Tag: painting

How to paint with oil paint – Creating Fat Over Lean Mediums

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Tim Gagnon

Watch this video that relates to this article:

Oil painting is a popular medium among artists due to its ability to create rich, luminous colors. However, one of the challenges of oil painting is controlling the drying time of the paint. A fat over lean medium can help regulate the drying time and prevent cracking in the paint.

A fat over lean medium is created by mixing linseed oil and odorless mineral spirits. The idea behind the fat over lean principle is that each layer of paint should have more oil in it than the previous one. This allows each layer to dry at the same rate, preventing cracking or other damage to the paint.

Here are the steps to create a fat over lean medium for oil painting:

Gather materials: You will need linseed oil, odorless mineral spirits, and a mixing container.

Mix the linseed oil and mineral spirits: Start by mixing equal parts of linseed oil and mineral spirits in the mixing container. Stir the mixture until it is well combined.

Adjust the consistency: Depending on your personal preference, you may want to add more linseed oil or mineral spirits to the mixture to make it thicker or thinner. A thicker medium will produce a more opaque paint, while a thinner medium will result in a more transparent paint.

Store the medium: Store the medium in an airtight container, away from light and heat. Be sure to label the container so you know what is inside.

Use the medium: When you are ready to start painting, mix a small amount of the medium into your paint to make it more fluid. Then, follow the fat over lean principle by applying each successive layer with a higher concentration of oil.

By following these steps, you can create a fat over lean medium that will help regulate the drying time of your oil paint, preventing cracking and other damage to your paintings.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM – GET HUNDREDS OF PAINTING LESSONS INSTANTLY – CLICK HERE

How to paint clouds in oil – Glazing in highlights and shadows for depth.

Posted on January 30, 2023January 30, 2023 by Tim Gagnon

Watch this video on glazing techniques:

Glazing Techniques for Painting Highlights and Shadows on Clouds in Oil

Oil painting provides artists with a range of techniques to create beautiful and realistic clouds with depth and luminosity. One of the most effective techniques is glazing, which involves layering thin transparent coats of color over one another. In this article, we will focus on how to paint highlights and shadows on clouds using glazing techniques in oil.

1. Start with oiling in. Before you begin painting, prepare your painting by oiling in the surface. This means applying a thin coat of painting medium (50/50 mix) to the canvas to provide a surface for your paint to adhere to and allow the paint to go smoothly.

2. Add the first layer of glaze. To paint the highlights on the clouds, start by mixing titanium white with a medium, such as linseed oil, to create a thin and transparent glaze. Apply this to the areas of the clouds where you want the highlights to be.

3. Build up the highlights. As you apply additional layers of the white glaze, build up the highlights by adding more paint to the areas where you want the highlights to be more prominent. Make sure each layer is thin and transparent, so that the previous layers show through.

4. Add shadows with glazing. To create contrast and give the clouds more dimension, you can add shadows using glazing techniques. Start by mixing a dark color, such as ultramarine blue and raw umber, or cerulean blue with raw umber and a touch of alizarin, with a medium to create a thin and transparent glaze. Apply this to the areas of the clouds where you want the shadows to be.

5. Blend the layers. After each layer has dried, use a blending tool, such as a soft brush or a blending knife, to soften and blend the layers together. This will create a smooth and cohesive look, with subtle variations in color and tone that add depth and luminosity to the clouds.

In conclusion, painting highlights and shadows on clouds using glazing techniques in oil is a great way to create depth and luminosity in your paintings. By oiling in the canvas, adding thin layers of white for highlights, and using glazing to add shadows, you can increase contrast and create stunning and realistic clouds in your paintings.

JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM – Get hundreds of painting lessons instantly – CLICK HERE TO JOIN

Roads

Posted on October 22, 2015October 22, 2015 by Tim Gagnon

My latest painting lesson The Old Road Takes You There (pictured above) will be out soon. Pre-Order now and save! Click Here!

“Don’t go down that road.”

Have you ever heard someone say that in a city, or in a town that resembles the movie set of ‘Deliverance?” Think about the history that road must have racked up to deserve that notorious statement. It’s a road that will take you places you don’t want to go, because if you do go down that road, you just might hear faint dueling banjos, and you know that can’t be good.

Roads are fascinating to me, especially lately. Whenever I drive around I think about the road I’m on. How they become familiar and become, in a way, home. Whenever we are returning from taking our dogs on a ride, they all perk up when we turn onto the road to our house. Their ears go forward, they start looking back and forth out the windows, they whine a little bit and have this bouncy, slightly annoying, energy, because they know this is the way to their territory.

barnlesson — Press Down Road – Click the image to learn how to paint this painting!

I think I’ve mentioned before that I live in the middle of nowhere in Northern Maine. Well, we have to drive about 50 miles to get to the nearest interstate. Most of the times when we go on trips we are driving long distances. After a long trip, driving hours and hours, it’s alway a great feeling to get on that last stretch of road that brings us home.

In order to go to that wedding, funeral, first date, basketball game, family get together, we have to take roads. They hold an amazing significance that maybe we don’t always recognize. Old tar roads, dirt roads, highways, they all have their landmarks that we recognize, an old tree, a dilapidated building, and things that give us that nostalgic feeling. We go for drives on roads to unwind, de-stress, to think, listen to music, try out that new car, or just because we are bored and we want to cruise around with the windows down.

roadhome1 — The Road Home – Click the image to learn how to paint this painting!

This is why I’ve found a new fascination with painting roads. The final destination is a mystery in each painting, but it always holds significance to the person traveling that road.

Symbolism is so important in paintings, especially landscapse (IMHO). It helps you get a theme or story across without being too literal. Symbolism gives your painting something to think about. Landscapes are mysterious in their own right, but sometimes people might look at them and move on without much thought. By adding in something for them to ponder over makes your painting stronger, and more fun to view.

A road in a painting makes you travel into it and live there for a moment. Sometimes that’s just what we need in a landscape. An escape is easier if you have a road.

How to paint with oil paint – Creating Fat Over Lean Mediums

How to paint clouds in oil – Glazing in highlights and shadows for depth.

Roads

Quick Links

Useful Links

Contact Us

Follow Us