Art Variety

Ladies and gentlemen, this is perhaps one of the most debated things in the history of the world. It’s not because it’s particularly difficult, or even demanding, but because everyone has done this at least once. Everybody has their own opinion as to how things should be done, and Lately, I have had the privilege of painting several rooms, which has been a rewarding, if not occasionally frustrating endeavor. Since I have done this, and spent plenty of time in the paint shop talking with some pros, I feel at least moderately qualified to give you instruction. Oh, I also made a ton of mistakes, and picked up a few handy tricks along the way.

So, without further ado, let’s get to the instructions. The first thing you will need to do: Shop for supplies. There are a ton of things you will find over in the paint section of your home improvement store. Fancy gadgets abound there, and while it might be great to have a specialized tool for edging the inside corner of a wall, chances are, you will not need it. You will need a few basic supplies to get started:

1-2 drop cloths: The ones with paper on one side, and plastic on the other are very easy to manage

1 good roller with 2-3 good quality roller covers: Good rollers with smooth rolling action cost around 8 bucks. Don’t cheap out here.

1 paint tray with plastic inserts: Paint tray inserts cost around $0.70 each, and will save you quite a bit of scrubbing. Once you are done with them, they are easily disposed of. Trash ‘em, and put in a brand new insert.

2-3 quality brushes in widths from 1-3″: Good brushes are expensive, but you can get a package for around $18 that contains 3-4 brushes at a discount. Purdy and Wooster are two excellent brands. These will be used for trim and detail work.

1-2 rolls of painter’s tape: There is some surprisingly bad news on this front. The blue tape that you always see touted as painter’s tape is far too sticky, and can rip the paint off the wall. It also allows paint to bleed through, and mar an otherwise freshly painted wall. We learned this the hard way while painting the trim. There is a much better tape available, called “Green Frog”. This tape peels off without taking the paint with it, or allowing nearly as much bleed through. It’s about $10 for 300 feet. It will be worth the $3 premium you pay, and will keep you from a world of annoyance.

1 small can of vinyl spackle, and a cheap, plastic spackling knife: You will need these to fill in various holes in your wall, along with minor dents. Anything more, and you may be looking at minor sheetrock repair.

1 pack of 120 grit sandpaper: You will be using this to rough up the surfaces, and sand down any mounds of material left over after spackling.

These are the supplies you need to apply the paint. In addition, we need to talk about the dirtiest part of painting: Getting rid of the previous color. This will be done through the application of a primer/sealant. If you skip this step, you are asking for trouble. The main problem lies in the fact that the old color will affect the tint of the new color. That’s all well and good, if you like a little “lime green” in your “linen white” wall. Otherwise, follow the next few steps I am giving you to the letter.

First, remove all your outlet and lightswitch covers. Then, go through, and fill any holes you find in your wall with spackle. Let that junk dry for an 2-3 hours. Come back and sand it down, along with any other rough or raised spots on your wall. Then, coat the wall with primer. While the most popular brand is Kilz, you will find that the best coverage comes from a brand call Bullzeye 1-2-3. If I am not mistaken, it is manufactured by a company named “Ziff”. You may need 1-2 coats of primer to fully neutralize the former color. If you are painting the trim a different color, go ahead and prime it at the same time you are doing the walls. You will need to wait a couple hours between each coat of primer.

Now, it is time to apply your paint. Chances are, you may already have your paint selected. If so, there is no advice I can give, because you are stuck with the stuff. If you have not yet selected it, I urge you to go down and buy paint from your local Benjamin Moore store. While Lowe’s and Home Depot’s paint regularly win Consumer Reports’ choice for best paint, these paints are not judged by what matters to a professional. If you read the forums as much as I did before making my purchase, you will find that Ben Moore will always come out on top. Its coverage is unsurpassed, as is its ability to self-level and give you an even coat. I used it for my entire house. You will pay twice what you pay for a gallon of Lowe’s paint, but you will get nearly double the coverage, and a much more colorfast paint once it cures. That’s my two cents.

Since I have now stepped down off my soapbox, I will now get back to the painting. Open your paint using a flathead screwdriver, and then mix it thoroughly until each stir produces a consistent color. Pour it into the tray containing the insert. Now, take a 1.5-2″ brush, and paint next to the molding, and along the baseboard, in the same color that you will be doing the wall in. This is called “cutting in”. Once you have done this, it’s time that you begin rolling the wall.

Put the roller cover on the roller, and move it back and forth in the paint, until the entire cover is saturated with paint. The tray will usually have bumps on the side nearest you. Roll it over these to make sure the roller is not oversaturated. Then, paint a giant “V” on the wall. Use consecutive strokes of the roller to fill in-between the V for coverage. Do this for the remainder of the room. Let it dry for 2-3 hours, until it is fully dry to the touch around the entire room. If you see any drips or runs that have dried, take this time to briskly and lightly sand them until flat. Examine the coat for any thin coverage or any inconsistencies in color. Recoat it as necessary. I like to do 2 coats of paint, just to make sure everything looks even. Wait at least 4-5 hours, and once again make sure it is dry to the touch everywhere in the room. The longer wait time is due to the fact that you will be applying tape to the surface next.

