Juilianna in oils!

[Terri Ficenec]

Just a few minor changes... but figured I'd post the finished piece.

... Consider me a convert to oils

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Terri, those changes really work well. I especially like the effect of the softer eyebrow. You got the age much more convincingly, too. Glad you tried oils. Now can you tell me what you especially like about them compared to acrylics?

[Terri Ficenec]

Hi Leslie & Thanks!

I've got to say, I tried the oils expecting not to like them, or that it would be a disaster. But - based on just this one practice piece in oils... Several things have tipped the scales for me:

• Skin - soooo much easier to paint and blend (see comparison below, and how patchy the acrylics look next to the oils); also it seems easier to get believable skin tones (not sure why?); transitioning from light to shadow on skin, or adding a little bit of color to the skin was so much easier wet on wet.
• Less stress - going in to change something on the face, for instance, in the oils was much easier to do into the still wet paint - with still wet colors on the palette, than painting on top of (dried) acrylics and stressing over exactly matching some color and getting it blended to the next before either dried.
• Less time - making adjustments was easier in the oils, so it this painting took less time (~ 1/3rd) than any of the other portraits I've done - though it was a practice piece, and just a cameo at that, rather than a commission, so that may not be a fair comparison -- and I wouldn't be surprised if when it comes to a commissioned portrait, I'd spend just as much time, but think maybe it'd be a better result.
• Edges - easier to get soft edges
• Less toxic than I'd thought - am working with just the paints, and cleaning brushes with walnut oil. So, if I understand correctly, the varnishing will be the only time I've got to worry about toxic vapors? (other than pigment components that would need to be handled carefully for acrylics, as well)
• Easier on brushes - could be imagining this, but working with the oils has seemed much easier on my brushes, whereas the acrylics seemed really hard on them.
• Marketability - more of a market, don't you think?

What I'll miss about the acrylics:

• When you're done, it's dry!
• Being able to touch the canvas while working details (resting pinky to steady hand)

And lastly, what switching to oils means I'll have to get or figure out!

• A nice stable easel - rather than my flimsy little collapsible one, which knocks over way too easily to be holding a wet painting!
• A mahl stick, how to use it and how to attach it to the easel/canvas
• How to varnish an oil portrait and whether or not I'll need retouch varnish?

I'm guessing this is probably more than you were looking for Leslie! But I'm hoping that it might be helpful to someone else down the road. . .

(note: painting on left below is acrylic, on right is oils)