The goal of the classical painting is not to depict objects
as close to nature as possible, but to compose a beautiful composition
of color, tone and texture.
Spread linseed oil on each well-dried previous layer immediately
before you begin the next layer. This leads to a better contact of the
paint of the dry layer with the paint of the next layer. It also improves
the process of dry brush blending. More...
The main of the pencil drawing is to create a precise
structure of borders between areas of highlight and light, light
and halftone, halftone and shadow, and reflections.
After you have made a pencil drawing on the canvass,
draw it out in ink.
Imprimatura, the first oil layer, will wash away the pencil, leaving
the ink drawing as the first layer of your painting. The ink drawing
remains, and the artist doesn't have to draw the composition again
Imprimatura is the first oil layer in the Flemish
painting technique. Imprimatura must have a neutral olive hue. The
degree of darkness or lightness of imprimatura should be chosen
in relation to the largest light area of the future painting
Imprimatura is now well dried.
The technique of making this layer differs significantly from the
traditional concept of oil painting: although your medium is oil
paint, use it as if you were using watercolor.
Remember the golden rule: you make the next layer not to correct
mistakes in the previous layer, but you make the previous layer
to facilitate work in the next layer.
Umber Underlayer
Umber Underlayer
Umber Underlayer Detail
Umber Underlayer
The basic set of paints is the following oil colors:
Flake White, Yellow Ochre Light, Red Ochre, Burnt
Umber, Prussian Blue, Ivory Black, Madder Lake Deep.
The dead layer - is made with Flake White, light ocher,
red ocher, burnt Umber, Prussian Blue and Ivory Black. The aim of
this Underlayer is penumbra. The picture must look as if its objects
were lit with moonlight - olive cold gray color.
Dead Underlayer Detail
Dead Underlayer
Dead Underlayer
Dead Underlayer Detail
Dead Underlayer
You have already chosen the tonality. Now you have
to rely on it, that is you must repeat the chosen tonality in
the dead underlayer.
You can make corrections in the tonality without making radical
changes. Light are applied thickly, half a tone higher; shadows
are very transparent, half a tone lower.
The main principle of the first color layer is that you should
make shadow areas darker and more colorful. Lighted areas should
be made lighter and more colorful too. Working on light areas,
use more paste-like mixtures, applying them rather thickly Color Layer Palette
Finishing Layer details of textures, thickly applied
highlights, bright reflections, and signature. In this layer you
may use additional paints: Chinese vermilion extra, cadmium yellow
deep, madder lake deep.
Finishing Layer Detail
Finishing Layer
Finishing Layer
Finishing Layer Detail
Finishing Layer
It is in this very stage that our objects gain their
final color and shape
Work only on the lightest highlight areas
Now we can observe a miracle that amazes us in the museum: an
optical mix of colors due to the translucency of the layers. At
this stage your picture has just been born, and during all your
lifetime it will be getting more and more beautiful, because all
paints have the property of getting more and more transparent
as time passes.
Finishing Layer
Finishing Layer Detail
After drying the painting for at least six months,
you must apply a cover varnish. Cover the canvas with the regular
non-thinned damar varnish using a soft flat varnish brush
I was born in Russia in 1957, and I've been trying both hands (I'm ambidextrous) at art ever since. I can remember my self from the age of two, and when I was three, I was the terror of my mother's make-up kit, as I loved to draw murals on the wallpaper with her lipstick. All through my childhood I continued drawing, (more...)
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