Glazing Techniques

Oil painters often employ the use of transparent layers of color to create depth, richness and the special luminescence that was characteristic of many old master oil paintings. Aqua media is much more spontaneous, has a wider range of premixed colors, and is very portable; but for the oil loving purist, none of the qualities begins to equal the "royal" status of oil paints. Simply put, there is no way to get the luscious luminosity of oil paints, the building of color on color and the softness, except with oil paints. When old masters mixed all of their own paints and colors were limited, oil glazes were vital for conditioning the canvas, for helping to tone areas, to bring colors in alignment with other parts of the work, to give depth, and to brighten and enrich the overall look of the work.

As defined in The Artist's Handbook, glazing refers to "a thin transparent layer of oil color of a darker value applied over either an opaque or transparent layer of oil under painting of a lighter value." In the process of laying the darker, transparent layer over the lighter, opaque color, there is a blending of tones. This blended tone can often be achieved with a single thin glaze of transparent color or may require more than one layer of transparent tone. Each layer may be a different tone/color and may add more luminosity to the completed painting than any single layer can achieve.

In certain situations, it might be necessary to combine a bit of the opaque material (tempera or oil paint) with the transparent glaze mix. This effects a more cloudy or "thicker" looking glaze and is especially well suited for covering garish color or color too dominant for the remainder of the work. It is not mixed in such proportions as to overpower the under-painted tone, but does act more severely in calming the color down and tying to the rest of the work. A single layer of glaze can be used to even the overall tone of an oil painting.

Not to be confused with a varnish or other topical treatment for long-term protection of an oil, glazing is an actual painterly technique and is well accepted and embraced by most serious oil aficionados. And contemporary use of oil glazes can include the use of spot glazing, rather than overall glazing.

Glazes are not simply thinned oil paints. Much of the original character and body of the oil color used to create the tone is still within the thinned paint. The medium used will help determine the finished "feel" of the surface, but turpentine and paint mixed together is not a true glaze. Such mixtures are often used as preliminary washes on fresh canvas prior to laying on any full-strength oil color, but the washes lack the vibrancy of a glaze.

Areas to consider when oil glazing is part of your plan include the quality of medium used in the creation of your glaze. Good quality linseed oil (stand oil) is a favorite with professionals because of the glossy and transparent possibilities. It dries to an enamel-like finish. But for some artists, linseed oil may be too slow drying or may impart too much sheen. In such a case, a fast-drying medium, such as an alkyd medium, might help. Alkyd mediums dry with far less luster than stand oil. All brands of paint have mediums and oil additives that work best with their paint formulas, but testing will help you create your own glaze palette.

Some oils can yellow over time. If this would not complement your work, consider use of a wax glaze or a specially formulated glaze medium. New wax mediums add translucency to oil paints, making them more brilliant, and can be used to create lively glazes as well. These mediums offer the added benefit of being an outstanding permanent topical treatment (applied after the recommended oil painting drying time of about six months). At the appropriate time, simply brush on the wax medium, remove any excess with a soft cloth and lightly buff the surface to a low gloss finish. The wax can be thinned with turpentine for lighter application.

Oil glazing works best on more "solid" grounds such as sized canvas, canvas panels or ClayBord and does not function as desired on paper or illustration board. Super-absorbent surfaces decrease workability or color layering, and their dry surface does not give the sheen that is most often achieved with oil glazing methods. Canvas paper can be used if the layering is done lightly and the areas are not scrubbed or overworked.

Any oil color can be combined with a chosen medium to create a glaze. Layering of several colors allows for subsequent details to be laid over existing details as well as tones to make any oil painted surface more luminescent.

In the Spotlight: General Pencil Co.

Kimberly® Watercolor Pencil Techniques

Kimberly® Watercolor Pencils can be used as regular coloring pencils or with a wet brush for wash and watercolor effects. They are acid-free and ideal for memory books and greeting cards. Create artwork on watercolor or heavy paper and then mount it into your memory book. For best results, use watercolor paper and a watercolor paintbrush. (Painting directly onto memory book pages is not recommended.)

Wet Brush Technique: Sketch or color in a picture or design with Kimberly® Watercolor Pencils. You can be bold with the strokes, overlapping colors onto other colors. Dip your brush in water and blot on a paper towel or cotton cloth, if necessary. Brush your design with a wet brush to create a wash effect. For an interesting look, let some areas stay dry.

Palette Technique: Create "pencil color palettes" by sketching dense color areas onto plain paper, leaving room between areas for mixing colors. Wet a brush and dip it into the color, mixing up paint, and then begin painting with the watercolor "pencil paint." Blend colors to create new colors, and paint with broad strokes for a wash effect. For a unique effect, try loading the brush with two colors. For softer, flowing colors, paint onto a pre-wetted paper.

