{"id":7573,"date":"2018-01-02T12:59:09","date_gmt":"2018-01-02T17:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/?p=7573"},"modified":"2018-01-02T15:10:13","modified_gmt":"2018-01-02T20:10:13","slug":"painting-nuts-and-bolts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2018\/01\/painting-nuts-and-bolts\/","title":{"rendered":"Painting nuts and bolts"},"content":{"rendered":"

My homemade palette has provided good service for several years. It has enough room to muck about in, but it’s not so large that it’s difficult to move or clean.  I converted the glass-framed reproduction I found at a secondhand shop into an everyday palette by removing the print and then painting the backing a middle shade.  I put the straight-from-tube colors and mixtures in the same places every day which makes it easy to create my as-needed tones.  I can practically mix tones blindfolded. <\/p>\n

Next to the palette are my cups of solvents and medium.  For today’s painting session, I’ve also prepared a ‘seasoning.’<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio Oct. 14 2012<\/span><\/a><\/div>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The topmost cup contains the medium: 1 part drying copal varnish, 1 part drying oil, 1 part turpentine, plus a drop of Courtrai drier.  Drying, drying, drying–it can’t be too drying.  Some people think that driers in oil paint is a bad practice, but I think those critics have lost the thread of traditional craft and common sense.  In addition to enhancing the handling qualities of the paint, driers enable layering and mitigate against the fat over lean issue.   Of course, if you use a fast-drying material (thin paint or fast-drying medium) over a slow-drying material (thick paint or slow-drying medium), you might run into problems.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Smooth Move—Smooth Painting Surfaces<\/span><\/a><\/div>

I use the same medium throughout, only modifying it slightly–seasoning it–depending on the circumstance.  <\/p>\n

The second cup contains the linseed oil that I use to preserve my brushes.  My drying medium is tough on brushes.  In my brush reference<\/a>, I wrote about my preference for natural sable and hog bristle brushes over synthetic brushes.  Driers are especially tough on natural brushes.  I always dip my brush in the oil when I put it down and switch to another brush.  I typically use a half-dozen to a dozen brushes during a session so a brush might go unused for some time.  <\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio—10\/28\/12<\/span><\/a><\/div>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Next is the turpentine I use to clean a brush when I want to change colors.  I try to dedicate a brush to a single tone or color but sometimes I fall in love with the brush in my hand and I’ll just clean the color out of it with turp before plunging it into another color. <\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Hurricane Sandy<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Next is the OMS–odorless mineral spirits–that I use to thin the paint. OMS is not as powerful as turp so it’s less harmful to existing layers. It’s perfect for painting with and thinning paint.<\/p>\n

Finally, I have cups for seasoning, although in today’s session I only use one of the seasoning cups.  The next-to-last cup has sun-thickened linseed oil.  I sometimes add a very small<\/em> amount of it to passages in order to enhance covering strength.  So, I never use it in the mid- or low-tone areas.  If you haven’t used sun-thickened oil, do yourself a favor and try it.  It’s much better than stand oil.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Thumbs-up: van Ruisdael; Thumbs-down: Renoir<\/span><\/a><\/div>

The last cup is empty today but sometimes I put balsam-flavored turpentine in it.  What is ‘balsam-flavored turpentine?’  It’s turpentine with a small amount of Venice turpentine or some other balsam.  The ratio is at least 10:1 turpentine to balsam.  I don’t glaze very much but when I do, the flavored turp slows drying somewhat and firms the paint.  I also sometimes use the balsam-flavored turpentine as an intermediate varnish.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My homemade palette has provided good service for several years. It has enough room to muck about in, but it’s not so large that it’s difficult to move or clean.  I converted the glass-framed reproduction I found at a secondhand shop into an everyday palette by removing the print and then painting the backing a middle […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":7569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208,24,113,343,1],"tags":[395,184],"class_list":["post-7573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-materials","category-shop_talk","category-tips_tricks","category-turpentine-diaries","category-uncategorized","tag-medium","tag-palette"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/medium-variety1.png?fit=800%2C712&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5686,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2016\/01\/busy-palette\/","url_meta":{"origin":7573,"position":0},"title":"Busy palette","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I prepared today's medium and took yesterday's\u00a0palette out of the butcher's tray where I store it. (The rectangular palette is my workaday palette; I only use the traditional oval one to mix certain tones.) I use my workaday palette 2- or sometimes 3-days running before cleaning it. Even stored in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/busy-palette.jpg?fit=600%2C432&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/busy-palette.jpg?fit=600%2C432&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/busy-palette.jpg?fit=600%2C432&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6436,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2016\/10\/how-i-paint-mediums-and-thinners\/","url_meta":{"origin":7573,"position":1},"title":"How I paint: mediums and thinners","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"October 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This photo shows painting cups in front of my custom-made palette. \u00a0I always use this selection of mediums and solvents when I paint. In the left-most container is my medium. \u00a0My medium\u00a0is very drying which means, among other things, that it is very rough on brush heads. \u00a0Not only\u00a0does it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/cups.jpg?fit=800%2C437&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/cups.jpg?fit=800%2C437&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/cups.jpg?fit=800%2C437&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/cups.jpg?fit=800%2C437&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3209,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2014\/03\/prevent-oil-paint-from-drying-with-oil-of-cloves\/","url_meta":{"origin":7573,"position":2},"title":"Prevent oil paint from drying with oil of cloves","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"March 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Artists usually doctor their oil paint to make them dry faster. By decreasing drying times, paintings can be reworked sooner and completed faster. Siccative agents, such as lead, also enhance the handling qualities of oil paint. There are times though when you need to slow drying times. When I am\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Shop Talk"","block_context":{"text":"Shop Talk","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/shop_talk\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/paint2.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/paint2.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/paint2.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8202,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2019\/01\/fat-over-lean\/","url_meta":{"origin":7573,"position":3},"title":"Fat over lean","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"So you've embraced the two related studio aphorisms I discussed in this recent post: fat over lean, and make the lights thick but keep the darks thin. In practical terms what does this mean? Oil paint, tube paint, is stiff and unmalleable. Adding oils and solvents to the paint makes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "aesthetics"","block_context":{"text":"aesthetics","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/aesthetics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2019-1-6-pal.jpg?fit=800%2C1198&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2019-1-6-pal.jpg?fit=800%2C1198&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2019-1-6-pal.jpg?fit=800%2C1198&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2019-1-6-pal.jpg?fit=800%2C1198&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8165,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2018\/12\/spike\/","url_meta":{"origin":7573,"position":4},"title":"Spike","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Oil of spike lavender fills the studio with its strong and fragrant aroma. Oil of spike is more powerful than the other common solvents--turpentine, and mineral spirits--but it's also slower drying. Spike oil on the palette Because it is slow drying, paint stays open longer. This means that thin layers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/spike-oil.jpg?fit=800%2C553&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/spike-oil.jpg?fit=800%2C553&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/spike-oil.jpg?fit=800%2C553&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/spike-oil.jpg?fit=800%2C553&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5889,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2016\/03\/flavored-turpentine\/","url_meta":{"origin":7573,"position":5},"title":"Flavored turpentine","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"March 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Not so much flavored as customized. My medium is very drying, which I like immensely. \u00a0I use it everyday but it has one minor flaw. \u00a0When I'm painting a large area, my medium is sometimes too drying. \u00a0One method I use to address this is to add some balsam, like\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/turp-flavor.jpg?fit=666%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/turp-flavor.jpg?fit=666%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/turp-flavor.jpg?fit=666%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Gw6F-1Y9","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7573\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}