Now that your walls are fully dry, apply tape flush next to your molding and baseboards. Watch out for any miniscule gaps or wrinkles in the tape. For manageability, I suggest breaking the tape off every 4 feet or so. Any longer than this, and it becomes hard to keep the length of the tape flush against the moulding. Take some primer, and go over any spots that you may have accidentally painted with the wall color. Let it dry. Then, paint the trim. You should probably be using a semi-gloss for this. I would also recommend 2 coats for the molding as well. As soon as you finish painting the second coat, get your tape off the wall. If you don’t, you have a far greater chance of trim paint bleeding onto your wall.

Think you are finished? Wrong. When you pull the tape off, there will inevitably be small smears of the trim color that invade your primary wall cover. This is not a problem. Just take a small, cheap, 3/4″ inch artist’s brush from any Wal-Mart, and use it to paint over any minor mistakes. Force it lightly behind the the molding if you would like to sharpen the line between the wall and trim. This slightly tedious, but this method will give you the most professional results possible.

In addition to slight messes on the wall, you will inevitably get some paint on your carpet, hardwood floor, or linoleum. This can be fixed in a matter of minutes. Just get some nail polish remover with acetone, and apply a liberal amount to the spot(unless it is hardwood floor, then just put a little on a rag, and apply directly to the affected area). Scrub it vigorously, and the paint will come right up. It will not take the color out of your carpet. I know, because I had quite a bit of cleanup to do myself. Clean your brush out by soaking it in warm, soapy water for a bit, and then rinse it out underneath your faucet. If you take care of the brush properly, it will last you for many years to come.

Now that I have you started, I’ve got to go. There are a few more rooms that need my attention, and I don’t want to miss out on the fun. Good luck.

History

Encaustic is considered one of the most ancient painting mediums in the world. The word “encaustic” comes from the Greek encaustikos, “to burn in,” referring to the process of fusing the layers of paint together. The oldest surviving use is the famous Fayum portraits painted on tombs from Roman Egypt around 100-350 A.D.  After disappearing for much of history, it was revived in the 1950s by Jasper Johns, who is often considered the father of contemporary encaustic painting. He used the medium most famously in his Flags and Target paintings.

Materials and Tools

Encaustic paint is usually made from beeswax, damar resin, and pigment. The beeswax has a relatively low melting point, approximately 150F, and is strained multiple times to remove impurities.  Because of this low melting point, damar resin is added, which serves both to raise the melting point to about 165F and to act as a hardening agent, so the encaustic has a slightly enamel finish when cool.  

Beeswax, being both a sealant and a preservative, allows for various materials such as paper to be collaged into the work.  As long as the paper is completely covered by the paint it will not degrade because the wax seals it off from oxygen.

There are several tools needed: first is a heat source. This can be as cheap as a hot plate or pancake griddle, or fancy ones can be bought from R&F Paints. Most artists keep the griddle temperature anywhere between 180F and 230F. The paint itself can be bought readymade (it can also be made from scratch, although that is beyond the scope of this article) and comes in blocks.  These are melted down on the griddle in anything metal - old soup cans, muffin tins, etc. New colors can be made by mixing paints together when molten; they don’t tend to mix on your ground because the paint begins to harden as soon as it is taken away from the heat source. Colors can also be extended or become more translucent by adding encaustic medium. Medium is just the beeswax and resin without any pigment; it is completely clear in its molten state. 

Encaustic is compatible with a few other mediums: oil paint, pigment sticks, and oil pastels can be added to the painting in addition to the encaustic. Anything plastic or water-based, like acrylics or watercolors, is not compatible. 

There are also particulars to the ground used. The support must be both rigid and absorbent. If it is not rigid (like canvas stretched over stretcher bars) the painting may crack, usually because of the weight of the wax in the middle of the canvas.  If it isn’t absorbent enough the encaustic might later begin to peel away from the ground. For this reason, acrylic gesso and oil primer also cannot be used. Some possibilities for supports and grounds: wood panels (luan, birch, plywood), claybord, untempered masonite, hardboard primed with Holy Grail, or raw canvas stretched over board or wood panel.

The final major tool that is needed is something to reheat and bind every layer to the one beneath it. Proper fusion is necessary so that the layers of paint do not separate over time, and so that air bubbles do not form between them, which can lead to chipping. Many different tools will achieve this: tacking irons, propane or butane torches, heat guns, etc. Heat guns are probably the safest and one of the easier tools to use because they don’t have an open flame, they often come with multiple temperature settings, and the stream of hot air can be used to blow the paint in various directions. The precise temperature and distance that the tool is held from the surface of the paint can vary and require experimentation. Different temperatures and distances yield different results.  Encaustic cools in seconds, but fusing tool can be used to reheat and rework the painting at any time - even years later.

