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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

UNFOLDING

I painted this flower by using my usual glazing method.  That involves painting a complete, detailed, accurate, gray underpainting first.  Over that I applied many thin, glaze layers of paint, until I achieve the colors that I want for the rose.
 "Unfolding"...16" x 20" oil on Canvas

This composite of photos shows the stages of progress of this painting, from the drawing upon a lightly toned canvas, to the final glaze layer of color.

24 comments:

  1. Hey Bill, just discovered you on a thread on WetCanvas back in 2002 regarding the lack of archival methods in many artist's work. Long time ago! You seem to have quite a lot of knowledge on oil painting in general.

    Your work is really good. Esp. the last 3 posts on this blog. Really well done and very aesthetically pleasing.

    Im curious, if you don't mind me asking, how you you thinned your colour glazes and with what medium for the rose painting above?

    Kind Regards,
    Ryan

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  2. I do not "thin" my paint to apply a glaze layer--I rub some medium onto a specific area that I want paint. I spread it so thin as to be nearly invisible, except for a slight "sheen" when glancing a light across the surface, differentiating it from the untreated areas. Then, using full-bodied paint, I apply that paint right into this applied couch of medium.

    My medium recipe is as follows:

    1 portion Linseed Oil
    1 portion Walnut Oil
    1 portion Venice Turpentine
    2 portions Oil of Spike Lavender

    Hope this answers your questions.

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    1. Ah nice, I'll give that a try. Thanks for the help, Bill.

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  3. Very nice work . Glad I found your blog . :)

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  4. Hi Bill,
    When you tone the canvas to begin your grisaille, is there any medium in this tone? Or is it just thin paint without medium?
    I love the way you are so helpful on the wetcanvas website. Your flower paintings are amazing.

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  5. Well, for the toning of the canvas (which has nothing to do with the subsequent grisaille), I use a medium composed of 1 portion Stand Oil to 5 portions Distilled Spirits of Gum Turpentine. I add enough of this to my paint to make it quite "juicy", and nearly liquid. I apply that paint with a 3/4" flat brush.

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  6. Wow, thought that was a photo, must take a long time?

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    1. Surprisingly LITTLE time, actually. It is all dependent upon creating a planned series of operations, and then sticking with that plan.

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  7. This is so beautiful and perfect! This is exactly what I wish I could do! 🌹👍👏

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  8. Magnificent!!

    How do you transfer your image onto the canvas?

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  9. I make my drawing on tracing paper. When I have completed the drawing, I flip the tracing paper over, and apply soft vine charcoal to the back, only where the drawing lines are. I flip it back to rightside-up, and I use a ballpoint pen to go over the lines of my drawing to transfer it to the canvas surface. I use no graphite--only charcoal!

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  10. Donald Trump greatest president ever?!

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  11. Greatest in MY lifetime, and I'm 82 !!

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  12. Do you have video tutorials of your techniques? I will really like to learn your ways of these amazing paintings.
    Thanks

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  13. As much as I appreciate your artistic talent, mentioning your personally idolized Hitler wanna be on your site just shows to what extremely divergent points art and humanity can extend,excuse me while I delete your info and finish throwing up.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. What an idiot you are! How do you like the way the US Government is being run now, with terrorists overrunning Afghanistan, illegal aliens flooding in from Mexico, high gasoline prices, and unemployment rising? Nice to have a good ol' commie government, huh?

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    1. Bill, Your art is wonderful, it's sad to see you've been brainwashed by fear-mongering right wing media. Fox News, InfoWars, and the like have driven white men so insane with fear and delusion they now are the main terrorists in America, shooting up innocent bystanders and children in public places.

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    2. You need to find G o d. And fast

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    3. Saddened to see you are a follower of the Con Man. Seems all he has to do is say "I'm the greatest!" and people believe him. I came for painting tips and just leave with sadness.

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  15. Did you actually say you idolized hitler? Just asking. I don’t Trump idolizes him

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  16. Please keep politics out of this!

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  17. Art, religion and politics is a wrong mixture.

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