Dating back to the days of the pharaohs, 5000 years ago, men have hammered strips of gold into thin sheets of gold leaf in a manufacturing process known as gold beating. While the tools have changed through the centuries, the basic process remains the same. In the days of the ancient Egyptians, gold beaters used stones. Later metal hammers with convex heads were introduced.
Read more »The Chemistry of Buon Fresco Painting
When someone mentions fresco painting, what always comes to my mind is Michelangelo painting in the Sistine Chapel on wet plaster. Of course, that’s not the only type of fresco painting, but it is arguably the purest and the most durable form. Read more »
Painting with Gouache
Artists have use gouache since the Middle Ages. This story explains the difference between gouache and watercolor painting. Painting techniques are also described. Read more »
How Temperature and Humidity Affect Paint Drying
Two of the most important factors affecting how paint dries are temperature and humidity. Avoiding adverse environmental extremes can help you avoid painting problems. Read more »
What You Must Know When Repainting Wood Surfaces
If you are repainting a wood surface, your first chore is to prep the surface. New paint will not stick to dirt or peeling paint. On large surfaces the quickest way to clean the old wood painted surface is to pressure wash it. You will need to use a washer that can generate at least 2500 […] Read more »
Painting with a Limited Palette
Many painters paint with what is called a limited palette, which consists of a small selection of primary colors. Vincent Van Gogh proclaimed that all he needed was red, blue, yellow, white and black. This really is a limited palette. Some feel that you don’t even need black. Using these basic colors, Van Gogh believed that he could […] Read more »
Oiling Out a Canvas for Oil Painting
If you follow the practices of the old masters, you will prepare the canvas with a rabbit skin glue size and a traditional chalk gesso. The size, which is a barrier coating, and the gesso layers protect the canvas. Without these layers, the oil in the paint will gradually rot the fibers of the canvas. Read more »
Mediums for Oil Paint
As a paint additive, mediums serve several different functions in oil painting. Adding a medium to paint can extend its volume as well as extending its drying time. Read more »
Making Oil Paint
While the famous Dutch painter Jan Van Eyck is often credited with the invention of oil paint, pigments mixed with an oily resin have been used since the days when Neanderthals decorated their cave walls. Read more »
Acrylic Glazes
Glazes have been around since the days of the Renaissance oil painters. These painters developed the technique of painting a monochromatic underpainting. Over that painting, they would apply glazes, which are very thin layers of transparent color. Imagine that the glaze is a colored film that you apply over a black and white photograph. The […] Read more »