The paint can be manipulated with anything you can find: palette knives, dental tools, even fingers. Brushes should be natural hair bristles; most artists use one brush per color and keep them lying on the griddle so they stay warm. Encaustic is conducive to heavy layering, so paint can be added and scraped back: it is both a positive and a negative process. 

Safety

Encaustic should never be heated so high that it smokes, which means that it is giving off toxic fumes. Depending on the griddle or hotplate being used, the paint usually doesn’t start to smoke until 250F. Below this point, encaustic does have a unique scent. To most people the aroma is slightly sweet, because of the beeswax, but some find that it causes headaches, nausea, dizziness, breathing difficulties and other respiratory problems, although it is not toxic. Your studio should always be well ventilated with exhaust fans or a ventilation hood. 

The flash point of encaustic (the temperature at which the vapor directly above the paint ignites) is 385F. Obviously, the paint should never be heated this high. 

Water should never come into contact with the molten wax because it can explode. 

As oil paint is compatible with encaustic, flammable liquids like turpentine will probably be involved. These chemicals should always be kept far away from heat sources.  The amount of oil paint used should also be taken into consideration. Encaustic “hardens,” and oil paint “cures,” thus there should not be equal amounts of the two materials or the finished painting will not harden or cure. As long as there is more encaustic than there is oil paint, the painting will dry fine. 

Finally, there are a series of safety precautions associated with dry pigments, which is only used when making your own encaustic paint.

Finished Paintings

Once the painting is considered finished and has cooled, there is nothing more that needs to be done - varnish or something similar is not necessary. The painting can be buffed with a paper towel or a soft cloth, which removes bloom (any impurities in the paint that have risen to the surface during the hardening process), dust, dullness, and restores the surface to a glossy finish. The hardening process will actually continue for a long time and it may need to be buffed every so often to remove any bloom that develops at a later time.

The paint is stable in temperatures ranging from approximately 40F-110F. In cold temperatures it will shrink slightly and if it is very cold it may *****. In high temperatures the paint might soften but there should not be any lasting damage.  Paintings should be hung out of direct sunlight.

 

If you are planning to repaint a room in your home, consider changing the colors. This can give a greater sense of change and satisfaction. Nothing can improve the overall appearance and image of a room as a change of color. Painting can improve the look and feel of a room at an affordable price. There are several things you can do to increase the beauty of a room and at the same time decrease the effort and cost involved with painting. Listed below you will find interior painting tips that will increase your painting performance and decrease your work load.

Make Sure You Are Properly Equipped

1. Make sure you have enough plastic or drop cloths to cover all your flooring and furnishings. Keep all areas covered always. Cover up may take you only 10 or 15 minutes, but clean up can cost you hours.

2. Make sure you have sheet rock mud and sand paper to repair any dinks in the wall. When you apply the sheet rock mud, apply only a very thin layer. A thin layer of mud will help avoid a lumpy look in your walls and it will sand flat very quickly. The biggest mistake most people make is applying way to thick of a coat of sheet rock mud. Thick mud requires a lot of sanding and isn’t necessary. 3. Use a quality brush. Cheap brushes do not perform as well as quality designed brushes. They do not spread paint as evenly or cut in corners as accurately, costing you time and quality of work.

4. Keep 2 or 3 roller naps available with a nap thickness of ½ inch to ¾ inches. If you rinse a roller nap after painting the ceiling, you will need a dry nap to roll your walls. Avoid the dirt cheap roller naps. You want be happy with the nap fibers they leave in your freshly painting walls.

5. Be sure and purchase the blue masking tape designed especially for painting. When you are ready to paint your trim you will want to mask off your walls. Apply pressure along the tape line so that it lays completely flat. This will help prevent paint from seeping under the edges of the tape and compromising the straight line. Give your walls a day of dry time before masking. Masking your walls will allow you to create professional straight trim lines.

More Time Saving Tips

1. The proper order for painting is to always paint your ceilings first, then your walls, and then lastly, your trim. When you roll your ceilings, it creates a mist that can settle on your walls. In addition, you may drip paint on your walls. It makes sense to paint the ceilings first because you will be covering the drips and mist from the ceiling with wall paint when you paint the walls. The same holds true for the trim. You will drip wall paint on the trim and create a roller mist that will settle on the trim. Painting in the order I have described will save you a lot of time, because you are not having to go back and redo areas that you have messed up.

2. I recommend cleaning your brush after you are through painting for the day. Most non professional painters get a lot of paint all over the handle and bristle retainer. For the protection of the brush against dried paint and for a fresh start with a clean brush on a new day, then clean it. If you are absolutely rushed for time, then place the brush in a plastic bag and freeze it. When you are ready to resume your painting project, take it out of your freezer and let it thaw. A clean dry brush always gives me a mental advantage when tackling an interior painting project. Complement Your Hard Work with Quality Paint Interior painting is hard work, so why cheapen the quality of your hard work by using inferior paint.

Here are 7 good reasons to use a top grade paint.

