Many Paths - The TRUTH about Underpainting

[Marvin Mattelson]

Painting IS meditation. That's your first lesson.

[Timothy C. Tyler]

There is so much to worry about. Before we worry how many centuries our work will last we should first ask if anyone will care. The truth can be liberating for painters. Create!

[Minh Thong]

Painting IS meditation. That's your first lesson.

Fair enough Mr. M. And as promised, here is your first koan ...

"How does my true nature express itself while glazing?"

Rev. Thich Minh Thong

[Marvin Mattelson]

I'm not touching that one with a ten foot pole.

[Sharon Knettell]

Michael, that is truly a lovely painting, very imaginative too.

I went back to your postings and I couldn't find an explanation of the actual painting process. Are there glazes? Do you use a Maroger, galkyd ,liguin or neomeglip medium or is it all opaque?

Sincerely,

[Michael Georges]

Sharon: Thanks for your lovely compliment. It is all opaque paint, and I painted it with Marogers and a touch of oil of spike lavender here and there.

Bill's method really involves beginning very loose and free with broad strokes patched in. He goes from the general to the very specific, refining a passage each time he goes into it. This allows him to selectively leave certain areas of the painting very loose and painterly while making his figure or other areas very tight, or somewhere inbetween.

My example, while it captures the essence of what I learned, does not demonstrate the technique as well as one of his works does since I still was pretty tight even in my first layers.

The one thing you do notice when looking at his progression pictures however, is that he is a master draughtsman and even in the very early stages, everything is exactly where it should be.

[Josef Sy]

Hi Sharon and Mike,

What is a Maroger? Also wondering about oil of spike lavender?

P.S. Awesome painting, Micheal! W.W. protog

[Chris Saper]

Joseph,

Use the "search messages" button at the top of any page; there is quite a bit of information already on the Forum with regard to your question.

[Michael Georges]

Josef:

Maroger medium is something originated by a guy named Jaques Maroger, a painter and technical director of the Louvre laboratory from 1930 to 1939. He developed a number of theories and painting mediums based on his research. The most famous of these mediums involved boiling lead litharge in linseed oil to create an enhanced drying oil. It has become known over the years as black oil because the litharge and cooking turns the oil quite dark. His theory was that many of the master painters of old used these mediums and there is some evidence to support his claims.

Most of the medium recipies he had mixed the black oil with a varnish and possibly a resin. The one I use is a professional developed formula that mixes the oil with double mastic varnish. It is available at Studio Products.

This is one of those "don't try this at home kiddies" things however, because if the medium is not formulated correctly, you can end up with bad results - like overdarkening of your painting over time. Some artists know how to make it and do it correctly - Bill Whitaker is one. However, there are several commercial brands out there that are very stable and you don't have to worry about catching your hair or your house on fire, so we buy those instead.

[Josef Sy]

Chris,

Sorry about this. I will search the subject next time before asking.

Michael,

Thanks for the information. I have known it as black oil.