Maroger

[Michele Rushworth]

The new layer prevent the bottom layer to dry so that it will be absorbent for a long time and drink the oil from the top layer, that becomes matte.

I get this sinking in of upper dark layers even when the layer I'm painting on is dry to the touch, after a week or so of drying. Hmmm.....

[Allan Rahbek]

Originally Posted by Michele Rushworth

I get this sinking in of upper dark layers even when the layer I'm painting on is dry to the touch, after a week or so of drying. Hmmm.....

Hmm..... My post is based on traditional knowledge from the house painters craft that I have been taught and included theoretical teaching on school.

When a painted surface looks matte it is because the oil content is low compared to the pigments. This is seen when the paint is lean or the oil has disappeared down into the ground or when the paint has been added mineral spirit that had evaporated.

Imagine a shallow water with stones under the water. The stones will show their real colors when wet. But on low tide the stones get dry and look different.

Dark pigments that are matte will get relative lighter than light pigments. Also some earth colors need more oil to stay covered.

I was told that linseed oil will dry over a longer period. First within a couple of days and then it will bleed (get soft) and harden even more. Later it will bleed again. This process takes place in longer and longer intervals and progress over years. Incredible but true.

The linseed oil will obtain water from moist in the air or the wood, it is painted on, and let it through.

Linseed oil has the smallest molecules of all medias and will swell when drying. That is what makes it superior as a painting media because it secures a solid adherence.

That might also be the reason why it is so forgiving to us painters and all our different practices.

Allan

[Michele Rushworth]

I know that the dull areas are because the oil is being absorbed by the lower layers. When it happens I "oil out" the top layers with more linseed oil. What I'm wondering is if it would happen less if I waited a couple of weeks or longer between layers.

[Virgil Elliott]

Originally Posted by Kimberly Dow

Thanks again all.

When I was less experienced, this was so simple. I have a couple paintings that are 17 years old or so. I used oil paint and taught myself without doing even the most basic of research. When the paint was too thick, I thinned it with turpentine only. The paintings, although horrible in skill, still look fine. The richness of the oil is missing though because they are very matte from the turpentine. I never varnished them either.

The more I learn, the more confused I am.

Kim,

If seventeen years seems like a long time to you, enjoy your youth while it lasts. To me, seventeen years ago seems like yesterday.

Many of the problems that result from poor choices of materials and/or techniques do not show up in oil paintings for 80-200 years. Short-term, one can get by with just about anything.

Virgil Elliott

[Linda Brandon]

Originally Posted by Kimberly Dow

I want something to put on my panel paintings as soon as they are dry to the touch that evens them out without too much glare. A nice even sheen from a product that has no issues with longevity.

Gamvar (Gamblin product) is a synthetic resin varnish (contains no damar or mastic) which is advertised as being suitable for a retouch varnish as well. I vote for going with this. If this varnish is ever removed by a restorer, he will use chemicals which should not disturb the chemical formulation of any underlying paint containing traces of organic resins.

The Studio Products formulation of Maroger contains mastic which has different properites from damar, or so I understand.

As you know, Kim, artists argue bitterly about all this stuff, including the dangers of lead, etc .. I personally keep an open mind about these issues, have no ax to grind, and am prepared to change my mind if anybody comes up with information to sway me.

Incidentally, I own a couple of old paintings (18th and 19th century) and I'm willing to bet that most of their cracking trouble comes from being on linen which expands and contracts drastically as well has being in danger of mold and puncture incidents. Therefore, I vote for either a good mounted linen panel or one of Max's gessopanels in terms of longevity, (and sheer pleasure of touching); just don't drop them. Of course, ABS will probably last longer than anything else but it's hard to find anybody who will stick his/her neck out and say so.

[Kimberly Dow]

Yes Linda - this subject has to be one the most argued about among artists. It's all very confusing. There are so many qualified to speak on these subjects. I am not one of them for sure!

If you scroll down here there is a similiar thread listed that was started by Karin Wells a few years ago which has you, Virgil, on this same subject duking it out with that very person who makes the marogers I've recently tried. One thing I will say for certainty - when I went to that forum to ask my questions I was not treated in any way a customer should be treated. I never really got my questions answered even though I kept repeating them. I resorted to an email so I could avoid all the attitudes, but never received an answer.

[William Whitaker]

Dear Kim,

Virgil knows a great deal about paints and art materials and he

[William Whitaker]

Since I

[Kimberly Dow]

And despite all this - aren't we the luckiest people in the world to be doing what we love for a living?

Don't be grumpy Bill - I can't even imagine how many thousands of artists and art students there are who want to be just like you when we grow up.

And just to let you know, I personally would dig through a whole dump to find one of your sketches if someone were ever foolish enough to throw one out.

Thank you for chiming in Bill.