1. It last longer. 2. It’s easier to clean up without damaging the paint.

3. It covers the old wall color better saving you application time.

4. The color tones are often richer.

5. Top grades of paint usually have mildew inhibitors in them, allowing you to use them in bathrooms and other areas that have high moister.

6. The top grade interior paints hold their color better over time

7. The satisfying feeling that you put the very best into your interior painting project.

Some people just plane **** to paint. Others look forward to the challenge and the feeling of accomplishment. Others enjoy the change in atmosphere the new colors can make to their home. Whatever the reason, following these interior painting tips can save you time, produce a better looking room, and make the project more enjoyable.

Chinese oil paintings and realist oil painting

Chinese oil paintings since the beginning of the fall, and “realism” and “realist painting” has a natural link, or from a certain sense, the beginning of the period of Chinese oil paintings is the “realist painting.” Chinese oil painting in the way of development, “realism” and “realist painting” has always been associated with it.

     Chinese oil paintings and the history of the development of China’s social and cultural development, changes in the history closely linked, it is accompanied by a knowledge of Western and other natural and cultural knowledge to enter China. The starting point for the development of Chinese oil paintings, is well documented from the Ming Dynasty in Ningbo, Zhejiang Jiajingnianjian the Portuguese in the establishment of the Hong Kong Trade Shuangyu base, the painting will bring this art form in China. Later in the Wanlinianjian (European Renaissance painting at this time is an important period in the history of the development), due to religious reasons, the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci to a painting of God, Our Lady of the paintings to China. According to records, the 1610 Tour Wen-hui’s “portrait of Matteo Ricci” has realistic approach, clearly the relationship between brightness, which can be deduced, You Wenhui of China earlier study and practice of European oil paintings. To the Qing Dynasty, many Western missionaries for the court is satisfied that, with the Qing Emperor Kangxi in Beijing between the missionaries and Gongtinghuashi Lang Shining as the representative, he worked in China, the life of 51, after Emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong three dynasties . He used the Western oil painting concepts to the performance of the Chinese characters “Xiangfeirongzhuang map”, opened a real painting with Chinese content of the precedent. Some scholars believe that this also is China’s realist painting “The first map.” The development of early Chinese oil paintings are generally three ways, first missionary to preach the culture, and second, followed by the court to accommodate the culture of painting, and the third is in the cultural and economic exchanges in the “civil painting.” Chinese oil paintings start from the beginning with “realism” style. Some scholars from the Guangdong exported start painting on that Guangdong is the birthplace of Chinese oil paintings, where you can find Chinese realist painting at the initial start of the cultural and artistic works. Some scholars from the Shanghai Museum soil Hill Bay Exploration focus on painting, oil painting that China’s modern master Xu Yong-ching, Ding stunning, ZHOU Xiang, Zhang Hui charge, Zhang Yuguang, such as Ren Bonian, “have received here in Western art education . Territories Bay Hill painting in the Museum, is the court in the northern West painting interrupted,”the Guangzhou coastal export oil painting after painting”in the re-rise of China and Turkey. Although the time across a century, but the history of Shanghai has once again chosen to Western painting East wind of a historic turn for the better, but also laid the future Shanghai will become the basis of a major Chinese oil paintings. “Soil Bay Hill Museum paintings produced sculptures, practice painting, oil painting and home-made paints, specialized manual sketching, realistic atmosphere rich, To become “China’s cradle of Western painting.” Chinese oil painting in the process of development, Transocean Xunmeng, gains Western Modernist painting of the first practice, also gains the Lingqi realist painting, mechanical Moreover, the two can not be separated. “Westernization Movement” to promote Chinese painting in the spread of emerging art education has driven the rise of realism style. The rise of Western painting groups also promote the development of China’s realist painting. Founded in Shanghai in 1915’s “Oriental Art” in the form of groups to promote the spread of Western painting, to promote a scientific attitude to artistic creation, to stand as the main means of painting, drawing Dan Gaoxiang take into account indoor and outdoor paint, and actively promote outdoor Painting, further carry forward the style of realism. After the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, Chinese oil paintings into a tortuous and difficult period of development. This “difficult” and the people’s suffering, linked to national survival. Is the most significant artists, in particular, a number of important artists in this period of adversity, in the baptism of war, inspired by passion, real life experience to the suffering and national disaster, in-depth, experience in the rear shoulder Anti-Japanese National Salvation of the great historical mission, this generation of artists in the blood flow to the country and the nation’s destiny, art and life of passion, and the development of Chinese oil paintings were integrated into the subjects of great practical and enhanced the art of profound practical significance.

