Monday, July 30, 2012

Gentleness - sold

'Gentleness'
6" x 6" oil on panel
sold

Last week I received the most amazing gift in the mail from my dear friend Sandra Busby. I had talked of wanting to try oil paints and she had some water-soluble ones that she didn't want to use any more so she sent them to me. Isn't that sooo kind and generous?! I was thrilled when they arrived and couldn't wait to try them.

Monday mornings are usually busy, I end up having some paintings to pack and ship, and the resultant chaos from having my family home all weekend to clean up, but this morning I really needed to paint. So when my kids were busy cleaning their rooms I set up at the kitchen counter and painted away! It's kind of nice to have the kids big enough to clean up their own messes now. ;)

This is the first time I have ever painted with oils and although at times they were a little frustrating (just because I wasn't used to how they behave. . . like that they didn't dry super fast like acrylics) I really, really enjoyed them. :) I do think that I need to find a good medium to use with water soluble oils but I'm not sure which one. Does anyone have some good recommendations for me?

I can't wait to paint with them again! :)

Huzzah!

16 comments:

  1. Very nice, Crystal......a big Huzzah for you!
    Once again you perfected that look in the eyes that is so perfect for the emotion you want to convey. :)

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  2. Beautiful and so impressive for your first oil.

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  3. Gorgeous, Crystal!! Your brush work looks great in oils.

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  4. Very well done - looks like you've been using oils for years :). I used to use water-miscible oils years ago, and didn't have much luck using the W&N medium for them, which is why I switched to regular oils. But, I know there are several to choose from, including a linseed oil.

    Actually, regular linseed oil will work fine with w-m oils; it will just mean you might have to use a little more soap to wash your brushes out, but you'll still not have to deal with solvents.

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  5. That was soooo sweet of Sandra to send you the paints...she's definitely a "keeper" !! I love this painting, Crystal...the title says it all...these dogs are so very gentle.

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  6. You are brave and you did a good job. I have started to work wet in wet, but still with acrylic. I have also bought Golden's open acrylic for that reason, haven't mastered it yet, and I wouldn't rule out oil in the future.

    Happy painting.

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  7. You are so welcome Crystal!
    I am just so amazed that your style seems to automatically adjust to suit whatever medium you happen to be using at the time. I don't think I know another Artist who can do that! I just LOVE those wonderful brushstrokes which are so bold and yet you still end up with an incredibly sensitive painting. WHAT'S YOU SECRET????? :0)

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  8. I agree with Sandra, you have adjusted to a new medium so quickly !This is a marvelous painting, full of soul.Bravo!

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  9. Hello Crystal:) You are a real expert on painting faces, human or animal, no matter what medium! Love this dog, beautiful!

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  10. Certainly doesnt look like your first! Very well done indeed. I use traditional oils but havent tried water soluble oils so have no idea about the mediums that go with them.
    Best wishes,

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  11. Congratulations to a very beautiful painting! It shows your excitement with the new media as well as your experience to bring out the essence of the portrait, human or animal... I love it!!!

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  12. Huzzah to you, Crystal. This is amazing for a first attempt with oils. Bravo, my friend.

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  13. well done-I have used water soluble but much prefer traditional. I love your experimental attitude.

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  14. Hey Crystal, I happen to have a little experience with water soluble oil and will contribute my two cents here. They behave a little differently from traditional oil in handling quality (I used winsor newton one so the other brand my differ a little bit, I am just speaking from my own experience). Usually you can use water to thin them instead of turpentine or gamsol, if you need to tone the canvas with an initial colored wash, or used thinned paint to draw. Regarding medium, winsor newton have a series of medium that are labeled "for water soluble oils", I use the linseed oil for water soluble oils which is medium in viscosity, but was told by my teacher that any medium for traditional oil can be used for water soluble oil as well, and as long as you do not mix too much medium into them, they will maintain the water-soluble quality.

    Now, which medium to use is not a hard and fast rule -- everybody has their own habits based on what handling quality you want your paint to have, and how much oil they already have in them. The winsor newton water soluble oil I tried already have quite a bit of oil in them and are quite soft, so I only need to add a little linseed oil to them to make them flow easier from my brush. For stiffer paints you may need to add more linseed oil or other mediums. Normally, the cold-pressed oil medium dries slower than the hot-pressed ones, and stand oil dries even slower, which is desired by a lot of alla prima oil painters, since it extends the manipulation time of the paint on canvas and you can paint wet in wet into the existing paints longer. If you want them to dry faster, you can try galkyd gel medium by Gamblin. I am not sure whether it is available in water-soluble form, but if you just use a little, the colors remain water-soluble and you can still clean your brush with water.

    Now, it comes the tricky part with the brush. As far as I can tell, traditional hog bristle brush splay out like crazy after being washed in water repeated and it's very frustrating, so most books on water-soluble oil recommend using synthetic bristle brush with them with are easy to clean in water and hold their shape. Winsor Newton even have a line of brush specially designed for its water-soluble oils. However, I've found out and confirmed with some other more experienced painters who have tried them that synthetic bristles lack the end microscopic "hooks" at the end of each bristle and therefore do not lay down thick paints easily. Instead they seem to tend to take away what's already on canvas when there are thick paints on canvas. That was frustrating to me. If you found out a magic brush, please share the secret with me! I am still experimenting with them...

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  15. Great job! I suppose all you need to do is paint - regardless of the medium :)

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  16. This is wonderful, Crystal! I love the fluid looseness, and the inner life of this sweet dog comes shining through.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment they really do mean so much to me! Because not all bloggers have their email enabled so I can reply directly through email I will try to reply here in the comments. If I don't please forgive me, life must have been hectic that day! :)) Huzzah!!

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