Oil painting techniques of yore
Geoffrey T. Falk
permission.]
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 08:24:22 -0400
X-Sender: arts...@sover.net (Unverified)
From: arts...@sover.net (William Hays and Patricia Long- Co-Directors Stratton
Arts Festival)
>I realise that I will only be able to
>copy the forms and tones after years of practice.
Truer words were never spoken.
>How does one achieve the smooth, lustrous glowing surface that one sees in
>masterworks in museums? I am thinking, for instance, of the extremely accurate
>still-lifes of the 17th century or thereabouts, with things like copper or
>pewter objects, delicately-textured delicious pieces of bread, etc. The paint
>surface is completely flat, probably varnished, but it looks like it could be
>three-dimensional underneath.. is this just an optical illusion resulting from
>extremely accurate painting, or did the old masters use many layers of
paint to
>achieve these effects?
There are several ways to achieve these surface qualities, all of which
involve considerable time and practice. The first step is to not paint with
paint right out of the tube. The consistency of oils is such that you will
have one hell of a time getting brush strokes out of it without thinning it
down. Use a painting medium to do this. Here is the recipe:
4 parts Turpentine
2 parts Linseed Oil
1 part Damar Varnish
Mixing this with your oils one the palette before the paint is applied will
allow the paint to flow from your brush and will (to a degree) be
self-smoothing once applied. Remember to always try to paint thin to rich.
Thin the first layers of paint the most and make it richer as you come
closer to the final applications. This allows the paint to dry in the
proper order and not crack after a couple of years.
The final surface of an old master painting is the result of patience
mostly. If the paint is applied fairly smoothly, the final varnish will
take out the rest of the relief of the surface. The painting must be
thoroughly dry (at least 6 months) and must dry for at least 6 months
between layers of damar varnish. At least two layers of damar varnish are
usually needed to get that *very* smooth effect.
This will give you the smooth, very refined surface you are looking for.
But it will not necessarily help you in terms of the lustrous "glow" you are
looking for. One method used in the past was to paint the whole image using
egg tempera in a monochromatic manner. Usually the painting was done with
Burnt Umber and white and black. All details, lights and darks were worked
out completely, but without any real color.
The color is added in transparent layers of oil paint using a glazing
medium. The glazing medium can be made by simply increasing the percentage
of Damar varnish in the above recipe. (In fact, you don't even need to do
that.) The three dimensional effect you see in these old paintings is the
result of two things mostly: 1. There actually is a three dimensional
layering of paint which your eye perceives. 2. The illusion of three
dimensions is created through an understanding of color relationships, light
and shadow. (a discouraging part of painting for the student)
All of this painting technique can be easily understood but can only be
exploited through experience. Even going to the museums and seeing the
paintings using these techniques, you will realize that only a few of the
"masters" were actually deserving of the moniker. If you want to try these
techniques, you might have at least three paintings going at the same time
so that you don't get bored waiting for them to dry.
As for rich textures and such. I can only say study and experiment. It is
hard and takes years to perfect.
But you should never be discouraged by your failures. Through them you will
learn the most. Besides, the successes are short lived because of their
incremental nature.
Good luck, I hope this is helpful.
Bill
p.s. Go to the library and try to find a book called The Artist's Handbook
(I think the last name of the author is Clifford). It has everything you
will need.
Vermont's Premier Showcase Of The Arts
vance
On Thu, 6 Jul 1995, Geoffrey T. Falk wrote:
> >surface is completely flat, probably varnished, but it looks like it could be
> >three-dimensional underneath.. is this just an optical illusion resulting from
> >extremely accurate painting, or did the old masters use many layers of
> paint to
> >achieve these effects?
