Covino Glaze Medium over Liquin for portraits?

[Anne Hall]

Nelson Shanks says to avoid problems paint wet on wet or wet on dry, but never wet on gummy. Minh, the Ralph Mayer Handbook for Painters is an intriguing resource for plumbing the depths of the MANY questions you raised.

In it, "fat over lean" is explained as a key principle for creating paintings that last.

[Chris Saper]

Several years ago I studied with Hedi Moran, an Arizona painter known for her very fresh, vibrant florals...she related an experience wherein she used Liquin on upper layers, and found that it had peeled off in an irregular fashion. Since then I have limited my use of Liquin to my signature.

Hedi's approach is not experimental, so I don't know whether to attribute her disastrous experience to Liquin or our extreme climate...nonetheless, it definitely scared me off.

Chris

[Virgil Elliott]

In addition to fat over lean, there is another consideration that is perhaps even more important, and that is not to paint faster-drying mixtures over slower-drying passages. Liquin dries very fast, and imparts that tendency to all paints with which it is mixed. Thus it works best over layers which also contain some Liquin. The choice of pigments is a factor as well, since some dry faster than others. An excess of any medium will cause problems. Knowing what can and cannot be done with mediums is as important as choosing the right one. As mediums go, Liquin is probably one of the better ones out there, but it still must be used properly.

Virgil Elliott

[Minh Thong]

Thanks for all the help, folks. Since the original post I picked up the Meyer text, Covino's book, and Faragasso's 'The Student Guide to Painting' so alot of methods, materials, and color questions have been made clearer. I just did my first portrait with Liquin for the verdaccio and the Covino recipe for everything else. I must say, contrary to prevailing wisdom I kinda' prefer the old turps and linseed thing I was doing before.

Thanks again,

Minh

Oh BTW ... Mr. Elliot, I never considered how fast Liquin or Galkyd would dry if used over turps and linseed - sounds like a recipe for disaster. Thanks for bringing that up, I had 'Fat Over Lean' tunnel vision and wasn't looking at the big picture.

[Virgil Elliott]

Minh,

Not necessarily a recipe for disaster, but something to keep in mind. Other factors are involved, and most disasters are due to a combination of errors. One can sometimes get by with small transgressions if the other factors are not working against the life of the picture, too. I would be concerned with the use of turpentine, though. It weakens the binding power of the oil.

By the way, Cynthia has prompted me to mention my upcoming workshop here. It's April 19-21 at my studio in Penngrove, California. I only have room for ten attendees, so everyone will get plenty of attention. Interested parties should contact me soon to reserve a spot.

Virgil Elliott