After new China was founded, the reality of the revolution consciously become the mainstream of Chinese painting art, artists, “as the keynote optimism to the revolution, depicting the revolutionary war and socialist construction in the history of life thriving scene. Uncertainties, accurate and powerful, many Painter common pursuit of the arts realm. “Realist realistic painting was exceptional conditions have been greatly developed. 1955, the Ministry of Culture decided to organize the Central Academy of Fine Arts oil painting courses, employing Soviet the teaching oil painting. courses taught sketching teaching system, students focus on improving the basis for sketching and modeling capability, that art comes from life, to encourage students observe the life and works of attention to the social function, the requirements reflect the fiery creation of real life, and guide students to Themes and topics of the master plot of concern. There is no doubt that this course actively promote the development of China’s realist painting, after training a group of Chinese oil painting industry active in the backbone. Of course, after training in the arts reflect on this practice, there are experts believe the other hand, sketching their teaching methods “and not a sketch of China’s experience in teaching the integration of China’s sketch of teaching methods and style of the sketch based on a single. “In subsequent years, advocates of revolution and revolutionary realism, the combination of romanticism, political and artistic standard, facing the reality of China through ups and realist painting, distort, to reflect on the years and rational thinking. During a return to the reality of the “native intelligence”, advocated by honest approach to the grim portrait of life, to the performance of simple theme Native revealed living in difficult environment in the people’s heat and warmth of the noble dignity. During a realist painting of China’s serious reflection, in summing up both positive and negative lessons for China on the basis of realistic painting of the new knowledge and new exploration. After the seemingly silent and variables, the Chinese contemporary realist painting is still active, being mature. “This door”origin”in the growing depletion of the art form has been dissolved in Chinese people’s aesthetic habits, renewable pleasing to the Chinese oil paintings. Realist painters who are not in order to make an example, it inadvertently to the contemporary Fufan Art presents a necessary accomplishment: To master a kind of art form, is bound to a long-term extraordinary efforts. “

Realist painting walked all the way, hastened the birth of modern Western art of the genre, in the time of the birth of Chinese oil paintings, but also a realist deep zone de Patinagem de traces the art of oil painting. Or that Chinese oil paintings come out in time, undoubtedly have the impression of Western painting and after all the art schools affected, but in essence said that the Chinese oil painting at the starting time of the basic characteristics of a “realist painting.” China’s realist painting of Faren and foreign missionaries preaching the culture is closely linked to that of imported Western painting is not only oil paintings, watercolors, copper engraving, and other kinds of painting, the study of Chinese oil paintings of realism started to explore the introduction of Western art, Depend on a variety of types of art painting and its artistic spirit. The study of Chinese realist painting, but also explore the Westernization Movement, Restoration Reform Movement, the New Culture Movement and other Chinese political and cultural development background, when Kang Youwei Although the history of Western painting there were misreading, but the realism of the Western oil paintings still have problems Insights, in his “Travels 11 countries in Europe,” Rafael praised the painting as “T Yi Yi Miao, lively, more Rao Yun Xiang, Cheng Yi also God,” and “show its health-Yun, who must have independence “And” far from angry, Shenmiao forced true, the name is true also, “These kind words are” realistic. ” Kang Youwei respected realist “classic” and his words deep. Chen Duxiu in the “art of revolution - by Lu Zheng,” also said, “the painter must be realistic, and be able to play to their talent, painting their paintings, ancient Kejiu not charged.” Chen Duxiu on the “art revolution” And “realism” and “spirit of realism,” the idea of the May 4th Movement in the new culture of science, carry forward the spirit of democracy have had a profound impact. Chinese oil paintings in the development process, from time to time there are “local” and “outside,” the academic struggles and the “local” to the advent of Chinese oil paintings dating back over 2,000 years ago with Oil for painting pottery patterns. Academic issues can still explore. And the general sense, of “realism oil paintings and Chinese oil painting”, often starting in the cultural missionaries to preach. Of course, in recent years, there are writings discussed how the evolution of classical realist painting to contemporary “as a new” painting, which involves China should advance with the times realist painting of a problem.

http://www.oil-painting-china.com

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The play of color in a canvas is what can be called as painting. A good painting is an intellectual self-expression of its creator. It requires great aesthetic sense, artistic concepts and creative power to lay down a painting. Various schools of arts have established different theories on paintings.Tips on painting are simple and general guidelines that may help to create various forms of paintings. The amateur painters and the beginners can put a glance on the painting tips before trying their hand out. Our online art gallery will also entertain you with some of the finest paintings in the world. Drop in and get spoilt with choices.

While sketching the under-painting use light pencil or thin acrylic or oil as the base. Under-painting is just the foundation of your painting; so do not thicken it with dark tones. At first try to apply thin and light touches and then cover them up with thick layers. Put your colors on the palette and apply coats using a paintbrush. After application of the first coat let dry and then start applying the second coat.

In case of watercolor painting you can use wet cotton pieces to remove the excess paint from an unwanted area. In case of oil painting you can wipe out a layer by using oil varnish. Be very careful while preparing the mixture of paints and oil in an oil painting. Improper mixture may ***** up the painting. You can use colors having lead or manganese in them, as these enhance the drying process. Do not dry oil painting in the absence of sunlight.