>
> There are several ways to achieve these surface qualities, all of which
> involve considerable time and practice. The first step is to not paint with
> paint right out of the tube. The consistency of oils is such that you will
> have one hell of a time getting brush strokes out of it without thinning it
> down. Use a painting medium to do this. Here is the recipe:
>
> 4 parts Turpentine
> 2 parts Linseed Oil
> 1 part Damar Varnish
This is quite right and used to be an excellent formula. Nowadays we are
quite concerned about the toxicity of turpentine, so many are
substituting Oderless Mineral Spirits (OMS) for the turpentine. Some will
insist taht damar varnish will not mix well this, but it does. Try it. No
smell, and no health hazards. Turpentine, you know, penetrates the skin
and takes anything it touches with it.
> Mixing this with your oils one the palette before the paint is applied will
> allow the paint to flow from your brush and will (to a degree) be
> self-smoothing once applied. Remember to always try to paint thin to rich.
> Thin the first layers of paint the most and make it richer as you come
> closer to the final applications. This allows the paint to dry in the
> proper order and not crack after a couple of years.
I think you have two very good pieces of advice mixed up here: painters
should, for crafts sake, begin paintings with thin washes and paint thin
to THICK. This allows the paint to dry from the bottom out as it should.
Painters who build toward thick impasto surfaces should vary their medium
from LEAN in the thinner layers, to fat (rich) in the thicker layers. The
more oil, the fatter (richer). So the craftsman's admonition is to paint:
thin to thick, and lean to fat.
> The final surface of an old master painting is the result of patience
> mostly. If the paint is applied fairly smoothly, the final varnish will
> take out the rest of the relief of the surface. The painting must be
> thoroughly dry (at least 6 months) and must dry for at least 6 months
> between layers of damar varnish. At least two layers of damar varnish are
> usually needed to get that *very* smooth effect.
This drying for "at least six months" doesn't make any sense. A thin
glaze of color in the medium mentioned above will usually dry enough to
glaze over it again in three to five days if the surface isn't worked too
much. If you work the surface (rub or redo the glazing) it will be
screwed up no matter how long you let it dry. Damar is always solluble in
turps. No matter how long it's been there. Picture varnish is mostly
damar: and the way to clean paintings that are picture varnished is to
carefuly remove the old varnish and dirt with turps, leaving the painting
ready to be varnished again. Rembrandt, for instance, added a little
yellow ochre to his final varnish, and when they cleaned the Night Watch
they left out the yellow when they revarnished it.
> This will give you the smooth, very refined surface you are looking for.
> But it will not necessarily help you in terms of the lustrous "glow" you are
> looking for. One method used in the past was to paint the whole image using
> egg tempera in a monochromatic manner. Usually the painting was done with
> Burnt Umber and white and black. All details, lights and darks were worked
> out completely, but without any real color.
>
Part of the reason many of those old paitings were so smooth is that they
were painted on smooth panels, rather than canvas.
> All of this painting technique can be easily understood but can only be
> exploited through experience. Even going to the museums and seeing the
> paintings using these techniques, you will realize that only a few of the
> "masters" were actually deserving of the moniker. If you want to try these
> techniques, you might have at least three paintings going at the same time
> so that you don't get bored waiting for them to dry.
>
Good advice no matter how you paint.
> p.s. Go to the library and try to find a book called The Artist's Handbook
> (I think the last name of the author is Clifford). It has everything you
> will need.
Most painters rely on Mayer's book on materials and techniques.
vance
Vela Press
#1: Never use dammar in any of your paint medium mixtures. Dammar is
always soluble with any "essential oil" (turp/Min.Spirit/etc). Use Dammar
only in the final picture varnish to protect the paint surface. Dammar is
a "Soft" resin. The old masters used a "Hard" resin with their mixtures.
What is a hard resin? Old treatsies mention "Copal" . There are many
grades of copal. Copal is today controversial. Copal, since it does not
soften (ideal condition)by essential oils has to undergo a dangerous and
time consuming process for liquification (it comes in hard rock like form)
that is not practicle for us average humans. Read books by Frederic Taubes
especially "The mastery of Oil Painting".
