Yessir, I'm trying my hand at oils again. I apologize to all the oil painters in advance. For warm up I watched Dan Dos Santos' dvd tutorial. I'm currently finishing up Donato's dvd. Thanks guys! Some problems I had with my first experimentation several months ago was the consistency of the paint. I think I was starting out way too thick and it was rather difficult to control. I started with some quick acrylic washes to do a little shading and to fix the drawing so that it wouldn't smudge. I'm not painting as thick and I'm also using a second soft yet firm(oxymoron? it's basically your average house painting brush) brush to spread the paint thin while blending out unwanted brush strokes or not quite blending them out if I like them. It's moving fairly quick and is remarkably.....fun. Actually, it's quite fun. Who knew? All the oil painters I assume.
Painting more thin in this manner and gradually adding in darks and colors is not too different than how I normally paint. It feels familiar. The extended blending time is awesome. I do however, wish I could flash dry the paint as I finish blending. I'm sure I'll run into some problems but currently feel good about the progress and process. I plan on documenting this piece a little more than previous paintings. To see the first vid click here. I'm currently uploading the 4th vid. Hopefully, it will be done by the time you read this. Tips? crits? I'm wide open.
8 comments:
Awesome Eric!
Funny- I just watched the Dos Santos video myself, and I plan on watching the Donato video soon. Did you find Donato's video helpful? I thought the Dos Santos video was excellent.
I find that some drying medium and thin paint layers plus a heat lamp dries oils pretty quickly.
The dissadvantage with oil oaint is in paradoxically its almost limitless versatility. It therefore means that one must be even more vigilant concerning the importance of the relationship between the making process and the resultant 'look' of the image itself. Acrylic, due to its material characteristics and the tactics one adopts to control them, force you to do this almost by default. Oil on the other hand is a very seductive mistress and can tempt you astray in so many beguiling ways.....
Be vigilant Eric!
Love the mood and color palette in this. It's gorgeous.
E,
I JUST made a blog post about quickening drying time with oil paints.
http://thewhiteleaf.tumblr.com/post/2616867644/how-to-get-your-oil-paintings-dry-to-the-touch
It's important to remember with oil painting to trust your knowledge of creating a great image and not to lose faith.
Most paintings begin where you feel like you're in control, then you reach the hump where they look disastrous and finally you press on and refine them to works of beauty.
Just get through that scary phase and you'll be fine. Eventually that stage gets shorter and shorter.
Eric
I am curious as to why you are painting in oils. In terms of long term durability acrylic is far more stable than oil. I think the excellence of your work in acrylic stands on its own; I don't think oils would improve what already seems to me a superior result. Then again, perhaps you are changing for the gallery game, where oil is king. Eh, what do I know.
It's definitely a different beast. Though, it's a little easier to keep working because the progress is very apparent. Sometimes I paint in acrylic for days and it's such a slow process. I assume when I start detailing it may be the same with oils.
Why oils? I've always been interested in oils. Just didn't have the deadlines to experiment comfortably. I like pushing myself and seeing what I'm capable of. I think we should be willing to take risks and to experiment. I love my acrylics but I don't want to limit myself.
Dos Santos has a DVD? Whereabouts does one find it? I went to his site and all he has are prints and puzzles...
Post a Comment