Color and tone are the most important aspects of painting. It is very necessary to understand the visual effect of each shade of colors. Red, green and blue are the primary colors. These colors can create other shades of colors when blended in appropriate portions. If you are not very used to mixing shades then use particular shades that you are acquainted to.

If you are hesitant about how a specific color will look in a particular area then put the color on the palette knife and hold it near the place where you want it to apply and check out how it appears to be. While painting concentrate on your object and try to think it in terms of its dimension that is its shape, size, length, breadth and height. Work on every part of the painting simultaneously. Visualize your painting half closing your eyes from a distance at frequent intervals to get a better perception.

 

For more tips and information on painting pay a visit to our site Ethnic Paintings

 

Before picking up a brush, Learn what lean to fat, value, and more mean and many important terms that you need to learn. Here are terms and tips and every word you need to know about oil painting and it’s necessary termps for producing better paintings.



Long and Short Oil Paint

Oil painting mediums can be used to control the thickness, or consistency, of your oil paint.

Long oil paint means that enough medium has been added that it has very little “peak” (the ability to make small peaks or hills out of the paint) to it. It is smooth and oily. Long paint is used when you want very little brush strokes. Short oil paint is paint straight out of the tube. It is thick and has a lot of “peak” to it, stiff and buttery in consistency.

Some classic mediums are:Linseed Oil, Stand Oil, Safflower Oil, Alkyd Painting Medium etc.



Color Temperature

Color temperature refers to the color’s place on the color wheel. If you divide the color wheel at neutral purple (purple that is neither warm nor cool) and at neutral yellow the wheel will be divided into a “cool” side and “warm” side. Warm colors are colors that have a red tint to them. Cool colors have a blue tint.



Value

Value is the graduation of a color from light to dark. By varying the values in a painting you can achieve what is called contrast, or the sharp difference between light and dark. Adding contrast to a painting adds depth and interest. To see the difference in value in your subject simply put on sunglasses. Your sunglasses will keep you from seeing the actual color, and leave you with just lights and darks.



Layering

There are certain rules that should be followed when painting in oils. These rules keep you from ending up with a muddy mess of a painting.

First, you should always paint from warm to cool, meaning, lay down warm colors first, then cool. This also goes for value, always go from dark to light.

Similarly, you should always lay down your thin paint first (or long paint), getting thicker (short paint) as you go along, using your biggest brush first. Start with big, blocked in objects first, slowly working into more detail toward the end.



* Two typical layering methods for an oil painting as following:

Gesso: Gesso is used to prime a surface or canvass before painting. Basically, it makes paint stick better to the surface. It also keeps it from sinking into the surface. You don’t have to use gesso when painting, but it is worth giving a try.

Varnish: Varnish protects your painting from damage. It is only applied when the painting has thoroughly dried, around six months. Retouch varnish is temporary and can be used as soon as the picture is dry to the touch and can be removed with gum turpentine.

Other familiar ways of layering for oil painting:

1. Canvas

2. Underpainting

3. Thin, long, dark, warm paint

4. Thicker, short, light, cool paint



Now, did you have got an idea about oil painting? try it now!

It’s best to consider what type of brush you are going to use before you begin your next house painting project. there are some important things to consider when purchasing your brushes. As an owner of a painting company for 26 years, I consider the 8 following features when choosing brushes. As a homeowner you should do the same.

1. Will the brush you are considering, pick up and release paint well? How well it holds and releases paint will make a big difference in how long it takes to complete your house painting project.

2. How long will the bristles last. Nylon is the longest-wearing filament used in brushes.

3. How well can the paint brush be tipped? Tipping affects how a brush will spread paint. The tip of the bristles varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some sand the end of the bristles so they are not just a blunt end. Some actually split the tips of the bristle through an abrading method. This makes a difference in how well it holds paint and how evenly the paint brush will spread paint.

4. You should consider how flexible the brush is. A paint brush with proper flex distributes paint more evenly. The brush will also maintain its shape better and give you better control while painting.

5. If you are pushing, pulling or flinging, and spattering paint then you lack proper control. To prevent these problems, invest in good quality brushes. This is the pay off. You save a lot of time.

6. What type of finish you want to achieve? Do you want a fine or course finish? A softer finer filament that has a more finely finished tip will produce a smoother finish. Another payoff is: it will reduce how many times you have to dip the brush. This is another time saving feature.

7. You must consider what type of paint you will be using the brush in. Will you be using oil based paint or latex? Generally you will want to use nylon in latex paint only and China Bristle for oil paint. Even though there is nylon polyester mix brushes on the market that say you can use them in either latex or oil, I find you are better off using China Bristle for oil paints. The solvents needed to clean oil paint out of your brush don’t seem to damage the China Bristle brushes. However, solvents will impact the quality of nylon bristles over time. Also I find that oil paint cleans out of China Bristle brushes in less time than nylon.

