What are you working on?

[Artyczar]

 

[Katie]

Oh these look good! I also like how you draw wavy lines around these. I feel it adds something extra...like charged emotion.

 

[Katie]

I started trying to paint with my pastels four days ago. I'm not really feeling it, but will likely have another go tommorow. And so today I ordered a professional 3M mask on Amazon which will likely take a couple of weeks or longer to arrive but hopefully I might be able to paint with my acrylics using this mask.

 

[stlukesguild]

I always wonder how much the difference in price was. I imagine it's quite a big difference. It sure looks good though. I would not know it was imitation. If it darkens, I would think it was copper maybe, which is still cool.

I just looked up the current price of gold. It stands right now at $1864 per ounce. The artificial gold that I use comes in packs that must weigh in at 3 or 4 oz. for $7... so yes... a big difference.

When I first apply the stuff it has a slightly cooler silvery tone but after so many months it turn a warmer hue. This is what it looks like freshly applied:

This is after it has been exposed to the air and light for some time.

Not a huge difference here... actually it looks a slight bit warmer and darker than this photo. Being metalic, the gold reflects light and can change quite a bit under different lighting conditions. It also absorbs and reflects the colors around it. Here is a painting by Brad Kunkle who uses a lot of gold and silver leaf. You can see the effect of a shift in the light source:

One of my favorite paintings by Gustav Klimt is his Water Serpents:

Klimt used both real gold leaf and a gold paint on this painting. I've tried a variety of gold paint but haven't liked the result of any of them as opposed to metalic leaf. Metalic gold paint, however, is far easier and more rapid to use.

 

[Claude J Greengrass]

...
Klimt used both real gold leaf and a gold paint on this painting. I've tried a variety of gold paint but haven't liked the result of any of them as opposed to metalic leaf. Metalic gold paint, however, is far easier and more rapid to use.

A long time ago, I wanted to add some gold to the edge of two frames I had. After a bit of research and I don't know how I discovered this as it was pre-Internet, I purchased a small bottle of gold paint. I left it to settle for a couple of weeks and then carefully poured off about 90% of the clear medium, varnish I think. The remainder, when mixed and applied, gave a strongly coloured gold finish to the otherwise black frames. More than 30 years later, they are still bright and untarnished. YMMV

 

[Hermes2020]

Is it possible to apply glazes over the metal leaf? Silver leaf would probably give very jewel-like effects if one applied coloured glazes over it.

 

[stlukesguild]

I read some time back that the Limbourg Brothers painted over gold or silver leaf using semi-transparent glazes to create an added sparkle:

Michael Bergt, whose work I follow, has painted over gold leaf:

The delicate lines on the gold wings are painted.

And there are any number of examples of small painting on copper...

-Joachim Wtewael

-Rembrandt

-Goya

And the contemporary Mary Jane Ansell paints on aluminum panels:

 

[Hermes2020]

Thank you, that's interesting. I suspect it would turn out really kitschy if I tried anything like that.

 

[Claude J Greengrass]

....
I also realized, incidentally, that most of my artistic career was poisoned by that book so widely touted as a miracle, Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. It's kind of ironic, because discovering and working through that book was what put me on the artistic path to begin with. Initially, it seemed to induce almost miraculous progress. And then, for the next two or three frickin' decades, it prevented me from getting any further.
....

I purchased a copy of BE's book with good intentions. Alas, it never engaged me and so it remains mostly unread. I would be interested in hearing how this book limited your growth.

 

[brianvds]

I purchased a copy of BE's book with good intentions. Alas, it never engaged me and so it remains mostly unread. I would be interested in hearing how this book limited your growth.

It treats the entire world as two dimensional. Now I don't want to overstate my case against it, because it actually contains lots of handy tips and tricks that initially helped me a lot to make amazing progress, and I still use those tricks all the time (e.g. using negative space to help one draw positive space).

But treating art as if it consisted of copying what you see in front of you severely limited my growth. I eventually discovered that even though a picture is two dimensional, an artist needs to think in three dimensions, otherwise one's work is always going to look a bit flat and lifeless. The problem with the book is that it never really explains this, and partly precisely because it initially helped so much, it led me down something of a blind alley.

 

[Artyczar]

That book seems to have a kind of cult following. I've not looked it over ever.

 

[Desforges]

Finished this today.
The land of the Oogies,
Quest to study the Akashic Records.
I tell myself these crazy stories and move along with it.

 

[Artyczar]

I love this Desforges! It gives me more excitement about working on my boat piece. I hope it turns out half as wonderful as yours!!!! ❤

 

[Desforges]

Thank you, that's interesting. I suspect it would turn out really kitschy if I tried anything like that.

I love this Desforges! It gives me more excitement about working on my boat piece. I hope it turns out half as wonderful as yours!!!! ❤

Thank you, Carol. I am not sure if it is finished. I would like to see some longer weeds at the front or something colourful. I guess that I’ll have to live with it for a while.

 

[stlukesguild]

I left off at this point on the current WIP. Since then I've been tied up with all sorts of nonsense. A couple of days ago... when I did get back into the studio... I had a major accident.

As I came around on the right side of the central halo, I pinned a sheet of cardboard to the painting in order to avoid laying my hand in the blue & white checkerboard while applying the adhesive. Stupidly, I only use 2 tacks at first (Here there are actually 4 with 2 out of view). One of the tacks slipped and the cardboard swung around knocking the adhesive out of my hand. Luckily, It missed getting all over the upper part of the painting and I could quickly wipe it off the lower painting. Unfortunately, I lost much of the adhesive and had to put in an order for more. It should be here in a couple of days.

I still have enough adhesive to complete the second smaller halo after working out the design.

After completing the second halo I blocked in the raven with a dark blue-gray-black underpainting.

Here is a close-up of the surface with layers of blue and white pastel over the Tuscan Red ground that shows through.

I'm thinking of employing blue daisies in her hair in order to harmonize with the rest of the painting. But that's a way off.

Next, I'll be working out the design in the arc around the central halo in a manner somewhat like this painting. I won't have enough adhesive for this stage... but it should get here by the time I need it. Drawing the design of flora and fauna... whatever it may be... will certainly take me a few days. Then I'll apply the adhesive and the gold leaf. I'm still not even thinking about the lower part of the painting... locking in the torso and arms... until the top is complete with the exception of the rendering of the figure and raven.

 

[Hermes2020]

I'll repeat the sentiment in my introductory post: I am so happy I found this place. Your post is so interesting and instructive that I feel inspired to try gilding myself.

 

[snoball]

That is lovely Desforges, looks like a book illustration. I like it.
David, you are making a lot of progress on yours, looks great.
Here is what I've been working on the past few days. It is colored pencil, mostly just black and white. Not sure if I'll quit here or keep messing with it. Leather Study

 

[Artyczar]

Excellent Sno. SLG, I love that raven.

 

[Katie]

I started a still life - Yep, a still life. I think I was inspired to try it after looking at Barries work with a cup and saucer...it appealed. In fact, the only reason I am telling you all this is so that I get off my chair and finish it!!! I am going there right NOW to finish that little pastel painting in the hope that I can resurrect it and will post it even if it looks awful - that is my promise to you all. LOL

 

[laf.art]

Go for it Katie