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Minh,
If, as you say, you have only been painting in oils for a short time, my suggestion would be to first learn to do as much as you can opaquely before concerning yourself with glazing. Glazing is best used in a very limited way, as a final refinement to a predominantly opaque technique. If overused, it interferes with the impression of three-dimensional reality. Too many people become overly fascinated with glazing when they discover it, and waste too much time piddling with it. Light on solid form is best indicated with opaque paint. Mastery of opaque painting will serve any painter well. Transparent passages are best restricted to the deepest foreground darks. It works well to paint into them, while wet, with opaque colors to indicate secondary light.
Glazes are the most problematic parts of a painting, from a permanence standpoint. The general tendency of most painters is to use too much medium in them, which creates weak spots in the paint film. If the wrong medium is used, the glazes can come off with the varnish when the painting is being restored. Better to keep things simple, as Peggy said.
Virgil Elliott
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