Slow Down – Give Glazing A Try

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Are your paintings serviceable but seem to lack a certain je ne sais quoi?

Do you seem to be stuck at a certain level of expertise? Are you ready to try something new? If you’re nodding your head in agreement, you may be ready to take a new tack and give glazing a try.

Glazing Is Great For Any Paint

True glazing, in the manner of the old masters, is actually quite a bit different from the glazing technique used by Ms. Pech. That said, her approach to creating a painting uses a glazing technique similar to watercolorists. Oil painters, watercolorists and acrylic painters can use this technique to bring a depth of color and vibrancy that alla prima painting can’t achieve.

Patience And Planning

Glazing is an endurance test, not a speed trial. It’s not for the jittery and impetuous. This painting technique requires patience and persistence. If you’re not ready to slow down and relish each brush stroke, glazing may not be right for you.

Of course, the amount of time required to glaze depends on the speed at which your paint dries. Watercolorists and acrylic painters will be able to continue their compositions without long periods of drying time between layers. However, even with drying medium, an oil painter may be waiting for hours, days or even weeks to proceed on the next glaze.

Radiant Oils: Glazing Techniques For Fruit And Flower Paintings That Glow By Arleta Pech ISBN-10: 1440311609
This book is filled with beautiful examples; some of Ms. Pech’s finest creations are reproduced here to inspire and encourage. But, the book isn’t just filled with pretty pictures.

The first chapter discusses materials and equipment. She explains what brushes and mediums she uses, provides a chart for various oil mediums and how they compare in terms of blending, odor, drying time and amount of sheen. Ms. Pech also discusses a clean work area and the best products to clean your tools.

The next chapter provides a good introduction to transparent glazing, how the author uses it and how glazing can enhance your own painting. She then discusses techniques used for backgrounds and continues in the following chapter with how to paint subjects with a glaze. This leads to four complete demonstrations that are great practice lessons. Ms. Pech then puts it all together with a chapter on glazing techniques in action that encourages painters at any level.

An Entire Painting Course Devoted To Glazing

This book is a really a complete course in glazing that’s great for beginners, as it covers everything from basic composition, color combinations and the proper sequence of layering the paints.

The useful information is presented in an organized manner and includes details like the physical properties of various paint hues and how they perform as opaque layers or transparent glazes.

Whether you’re an oil painter, watercolorist or acrylic painter, you’ll find loads of information that’s clearly and succinctly presented, inspiring paintings to encourage you and a group of well-documented demonstrations you’ll enjoy following.

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