Any technique should serve the idea and the process of art without overwhelming the intended effect.
My work can be divided into three basic mediums: oil painting, pastel, and drawing. I have also added a fourth medium, printmaking, in a brief description. Each medium has its own unique qualities, and I approach them according to their limitations and possibilities. For example, unlike oils, pastels cannot be mixed before being applied to a surface and therefore one must layer the colors over previous layers. Drawings are more immediate with their range of lights and darks, but far more limited with color.
I have also included an extensive list of my studio materials here below.
Mediums
As a young student of art, I was exposed to a variety of mediums and techniques in school. First, it was dry mediums such as graphite, metalpoint, charcoal, chalk and pastel, then later, with wet mediums, including inks, dyes, watercolor, gouache, tempera, fresco, acylic and eventually oil painting. I fell in love with drawing, but since there was no drawing major in my college, I decided that the nearest that I could get to drawing was printmaking. Although I was quite accomplished as a printmaker, it wasn't until graduate school that I made the leap into color and oil painting.
Many failed trials and errors later have led me to know what medium now best serves me: oil painting, pastel and traditional drawing techniques. As a student of art, I hope that you can appreciate some of the information I have on this page, and benefit from my many years of experience.
An oil painting begins with the best possible surface, so I prefer an oil-primed linen canvas with a relatively fine weave. I used to build my own wooden stretchers and primed the canvas myself, but now I rely on premium-made stretched canvas and panels purchased from major art suppliers. However, I may add an extra few layers of priming and tighten the canvas to the stretchers before I am satisfied with a custom result.
I use a three-stage process that first incorporates an under-drawing or under-painting, then a second layer emphasizing the establishment of values, and a final layer for the addition of details.
Before painting, a scaled-up drawing is fixed on the canvas surface in an outline form so that the major parts of the composition are visible. I then brush a thin, even coat of a pale and neutral warm color over the entire surface of canvas to eliminate any white. I use large brushes, cotton rags, and even cotton swabs to edit the preliminary image before the initial layer is dry. Sometimes I will use a grisaille (gray-scale) underpainting to achieve a similar effect.
Next, I block out dark, then light values in oils and follow up with mid-tone values. I keep my paint relatively thin at this stage. It is also really important to get the values correct in the painting process before proceeding into the use of color. I follow the "fat over lean" principle with the use of an alkyd medium such as Gamblin Galkyd mixed with proportions of Gamsol. I make sure not to dilute with solvent the last applied film layer anymore than the previous film layer was thinned.
Once the block out process is completed, I then begin painting a little bit more thickly in oils, refining the entire composition by using larger, then eventually smaller brushes, keeping in mind the luminosity and color variations the painting requires. I prefer to work from background to foreground objects in the painting so that values and color intensity are synchronized to the spacial plane.
Finally, I complete the work with layers of colored glazes to "push and pull" areas and to bring out the most dramatic effects.
My pastel surface is usually museum grade sandpaper (such as Uart or Wallis) with a warm-toned ground. Pastel sandpaper can hold more color due to its "tooth" and is thicker than other pastel papers. The paper is mounted to slick surface such as masonite or a drawing board to prevent any underlying surface texture from appearing while drawing. This surface might be enhanced with thinned acylic washes in various areas (much like watercolor) where planned underpainting areas can show through the pastel overlay.
After making several value and color studies, I begin sketching with a light-colored pastel pencil and then refine the design moving from upper left to lower right using both hard (Rembrandt) and soft (Sennelier) pastels. I layer in the colors and values carefully, first with the hard then with the soft pastel sticks. Brushes, chamois, cotton swabs, stomps, Sofft pads, PanPastel or anything else that will accomplish an effect are part of my reservoir of tools. At times, I even using my fingertips to blend colors together to create a rich and saturated quality that is difficult to achieve with any other method.
Because of the fine texture of this technique and the layers of color that are gradually built up, the pastels have an exceptional luminosity.
Finally, I also carefully spray the finished pastel drawing with an acrylic archival fixative (Lascaux).
I have tried just about every wet and dry drawing media on a multitude of surfaces and substrates. Crayons, graphite, metalpoint, colored pencils, pastel pencils, markers, ink, dyes, charcoal, chalk, and Conté were all part of my exploratory adventures when I began to draw. I now prefer graphite, charcoal or Conte pencil.
The live figure studies that I create are usually done within a five to thirty minute time span. My drawing surface is a museum grade white or off-white charcoal paper, although I also like to use toned grounds. I start with soft and then hard vine charcoal, compressed charcoal and charcoal pencils for most of the drawing, and I may soften or lighten areas with chamois, stomp, or even a brush.
