Glazing in Oil

Glazing with oil paint has an incredible mystique to it.  It dates back to the earliest oil painting practices and as a technique, it is probably derived from egg tempera painting, which applied colour in thin transparent layers. 

I have been looking for a good introduction to glazing in oil to recommend to the students taking my classes.  I haven't been able to find one that explains the process, so I decided to make a video about it myself.


This is a simple glazing exercise that used three layers of paint. I have chosen to do the underpainting using the traditional grey tone.

1. Underpainting in grey
2. Colour glaze in red.
3. Colour glaze in blue.

Here is a recap of the video:

Grey ground with drawing in oil

The canvas is tone with a middle grey to allow me to add lights and darks.  They easily blend into the ground to create a smooth gradations of colour.

Under-painting with Payne's Grey & Titanium White

 The first glazed is done with a napthol red.  The grey underpainting neutralises the red. The glaze is mixed with a small amount of Gamblin Gel Medium.  The glaze is scumbled onto the surface and blended with a dry brush.  This technique creates a thin transparent film of paint and maintains the integrity of the paint.

Colour Glaze with Napthol red & Zinc White

The second glaze is done with a Pthalo blue green shade, the complement of the Napthol red.  The blue is glazed over the dry layer of red using different tones of blue and zinc white.

Partial Glaze with Phthalo Blue and Zinc White

The amazing thing about glazing is the subtle gradations that can be created almost effortlessly. When painting wet on wet, the Pthalo blue and Napthol red could create dull greys and browns, but when the blue is glazed over the dry red glaze, it can be blended into the pink and still maintain the luminosity of the colours.  I love the effect, but I admit I don't like the waiting time in between layers of colour.  A fast drying alkyd medium certainly helps.

Here is the video.

Lemon Drops

Lemon Drops, 24 x24 inches, oil on cradled wood panel

Here is a bit of sunshine to brighten up the cool dark November days.  It is oil on panel painted with multiple transparent glazes to create a bright luminous effect. Sometimes it's nice to step outside of my regular subjects and paint for fun.  Cheers.

Portrait Study in Oil Pastel

 This is a quick portrait study in oil pastel.  The aim is to review some of the techniques used in my oil pastel class.  In this example, I am using watercolour paper that is sealed with Holbein transparent gesso.  This is a granular gesso that adds texture to the paper surface. The preliminary drawing is done with watercolour pencils.

The oil pastels are Holbein Artist Oil Pastels.  They have a creamy rich texture that allows me to create a drawing that has a painterly quality to it. 

Video for So Says Exhibition

This is a painting process video for the my painting in the exhibition  "So Says..." at Galerie de la Ville in Dollard Des Ormeaux, from May 3rd to May 24th, 2015.

So Says...

Fragile, Composed, Her Hands bright in a shaft of light, Salon Louis XIV, Chenonceau

This is the work that I am currently exhibiting at the So Says Exhibition at Galerie de la Ville in Dollard des Ormeaux.  It is oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches.

The inspiration for this painting came many years ago, a chance occurrence while visiting the Chateau of Chenonceau in France. My daughter, 5 at the time was naturally bored with all the pomp of the historical lieu. In the salon of Louis XIV, she cured her boredom by sitting down on the floor to play shadow puppets thanks to a stream of light coming through the window. It was a delicious moment, given the place and the innocence of the gesture.


Like many painting ideas, this one sat in the back of my mind for many years. (My daughter is now 18 years old.) The phrase from the Mavis Gallant short story brought that chance occurrence to the fore of my mind and became the impetus for this work. I have taken her words and transformed them into something other, interpreting them through my own personal filters, taking me out of my comfort zone of usually painting the landscape.

It is a great show and it is fascinating to see how other artists interpreted the literary quotes that inspired them.  Here is a list of the quotes:

Exhibition: So Says

Galerie de la Ville in Dollard des Ormeaux presents its annual special event exhibition entitled:
So Says.
Fifteen artists were invited to respond to a creation challenge from the Curator: they were asked to choose one of twenty four literary in English and French and then asked to create a work of art in response to it, using any medium at any scale.
Quotes were taken from texts or poems by such authors as Mavis Gallant, Victor Hugo, T.S. Eliot, Margaret Atwood, Shakespeare, and others.

The opening reception for this exhibition will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2015 from 1 to 3 p.m.

http://centreartdollard.com/gallery/

Exhibition: Through the Artist’s Eye.

Galerie de la Ville presents an exhibition demonstrating the artist’s creative process.  The vernissage is Sunday February 15, 2015 from 1:00 to 3:00. 

The Crossing, 20 x 60 inches, oil on 3 panels, 2015

 The Crossing, my latest work  along with a documentation of the painting process will be on show at Gallerie de la Ville at Dollard des Ormeaux.


Here is the painting video that demonstrates the painting process: 

You can also see it on your phone!