What are you working on?

[Iain]

Under normal circumstances maybe you have a happier balance, and maybe you wouldn't want to, but you should be painting fulltime, imho.

 

[Iain]

I like this as it is.

But I carried on working on it, painting the support black, and had an unexpected reaction I wish I could replicate:

 

[OliveOyl]

That’s a good looking crackle! You can even rub color into it at various points to make multicolor cracks! Or not. They’re YOUR cracks. Btw, I just completed 3 crackled paintings of my own by using (ta dah) crackle medium! A fat schmear makes fat cracks and a thin/smooth layer makes tiny cracks and you can crack away to your hearts content on top of all sorts of different colors and different things. Would that take away the surprise?

 

[stlukesguild]

Hmmm... I wonder what that would do on top of gold leaf.

 

[OliveOyl]

I can see you putting down a coat of that Tuscan Red (paint) color you like. And THEN, you cover it with a thin coat of the white crackle. When it dries, you’ll see the red undercoat appear through the cracks. And THEN, you lay on the gold leaf which sits on the top surface of the crackle but won’t hide the red cracks. And THEN...if that wasn’t enough tedium for you...you can burnish the gold.

Of course, I don’t know how well the gold leaf would adhere to the crackle medium, but I’d bet with some experimentation, you’d figure it out soon enough. I think your work would look great with this “aged” look. Don’t you?

 

[Hermes2020]

Iain, I would like to use that kind of crackle effect, so please let us know if you discover how to replicate it.

OliveOyl, I have thought of using crackle medium as well, but worry about its effect on the permanence of paint applied over it. Do you think it is safe to use in a painting that will be sold?

 

[snoball]

SLG, you could add some blue sheen to the feathers and hair to cut down the weight. It is really looking good so far.

 

[Artyczar]

I have achieved the crackling by painting acrylic over oil, which you're not supposed to do. Once it crackles, you can spray seal it so the paint doesn't actually fall off. I did it on a hard surface of course, like birch wood.

 

[laf.art]

I love the way this looks, a very arresting image - but where's the bear?

 

[OliveOyl]

OliveOyl, I have thought of using crackle medium as well, but worry about its effect on the permanence of paint applied over it. Do you think it is safe to use in a painting that will be sold?

Hi Hermes. It's funny that I'm answering a question about a technical thing because I'm sure I'm doing it wrong. And I don't know anything about how to make a saleable painting so can't help you there. I just played around and experimented. And what I learned is that it's a very dry and absorptive surface to paint on, the paint dries quickly, works well for layering, the amount of cracking can be controlled, it dries hard, can be rubbed over with other stuff, and is easy enough to seal. On the top painting, where the crackle was bigger, I rubbed it all over with a blue wash and then, used a watered down decoupage paste which acts as a sealer and a glue and dries to a clear finish. The bottom example was the first time I used it and liked the effect better where I just put it on more sloppily. Did some tiny bits fall off? Yes. Did I care? No.

I think with YOUR way of working, you'd easily be able to do a lot of clever things with it and I'm sure, to good effect.

 

[Hermes2020]

Thank you for that bit of technical insight. I am very careful when I sell things: I think we have a responsibility not to sell anything of questionable durability.

 

[stlukesguild]

SLG, you could add some blue sheen to the feathers and hair to cut down the weight.

Oh yes, I'd planned on bouncing some blues into the feathers... but I will still have quite a bit of visual weight that will need to be balanced below. I have more than a few ideas on how to deal with this.

It is really looking good so far.

Thanks.

 

[Dave Woody]

 

[Dave Woody]

Working on this, at the moment.
Idea came to me just now..... Cash machine. Family. Juggling.

It is at this stage I stop and think......hmmmm... Should I try and make the people
look more like people? Or am I about to mess it up trying....?

 

[Artyczar]

I like the abstractness of it. I think you should leave it be. (My opinion.)

 

[Dave Woody]

I like the abstractness of it. I think you should leave it be. (My opinion.)

Yep, I tweaked the sky a bit, but haven't touched the family. 'Tis done.
I will post it in Abstract section.

 

[Iain]

Soon as I saw your people, those white apparitions, I thought, Dave's running out of white paint, ha! No, I thought of the xray skeletons on the cover of The Specials' Ghost Town. (Love the double B-side).

but where's the bear?

Never fear, The bear is still there. (His lower lip quivers. He mops his brow). To me, it looks like the coastline of mainland UK, but with half of Scotland fallen into the sea. It should go down well in England. My next one will be similar, except, instead of losing Scotland, the majority of England (London and the Home Counties) will find themselves with the fishes. Play to prejudice, that's what I say. Xenophobia is not all bad, not when there's a buck to be had.

Would that take away the surprise?

Thank you, OO, I am certainly not adverse to using whatever is available. I might get some of that crackle. It sounds like Popping Candy, that gateway substance.

Iain, I would like to use that kind of crackle effect, so please let us know if you discover how to replicate it

Hello Hermes, It is either Superglue or nail varnish under acrylic. If you believe what is on the net, glue in general will work, they don't specify type. Who knows what will happen longterm? Can I say, the camera enlarged the image I posted.

 

[Hermes2020]

Hello Hermes, It is either Superglue or nail varnish under acrylic. If you believe what is on the net, glue in general will work, they don't specify type. Who knows what will happen longterm? Can I say, the camera enlarged the image I posted.

Thank you Iain. Since I don't use acrylics very much, I will play around with my usual alkyds and oils to see what can work.

 

[Iain]

I've read it works with oil, too.

 

[laf.art]

Thought I'd finished (finally) a 100x100cm painting - been fiddling with it for ages, anyway had it photographed in order to do the posting business. After looking at it on screen it doesn't seem finished at all, in actual fact looks like I shall have to repaint most of it, I can't exactly pinpoint what it is thats wrong, I just know that its not right bah