Glazing question

[Linda Ciallelo]

Most of what I know about oil painting was learned at a forum that doesn't approve of glazing in the sense that one shouldn't use very much medium to dilute the pigment to produce your glaze. I have seen very old paintings that appeared to be mostly clear medium, in the top layers, with very little pigment. I like the way that looks.

I have read that it is perfectly acceptable to use layers of retouch varnish(damar diluted with turps). This would be medium (damar) with "NO" pigment. So why is it not acceptable to apply a layer that is medium with a small amount of pigment?

I really want to use some transparent color that shines and has depth, like colored glass. What is the best way to achieve this?

[Alicia Kornick]

Linda,

As long as the surface is dry, you can glaze over it with a transparent glaze. The glaze will make the passage darker and more luminous. I used to use a medium to glaze made of damar varnish, stand oil and turpentine, but lately have been using Gamblin's Galkyd lite and also his NeoMegilp. The lite is better for glazing as the Neo I find too thick. My old formula had very strong fumes and I am trying to not use the turpentine. It also attracted every dog hair and speck of dust in the house (like a vacuum cleaner). I find that the Alkyd mediums do not do that.

One can glaze without color as a final glaze over a dry painting. I love to glaze and like the effect it produces. Look at Karin Wells work, she is the Glaze Queen and much more experienced at it than I. I am sure she has much to add to what I mentioned.

Be careful though, some of the earth colors like burnt umber leave little specks of undissolved mineral deposits. It depends on the brand. Alizarin, Ultramarine blue and violet and Sap green are a few favorite glazing colors.

On his web site Gamblin has listed the transparent colors preferred for glazing. Hope this helps.

[Linda Ciallelo]

Thanks Alicia. Actually I want to use the paint a bit thicker, somewhat like a thick watercolor. I want the strokes to show and the paint to be seen clearly, swimming in the medium. I want texture and brushstrokes, but I want the undercolor to show through.I also want to glaze white, and light colors, over darker colors. Maybe I misinterpreted the warning about using too much medium. There was a comment about the glaze "running". My glaze never runs even when I use a lot of medium.

I would like to use just unrefined walnut oil and damar varnish, no turps, accept what's in my brush from cleaning it. Do you know if there should be a problem with that over time?

[Alicia Kornick]

Linda,

I have not used walnut oil, but have been reading about it and some of the other Forum members love it. I do not know how it stands up over time. I would worry though about using such thick glazing techniques that it may yellow and become brittle. I am sure Marvin could answer this. It sounds like you want an impasto that is transparent. There may be such a medium specifically for this purpose, have you checked some of the catalogues?

Everything I have read about glazing recommends thin layers. Sorry.

[Linda Ciallelo]

No, I don't want it to be "that" thick, like impasto. I just want it to be like heavy watercolor, but shiny and semi-transparent. I don't want my paint to be totally opaque.

I have been using an unrefined walnut oil made by Loriva. This walnut oil is sold in the grocery store on the cooking oil shelf. I like it much better than the walnut oils that are sold by art materials people. It dries faster because it is unrefined. It is lighter and more liquid than the refined oils. I was using it with a little siccative de courtrai in it, but feel that I should add a little resin (varnish) for archival purposes. An artist named James Morton told me about this on Cowdisley. Next time you are grocery shopping, pick up some Loriva walnut oil and give it a try.

[Michael Georges]

Linda,

Don't know if you have tried Rob's Oil of Spike, but it thins paint wonderfully for glazing and performs exactly as you specify. I am using his Maroger's as well - also a queen of oil painting mediums.

[Linda Ciallelo]

Michael,

I have tried virtually every one of Rob's mediums, including oil of spike, in several different mixtures. Most of them tack up quickly and cannot be worked into for very long. There seems to be a long period of time between the point where you can paint "into" them and the point where you can paint "over" them. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with Rob's mediums. They are excellent for other people. I'm just saying that the unrefined walnut oil made by Loriva, with a little siccative de courtrai added, is perfect for me. It is very slippery and soft feeling, and remains so for about one day, and the next day, it is dry. There is no tackiness in between. There is no stickiness on my palette. It's like velvet until it dries.

It's cheap and available. Try some, and if you don't like it you can use it in your salad dressing.