| What is oil painting? Oil paints on the canvas. It's | | | | IMPRIMATURA, or the first paint layer. The |
| an indisputable definition. I thought that oil painting | | | | canvas is covered with a liquid mixture based on |
| is more than that. | | | | Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre Light and Ivory Black |
| Any kind of figurative art (including oil painting) is | | | | (the mixture should have an olive hue). |
| thought of beforehand. The basic rules of | | | | Tip 9. Basic Set of Paints |
| studying drawing and painting are very closely | | | | The basic set of paints is the following: |
| connected with the laws of the discipline. | | | | "Rembrandt" oil colors: Flake White, Yellow Ochre |
| | | | Light, Red Ochre, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber Ivory |
| Tip 1. Brushes | | | | and Lamp Black (7 Basic Colors), and 4 extra |
| You should have many brushes so that not to | | | | colors (when necessary) which I use in the last |
| lose time washing them while working. Take a | | | | layers: Flake Yellow (instead of it also can be used |
| new brush for every new mix. Use round kolinsky | | | | Cadmium Yellow Deep), Madder Lake Deep, |
| brushes, No.1 to No. 10. To cover larger surfaces, | | | | Chinese Vermilion, Prussian Blue. But be careful to |
| you will need a few #20 to #35 brushes. For final | | | | use these last 4 colors very sparingly. |
| strokes PRIPLAVLENIYE (final blending) you will | | | | Tip 10. TEL'NII PODMALYOVOK |
| need a few very soft round and flat average size | | | | Thefirst and the second TEL'NII (flesh tones: main |
| squirrel brushes. Brushes should be treated very | | | | life colors) PODMALYOVOK (5th and 6th layers). |
| carefully. After every session they should be | | | | The first TEL'NII PODMALYOVOK is made half a |
| washed in turpentine and after that in warm | | | | tone lighter and two tones lighter in colors; and |
| water with soap. | | | | half a tone darker and two tones lighter in |
| Tip 2. Canvas | | | | shadows. The same is true of the second TEL'NII |
| The canvas should be primed additionally a few | | | | PODMALYOVOK. |
| more times and in conclusion it should be ground | | | | Tip 11. PODMALYOVOK |
| with fine sandpaper. After that the canvas should | | | | The dead layer - the fourth PODMALYOVOK - is |
| be scraped with a razor to remove the canvas | | | | made with white lead, light ocher, red ocher, and |
| texture till smooth dead surface similar to the | | | | burnt bone. The aim of this PODMALYOVOK is |
| egg's surface is achieved. | | | | penumbra. The picture must look as if its objects |
| Tip 3. Palette | | | | were lit with moonlight - olive cold gray color. |
| The palette must be made of hard dark wood, | | | | Colors are applied thickly, half a tone higher, |
| best of all, of pear wood. After work wash the | | | | shadows are very transparent, half a tone lower. |
| palette with turpentine and scrape it with a razor. | | | | Tip 12. LESSIROVKA |
| Before work wipe the palette with linseed oil. | | | | The seventh layer --- LESSIROVKA : Details of |
| Tip 4. Paper | | | | textures, thickly applied highlights, bright |
| Thedrawing is made on paper life-size to the | | | | reflections, and signature. In this layer you may |
| smallest details. Then it is transferred to the | | | | use additional paints: Prussian blue, red cinnabar, |
| canvas by carbon-paper. After that the drawing is | | | | yellow flake (cadmium yellow deep), madder lake |
| outlined with brown ink because the first oil layer - | | | | deep. |
| IMPRIMATURA (transparent coat that is equal to | | | | Tip 13. Shadow PODMALYOVOK |
| the middle tone of largest, lightest object in | | | | The shadow |
| painting) - will wash away the pencil, but the ink | | | | PODMALYOVOK (the process of creating |
| will remain visible almost through the last layers. | | | | intermediate layers) is made with Burnt Umber in |
| Tip 5. Still Life Objects | | | | two layers (2nd and 3rd layers). In the second |
| It is very important to have objects for still life in | | | | layer all details are made excluding the texture. In |
| the studio. Don't be stingy at garage sales and | | | | the third layer LESSIROVKA of the main tone |
| flea markets, you may regret it later. | | | | masses is made with a big brush. |
| Tip 6. Lacquer | | | | Tip 14. Music |
| The lacquer for | | | | Many painters get an energy charge from music. |
| IMPRIMATURA is made of 2% of dry DAMAR | | | | Stop listening to any modern music and begin |
| CRYSTALS and 98% of turpentine. The lacquer | | | | listening only to classical music. Try to begin loving |
| for painting is made of 5-10% of dry resin and | | | | it. |
| 90-95 % of turpentine. A couple of lavender oil | | | | Last, stop looking at modern art and stop loving it. |
| drops are added directly to the oil-can. Scientists | | | | Modern bright colors and hue contrasts destroy |
| say lavender oil stimulates the brain. However, I | | | | the subtle vision of the painter who took risks to |
| think that old masters added it to eliminate the | | | | study classical painting in our time. |
| heavy turpentine smell. The lacquer for the final | | | | From the 16th century to the beginning of the |
| step consists of 30% of DAMAR CRYSTALS, | | | | 20th century artists used the seven layer |
| 3% of linseed oil, and 67% of turpentine. | | | | technique. Like music where there are seven |
| Tip 7. Canvas Cleaning | | | | notes, seven keys, and within each there are |
| Before each new layer the canvas (ideally dried | | | | seven more. 7 days in a week. 7 Layers of Paint. |
| during 7 weeks) is carefully wiped with a half of | | | | Each layer in oil painting must dry for seven |
| an onion (in order to prepare the dried surface to | | | | weeks. The energy which we receive from old |
| absorb better) and then with linseed oil. After that | | | | paintings in museums, like ghosts in old castles |
| the canvas is wiped with a soft piece of cloth. | | | | with old paintings, is related to this magic figure. |
| Tip 8. Mixture | | | | |