Kimberly® Watercolor Pencils are available in three sets: 8, 12, or 24 colors. General's #70 Kit, Learn Watercolor Pencil Techniques Now, contains more techniques and step-by-step projects in a 24-page full-color book. Also included are paintbrush, pencils, sharpener, and pre-printed watercolor paper patterns.

To see drawings created in General's charcoal and graphite pencils, "Learn How a Pencil is Made," and more, visit www.GeneralPencil.com. "Pencil Makers in the USA Since 1889."

Graphic Chemical & Ink Co. Printmaking, etching, blockprinting litho supplies. Silkscreen Trade Names: Perfection, Easy Wipe, Graphic, Sureset, Universal, Graphinx.

San Diego, CA -- ArtWalk celebrates its 17th anniversary during ArtWalk 2001, a two-day event in the downtown Little Italy neighborhood to be held April 28-29 from noon to 6 p.m. Hundreds of artists will wake the senses of sight, sound, touch and taste while displaying their talents in a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, film, electronic imaging, dance, and more. Local photographer Philipp Scholz Rittermann has been selected as this year's Featured Visual Artist. For kids and families, a must-do is the interactive KidsWalk, located throughout the event and offering one-on-one instruction from local artists and hands-on arts and musical projects. Call (619) 615-1090 or visit www.artwalkinfo.com.

Greenwich, CT -- The Bruce Museum sponsors two annual festivals with the purpose of fostering an appreciation of and increasing an interest in the arts. Excellence of work is determined from juried slides, and a total maximum of 75 exhibitors is selected from the top entrants. The Outdoor Crafts Festival will be held May 19 and 20 and will feature contemporary, functional crafts: wood, ceramics, jewelry, fiber, metal, leather, and glass. The Outdoor Arts Festival is scheduled for October 6-7 and includes fine arts only: oils/acrylics on canvas, watermedia on paper, graphics and drawing, mixed media, sculpture, and photography. For further information, call (203) 869-6786, Ext. 336.

Various Locations: Because of the expansive popularity of Lin Wellford's Paint on Rocks book series from North Light Books, May 19 has been declared National Paint on Rocks Day across the U.S. Simultaneous workshops will be held at art and craft stores from coast to coast, celebrating the tremendous success of what has become a highly successful craft.

Lilla Cabot Perry (1848-1933)

Born in January of 1848 into the socially prominent Cabot and Lowell families of Boston, Lilla Cabot had a traditional upbringing for a woman of her station. In 1874, Lilla married Thomas Sargent Perry, a scholar in eighteenth century English literature, an author and teacher who was descended from Commodore Matthew C. Perry. The Commodore had opened Japan to American commercial and social exchange in the years 1853 and 1854.

After her marriage, a full decade passed before Lilla Perry took her first professional art instruction. While the Perry home was an intellectual salon for writers and artists, Lilla Perry herself had no formal training until age 36 when she attended Boston's Cowles School under Dennis Bunker and Robert Vonnoh. Vonnoh had studied in Paris the year before and had adapted a style of pre-Impressionistic work in the manner of his Paris tutors. This was Perry's first contact with the free style and bright colors so characteristic of Impressionism. The style so inspired her that she went abroad to study at Julian and Colorossi Academies. Additional independent study included that with Belgian Impressionist Alfred Stevens.

In the summer of 1889, the Perry's visited Giverny, the now famous village in Normandy where they met Claude Monet. Although Monet was not known for relationships outside his immediate family and took no students, he was cordial to Lilla and encouraged her in her work. It was on this visit that Perry was able to see an exhibit of over 100 of Monet's paintings. Her life would forever be changed. Through Monet, Perry befriended painter Camille Pissarro, a neighbor of Monet's. Friendships with both masters would be long and beneficial to all parties.

Back at home in America that fall, Perry displayed one of Monet's dazzling works. She commented later that no one liked or appreciated the style, colors, life and vitality of the work. Although this might have discouraged others, Lilla Cabot Perry seemed to take this as a challenge. She became a strong advocate for the Impressionistic movement and promoted that school of art in the United States through her writing and lectures as well as with her own paintings. She was not, however, an aggressive promoter of her own work. It might also be of interest that, in addition to her artwork, Perry was also an accomplished poet, having published four volumes of poems. Lilla Perry is recognized as an important American woman Impressionist, perhaps surpassed only by Mary Cassatt. There are differences that are important, not only to each artist but also to their resulting works. Cassatt's work held more immediate "perfection" in that her style and presentation were more fluid and possibly more luminous. Perry's work had a spontaneity that is not present in Cassatt's work. Perry was first a devoted wife and mother to her three daughters, and painted essentially for her own satisfaction. In contrast, for Mary Cassatt, who never married, painting was her life's pursuit.

