THE OLD MASTER'S TECHNIQUE IN PAINTING Using modern materials as taught by Robert Venosa

I would like to preface these notes with one remark: I think it would be extremely difficult to learn this technique without personal instruction. I highly recommend the workshops given by Robert Venosa, Martina Hoffmann, and Philip Rubinov-Jacobson. Information about their latest workshops can be found on their websites. See the Links page on this site. Also, more information can be found on the website of artist Linda Chido. To see my paintings that illustrate these steps, view these pages: Bowser's Bottle Harebell Faerie Larkspur Faerie Moonbath Columbine Faerie Chimingbell Faerie Muse Faerie  Sacred Thread Mandala Pathways Sueno Dorado Materials: An idea for the painting. For your first painting using this technique, bring a photo of a face. It is helpful to enlarge it at a color copy center. If possible, enlarge it to the size you will want it to be on your painting Tracing paper, Scotch tape, hard pencil, soft charcoal, india ink. Oil paints - Some suggested colors are:Titanium white, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, Burnt Sienna, Ultrmarine Blue, Viridian, Winsor Blue Talens Rembrandt Quick Dry Medium, Available from http://www.arthardware.com/ Pelican Plaka, White. Available from DixieArt.com and Utrecht What is Plaka? The Pelikan website describes it as this: · Universal casein emulsion paint on a water basis · For hobby, decoration, art and craft lessons · Good adhesion on stone, wood, glass, metal, card · Dries silky matt and is water resistant and non-fading Turpentine, a pint. Palette knife Palette - A small (@ 10" x 12") piece of glass works well. Tape the edges for safety. Place on top of a white surface such as a piece of white cardboard. You can see your glaze colors through this. When placed on a dark surface, you can see your Plaka washes clearly, too. Paint brushes - A variety of fine brushes, long bristles are good. A large brush for applying gesso. A large soft brush for applying the ground and glazes to large areas."Schtumpfa" brushes.Round bristles, not too soft, to be used as a pouncer either after applying color with another brush or by direct use. Mahl Stick - A wooden dowel about 3/4" diameter, with a knob on top, used for steadying the hand while painting. Protects work from being smudged by your hand. Some small cups in which to mix your glazes. The cups that attach to the palette are nice for holding extra medium and turpentine. Several rags. A few small jars to save extra glazes, a jar for turpentine. A small container of dish washing liquid for cleaning brushes. A prepared panel (s). See instructions below. Prepare a gessoed panel. 1/4" Untempered Masonite. Or, 1/8" Masonite which must be framed behind to prevent warping. Gesso the panel. If you use a commercial gesso, make sure to thin it out.Paint on 4 to 6 layers, using a large (about 3") brush. Paint each succeeding layer in the opposite direction. Sand after each application of gesso dries. When absolutely dry, sand down panel very smooth. Spray the panel with matte fixative. Draw your idea for a painting. It is best to do a portrait when using this tecnique for the first time. Select a photograph that has interesting light and shadow and shows form. Transfer your drawing onto the panel: Pencil sketch image to be painted onto tracing paper. Rub charcoal behind image on the tracing paper. Tape it up to the panel. Transfer image to panel with hard pencil or ballpoint pen. Dust off extraneous charcoal from board, leaving only image lines. Go over the drawing with india ink. Use a small brush or pen. Apply the ground. This is also called the imprimateur. Mix a rich red-brown color if doing a portrait. ( Burnt sienna or English Red, for example) This paint is then thinned with some Quick Dry Medium (Talens Rembrandt brand is recommended) to a consistency that is dark, but does not obscure the lines of the ink drawing. Using a wide, soft brush, paint over the complete panel quickly. Immediately "pounce" (also called "schtumpfa") the entire panel using a large round brush . Dry the brush off on a rag after every few pounces. Go over the panel to acheive an even, matte ground. Plaka underpainting. In the traditional technique, this step is done using white egg tempera, which can also be used here, if you prefer. We use the Plaka white because it is premixed, permanent, a brilliant white, and does not spoil and smell bad. Plaka thins with water. Brushes are cleaned with water and soap. Plaka can be applied to a wet ground, but it will bead up. This may be useful for creating textures for some of the background. However, the finer work needed for the figure, face, and hair should be done after the ground is dry. The Quick Dry Medium dries overnight sufficiently to begin the Plaka underpainting. The entire painting is done in white upon the imprimateur. We work from the darkness toward the light. Light areas are brought out by building up the Plaka.The cross-hatch technique works particularly well for this. Build up slowly with thin layers rather than applying the Plaka thickly. Really exaggerate the highlights. Be very strong with the underpainting, as it will be subdued by the following steps. Also, it is best to be as precise as possible on this step. Errors can be altered on later steps, but it is best to have the underpainting be precise. On erasing: Of course, this act should be prevented as much as possible.If it is necessary, Plaka can be removed with water on a brush or a soft cloth. Experiments with Plaka: It can also be used freely, as a wash, allowing it to run and "pool" up in areas to create surprise forms, lights, bubbles, jewels. It can be applied with a sponge or different brushes to create textures. When dry, spray the painting thoroughly with a matte fixative. Do this outdoors, away from people and animals. This binds the Plaka to the ground. If you skip