How do you hold your edges?

[Chris Saper]

Like you, I can never complete a painting in one session either. Bill's advice to keep everything soft when you start is excellent.

I think it makes sense to develop a an edge plan before you begin the painting, so that you are thinking about placing edges to direct the viewer's eye, and to support your center of interest. I try to think of one sharpest edge location, with all other edges subordinate to that sentinel edge. Secondary or other lesser edges help give the painting a lively sense of motion and direction, and to further guide (OK I 'm really talking about control here) the viewer's eye. By keeping this vision in mind, it helps to remind you how very few sharp edges you want, period.

Edges are also one of the things that have to be done toward the end of the painting or the end of a passage in the painting - there' s not much point to putting 'finish' on an area you will be covering up.

There are some things - hair perhaps being the best example - where both hair edges and background both need to painted in the same or session, or least when they are both wet -with paint, not just medium. Then you have the option to brush hair into background, background into hair, and offer the best edge control you can. The same is very true for hairline and forehead.

If you feel that your edges look too hard at the end of the painting session, use a fingertip, rag, dry sable or fan brush to knock them down, so they will be soft for your next painting session.

One last tip from my teacher Phil Beck: "Make the edge, break the edge, then restate the edge."

And a PS from Richard Schmid: "Treat an edge like a story -stretch the truth as far as you'd like without telling a lie."