It certainly has grown, since I joined this morning following an email with info about the new site I see over 100 others have joined just today. I can see this site becoming more and more popular as time marches on.
Christopher M. Grimes - join me on Facebook
http://www.grimesgallery.com
Hey Christopher, I joined and started Mastering Oils on Sat. Oct 4th and I was the 27th member and many of the other members worked for American Artist or it's parent company. It's only been 3 days Wow, what growth!
I'll give it a look.
Just signed up and this is my 1st post...
Thanks jb and welcome
I have just joined and I am looking forward to learning and sharing much. I am not a professional artist in that I still have to work to support my passion. Though I have exhibited at museums and cultural centers, I have won no awards or recognitions. But I am still growing and learning my medium which are oils. I am trying to learn the Flemish technique, its really difficult and requires a lot of time, but that is how I envsion my work to represent my life when I'm gone. I love the American Artist magazine because I know whenever I read it there will artist who are doing what I long to do someday.r
Right now I am having a problem with my underpainting coming tacky, I have been using Copal medium with linseed oil and because I had to make so many adjustments in the drawing composition after I started painting, I have decided to start it over. I have been on this painting for the last 4 months because of the time between drying each layer. Though it makes me angry it will have to start over I want it to be perfect, maybe that is my problem. I intent to start this new painting's underlayer using damar varnish and turpentine or turpenoid. Is there anyone out there that can advise me if this would be a good choice. I want to keep my shadows and darks transparent so when I add the lights I will get the depth I need.
Namasta
Hey n2art (cool user name)
Come and join us at the members group "Mastering Oils" we have some very knowledable members that might have had simular experiences or even the answer to your problem.
Thought I had joined, I plan to spend a lot of time here. I have no doubt that want ever I need to know will be answered here, had a chance to view some of the works here and OMG if I can someday produce art like this I would die happy. I hope to hear from you guys soon.
I can tell you how I do it.
Set out some TYE Transparent Yellow Earth & burnt umber on your pallet.
Pull the colors together with a brush & a little turp to make a golden dark imprematura and tone the canvass to a middle value. This should be transparent.
Next mass in the shadows using raw umber. No lines, mass everything.
Then using a paper towel wipe out the lights.
You should be left with deep shadows, white lights and the golden color of the imprematura for the mid tones.
This method allows you to adjust your masses so they are right before they dry.
I let this dry over night. Then starting painting and adjusting as you go. Or if you like what you see just start painting.
After the under painting is dry and you have started to paint, if you don't like what you have done it can be scraped down to the under painting and started over as the orginal under painting will remain.
This method will give you deep shadows & bright lights.
I use "Old Masters Maroger". It's the good stuff.
Don't forget to oil out after each layer dries & before you start the next layer...
Hi, I'm just learning how to navigate around this site. How does one actually get into the mastering oils instruction area?
Hi Jean-Marie,
Thanks for joining Mastering Oils. Since this community was started just last Saturday there have been 331 members sign up and 28 members sign up for Mastering Oils. As this community quickly grows and our group grows with it, Mastering Oils will become more and more informative.
I've seen you work "Cloe" and you certainly don't need any of the beginners stuff so go to members group "Mastering Oils" click on discussions then find and click on "Advanced painting lessons and techniques" there you will find links to websites and videos on Advanced painting lessons and techniques. More will be added frequently.
Please feel free to add tips, techniques, tutorials,advice, links, upload images, questions, show the stages of a work in progress,anything you'd like on this topic.
Thank you for your help, its funny because I have had this tube of raw umber forever. I always thought that raw umber was the ugliest colour in the world and as usual put my foot in my mouth, expressing that view to another painter. I have since read that it is good for making certain parts of the image recede. Though I haven't used it yet I plan to follow your advice and I think that you have solved a lot of problems I tried to use it on a portrait once and the brown/greenish colour didn't work though I was painting shadows over the painting,I have since learned better. I couldn't find any information on mixing ethnic complexions and experimented by laying raw umber over the shadow areas.. I also think that the golden brown imprematura is what I was looking for. I'm also a little worried about oiling the painting after painting, but I quess the turp will keep it from moving. You did not mention using any varnish or linseed seed oil in the mixture so if I have to paint the shadow areas twice continue with the turp? Can Turpenoid be used instead of turpentine, only reason I asked is I have a gallon of Turpenoid, but I can get a small container of balsm turp if I need to.
I have a tube of C Robertson Maroger Medium should I just use the turpentine with it and is there a formula for turp to medium, is this for the final painting.
Hi n2art,
Go to the members group "Mastering Oil" and in the "Portraits in oil" discussion there is a great link on skin tones called "Painting Portraits: Principles, skin tones, ect."
Also check out "Advanced painting lessons and techniques" some very good links and videos
About ethnic skin tones, there really isn't such a thing. whites go from pasty white , pinkish, olives, to darker skin tones. Blacks from very light skinned, yellows, browns, to blacks. I've seen blonde haired blue eyed Hispanics and very dark skinned Hispanics and every thing in between.
Don't worry about ethnic skin tones, just paint the skin tone of the subject.
You're already a member of the group n2art and I think you'll find the links useful
Turpenoid and turpentine are interchangable.
Rick
Great little article jb. Since you're a member of Mastering oils can I copy and paste your article over to the groups discussion "tips and Techniques. Attributed to you of course!
thanks
I use raw umber for bringing the value down in my colors. It works well for that. It's a good color for a skin tone pallet. I did a value study on the figure last week using raw umber & white. If I get 5 minutes during the day I can take a photo of it and post it.
In oil painting start with the shadows and paint out. Why? The shadows need to be transparent and if you start with the light areas 1st you will be painting white into the shadows making them opaque and flatning the painting. Then they will have to be re-done.
Oil out when the painting is dry. Some colors take a while to dry. Check them or you will be doing a lot of touch up. The 1st time I oil out with a mixture of terpioid and stand oil at 70/30. After that I oil out at a 50/50 mix. The oiling out process helps the layer sick to each other. Terpinoid works for this. When I type terps that = terpinoid.
I use marogar to paint, no turps or oil. Turps never touch my brushes except for 1 brush that that I mass in with on the under painting. Clean with soap and water as turps ruin brushes. My brushes last a long, long time (+5 years) and still going.
For medium I use "Old Master's Marogar". It has everything in it. Check out the site:
http://www.oldmastersmaroger.com/?gclid=CLbE-8KZkJACFQUsPAod6x0eAQ
When painting the shadows I use the marogar to thin the paint a little. No turpioid or oil. I've never used the C Robertson Maroger Medium, some people I know do and love it. It's a personal choice.
Varnish is my final step after 6 months.
Anyways, that how I paint. I hope I have answered your questions.
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