{"id":8202,"date":"2019-01-08T18:54:59","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T23:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/?p=8202"},"modified":"2019-01-08T18:55:04","modified_gmt":"2019-01-08T23:55:04","slug":"fat-over-lean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2019\/01\/fat-over-lean\/","title":{"rendered":"Fat over lean"},"content":{"rendered":"

So you’ve embraced the two related studio aphorisms I discussed in this recent post<\/a>: fat over lean<\/em>, and make the lights thick but keep the darks thin<\/em>. In practical terms what does this mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oil paint, tube paint, is stiff and unmalleable. Adding oils and solvents to the paint makes it manageable. But these additions rob paint of body. Thin paint, while fine for the dark tones, hurts the lights and middle-tones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Artists compensate for this lost body by adding chalk, sand, wheat, glue, and wax among other things to their paint. Is that the solution? A toolbox of tools depending on the situation? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many artists answer this question with a resounding yes! Some use separate materials for the low-, middle-, and high-tones. Or separate materials for cool and warm tones. I think this is too much refinement. But if an artist works enough in an area to perceive these different conditions, who am I to gainsay him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

A middle approach, one that I use, navigates between extreme refinement and no refinement whatsoever. I use a medium that satisfies 90%+ of my needs<\/a>. Many of the paintings displayed on my blog here are completed with the medium–no other additive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about the 10% that isn’t covered by the medium? For those situations, I season<\/em> my medium. To impart extra power to the lights, I add a smidgen of sun-thickened oil (NOT stand oil). With sun-thickened oil, paint retains body even when heavily thinned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

For the painting on the easel in this photo, Along 4th Street<\/em>, I added a very small amount of sun-thickened oil to my medium for the highest lights, such as those in the orange bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I need extra transparency in the dark tones, I add a smidgen of flavored turpentine<\/a> to the medium. Flavored turpentine is turpentine with a small amount (10:1) of Venice turpentine or other balsam added to it. In the painting, the hands and arms of the woman looking at the viewer have a bit of the flavored turpentine added to the medium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Here is my palette with the solvents, mediums, and seasonings I regularly use. One large cup hold OMS and the other turpentine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Palette and medium cup <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One small cup contains the medium; another some flavored turp<\/g>; and another sun-thickened linseed oil. The other small cup contains just linseed oil, which I dip my brushes into whenever I put them down so they don’t dry out. I coat the glass palette with a small amount of linseed oil to make cleanup easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

As I mentioned, many of my paintings are completed with the normal medium throughout. For the paintings where I do use seasonings, I use them as additives to my normal medium and then only in the last layer or two.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 it manageable. But these additions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":8216,"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":[251,208,24,113,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aesthetics","category-materials","category-shop_talk","category-tips_tricks","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/2019-1-6-pal.jpg?fit=800%2C1198&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8197,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2018\/12\/turpentine-diaries-12-31-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":8202,"position":0},"title":"Turpentine diaries 12\/31\/2018","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Art is filled with aphorisms. Fat over lean, for instance, is a famous adage. The meaning for this old saw that is the most straightforward is to paint thickly-applied paint over thinly-applied paint. Why this distinction? Well, if you paint in layers, that is, if you paint over previously painted\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\/2018\/12\/studio-2018-12-31.jpg?fit=800%2C584&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/studio-2018-12-31.jpg?fit=800%2C584&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/studio-2018-12-31.jpg?fit=800%2C584&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/studio-2018-12-31.jpg?fit=800%2C584&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11888,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2022\/12\/transparent-earth-colors\/","url_meta":{"origin":8202,"position":1},"title":"Transparent earth colors","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Oil paint can be profitably judged for either its covering strength or transparency. This comports with some well known bits of studio wisdom: \"fat over lean,\" and \"thick lights, thin darks.\" Covering colors, often called 'body' colors, hide everything beneath them. Transparent colors modify what is beneath them while leaving\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\/2022\/12\/zquad-gold.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/zquad-gold.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/zquad-gold.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/zquad-gold.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/zquad-gold.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9838,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2021\/09\/painting-flesh\/","url_meta":{"origin":8202,"position":2},"title":"Painting flesh","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"September 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"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 uncanny valley. The uncanny valley refers to the mechanisms people have for recognizing other humans. It turns out that these\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How to"","block_context":{"text":"How to","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/how-to\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/flesh1.jpg?fit=1000%2C901&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/flesh1.jpg?fit=1000%2C901&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/flesh1.jpg?fit=1000%2C901&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/flesh1.jpg?fit=1000%2C901&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7573,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2018\/01\/painting-nuts-and-bolts\/","url_meta":{"origin":8202,"position":3},"title":"Painting nuts and bolts","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"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.\u00a0 I converted the glass-framed reproduction I found at a secondhand shop into\u00a0an everyday palette by removing the print and then\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\/01\/medium-variety1.png?fit=800%2C712&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/medium-variety1.png?fit=800%2C712&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/medium-variety1.png?fit=800%2C712&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/medium-variety1.png?fit=800%2C712&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8878,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2020\/07\/geneva-oil-paint-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":8202,"position":4},"title":"Geneva Oil Paint non review","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"July 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Readers have asked why I don't have a review of Geneva brand oils in my Oil Paint reference. The short answer is that I haven't used their oils. The longer answer is a little more complicated; I have no intention of trying this brand. I know. I'm someone who has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Grumpy review"","block_context":{"text":"Grumpy review","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/grumpy-review\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/2020-6-14-studio2.png?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/2020-6-14-studio2.png?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/2020-6-14-studio2.png?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/2020-6-14-studio2.png?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8868,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2020\/07\/turp-oms\/","url_meta":{"origin":8202,"position":5},"title":"Turp? OMS?","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"July 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"There is a lot of confusion among artists about turpentine and mineral spirits. Some YouTubers promote Gamasol as an alternative to turpentine. One even recommends Gamsol as a natural substitute for mineral spirits.(?) This particular artist provides commercial seminars on oil painting! Turpentine is distilled from the naturally-occurring resin from\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\/2020\/07\/studio-2020-7-5.png?fit=800%2C633&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/studio-2020-7-5.png?fit=800%2C633&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/studio-2020-7-5.png?fit=800%2C633&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/studio-2020-7-5.png?fit=800%2C633&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Gw6F-28i","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8202","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=8202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8202\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}