working out the chemistry
Summer Haze – oil on canvas – 28″ x 24″
I was trying out a new product called Garrett’s Copal Painting Medium. It is a blend of linseed stand oil, copal, gum spirits & turpentine. Larry Seiler recommends it. It leaves the painting with a glossy finish, no varnish needed. I had to make sure to really ventilate the studio, and with it being so cold outside, this makes the studio pretty uncomfortable to paint in. I think I would prefer to use this product in future when painting plein air.
I’m experimenting a lot these days to try and figure out what I prefer as a medium for my oil painting. It seems there are so many different methods and products. It seems the only way I am going to learn is to try working with them.
March 29, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Could be, but on the other hand plein air painting is also a thing of taking as less with you as you can possible do. I tried liquin a few times but I don’t think I need that, even better I only use turp now, and that’s quite enough for me. I would say, don’t get to excited with all the stuff available in the log run it’s all about painting well.
B.t.w. Those rolling thunders are just great, what a dynamic!
March 30, 2008 at 6:44 am
I love this painting.
March 30, 2008 at 10:10 am
Thanks Rene and ewreckers. glad you like it.
March 31, 2008 at 3:17 pm
When I do oils I like the richness some mediums give the paint, they become almost jewel like and transparent. One that I learned about on WC was an oil of spike mixture – lavender oil! Smelled great!
April 5, 2008 at 12:59 pm
and how did you like the copal?
very dramatic painting Sally
can i see the paint being a bit transparant
April 5, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Hi Rob, well, I thought the copal was a bit stickier than I was used to using for the early stages, it didn’t flow well for that initial block in…but it gave a nice lustre to the thicker paint. It has powerful fumes, a bit too much for my liking. what you are seeing as transparent is a few initial glazes of burnt sienna and aliz but they are pretty transparent pigments anyway even without the copal as you know.