I also enjoy using Conté blocks and Conté pencils as well. Most of my erasing is done with a kneaded and hard erasers, but I employ an electric eraser for special areas.
Printmaking techniques include relief, etching, engraving, lithography and screen printing. My two favorites have always been etching and lithography because the are so closely related to drawing. One of the traditional advantages of printmaking over other forms of art making has always been its ability to produce multiple copies (editions) from a plate or stone and sell each print at a lower cost than a drawing or painting. For me, however, the process of transferring a matrix image onto paper, was overly methodical and time-consuming. I much more prefer the immediate "freshness" of applying marks to paper or paints to canvas directly, rather that worry about their reproduction into multiple copies.
With the advent of digital art, fine art reproduction has come a long way, and in some cases, making traditional printmaking methods more exciting rather than obsolete. A perfect example of this is the giclée print. Fine art giclée printing is a type of high-quality ink-jet printing that is produced on archival substrates that can last a 100 years or more with proper care.
Limited editions of giclée digital reproductions of artworks are now generally accepted as collectible prints. They can also be a work created entirely in a digital work-flow on a modern computer using Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.
One of the advantages to artists reproducing their work as a giclée print is that it can be created on an "as needed" basis. The time and cost that goes into traditional printing can be changed by artists to control the production of their own prints rather than relying on a second party printer.
Studio Materials
Here is a list of materials that I have found to be both reliable and durable. Although some of these professional supplies are more expensive than standard brands, they are well worth the investment and stand the test of time. Click on any of the material topics below:
My favorite small to medium size prestretched canvas surface is an oil primed medium/smooth weave of Belgian linen. Although expensive, I favor Masterpiece oil primed linen canvas and Trimar Marv special prestretched linen canvas because of their excellent craftsmanship. I have also used Blick Premier Belgian linen canvas and Centurion (OP DLX). For panels, I use Artefex Allinpanels, Raymar Claessens linen panels and Blick Belgian linen archival panels.
When I need a custom stretcher, Trimar Custom Aluminum stretcher/wood hybrid with customizable depth is the best in the business. I no longer build or buy large pre-made wooden stretchers because of their tendancy to warp over time.
I stack stretchers and completed canvases in a large padded storage area in the back of my studio. It is built with vertical divides and rests about eight inches above the floor. The canvases are bubble-wrapped and separated from other works with large pieces of cardboard and foam.
There are three basic types of brushes on the market: natural, synthetic and hybrid. I tend to favor the natural ones as well as some of the hybrid types. All brushes can also be sub categorized as hard or soft.
Rosemary & Co. brushes are some of the best in the world and are my first pick, even though I have to order them from the UK. They are hand-made with natural bristles and crafted ferrules. Beautifully balanced and affordably priced, these are excellent painter's tools that will outlast other brushes for years. Da Vinci Maestro Kolinsky Brushes are premium quality sable brush for detail work. Dynasty Black Gold has a great synthetic brush collection.
My other brush choices include Princeton, Escoda and Isabey, for medium to large scale work. For small and detailed work I recommend Virtuous Arts Fine Paintbrushes and Nicpro.
This is my top 10 list of professional oil paints:
Gamblin Oil Paints are my favorite because of their fast-drying qualities. The company was founded by Robert Gamblin and produces world-quality paints that are vibrant and safe to use.
Michael Harding Oil Paints uses the highest-quality colors. You will find intense colors with the high pigment loading and lack of fillers. It is unbeatable for glazing and each tube will last a long time. There is a broad range of colors, including lead white.
Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors were originally formulated by a professional oil painter. The paints are milled in small batches so that the best qualities of the pigment are brought out.
Old Holland is the world’s oldest paint manufacturer and is a household name for professional artists and restorers. Their colors are almost completely light fast and the pigment content is consistently high.
Sennelier Oil Paints are wonderful if you prefer to have a stiffer oil paint experience. Brush marks easily hold their shape. Monet, Gauguin, Matisse, and Picasso all used Sennelier oils.
M. Graham Oil Paints uses a slow-drying, walnut oil based oil paint. Unlike linseed oil, walnut oil will not yellow over time. It also works well for glazing and thin applications of paint without adding turpentine.
Schmincke Mussini Oil Paints are a fantastic choice for a more even-drying paint. The pigment is mixed with linseed oil and dammar resin to allow paint to dry evenly, which reduces the risk of any paint-wrinkling.
Natural Pigments/ Rublev has a large range of earth colors and emphasizes historical pigments. Without additives, they have many colors that were produced traditionally and not widely available elsewhere. They also produce a variety of lead-based whites.
Vasari is one of the finest high-chroma paints that you can buy. The company is dedicated to only making oil paint, as they don’t manufacture any other medium. Their paint has a very light feel, with a high tinting strength.
