Notebook

Notebook, 1993-

MATERIALS & METHODS - Painting - Oil Painting

Characteristics - Painting Methods & Techniques - Materials and Equipment - Work Space & Storage - Manufacture of Pigments - Protection of the Picture

Oil Painting - Role of Ground
The very same qualities that make for permanent adhesion between paint and ground or between layers of paint are also desirable for assisting the manipulation of paint in most oil-painting techniques. The worst surface on which to attempt manipulating oil paint would be a slick, shiny one, such as a sheet of glass. Ordinary brush or painting-knife strokes could not be used with any control or precision, and the result would almost certainly be smeary and undesirable. If the surface has the proper degree of tooth [coarseness of grain] or roughness, or if it is somewhat absorbent, the color is taken from the brush in a satisfactory way and subsequent manipulations can be carried out well. On the other hand, if a surface is too fully absorbent and takes in too much of the oil vehicle, it may cause extreme difficulty in handling or manipulation and hamper free stroking since the brush becomes exhausted immediately. [p. 104]

[Mayer, Ralph. The Painter's Craft. An Introduction to Artist's Methods and Materials. Revised and updated by Steven Sheehan, Director of the Ralph Mayer Center, Yale University School of Art. New York: Penquin Group. 1948. 1991.]












NOTEBOOK | Links

Copyright

The contents of this site, including all images and text, are for personal, educational, non-commercial use only. The contents of this site may not be reproduced in any form without proper reference to Text, Author, Publisher, and Date of Publication [and page #s when suitable].