In the September 2006 issue of American Artist, Indiana artist
Tim Kennedy explained how his figurative paintings have a connection to
other artists, past and present. Here, the artist describes his painting process.
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Dancers
2005, oil, 72 x 60.
Courtesy Ruschman Art Gallery,
Indianapolis, Indiana. |
I have a palette for my colors and a palette for mixing. Lately, as I set up, I might mix a number of tints using flake white on the mixing palette and work off those.
I paint on both linen and canvas. I use heavy-duty stretchers for canvases up to four or five feet, but I build stretchers for anything larger. I seal the surface with rabbit-skin glue sizing and a titanium oil primer from Williamsburg, which I apply with a knife.
I use a variety of brushes: bristle, nylon, and sable. Recently I have been using more soft brushes in the late stages of a painting. I probably use more rounds than other shapes. It is difficult to find soft brushes that hold up, and price seems to have nothing to do with the durability of a brush. I use a variety of palette knives.
The medium I use consistently is made from 1 part Venice turpentine, 2 parts sun-thickened or stand oil, and 2 parts damar varnish. As a medium, it can actually be a little sticky—which in some circumstances can be nice—but it can also be thinned further.
To read the feature article on this artist, check out the September 2006 issue of American Artist.