Oil THEORY INGREDIENTS TECHNIQUES ANALYSIS

Painting SITEPLAN

Techniques
Dark
Grounds

DARK GROUNDS

ClassicalApproaches
LAYERED PAINTING

OLD MASTER
APPROACHES
Oneofthebestknowntechniquesforoilpaintingusesa
LIGHT GROUNDS
tonedgroundthatshowsthroughinthefinishedwork.The
DIRECT PAINTING
advantagesare:
PORTRAITS

LANDSCAPES
1.Economyofeffort:onlypaintintones
STILL LIFE
lighterordarkerthanthemiddletoneneed
FLOWERS
beapplied.
LIFE STUDIES

ELECTRONIC HELP
STARTING OFF 2.Thinnerlayersofpaint,andhenceacheaperandmore
PAINTING CLASSES durableproduct.
ART HOLIDAYS
3.Bettercontroloftones,achievedthroughphasingthe
NEW SETTINGS
stagesandcorrectingwithfinalglazes.
FRAMING

SELF EVALUATION Thedisadvantagesare:

SELLING
1.Carefulplanningisneeded,as'mistakes'or
afterthoughtswillshowthrough.

2.Callsforconsiderablefacilitywiththebrush,asthe
workisoftenbuiltupinsuccessiveandpartly
transparentbrushsketches.

PaintingonaToned
Ground
Steps:

1.Placeanaccuratedrawingoverthetonedground.

2.Shadeshadowswiththinrawumberwashes,allowing
thegroundtoshowthrough.Paintdeadcoloraspale
thinturpswashesofeventualcolors.Washes,ground
andshadowsnowformathreetonescheme.

3.Dry.Theoldmasterswouldhaveusedleancolors,in
essentialoils,andallowedcanvastodryformonthsat
thisstagetoensurethatnooilwaslefttodrylater.

4.Remodelabovewiththicker,moreopaquecolors,still
allowinggroundtoshowthrough.Theoldmasters
understoodthateachpigmentshouldhaveitsmedium
adjustedtotakeaccountofindividualproperties.
 5.Dry.

6.Repaintwithmoredefinition,stillallowinggroundto
showthrough.Theyellowsneedtobe
reducedasthepaintingwillyellowslightly
intime.

7.Dry.

8.Addglazes,thickeningorwipingoutasnecessary.

Rubens(seedetail)paintedwithvarnish,wetintowetover
alessabsorbentwhite,grayorpinkground.Lightswere
putinimpastowithastiffbrushandafterwardsverylightly
blended.

PaintingonaDarkGround
Thesecondoftheclassicaltechniquesforoilpainting,used
byRembrandt,Velazquezandothersforstrongchiaroscuro
effects,employsadarkground.Thedarkgroundservesfor
shadows,otherareasbeingbuiltupaslayersinvarying
degreesofopaqueness.

Steps:

1.Darkentheground.

2.Ensurethegroundisdry.

3.Traceanaccuratedrawingorsketchin
themainoutlinesasrequired.

3.Dry.

4.Underpaintingrisaille,modelingtoneswithfrottiesand
usingglazesoverthedarkground.

5.Dry.
6.Applytheupperlayersofpaint,usuallyinseveral
sessions,keepingthetonesonthelightsidetoallowfor
laterglazes.

7.Addhighlightsinwhite.

8.Dry.

9.Addcolored(generallymultiple)glazes.

AllaPrima
Allaprimaresemblestheabove,butlargelydoesawaywith
finalglazes.Paintismorethicklyapplied,butneedsskillas
finaladjustmentsarenotsoeasilymade.

Steps:

1.Addacarefulshadedbrushsketchtoa
paletonedground.

2.Addshadowsintwolevelsofglaze.The
worknowhasthreetones.

3.Scumbleinwhitehighlightswhiletheglazesarestillwet.

4.Dry.

5.Addcolors,asfrottiesorspreadcoloredglazeswhichare
thenworkedintowithsomewhiteorbodycolor.The
groundstillshowsthrough.

6.Reworkthelastlayerwithmorebodycolor.

7.Addfinishingtouchesofthinbodycolor.
FaPresto
Faprestoresemblesallaprimabutthereisnopreliminary
drawingandthepaintisapplieddirectlytotheground.
Strictly,thisisnotdirectpaintingbecausea.thegroundis
usuallyallowedtoshowthroughandb.everythingis
carefullyplannedbeforehand.

Steps

1.Overalightlytonedgroundpaintin
washesandfrottiesthebroadareasofcolor
Thisapplicationisgenerallyleanand
usuallyallowssomeofthegroundtoshowthrough.

2.Reworktheapplicationwithafattermediumandmore
bodycolor

3.Addfinishingdetails.

Thepaintingcanbelefttodrybetweeneachstepor
completedintheonesession.

FurtherReading
VisitJanson'ssiteandconsultsomethebookslisted
below.

1.'MethodsandMaterialsofthePaintingoftheGreat
SchoolsandtheirMasters:TwoVolumesBoundas
 One'bySirCharlesLockEastlake.DoverPublications
2002.Reprintofclassic1847text.

2.'TheArtists'sHandbookofMaterialsand
Techniques'byRalphMayer.5thEdition.Viking
Press.1991.

3.'FormulasforPainters'byRobertMassey.Watson
Gupthill.1980.

4.'TheMaterialsoftheArtistandtheirUseinPainting
'byMaxDoerner.HarvestBooks.1984

5.'TheArtist'sMethodsandMaterials'.M.Bazzi.John
Murray.1960.

6.'SecretsoftheMasters'.YouTube.Goodrangeof
techniquesdemonstrated.

7.'PaintingonaTonedGround'.RyderStudio.
DemonstrationsbyTedSethJacobs.

Illustrations
10a.'TheMessage'byJanVerkolje.Mauritshuis.The
Hague.Detailsshowswhatispossible(andonlypossible)
withscumblesandglazes.
10b.'LionHunt'byPeterPaulRubens.c.1615.TheNational
Gallery.London.Greatvigorinthebrushworksketches
thataretobebuiltintoafinal,manylayeredwork.
10c.'LasMeninas'byDiegoVelzquez.1656.Museodel
PradoMadrid.Notethevarietyofedges,somesharp,some
soft,inVelzquez'swork.
10d.'TheArtistandhisWifeinaHoneysuckleBower'by
PeterPaulRubens.160910.AltePinakothek.Munich.
 DetailshowsRubens'skillinhandlingthebrushinalla
primawork.
10e.'TheOysterCatchers'byJohnSingerSargent.c.1878.
MuseumofFineArts.Boston.AppearsanImpressionist
sketchpaintedonthespot,butinfactadoptsanoldmaster
approachwithlayersandglazeshandledwithgreat
bravura.

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