Aaron Holland Fine Art

"We use linseed oil because it makes the strongest, most flexible, longest lasting paint film.

We choose refined linseed oil rather than cold pressed because refined linseed oil will yellow much less over time.

We recommend the use of refined linseed oil for this reason in all aspects of oil painting.

Be careful not to add too much of any natural oil to your oil colors, as this makes the color too "fat." A simple mixture of one part refined linseed oil and one part Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirit makes a great, general-purpose painting medium. Oil paintings have the potential to last for many hundreds of years if the materials are permanent, and if the artist constructs the painting with established painting techniques."

Thank you for choosing our materials.

Sincerely,

Scott Gellatly

Technical Support Representative

Gamblin Artists Colors Co

SHOP TALK

Brush Care for the Oil Painter Tip - Use Kerosene Did you know that kerosene makes an excellent cleaner for oil painting brushes? It is slightly stronger than mineral spirits, and coats the bristles with a slightly 'oily' residue that protects the natural hairs. Mineral spirits evaporates leaving the bristles brittle, as does turpentine. Soap and water does no better, and although the bristles may look cleaner, they are not. This method of cleaning the bristles is also far too time-consuming and laborious, not to mention oil and water don't mix! Suffice it to say- never use water with your oil painting supplies!

 

Question- ?- I have been discussing with a colleague about the differences in
color and their properties. The question is: What is the difference, the
"practical" difference, between Alizarin Cimson and Alizarin Permanent? Do
you advocate on over the other? Any insight into this question?

Also, what is the difference in titanium white from manufacturer to manufacturer? Is there a guideline for a standard, if so, what is it based on?

Thank you,

Aaron Holland

Dear Aaron,

Thank you for your questions.

Rose Madder and Alizarin Crimson are two examples of "lake" pigments. These
were created from organic-based dyes from the madder root. The dye was then
attached to an inert, colorless pigment. These colors have all proven to be
fugitive colors, but Alizarin's strong color and usefulness to painters has
kept it in common use until today.

Alizarin Crimson is the only color on the contemporary palette that is not
lightfast enough for permanent painting. Alizarin has served artists well
but no longer meets our standards for lightfastness.

Alizarin Crimson fades. For an excellent example of this, look at the early
portraits of Joshua Reynolds. The beautiful women are now deathly green
since the rosy tints have all faded. Because they faded in his lifetime,
Reynolds altered his palette and discontinued using Alizarin so that the
later portraits have survived in true color.

Our solution to this problem is Alizarin Permanent. Made from a mixture of
three lightfast colors: Quinacridone Red, Perylene Red, and Ultramarine
Blue. Alizarin Permanent has the same color properties of Alizarin, but will
not fade. In both mass tone and mixtures, you will find our Permanent
version nearly identical. The transparency, or glaze, is not as intense as
Alizarin. But in 25 to 100 years, depending upon the quantity of light that
falls on the painting, the transparency of Alizarin will fade dramatically,
and the Permanent will be unchanged.

In the two years since we first formulated Alizarin Permanent, our sales of
Alizarin Crimson are down 40%. We hope this shift continues to help painters
create more permanent art.

Perylene Red in its full transparency,that means, extended to a thin veil
with painting medium is a beautiful, lightfast replacement for Rose Madder.

As for the differences in Titanium White, or any color for that matter,
between manufactures, look for the following on every tube of oil color you
buy: "conforms to ASTM D4302." This is a standard for oil and alkyd colors
by the American Society for Testing and Materials. For oil colors, the
standard states that each tube of color must be labeled with the following
information, including: identification of pigment(s), identification of
vehicle (binder), and lightfastness rating (for which there is a separate
ASTM standard). Also keep in mind that different manufactures have
different ideas of how a certain color should looks and feel. For example,
different Titanium Whites between manufactures may be stiffer or softer than
others.


Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Thank you for choosing our materials.

Sincerely,

Scott Gellatly
Technical Support Representative
Gamblin Artists Colors Co

"SERENITY"- WATERCOLOR PAINTING DEMO.

1. I start with a finished drawing on drawing paper, working out all the difficult areas and potential problems there, first.