Blue Ridge is a relative newcomer to the world of oil paint. It is milled by independent paint maker Eric Silver in North Carolina who produces excellent quality and value in his oils.
Oil mediums are used in a variety of ways to increase the flow of paint, to increase drying time, as well as adding gloss and a depth of color. I have listed both modern (alkyd) and traditional methods below:
Alkyd Mediums
Alkyds are a synthetic medium made from oil-modified resin treated with alcohol. The main advantage of using an alkyd medium is that it dries more quickly than oil, allowing most oil paints that have been mixed with an alkyd to be dry within about 24 hours. Here are the best:
My top choice is Gamblin Galkyd. Galkyd is the fastest-drying alkyd painting medium on the market and includes other variations: Galkyd Lite and Galkyd Slow Dry.
Second place goes to Winsor & Newton Liquin Original. This was my favorite until I tried Galkyd. It is ideal for glazing techniques and detailed brushwork. Liquin dries more slowly and has a stronger odor than Galkyd.
Third place goes to M. Graham & Co. Walnut/Alkyd Medium. It has the combined advantages of walnut oil, which will enhance flow allowing for more control, and alkyd, which accelerates drying time.
Runner ups are Grumbacher Alkyd Painting Medium and Williamsburg Alkyd Resin Oil.
Traditional Oil Mediums
Refined Cold-Pressed Linseed Oil is a superior quality oil, and should be used for professional oil painting. Apply the ‘fat over lean rule’ – paint your lean (less oil) layers first, and then each layer on top should have more oil (fat) than the previous one . There are many major brands: Old Holland, Gamlin, Natural Pigments, Winsor & Newton Refined Linseed Oil, C. Roberson & Co., Chelsea Classical Studio's Lean Medium, Chelsea Classical Studio's Fat Medium, Schmincke Mussini Oil Mediums and Michael Harding's Oil Paint Medium.
Stand Oil is thickened Linseed oil. You can therefore use less of it because it’s more concentrated. It’s a translucent medium which makes it good for glazes, and it levels out your brush strokes to leave a glossy sheen. Some available brands are Gamblin, Old Holland, and Williamsburg.
Walnut Oil is a natural alternative to linseed oil, stand oil, and harsh solvents. Many artists who are allergic to certain elements traditionally used in oil painting have turned to walnut oil as a medium. It can be mixed into paints and used like linseed or stand oil. M. Graham & Co. and Chelsea Classical Studio make excellent versions.
Safflower Oil yellows less than linseed oil it is good for making pale oil colors. Safflower oil dries faster than poppy seed oil and gives oil color paste better texture. It also is a great non-solvent brush cleaner. Various brands are Gamblin, Winsor & Newton, Sennelier and Maimeri.
Poppy Oil is the slowest-drying oil. It is useful to painters working in traditional, wet-into-wet techniques that want the longest possible working time. Use sparingly to create a traditional slow-drying, low-viscosity painting medium. Old Holland, Gamblin, Windsor & Newton, and Maimeri are a few brands.
Special Mediums: Rublev Oil Venetian Medium, Velázquez Medium, Wilson's Medium, Oleogel, Neo Megilp and Maroger Medium.
Solvents
It is best to avoid turpentine and mineral spirits entirely in order to create totally solid, long-lasting paintings. Newer and much safer solvents are available such as Gamlin Gamsol, Chelsea Classical Medium Lavender Spike Oil Essence, and Geneva Brush Dip.
Pastels: I mostly use Royal Talens Rembrandt pastels and Sennelier pastels. Unison, Schmincke and Daler-Rowney are among my additional brands. For under drawing and detail work, I use a variety of pastel pencils: Caran D’ache, Faber-Castell Pitt, Conté à Paris, and Derwent.
Pastel Surfaces: Uart, Wallis and Global Arts Premier Sanded Pastel Paper brands will accept multiple applications of soft and hard pastels, as well as watercolor and oil washes. These premium papers are my favorite of all sandpaper surfaces.
If, however, you would like to make your own custom pastel surface, I recommend the artist Sam Goodsell's recipe
Typical paper pastel brands include Strathmore 400 Series, Canson, Clairefontaine Pastelmat, Art Spectrum Colourfix Paper and Sennelier La Carte Pastel Paper Pads. If you are looking for panels, I would recommend UART's Premium Mounted Boards and Pastel Premier Boards.
Drawing Tools: I use a variety of graphite sets that include Tombow MONO Drawing Pencils, Derwent Graphic Drawing Pencils, Faber-Castell Graphite Art Pencils, Staedtler Mars Lumograph Graphite Pencils, and the Caran D’ache Graphite Line. For water-soluble graphite, try Viarco Artgraf Water Soluble Graphite and Faber-Castell Graphite Aquarelle Pencil Sets. Cretacolor Graphite Powder is great for large drawings and mixed media applications.