It is known that, although painting was not the major force in Perry's life, portrait work was a very important factor. Later in her career, when she had established a reputation for her portrait work, commissions from those works became a valued source of livelihood for the Perry family.

In 1898, the Perry family moved to Japan when Thomas accepted a professorship in Tokyo. During the three years they lived in Japan, Lilla painted over 80 canvases of Japanese people and settings. Her style was calligraphic, as she rarely made preliminary drawings. Her tendency was to work with a brush directly on the surface of the painting. She often applied her pigment with long, thin strokes, allowing the canvas to remain visible between each stripe of color. Brilliant colors and linear style became her signature Impressionistic approach.

In 1914 Perry was one of the founding members of the Guild of Boston Artists, which included many of the most prominent artists of the time. It was with the guild that Lilla Cabot Perry exhibited for the last part of her life. The Perry's purchased a summer home in Hancock, New Hampshire, in 1903. It was there that Perry lived and painted for the years just prior to her death in February, 1933. A memorial exhibition of Lilla Cabot Perry's work was held in October of that same year-- presented by the guild she helped to create.

True masters of her time had admired Perry's work. Monet had given her insight into his methods, shared tips and given her advice during the time of their friendship, with Perry promoting Monet through private exhibitions. Pissarro, whom she met through Monet, schooled her in his methods and shared an ever-expanding knowledge of materials and applications. She was revered by two of the great

Impressionists and, although she could have been the most famous and celebrated American woman Impressionist, chose to be a wife and mother first and a painter and poet second. It could be said that Lilla Cabot Perry had it all - reasonable fame and recognition within her own lifetime in a creative avenue that gave her deep personal satisfaction and a warm, close family life.

Works by Lilla Cabot Perry can be seen in museums throughout the United States. Web sites with images of Perry's work include: www.artcyclopedia.com (links to artists' works in museums) and www.nmwa.org (National Museum of Women in the Arts - who chose Perry's work for their inaugural poster, "Woman With a Bowl of Violets").

The 11th Annual International Juried Art Exhibition sponsored by the Havre de Grace Arts Commission (MD) will be held July 14-28. It is open to all artists 18 or older and will include 2D fine art media, including photography. Juror to be announced. For a prospectus, go to www.HdGArts.org. Deadline: May 31.

The International Sculpture Center Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Awards program was established in 1994 to recognize young sculptors and to encourage their continued commitment to the field of sculpture. The ISC hopes to encourage students and participating institutions to use its many resources to assist students and faculty with their professional development. The program also spotlights attention on participating universities, colleges and art school undergraduate and graduate sculpture programs. For information on the 2001 ISC Award, go to www.sculpture.org. Application Deadline: May 1.

Encaustic Works '01 is the third in a series of biennial exhibitions sponsored by R&F Handmade Paints to be held Sept. 8 Oct. 5. The purpose is to provide a forum to demonstrate and document the impact that encaustic is having on the contemporary art world. Juror: Mia Westerlund Roosen. For a prospectus, go to www.rfpaints.com. Deadline: May 12.

The 15th Annual Arts for the Parks 2001 Art Competition is open to all artists and will include 2D art only. Landscape, wildlife, and/or history represented within areas governed by the National Park Service qualify. Flora, fauna and geography must be indigenous to the park depicted. For a prospectus, call (800) 553-2787; email: info@artsfortheparks.com; or go to www.artsfortheparks.com. Entry fees are $40 for those postmarked by May 1 and $50 for those postmarked after May 1 and prior to June 1.

Matting and Framing Made Easy

Four Specialty Mat Cuts

When artists, decorators, collectors or creative designers consider framing an artwork or specialty piece, the first item they think of is often matting. Since good color and complementary texture can finish off an artwork with elegance and professionalism, it is no wonder that it is the most interesting part of the package for most framers, whether they are amateur or professional.

Simple single mats can be enhanced with topical embellishments like painting, lines, decals, stamps and the like, but another way to create one-of-a-kind looks is by cutting mats with specialty designs. Touches like windows cut to reveal the title and the artist's name called "keyhole" and "title" windows, V groves, and decorative panels are four of the most popular specialty cuts.

