225 ml tube. That’s after heavy discounts. The…
Sub Rosa, on the easel, is part of the Main Street series. I’ve been using RGH’s ultra-fine flake white regularly, which can be seen in the middle of the palette. I like it. Last week, I used the last of a tube of flake white from Blue Ridge, which is also excellent paint. I was…
I used RGH’s extra-fine flake white and viridian green in today’s sessions. RGH sells both paints in jars, which I don’t like. But both jars have remained fresh. I’ve had the viridian for some time and it’s still fresh. The pile of paint on the paper palette is a mixture of viridian and blue-gray. I used it…
I was able to spend time with this painting yesterday, working all over it. Girl in the Lavender Dress is based on a mash-up of several photos. It’s part of the Playhouse Square. series. I also painted a small oil study yesterday. I am using RGH’s “extra fine” flake white. After two days, it handles well…
Goodbye, Old Holland, I’m done with you. In my Oil Paint Brand Reference, I rated the Old Holland (OH) brand as top; best in breed among high-end brands. Its dense pigmentation gives it unrivaled covering power and performance. Funny thing though, I noticed that lately there are no OH paints on my palette. Why? Price. Their…
The Press, the middle painting, is giving me trouble–the ground is, I mean. It’s lifeless. It’s one of two things, so I’ll soon know the cause. It’s not too bad but it’s frustrating because things go so some much more smoothly when the ground is well behaved. The ground isn’t the only thing…