Questions for acrylic emulsion as ground

[Richard Bingham]

Originally Posted by Xander Calceta

. . . what if i coat it with varnish to potect the oil painting from crackling or peeling off from the emulsioned ground or protect from fading away . . . ?
. . . fourth, painting with alkyd and oil . . .

. . . Will it not last, what do you think?

The final varnish applied to an oil panting offers some protection, but it's essentially applied with long-term maintenance in mind. When enough dust, dirt, smoke, etc. has embedded in the protective varnish, it can be cleaned off without damaging the actual painting.

It's axiomatic that any layer, whether paint or varnish, is dependent upon the durable qualities of all of the layers it's applied over for its own performance. This means violations of the "fat over lean" principle, delamination, cracking, etc., etc. present in or caused by underlayers cannot be corrected by applying yet another layer.

More bad news for your approach, unless you paint with alkyd paints strictly alla prima, (a primier coup) alkyds themselves are prone to delamination between layers, an issue quite aside from your use of acrylic underlayers, but problematic nonetheless.

So often quite able artists adopt a methodology that runs counter to sound procedures in oil painting. Finding it conducive to their own visual expressions, they're loath to give it up in favor of other, more acceptable oil techniques for the sake of permanence.

Basically, painting is trade-craft like laying bricks or welding, with physical rules that govern a sound construction. If durability is a consideration, they cannot be broken, whether one is painting the backyard fence, or a masterful portrait. The "rules" of painting with oil paints can't be ignored and still produce a successful product any more than one may lay bricks using whipped cream for mortar, or weld steel by using chewing gum.

Finding yourself at the point where you're questioning the advisability of continuing with the method you have devised, it seems to me you have two choices: A. The least disruptive to your preferred methods would be simply to complete your paintings entirely with acrylic paints. No harm done. Or, B. You can study the vast amount of literature available on the topic of "proper" oil painting materials and methods, and through knowledgeable experimentation, eventually settle on a system of materials and methods that best suits your needs.

Do I think your current methods will "last" ? In a word, no. I think failure in one form or another is inevitable far sooner than the durable span of time generally expected of an oil painting.