#2. Many old masters underpainted with thick white paint BECAUSE white
lead (the white that they used) is very lean. Yes..do paint "Fat on Lean"
it is imperative! Then they had to let that white understructure dry for
several weeks..dry to the touch. A secret is to first mix the pure lead
white with a small amount of Burnt unmer. Umber is a drier! The mixture
with change the pure white to an OFF-white, which is not objectionable for
underwork purposes! With umber added, the white (off-white driers MUCH
MUCH faster!!!. On top of this sutucture you can proceed with thin or
thick or mixed thicknesses and overpaints. But always paint fat on lean.
or at the least fat on fat. Never lean on fat.
#3 Before beginning to paint. As you know..the old masters did not have
tube paint. This is very important. The tube paints are ground (mixed)
with RAW oil. This is done so the tube paint will not harden. It has to
have a long shelf life..a matter of business economics!!! The old masters
mixed the dry powder to be used that day or within a couple of days..They
used a faster drying "drying oil".The best to use is sun-thickened linseed
oil. it ..the raw linseed oil, become very viscous with time exposed to
the sun. It improves gloss/drying/fusion of paint/ adherance/hardness of
surface/has great wetting and binding power...all better than RAW oil that
is in the tubes!!! So first...BLOT the tube oil as much as possible by
putting the paint on clean white absorbent paper..then "RECONDITION" the
dried out paint with Sun thickened linseed oil!.
#4: Paint only on a NON-absorbent ground (panel or canvas) with some tooth
(not glass-slick). Always "oil" the surface before painting.."Oiling"
means wiping the surface with an almost nothing coating of ...your medium.
Medium: NO DAMMAR! Good mix is 1 part sun-thickened Linseed oil with 3
parts Mineral spirits. or go the classic half mixture of 50/50! Now. as
you paint you will not need to be dipping your brush into the medium..the
oiled surface with the reconditioned tube paint will amaze you!
#5. Pre tone your white surface with ANY "medium value tone color" White
will register on as well as black! The tone can be used as a medium tone
in the finished work.
#6; The old masters did not have acrylics. We do. You can do everything in
acrylics up to the point of "Oiling the ' surface. After that do oils and
you cannot go back to acrylics. This acrylic under work will speed up your
work tremendously.
GOOD LUCK!
Vela Press
Wray Kephart
X #6; The old masters did not have acrylics. We do. You can do everything in
X acrylics up to the point of "Oiling the ' surface. After that do oils and
X you cannot go back to acrylics. This acrylic under work will speed up your
X work tremendously.
Dont ever take the painted acrylic product out into -26 degree temperatures;
it will shatter into microscopic particles at your slightest touch and your
tears will then freeze to your cheeks.
Kephart
Wray Kephart
X Nowadays we are
X quite concerned about the toxicity of turpentine, so many are
X substituting Oderless Mineral Spirits (OMS) for the turpentine. Some will
X insist taht damar varnish will not mix well this, but it does. Try it. No
X smell, and no health hazards. Turpentine, you know, penetrates the skin
X and takes anything it touches with it.
Turpentine still remains the safest <and most aromatic> reducer;
I used to be able to find a deskunked version of it years ago mebe
still available. Mineral spirits are the dregs left after the purer
forms of naphtha, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and lacquer thinners
have been drawn off. It doesnt cut well for that reason, and wouldnt
add it to any resin medium <just call me suspicious>; Id watch cuticle
absorbtion ratios just as closely as with any other.
X > Mixing this with your oils one the palette before the paint is applied will
X > allow the paint to flow from your brush and will (to a degree) be
X > self-smoothing once applied. Remember to always try to paint thin to rich.
X > Thin the first layers of paint the most and make it richer as you come
X > closer to the final applications. This allows the paint to dry in the
X > proper order and not crack after a couple of years.
While it wont crack in a few years it will eventually due to air cure
processes; which continue to work on the resins as long as historical
time exists. One way to avoid this is to maintain the finish with
auto style conditioning and polishing--<using a dual action sander with
buffing pad> by working resins back into the surface. One other way
to avoid this is by using an epoxy based clear urethane *not enamel*, one
part urethane one part hardener-the top coat cures via chemical reaction-
instead of oxygen reaction. It can be used over any dry medium.
Kephart