tip for a straight edge on wet paint

[ntl]

In working toward a more accurate placement of image from print to canvas, I used a T square across both. That part of my canvas had wet paint, and not wanting to get so much of it on the leg of the square, I taped a few pennies to the leg, raising it off the canvas paint just enough, leaving 2-3 small areas to brush out, not the entire area.

 

[Artyczar]

That's a great idea. The pennies. I think that's better than a ...what's it called again? There's a name for that thing you attach to the canvas or easel so your hand doesn't touch the wet paint. I used to have one and I threw it away. Worked for crap. Anyway, I was thinking you can to this with a piece of masking tape and the pennies and put the pennies on the sides of the canvas possibly? To get a relatively straight line. personally, I don't use straight lines anymore. I like to hand draw them to make them terribly off on purpose.

 

[Bongo]

That's a great idea. The pennies. I think that's better than a ...what's it called again? There's a name for that thing you attach to the canvas or easel so your hand doesn't touch the wet paint.

I think you're thinking of a mahl stick. The pennies are a good idea - and a cheap solution

 

[ntl]

I do use a mahl stick at times, but prefer a bridge when needed. I use a light board 24" long, 3 1/2" wide that I attached a 1 1/2" riser to one end. I use an 18" section of 1 1/2" board to set/slide the other end on. I usually paint standing, bending over the canvas, with it flat on a table. My largest canvas now is 16 x 20".

 

[Artyczar]

I think you're thinking of a mahl stick. The pennies are a good idea - and a cheap solution

Yes, thanks. The mahl stick. My brain is fried.

 

[Artyczar]

ntl, I've been going between standing and sitting lately, both at the easel and at the drafting table. Neither works for any extended period of time. I decided I hate my drafting chair. I've had it for a few years now, and I think it just sucks, despite it's special use. I was much more comfortable with my old metal stool, which is not the round kind, but an old cutting room stool from my dad's shop. It's square for a bigger behind, like my own. I may bring it in from the garage and throw the expensive chair out there for a while and see how that goes.

 

[Annie]

I used to use the taped penny strategy back when I did architectural drafting/design. It worked really well for pencil work but isn't hard when you're dealing with wet paint? Here's another option: there are acrylic bridges that are in a sort of inverted, elongated, "U" shape. Here's an example. They allow you to have a good place to rest your hand and keep everything high enough above the surface that you don't have to worry about goofs as much.

 

[Artyczar]

Oh my god, that is a perfect invention...if only it were taller!

 

[ntl]

It worked really well for pencil work but isn't hard when you're dealing with wet paint?
Hi, Annie, Not so much. I've always been able to make the slight adjustments if paint was affected.
I use a home made bridge--different from the straight-edge. See my second post.
The acrylic bridge is similar to mine, but mine was free, not $32+. And if I go to a larger canvas, I have the material to make a longer one.

 

[Annie]

It worked really well for pencil work but isn't hard when you're dealing with wet paint?
Hi, Annie, Not so much. I've always been able to make the slight adjustments if paint was affected.
I use a home made bridge--different from the straight-edge. See my second post.
The acrylic bridge is similar to mine, but mine was free, not $32+. And if I go to a larger canvas, I have the material to make a longer one.

I had missed that. But wouldn't it be helpful to have a transparent one so you could see more clearly what you were doing? OTOH, if it works for you, who am I to question!

 

[JohnnieMahlstick]

In working toward a more accurate placement of image from print to canvas, I used a T square across both. That part of my canvas had wet paint, and not wanting to get so much of it on the leg of the square, I taped a few pennies to the leg, raising it off the canvas paint just enough, leaving 2-3 small areas to brush out, not the entire area.

A good idea. I’d like to try a variation on this technique. Don’t know if you ever used ship’s curves for drafting. They are like large radius French curves used for drafting gentle curves.

 

[stlukesguild]

I used to use the taped penny strategy back when I did architectural drafting/design. It worked really well for pencil work but isn't hard when you're dealing with wet paint? Here's another option: there are acrylic bridges that are in a sort of inverted, elongated, "U" shape. Here's an example. They allow you to have a good place to rest your hand and keep everything high enough above the surface that you don't have to worry about goofs as much.

I could use one of those... but I'd need one at least 48" across. I remember seeing a photograph of Jasper Johns' studio where he had a sort of DIY version of this. He had two pieces of wood mounted vertically on either side of his canvas. Every couple of inches there was a doll-rod coming out of these strips of wood... maybe 4 or 5". He had another piece of wood that he rested his hand on that had holes drilled in the end. This would be moved up or down lined up with the doll rods sitting a short distance off the painting surface and allowing him to rest and stabilize his painting hand.

I don't need to worry about wet paint because I'm using acrylic paint and pastel... but I do need to worry about smudging the pastel. Because I'm working on paper mounted on the wall I simply tack a piece of paper or cardboard where I need to rest my hand.

 

[musket]

The penny trick is well known to anybody who has done some drafting. I used ship's curves when laying out a plantilla for a guitar (the first step in designing an instrument is a full scale drawing, front and side elevations), and also made some use of an adjustable curve.