I’m now done with the two 12″ x 12″ pieces I started two weeks ago. one, or both of them, will be part of “the Next Generation”art show (flyer below) at London’s London Miles Gallery. It’s curated by ThinkSpace (now down in Culver City), and features a ton of excellent artists from all over. It opens June 3rd for anybody in the area.
as I mentioned a couple posts back, these tiny paintings went pretty quick. this (at right) is a shot after one sitting on painting #2. I’ve been using Walnut Alkyd as my main painting medium and I’ve been really liking it. it’s non-toxic and smells pretty good, so I’m less freaked out by the carcinogens that come with the job. it doesn’t really work for glazing, especially on a panel (it starts to slide down the wood — not good), so i’m still relying on Liquin for that. I’m going to keep experimenting with some alternatives though, as Liquin is pretty gnarly. I tried a little mix of Stand Oil and Gamsol I read about on the interweb somewhere; didn’t work at all… will keep trying.
I was also finally able to do another photoshoot last weekend, which will be reference for the next few paintings (hopefully). I got to work with two new models, which is always fun and inspiring (a special thank you to Aeschleah and Brenda for the help). more soon.
11 Responses to ON THE EASEL, A WEEK AGO
What sort of wood are you painting on? Do you find the walnut mixer takes longer to dry? Really nice paintings, btw. REALLY nice.
these panels are maple, just the pre-cut ones from the Art Store. the walnut alkyd is little slower on drying than Liquin maybe, but not by much at all.
I’ve wanted to try painting on wood, but those panels can be expensive so your experiences with it are very helpful. Thanks!
Amazing. You are just amazing, Aaron.
im new at oil painting you see.i recently switched over, and im curious to ask, what do you think is the best supplement to buy to add to the paint?i have Liquin, linseed oil and solvent;what works best for you and how do you work with them?
j
hey josh, I don’t know if there is a best medium, it’s always going to be subjective and depend on the artist, their work, their style, etc. If you’re new to oil painting, I would keep things as simple as possible. mediums can be really helpful, but the paint is most important. I would suggest trying a little linseed or liquin while you’re painting, and just see how it changes the texture and drying time. experiment, but try not to lose focus on the painting part. I’ve tried a bunch of different mediums over the years but really only use 2 on a regular basis right now: Walnut Alkyd, to speed up drying time and make thick paints a little easier to work with, and Liquin for glazes (although I’m trying to find some alternatives).
hope that helps! -a
Your work is amazing and I think it’s super generous of you to share your step-by-steps so, thanks for that!
Curious, I was wondering what you prime your canvas with – aside from the wash of cad/b.umber you mentioned?
thank you. my canvas’ are prepped with straight up gesso, usually a few coats w/ sanding in between.
Hi Aaron! I was wondering how you set up your pallete for flesh tones. I noticed you have it set from light to dark. But im still kinda clueless how it works, and how to set up my pallete similar to yours.
hey richard. I do indeed setup lights to darks, but I separate my warm and cool colors, so it’s warms on one side, cools on the other. let me know if you have any other questions. best, a
Very nice work indeed, inspirational for a newbie like myself. BTW how did the expo go?