A keyhole window usually refers to a window that drops down below the level of the artwork to reveal printed information placed below the image itself. That information is most often the title and the artist's name. To cut this style of window, mark the mat with the image area you wish to reveal. Then mark a smaller, three-sided window at the lower edge of the large window that is large enough to reveal any printed information you wish to include with the art image. Cut the large window, then reposition and tape the fall-out back into the opening. This will give good support while cutting the smaller, three-sided window. Cut the smaller window and then remove both pieces. The resulting look resembles a keyhole, thus the name.

When there is too much room between the art and the printed information, a completely separate window can be cut in the mat. If you treat each window as if it is the only window being cut, you are more likely to have success, with bevels angled in the correct direction. Remember to examine the placement of the cutting head prior to cutting. It is recommended that you always cut from the back side of your mat. When cutting from the back of the mat, the cutting head should always be over the window you are attempting to remove. That positions the blade at an angle pointed away from the opening and insures a perfect beveled edge for every window. If you angle the blade toward the opening rather than away from it, your bevels will be reversed with no bevel edge visible.

There might be times when a "reversed bevel" is what you aim for. When this is the case, mark and cut from the back side of the mat, but angle the cutting blade toward the opening and align the cutting head outside the marked window. Mat cutters with cutting bases and sliding cutting heads make the job easier, but any cutter can be used in the described fashion to create windows of any size and placement, beveled or reverse beveled.

V Grooves are very popular to create, and there are tips to insure you get great results. Some cutters include a special V Groover as an accessory. If your cutter does not have such an accessory, it is still possible to create a perfect V Groove. This is usually placed about «" outside the artwork window, but placement is a matter of personal preference. When you have decided where you want your V Groove to be, cut a window at that point. Remove the fallout and place it face up under the cutting head. Position it so that only a tiny sliver of matting will be removed when the blade cuts along the edge of the fallout. It might take a few practice slices to learn the amount of overlap required to insure an even and pleasing V Groove, but the investment of a few minutes will result in many perfect V Grooves.

Decorative panels provide a wide range of decorative possibilities and designer looks. These are thin cuts from the wide mat border around an artwork. They are decorated with acrylic, watercolor, markers, colored pencils, pastels or chalk and then placed back into the face of the mat. A smaller window is cut inside the decorated strip for the artwork.

It is usually easiest to draw all lines on the back side of the mat before cutting any windows. First, mark--but do not cut--the artwork window. Then calculate the placement of your decorative panel. Here, again, the panel is usually placed about «" outside the window and is about «" wide. Large works may look better with a wider panel placed up to 1" from the window. Size and personal preference will determine that.

The panel is comprised of eight cuts, and the first four create what would be a single mat. The fallout is lightly taped back into place and a slightly smaller window is cut. The result is a narrow strip that can be decorated. After embellishment, tape the decorative strip back into the mat to create a solid, frame-size mat, and then cut the artwork window.

Easy, creative and fun, cutting your own mats offers more latitude for personal design, more involvement with the entire presentation process, and an opportunity to save tons of money by cutting your own specialty looks. All it takes is a little time, a bit of practice, and a daring nature to be a matting master in no time!

History of Airbrush Technique -- Part 4

Starting with World War I and its aftermath, avant-garde artists became extremely interested in modern tools and technology as they applied to the development of their artwork. It was only natural that the airbrush would be one of these tools and airbrush technique one of the technologies. This interest was developed simultaneously in the U.S. and in Europe, and two movements that particularly embraced the airbrush were Dada-- exemplified by the artist Man Ray--and the Bauhaus School in Germany--with Wassily Kandinsky.

In the U.S., Man Ray, the only American Dadaist, started to utilize the airbrush to develop paintings, both entirely and partially, in 1917. Between then and 1919, he produced a series of "aerographs." These were developed using found objects, such as tools, paper clips, or paper cutouts that were simply used as stencils and sprayed around or into with the airbrush to create repeated images--both opaque and transparent--that would lend themselves to the look of Cubism. (There is a fine collection of these works at the Art Institute of Chicago.) It has been said that Man Ray was primarily interested in producing paintings and painted sculpture with a high-gloss, machine-like finish. Because the paint is sprayed onto the surface of the artwork, there are no brush strokes, and this lends it an industrial appearance. Man Ray learned to use the airbrush while working for an advertising agency in New York City.

In 1915 Man Ray met Marcel Duchamp, who had moved to the U.S. to live out the war. His great painting, "Nude Descending the Staircase," had been exhibited in 1913 at the famed Armory Show. The impact of this work on Man Ray was tremendous, and he became a disciple of Duchamp's and was affiliated, along with many contemporary artists living in New York at the time, with the Gallery 291, which was run by photographer Alfred Stieglitz. In 1921 he collaborated with Duchamp to publish an almanac entitled New York Dada. That same year, they moved to Paris where Duchamp introduced Man Ray to the French Dadaists and Surrealists.

