Knives, paints and thinners - Oil painting techniques

use three palette knives, sizes 1 to 3, all of the same shape, long triangular, with blunt rounded tips. Knives are not easy to master, but once mastered, they can create effects that are difficult to achieve with any other tool. In most common use a knife work, can see the picture as plasterer mud knife, not much better effect than wipe mud, but, if painting knife nimble robust performance into full play, and combine it and clever brushwork, could create a simple pen or a knife can draw the magic perfect effect. The best example of this can be found in the best works of the late Nicola Fitchin. His technique is sometimes so dazzling that it overwhelms the subject, reminding one of Chase's warning: "Learn to paint so well that you can hide your technique." Here you can see the five knives I use, from left to right, palette knives # 3, # 2, and # 1, followed by a regular single-sided blade with a handle that I use to scrape the palette. The knife on the far right I can't name it, it's probably a medical knife with a flat bottom and slightly curved sides to the top. The blade is hard. But the sides can be sharpened, and I use it to scrape excess dry color off the canvas or board. pigment The method of pigment used will be discussed in detail in the chapter "Color" of this book, which is mainly about the characteristics of oil paints. First of all, oil paints are not all the same. Whether it is the same brand or different brands, there are differences in quality between them. Most American BRANDS SAY THEY MEET THE COMMODITY STANDARD KNOWN AS CS98-62, WHICH MEANS THEY MEET THE SPECIFICATIONS IN TERMS OF formulation, STABILITY AND DURABILITY. However, since this standard is not legal, it can be left to its own devices. We had to go by the label and, to put it crudely, take our chances. Most manufacturers offer two grades of oil paints, one for "student" use and one for "professional" use. Students use a variety of chemically resistant ingredients, such as barium sulfate, aluminum hydroxide, and aluminum stearate. Student paints usually have a higher oil content per tube than professional paints. Student paints cost less. The quality of professional pigments is also inferior. The raw materials of professional pigments are ground very fine, and small amounts of other things may be added to improve their performance. To ensure the quality of his work, the painter must master the knowledge of repeated experiments and comparisons with each brand of paint. Two or three times a year I buy a lot of material and sample all the colors in my studio for light resistance. First, I draw two bars on the board in the same color and let them dry. Then, one was covered with cardboard and the other was left in the sun for three months, and the two were compared. Naturally, some paints will fade a bit. Although it is impossible for a painting to be exposed to sunlight for three months under normal circumstances, I have often found that some of the so-called "immutable" pigments have undergone undue changes. All things considered, I think the paints that painters use today are just as good or better than they used to be. I also think, by my examination, that, with a few exceptions, American paints are generally better than European ones. This is not surprising, since Europe has experienced many upheavals in this century. But I think this is just a temporary phenomenon. thinner I don't use any thinner except pure resin turpentine. But there are dozens on the market. I've tried most of the well-known thinners and some of the less well-known ones. Thinners are used for two purposes. First, they can be added to oil paint to give it a flowing consistency, which is easier to use than extruding it directly from a hose. Second, a small amount of pigment is added to the thinner, which can be used as a transparent coating solution. However, it is only when the color added is originally transparent (such as ultramarine or fuchsia) that a true transparent coating is formed. If the pigment itself is opaque, such as rose earth red or cadmium yellow, it can only form a gel in which the pigment particles are suspended or diffused. This mixture lacks good optical effect when applied thinly. I know many artists who use thinners as a panacea for all kinds of problems in painting. On the surface, these thinners improve the quality of the paintings, making them more like those of the masters. There is a common argument that all great masters possess the secret formula that enables them to create masterpieces. In fact, there can be no secret formula other than solid skill. All thinners have one thing in common: they damage the pigment. It's simple. The quality of pigment depends on the grinding quality of raw materials and whether the ratio of oil and pigment is appropriate. All pigment factories have chemists who constantly check the quality of their products. Each color dictates the correct ratio of oil to pigment, which produces the most beautiful color and the most suitable consistency. The oil content required for each color varies greatly. When the thinner is added, the ideal oil content of the pigment changes, the color composition decreases, and the quality changes. I would be fair to say that the basic idea in favour of thinners is a good one. There should be something added to the paint that will improve its gloss and performance. But unfortunately no formula can achieve the above requirements without side effects. If diluents have to be used, the formula described by Ralph Meyner in Handbook of Painting Materials and Techniques, Third Edition (New York, Wilking & Co., 1970), page 216, may be the best, with the least adverse effect on painting. The MAIN REASON I DON'T FOCUS ON THINNERS OR OTHER DOPANTS IS THAT I CAN DO THE SAME WITH VARIOUS STROKES, SUCH AS DRY STROKES AND THIN STROKES. When the paint needs to be thinned (usually at the beginning of the painting), I use refined turpentine, a pure resin. Turpentine is a volatile oil and it evaporates almost completely. Therefore, the oil content of the pigment remains unchanged. Do not produce yellowing oil film for a long time. Finally, MOST OF MY WORK IS DIRECT DRAWING, AS IN EXAMPLES 5, 6, 7, SO I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE BAD EFFECT OF TURPENTINE (THE WORST EFFECT IS THAT THE COLOR LAYER IS TOO THIN).