this step and then glaze, all your Plaka will melt! When Plaka is painted into a wet glaze, it automatically binds with the paint, and the fixative isn't necessary. Applying the first glaze. This is the process of putting one color over the entire painting. It pulls the entire composition together, keeping the painting unified throughout. For a portrait, use a warm yellow (Yellow Ochre or Cadmium Yellow, for example) Mix the paint with Quick Dry Medium and cover the entire painting. ( You can leave it off the eyes, though) Do it quickly and evenly with a large soft brush. Follow this step immediately with the "schtumpfa" brush. Pounce the entire painting to create a matte surface, evening out all the brush strokes. Glazes - Painting in thin layers of oil paint mixed with medium. In this manner of applying color, one can put one color upon another countless times, and each color will be visible through the one above it. It creates a richness, luminosity, and depth. Tips: Light and Shadows: Light areas always go a bit into the shadow areas, melting the composition together. One always works in layers, beginning with the light effects; later darkening, then highlighting. To create an area going from light to dark or vice versa: Use the in-between color of the dark-light you want . You first cover the area with this middle color. Let it dry. Then, using the "schtumpfa" technique, apply a lighter color from the bottom to the middle. Then with a clean "schtumpfa", go over the entire area, unifying it. Highlight the entire painting again with Plaka. Bring out the highest lights. You don't have to go over everything again. "Optic tones" begin to happen. These are subtle colors that cannot be mixed or created any other way than by this technique. As you go over the form again, you see it begin to really come to life. When dry, spray with fixative. Glaze the flesh areas with a warm tone (Cadmium Red, for example). Accent just the main highlights with Plaka. Paint the rest of the composition with "local colors". These can be glazes or opaque paint ( "a la prima" ) Add the accents to the face: red glaze on nose, lips, neck. Dark paint in the corner of the mouth, eye, nostril. Hair : Put one glaze over the entire Plaka painting of the hair, or put in the light and dark areas of the hair with glazes. When dry, highlight again with Plaka. Repeat until desired effect is reached. Eyes: After doing the Plaka construction, glaze over the entire eye (cornea, iris, and pupil) with a light blue (cerulean blue or cobalt blue, for example). Pounce it with a schtumpfa brush. Use finger on pupil to bring it back out darker. When dry, subtley go over this glaze for highlights with Plaka.The eye can be glazed like this a few times, but wait for each glaze to dry completely before reglazing. You might follow with a pink glaze, then a white.. Then do the local colors. A very thin line of green around the iris softens the edge. Paint a stronger blue in the corners of the eye and outside the cornea to create roundness. Paint white around the iris and parts of eye that are closest to viewer. Paint dark accents on cornea, iris and pupil. We do not recommend a final varnish over a painting done using this technique, as it only detracts from the effects we have tried to achieve. MORE: For transparencies wished during the painting, simply paint with only a glaze over the dry area. Glaze/Turpentine trick to create various constructions: Note: this technique is especially good to create a rock, stone, or earthen effect. Apply one even colored glaze over all. Taking a separate brush (schtumpfa brush is good) dipped in turpentine, wiping off excess, dab over the glaze. The turpentine splits the glaze, coagulates, and creates interesting constructions. These two steps can be used over and over again, for depth purposes. Medium/Turpentine trick to create bizarre imprimateur. A painting can be created from the subconscious using this technique. Put pigments directly on the panel and add medium and turpentine in a free manner, moving it around with fingers, paper, or by tilting the panel. It will form colors and shapes on its own that cannot be created intentionally. Then you look at the paint and see what you see in in, highlight with Plaka, and continue with alternating layers of glazes and Plaka. A FEW RULES FOR OIL PAINTING: Always use the best materials, no matter where you must go to get them. Begin a painting "lean" and finish "fat". There is a greater danger of the painting cracking when oil paint is used heavier in the first session than in subsequent sessions. "Little oil to begin" and "more to finish" is the rule. Two thin coats are usually better than one thick one. Be sure your paint is perfectly dry before painting over it. Otherwise the undercoat will contract as it finishes drying and crack the one over it. Being fresher, it has a different rate of change. If the paint does not "take" well, rub the surface which is too smooth with a little piece of fine sandpaper, some powdered pumice, or water and a stiff brush. Never use any more medium or diluents for the colors than is necessary.Remember that the pigment itself should be the main ingredient. The colors, if permanent, will stay fresh and luminous. Special Notes from Venosa: Keep a close eye on "accidents" and "mistakes". Lessons and enlightenment reside within. This technique is the most magical in giving form, color, and depth to images. Main Objective is to use this technique to discover one's own. This technique is suited to a deliberate, stylistic type of painting, but experimentation is not to be discarded. Never "torment" paint by overmixing. Optical tones are most important. Revolution!! Each painting needs constant revolution! We are keeping a tradition alive. SOME FANTASTIC REALISM PAINTERS: Ernst Fuchs Wolfgang Huttter Anton Lehmden Erich Bauer Rudolf Hausner Mati Klarwein Robert Venosa Giger Phil Jacobson De es Schwertberger