In Germany in early 1919, architect Walter Gropius was appointed head of a new school that resulted from the merger of two older institutions--the School of Applied Art and the Weimer Academy of Art. The school was called Das Bauhaus, referring to the medieval builder's association in which artists and artisans worked together under a master builder. Classes were transformed into workshops under the guidance of both craftspeople and artists, giving the Bauhaus a direct tie to the arts and crafts movement, which preceded it.

Students at the Bauhaus were trained in every aspect of art and technology, from chemistry to building scaffolds in order to create murals. They were taught traditional techniques such as fresco on one hand, and they explored spray-painting techniques on the other. One of their workshops, overseen by Wassily Kandinsky, was the Bauhaus wall painting workshop, in which students learned how to apply images on large surfaces using stencils in conjunction with spray gun and airbrush techniques. During that time, Kandinsky's own work was developed with airbrush techniques. Some of his works were entirely airbrushed, while others combined airbrush with various painting techniques.

In 1933, the Nazis closed down the Bauhaus, as it was deemed a breeding ground for communists. With all the uncertainty in Europe, most of the participants in the leading art movements of the time resettled in the U.S., where in 1937 the New Bauhaus was founded in Chicago--ironically the home of the American airbrush industry.

Art World News:

New Gallery to Open--ARTtalk.com, Inc., has announced its new "Gallery at the Square" located at 18 E. Main St., Beacon, N.Y. (Beacon is home to the Tallix art foundry--which produced Il Cavallo, da Vinci's horse--and also the future home of the new DIA Center for the Arts targeted to open in mid-2002.) A gallery opening is scheduled for May 5, and the inaugural exhibition will include paintings and prints by Robert Anderson, Glen Brill, Kirk Lybecker, Robert Paschal, Peter Sheehan, and Peter West as well as sculpture by Dennis Connors and Wendy Carrol. Also featured at the gallery will be ceramics by Janean Thompson. Hours will be Friday -- Sunday afternoons as well as by appointment or by chance. (845) 831-4458.

Painting "Rescued"--A famed 8 x 5 foot portrait of George Washington, painted from life in 1796 by Gilbert Stuart, will continue to hang in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., thanks to the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. On loan since 1968, courtesy of a British Lord, the painting was scheduled for the auction block unless the Smithsonian came up with $20 million for purchase.

Milestone Reached--The highly regarded European painter Balthus has died in Switzerland at the age of 92. Renowned for his provocative paintings of young women, he also received wide acclaim for his portraits and French landscapes.

Site Chosen--Philadelphia has been chosen as the site of a $50 million museum dedicated to the work of late sculptor Alexander Calder. The building will be designed by Tadao Ando, winner of the 1995 Pritzker Prize and erected on land donated by the city.

Buyer Beware!--Three men have been indicted for wire and mail fraud in connection with a bidding ring that cost hundreds of art buyers a total of several hundred thousand dollars. The suspects reportedly placed "shill" bids (bids on their own auctions) in over one thousand auctions on eBay, the popular web site.

New Acquisition Made--The National Gallery of Art has purchased its first work by sculptor Richard Serra, "Five Plates, Two Poles" (1971). Valued at $4.5 million, a record price for the artist, the indoor work is on view in the East Building.

Exhibitions:

Denver Art Museum, CO -- Deep Roots: Indian Artists, Community Heroes features stunning artworks (photography, woodcarvings, basketry, pottery, sculpture, etc.) by six of this country's leading American Indian artists in celebration of the Community Spirit Awards--a national fellowship award for established artists who have made substantial contributions to their communities through their careers. Through May 6.

McMullen Museum, Boston College, MA -- Edvard Munch: Psyche, Spirit and Expression presents 83 outstanding examples of Munch's prints and paintings from private collections and leading museums in the U.S. and Norway. Through May 21.

Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA -- On Paper II features varied uses of paper as a medium for contemporary artists. Some 50 recently acquired works on paper have been created from methods as ancient as woodblock printing to the digitally captured and inkjet printed images of today. Through May 6.

National Academy of Design, New York City -- The Cos Cob Art Colony: Impressionists on the Connecticut Shore is the first fully documented analysis of one of America's oldest preeminent art colonies and features more than 60 works by 12 artists, including Twachtman, Hassam, Robinson, and Weir. Through May 13.

Birthdays:
  4    Edward Hicks
  6    Raphael
15    Theodore Rousseau
24    Bridget Riley
26    Eugene Delacroix

.com ...the link between you, the visual artist, and the manufacturer of art materials. Established 1990

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Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 11 No. 6 -- April 2001