How do I eliminate paint?

Mary Reilly · 04-30-2005, 11:15 PM

I am presently having a problem with the image of the mom in a family portrait that I am painting.

Allan Rahbek · 05-01-2005, 07:05 AM

Hi Mary,

If the painting is on canvas you could lay it flat on a table and support the backside with a piece of wooden plate.

Then cut / scrape the most marked brush strokes of with a sharp tool like a palette knife, paint remover tool or a carpenters tool. Be careful not to cut the canvas. Then sand the area light, but don

Michele Rushworth · 05-01-2005, 04:58 PM

I think Allan's suggestions as to how to remove/cover the old paint will work fine. The bigger problem is the working process that's been set up with this client. Allowing her to change her look so much between sessions and allowing her to change her mind about which hair style she wants so late in the process is a recipe for disaster. ONE photo or ONE pose from life (with the same hair, same weight, same clothes, same lighting etc) is the only way to go.

Mary Reilly · 05-01-2005, 05:53 PM

Thank you Allan, I will start the process you suggested tomorrow morning when I go to my studio. Just today I was sharing this with another artist at a meeting we were at and she also suggested sandpaper, but your suggestion gives me more detail on how to proceed.

Michele, I agree with you in that I didn't lay down the "ground rules" from the beginning. This lady is nice and in my trying to please the client things slowly evolved in a direction I didn't intend for them to take. I guess I didn't do anything all that different from previous clients, but this is the first time things got out of control - what a learning experience! I now realize that this could happen with future clients so I am now rethinking the way I work with people - such as laying down ground rules. I need to just let them know from the beginning how I will or will not proceed. I am seriously thinking of creating a hand out to give to a client at the time they sign the contract with me. It can give suggestions on how to dress and it can remind them not to change hairstyles, haircolor etc. I also need to remind people not to ask the whole family for thier opinion!

Ah yes, the joy of painting portraits.

Mary

Joan Breckwoldt · 05-02-2005, 06:21 PM

Mary,

Hi, I don't have anything to add except: Good luck! I hope she's finished changing her hair!

Also, I'm just curious, does the client understand that her changes have created 'challenges'?

Joan

Margaret Port · 05-05-2005, 11:16 PM

Mary,
Because oils take so long to dry thoroughly, after you have taken off the ridges with a blade, you may be able to scrub into the area with some turps on a hard bristle brush and loosen some of the earlier older layers to get back to the canvas texture. It would depend on what media you are using as to how much you would shift.

I can sympathise with your predicament with your client. Some years ago I did a pastel sketch of a vivacious strawberry blonde woman for her to give her new husband as a wedding present. She wanted serious with darkish red hair with highlights, then smiled and cracked jokes throughout the sittings. She had streaky curly hair which came down over her forehead and then the ends flicked back. I had the work framed after she approved it, several weeks passed then he decided she looked too serious and could I please make her smile and more blonde. They must have brought the thing back half a dozen times for tinkering before I threw hands in the air and said enough is enough. I literally could not get another speck of pastel onto the piece. There is nothing like working for a committee. By the time you please them all, no one is happy with the piece, least of all the artist.
In my husband's business, the client asks for a particular job to be done, they are given a quote and told specifically what work will be done, then if they want more work done we write *EXTRA on the timesheets and they get billed accordingly.
You could write into your contract a price for the original painting and then $3000 extra per hairstyle change and $200 per pound for weight changes.
I wonder how our clients would like that????

Michele Rushworth · 05-06-2005, 10:44 AM

An artist absolutely must protect themselves from making endless changes at no extra charge. You can guarantee the likeness, of course and be willing to make changes until they are happy it looks like the person, and you can also indicate in your contract that you will be willing to do "minor alterations" but only allow them within 10 days of delivery, for example. You might want to specify some examples of what constitutes a "minor alteration".

Make it clear that any changes other than that (like changing hair color to something other than what was agreed, making a serious face happier than what was initially agreed to, etc.) are major changes and will be billed accordingly. (Smiles change the shape of every feature on the face, by the way, so it's not at all a minor change.)

I once had a client who agreed to a particular composition and signed off on photos of their son with their dog. The dog was misbehaving and they later had to give him away, so they wanted him taken out of the painting. I was already halfway through the portrait and I explained that a new painting would have to be started, with additional costs involved. They decided to keep the dog in the painting. As it turned out, they were very happy with the portrait, it reminds them of a dog that they did have some fond memories of, and this client has since gone on to commission four other portraits from me.

Clients respect you when you respect your own work and maintain a high level of professionalism. Offer an excellent product at a fair price and don't let yourself be taken advantage of.

Richard Budig · 05-07-2005, 09:14 PM

You can use chloroform (the old-time anaesthetic) to remove oil paint. I've read of its use, but have never done it. A little research ought to help. I've seen it in several books, so the info is available. One important thing -- you have to use it outdoors, or in a WELL ventilated room.

Sharon Knettell · 05-09-2005, 05:15 PM

I really HATE to scrape paint as that has a tendency to take of some of the primer and perhaps leave the canvas unprotected.

I like to use mineral sprits and take the time to gradually rub it off. Another tool I found is useful is a cheap plastic knife with serrated edges. I did that the last time and it removed the paint without damaging the surface. I very, very, gently scraped it to leave some ridges so the mineral spirts would penetrate more easily.

Mary Reilly · 05-15-2005, 10:39 PM

Thank you to everyone for your replys. Sorry I didn't respond sooner, but life has been been crazy as I was busy with wrapping some things up before I took off a few days for the portrait conference.
Regarding my "problem portrait", I had hung it on my studio wall until I was mentally ready to tackle it. Now that I am back from the portrait conference I feel rejuvenated and ready to conquer this problem! Next week I will hopefully get to this portrait. I think I will first finish up a couple of enjoyable pieces.
Margaret, good idea to go in with turp and a bristle brush after I scrape away.
I am still feeling frustrated in how I handled the customer (or rather how she handled me). Definitely a good learning experience and will be one of those commissions that I will talk about years from now.

Mary