8. Be sure and buy the right size brush. The bigger the brush the more paint it will hold, but there are things to consider here.

a. For wide open areas, a brush needs to pick up and hold a lot of paint. You will also want the brush to spread paint evenly as you spread the paint over a distance. This reduces dip and spread time which in turn shortens the time it takes to complete your project. For optimum results, you should consider purchasing several different size brushes. For siding I recommend a 31/2 inch brush. This seems to be an ideal size for siding. The 31/2 inch holds a lot of paint and yet it is not as cumbersome as the 4 inch brush.

b. For trim I recommend a 21/2 or 3 inch sash brush. The angle cut of the sash brush improves your painting performance on trim. The angle and density of bristle of a sash brush make painting trim easier and more efficient. A smaller sash brush is more productive for trim work, where accuracy is needed. The sash brush will make your job of cutting in the trim much cleaner, faster and far less headache than the larger brushes. Don’t use a 21/2 inch sash brush on large wide open areas where you should be using a 31/2 or 4 inch brush for production runs.

There are a number of high quality brushes on the market today. The Purdy line of paint brushes is used most often by my painters for all of the above reasons. You can’t go wrong with a Purdy.

A final point I would like to make is: to a painting contractor time and quality of finish is very important. The less time wasted using cheap equipment the more productive and profitable he will be.

There is a large misconception that the concepts oil paintings and affordable do not go together. This misconception is based on past knowledge, from times when art was only found in museums and in the homes of high society people. However, this perception has gradually changed, and as time went on, society has realized that the concept of affordable art does exist, and people can decorate their homes with affordable art alternatives.

The most popular affordable art alternatives are the oil paintings reproductions. Master pieces created by famous artists are no longer restricted to museums and private collectors. Nowadays, the wide public has a large selection of affordable art at art galleries and online art stores: high quality oil paintings reproductions.

Many places sell oil paintings reproductions of famous artists but also those of less famous painters. All the oil paintings reproductions have been handmade by an unknown artist. Companies hire hundreds of artists particularly for this purpose. This is the reason why this affordable art form is available in many shapes and sizes, in all colors and themes. As a result it is no longer a difficult and intimidating process to change the interior design of your home, or add some color and character to a room. All that you must do is select the painting that is right for you and your room and you have altered the appearance of the room or home.

Before one goes about purchasing the affordable art alternative it is very important to define, in advance, the general criteria’s that you want in your oil paintings reproductions. You must first decide the function of the room, and then match a painting that will achieve that function best. It is always a good idea to keep the color scheme in mind, in addition to the mood of the room. For example, when purchasing an oil painting reproduction for children’s bedroom, it is advised to choose cartoon style oil paintings reproductions, preferably with bright colors, and not a classic Picasso painting.

Although, oil paintings reproductions are more affordable than original paintings, they are both equally majestic. The vibrant colors, sharpness of the images in the painting have a dramatic effect on all those who enter the room. In addition oil paintings reproductions easily translate the image into feelings and mode to the surroundings. Such as a mellow pastel oil painting will create a quiet withdrawing area, and a tranquil landscape, other scenic painting will be the right environment for an office space. All wall décor, and mainly oil paintings, have an impact on all those who enter the room. It is important to remember when choosing oil paintings reproductions, that neither the subject nor the colors should create an overwhelming feeling to the room. There is much significance to the location in which the oil paintings are hung. Careful not to clutter the paintings, this can cause confusion in the room instead of the mood that you were originally aiming for.

In addition to oil painting reproductions being the affordable art of choice, and a more realistic way to decorate one’s home, they also make a special and one of a kind gift. Many artists that make the oil paintings reproductions also make commission oil paintings. In other words, you can ask the artist to make the picture according to your specifications. For Instance, have the artist add your friend’s portrait to a famous scenic painting, originally made by a famous artist, as a unique wedding gift.

Keep in mind that the process of creating handmade oil paintings reproductions is long  and can take up to several weeks to finish. All oil paintings, whether they are originals or reproductions, are made with layers of oil colors. Each layer is heavier and thicker than the one before. It is necessary to wait for the paint to dry between one layer and the other. But in most cases the results are worth the wait.

Having the option of giving a loved one a unique gift such as oil paintings reproductions has always been popular among the art loving community, and lately has been growing more and more popular throughout different classes of society. If once it was considered prestigious to give an artistic oil painting, today it is considered to be an affordable artistic gift for anyone and for any occasion.

It seems that the importance of wall décor and intuitive feeling that one receives from his surroundings have been tied together throughout history. If once people could admire the beauty of oil paintings from afar, the growing trend of oil paintings reproductions has given the average person an alternative. Now any person has a chance for an affordable artistic creation in their home. With oil paintings reproductions as an affordable art alternative, wall décor are no longer the privilege of high society and the more wealthy folks. We all can have a more beautiful home to come to and entertain at.

One of the more frequently asked questions from beginners in oil painting is: How do I get Started? To get started in oil painting is relatively easy. There are some basic supplies that you will need and some basic guidelines to follow. This article will discuss how beginners can get started with oil painting. This article will not teach you how to become a good painter however. In fact, no one can make you a good painter. You can only be taught certain things and it is up to you to take what you have learned and apply it.