The best vine, compressed and charcoal pencils are Winsor & Newton Willow Charcoal, Coates Premium Artist Willow Charcoal, Conte Compressed Charcoal, Nitram Academie Fusains Charcoal, Derwent Charcoal Pencils and General Pencil Charcoal Pencils.
Conté Sketching Pencils have been my more recent go-to drawing utensil for figure drawing.
Drawing Surfaces: My favorite graphite substrates are Arches Watercolor 140 lb, Hot Press paper, Fabriano Artistico Hotpress Watercolor Paper, Extra White and Legion Stonehenge Drawing Paper. I use Newsprint for quick charcoal and Conte figure sketches, but for more sustained drawings, I prefer Strathmore 300 Series Charcoal Pads, Strathmore 500 Series Charcoal Pads, Strathmore 400 Series Pastel Pads, Canson XL Series Watercolor Textured Paper Pads, and any Strathmore Toned Paper.
My small travel sketchbooks are the Pentalic Sketch Book, the Crescent RENDR Hardbound Sketchbook and the Moleskine Art Sketchbook.
In my studio I have a David Song Super 8 Easel designed specifically for an eight-foot ceiling height. It comes with solid Beech construction, casters, lip-less canvas holders and it's very easy for lifting large canvases up and down. I also have a Rue Wall Easel for smaller works with an attached Mabef Revolving Painting Accessory so that I can paint at any angle. My other easels include a Best Portable Collapsible Easel, an ancient Jack Richeson Bassett Studio Easel which I have customized and mounted on a wall, and several plein air French-type easels and table easels.
My self-built palette table is 60" x 36" with a covering of beveled auto glass. The glass is coated on the back with a medium gray so as to allow me to mix my colors more accurately. I use color-balanced ceiling track lights (PAR30 60 watt halogen wide floods) and portable halogen desk lamps to control my viewing of palette table and canvases. I store paper and prints in two Safco 5-Drawer Steel Flat File cabinets. I also have two modified taborets (with an added and wider table tray on top) for of my pastels and drawing supplies. My studio contains two drawing tables: one is a pre-owned, 40" x 72" architect's drafting table and the other is a smaller 30" x 40" drawing table. I have a Steel Mobile Stand Up Desk Adjustable Laptop Workstation that is perfect for referencing from my computer while I paint.
There are also numerous storage tables, file cabinets, stools and chairs in my studio but I would like to recommend the Interion Mesh Back Task Chair as a worthwhile investment for your back.
I use a Canon EOS RP camera for taking reference photos and Adobe Photoshop/ Adobe Lightroom software to edit the images. I have two different lenses for the camera: a standard Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM Lens and a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM tele-zoom lens for longer distances.
My Tamrac Stratus 15 Shoulder Bag has allowed me easy travel to Europe and many parts of the U.S. I have two tripods -an older model Manfrotto 3021BPRO Professional Tripod with a Manfrotto 410 3-Way, Geared Pan-and-Tilt Head for studio shooting and a Velbon EX-530/F Aluminum Tripod as a lighter traveling tripod. I also sometimes bring along my little JOBY GorillaPod Flexible Mini-Tripod for tight spaces. For professional lighting of studio artwork, I recommend the Neewer 700W Professional Photography Softbox.
Full disclosure: All of the above is considered to be entry-level photography equipment. Although I have photographed my artwork in the past with some success, I now pay a professional photographer to do a much better job with higher-end cameras and lighting.
I have half a dozen painter's aprons, but my nicest is the Hudson Durable Goods Heavy Duty Waxed Canvas Work Apron that was gifted to me. Because it is waxed, it was a bit stiff to wear at first, but after a few months, it's quite broken in. This apron protects me from paint, wood splinters, solvents and any thing else that gets thrown at it.
I love the New Wave product line that is designed for artists by two innovative brothers. They have reinvented the artist palette, a few of which I have in my studio: the Avant-Garde Grand View Confidant and the POSH® Glass Grey Table Top Palette.
For disposal of oily paint rags, I recommend the Justrite 09300, Galvanized-Steel Safety can.
Little things: Martin Pro-Draft Deluxe Adjustable Angle Parallel Drawing Board is a fantastic portable drawing board. For figure drawing, consider the Richeson Drawing Clip Board which comes in two different sizes. A good pencil sharpener is the Carl Angel 5 Royal. Mistakes can be erased with Faber-Castell Kneaded Erasers, Magicdo Cube Erasers or even faster with an AFMAT Electric Eraser. The best paint tape that I have found is FrogTape. The best head magnifier is YOCTOSUN Head Mount Magnifier.