2. Next I trace the drawing using clear acetate, and a sharpie pen (pictured below).

3. Next I lay the transfer over a "stretched" piece of water-color paper (as shown).

4.Re-draw using acetate to guide you lightly with a pencil, do not scratch or score the paper if possible. This outline will give you a solid foudation when you begin painting, and craete an environment that encourages "planned spontaneity"!

5. The finished drawing, lightly, in pecil.

6. Before beging with any watercolor, and before adding any moisture to the paper, Now is the time to add a Masking Fluid. Masking Fluid is a little like watered-down rubber cement usually with a colorant added. This allows you to preserve the white spaces which are so charecteristic to water-color, especially Transparent Watercolor. This must be done while the paper is completely dry or it will become permanant. Allow to dry before proceeding.

7. I almost always add a golden or orangish wash first, if I am painting a sky. This shows through later, and gives a warm sunlight effect through blue sky. Do this evenly from top to bottom using a very pale wash of color overlapping your strokes on a slightly tipped-up board. I use a 2-3" wash brush made from squirrel hair. Do not go back over your previous strokes if possible. Allow this to dry before proceeding- you can paint again when the paper is no longer "shiny".

8. I generally work from light to dark in watercolor, gradually pulling out the darks. Watercolor is more difficult to correct, so I prefer to slowly add the darks when I am more sure about their placement.

When that was dry I felt it needed a gradated pinkish wash in the top and bottom portion of the sky.

9. On a very slightly-dampened paper I added the wash of orange in a darker color. I am careful at this stage to not over-mix the color, but to let it mix a little on the paper. You can paint on this if you wish, as long as the paper remains shiny, but I would suggest you stop at that point or you are likely to get unwanted edges. To soften an edge, use a clean brush with a minimal amount of clear water on it, and quickly work it over the edge. Restraint is needed in watercolor. Less is often more. A watercolor that is underworked is generally more interesting than one worked-to-death.

10. You can always do it again if it doesn't quite work out!

I start to add a little blue- violet in very light washes over the pink in sky and water. When that dries I decide to do a darker blue wash, until the colors in the sky and water are the shade I am looking for.

* Note - it is better to do less washes in the sky (and here water too) to keep the light feeling of air and atmosphere. The more washes you add, the heavier it will feel. I think I settled on two under-washes, and two washes of blue on top to get the finished result.

Finish: When you are happy with your picture (or decide it was a practice run) allow painting to dry thoroughly overnight before removing tape. At that point you will first want to remove the masking fluid to reveal your white spaces.

Frame and hang accordingly.

 

ALL painting mediums fit into three main categories: Low Viscosity Fluid, High Viscosity Fluid, and Gels. We have fast and slow drying mediums for each category.

 

 

Low Viscosity Mediums: increase the fluidity of oil colors and retain brushmarks.

• Fast Dry: Galkyd Lite
• Slow Dry: Galkyd Slow Dry
• Slow Dry: 50/50 Linseed Oil and Gamsol OMS (Odorless Mineral Spirit)

High Viscosity Mediums: increase fluidity of oil colors and minimizes brush marks.

• Fast Dry: Galkyd
• Slow Dry: 50/50 Stand Oil and Gamsol OMS

Gel mediums: extend oil colors without making them fluid.

• Fast Dry: Galkyd G-Gel
• Slow Dry: Neo Megilp

All of the mediums mentioned above increase the gloss level of oil colors to varying degrees. Our Cold Wax Medium makes oil colors thicker and more matte, and can be used to lower the gloss level of other painting mediums.

For more information on Gamblin painting mediums, please visit our website: www.gamblincolors.com.

Scott Gellatly

Gamblin Artists Colors Co

General Rules of Painting

1. Paint from warm to cool

2. Paint from thin to thick

3. Paint from lean to fat

4. Paint from dark to light

5. Paint from loose to tight

6. Paint from big to small

7. Use the largest brushes possible

8. Avoid using white as long as possible

Make as many midtones as possible

9. Paint light not objects for as long as possible

10. Use as few colors as possible

11. Daylight scenes have one color of light and one opposite color in all the shadows

12. After a certain point removing paint can be more effective than adding it.

1 3. Cover the surface evenly; don't let a problem area distract you.

14. If the composition doesn't work in monochrome, the addition of color won't help it.

www.utrecht.com