Many beginners who are new to the oil painting medium, generally have the same questions. So let’s cover those questions now so that you can begin your painting journey right away.

Oil Painting Supplies

The first thing you will need to do is purchase a few supplies. You need not spend a ton of money on expensive oil painting supplies. Start with the basics as you are only a beginner right now. The goal at this point is to get used to working with your support, brushes, paints and other materials. So expensive supplies will be wasted during this stage.

Supports

You are going to need a support to paint on. There are a number of different supports that can handle oil paint, but for now, start with canvas. Many beginners often ask if a canvas needs any special coating or priming for oil paint. The short answer is yes, but you need not worry about that either. Any local art supply store or online art supply store will have canvases that are already primed and ready to be used.

Oil Paint

Next, you are going to need paint. You do not need an expensive brand of paint. That would again be a waste for beginners. There are less expensive, good quality paints on the market that will work beautifully for your painting needs. Here are a few oil paint brands to test out: WINSOR & NEWTON Winton Oil Colours, GRUMBACHER Academy Oils and DALER-ROWNEY Georgian Oil Colours.

For those of you who may be concerned about the potential hazards associated with oil paints, have no fear. Introducing water miscible oil paints! These paints are fantastic. They can be thinned with water as opposed to using dangerous solvents like turpentine. Here are two brands to try out if you are interested: GRUMBACHER Max Water Miscible Oil Colors and WINSOR & NEWTON Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colours.

Oil Painting Brushes

Having good quality brushes is important. While a good quality brush will not make you a better painter, a cheap brush will only wind up frustrating you. When you use cheap brushes you will see why. Cheap brushes have a tendency to shed hairs that get stuck in the oil paint, which is extremely annoying. Good quality brushes should have stiff hairs and snap back into place when you run your fingers through them. They should be well crafted and sturdy.

You do not need that many brushes for oil painting. I personally only use two types of oil painting brushes: flats and filberts of various sizes. I do have a few rounds and a fan brush on hand, but I almost never use them. I would also recommend that you use hogs hair brushes as opposed to the softer synthetic hair brushes. The synthetic brushes are just too flimsy to handle the oil painting medium in my opinion.

Cleaning your brushes is important, so don’t be careless in this area, especially if you are working with high quality brushes. Many artists recommend turpentine for cleaning brushes, but I simply cannot bring myself to use this stuff. I use a much safer brush cleaning product called “The Masters” Brush Cleaner and Preserver.

I clean my brushes right after a painting session with this product and it works wonderfully. It may take some time to really get your brushes clean, but it is worth the effort. If the brush cleaner does not remove all of the paint, then I use a bit of odorless mineral spirits. I find this a much better alternative to turpentine.

Oil Painting Mediums

What about mediums? Do you need to mix the oil paint with anything or can you use it straight out of the tube? This is another common question amongst beginners. The answer? You do not need mediums to paint with. They are not a requirement, but I find them to be quite helpful.

Most oil paints that I have worked with are simply too stiff right out of the tube for my particular style of painting. Mediums will help dilute the oil paint and make the paint flow better, which means you will be using less paint. Using less paint, means you will save money.

There are many different kinds of mediums that are used for different reasons, like speeding up the drying time of paint, improving gloss, etc. Do not be overly concerned with mediums right now.

I like to start my painting using thinned down acrylic paint. I first tone my entire canvas with a neutral color. I then draw in my composition using different values of the same color. I let this initial drawing dry over night. I then apply the oil paint using the fat over lean oil painting method.

Lighting

This is a very important part of oil painting. Without proper lighting, you will not be able to accurately see your colors. The best kind of lighting is natural sunlight, so if you have the opportunity to paint in a well lit room or outdoors, that would be ideal. Of course not everyone is blessed with this type of situation, so the next best thing is to use lighting that mimics natural sunlight.

This type of lighting is referred to as “full spectrum lighting”. There are number of different full spectrum lighting products available. Just do a search on google for “full spectrum lighting” and you will find a number of websites on the topic.

Safety

Oil painting for beginners can be hazardous if you are not careful, so it is important to take the necessary precautions. Make sure you work in an area that has good ventilation and airflow. Wear disposable latex gloves while painting. Read all manufacturer warning labels carefully.

Some Final Words

As you sit down to start your first painting, remember that you are just a beginner. Your main goal right now is to have fun and get used to working with your oil painting materials. Do not be overly judgmental about your own work. If you do so, you will only wind up getting frustrated. Your first, second, third or even tenth painting may not turn out the way you wanted it to. This is completely normal so do not get discouraged. Oil painting is a difficult medium to master. It takes perseverance so hang in there. I wish you all the best! God Bless.

Being a “Go-To” Painting Company: The Bull in a Bear Market

Much to my wife’s chagrin, I willingly and somewhat credulously engage with some of the more far-flung segments of popular culture—to wit, more often than not I fall asleep listening to a late-night radio host she charitably refers to as “Alien Man.” I won’t bore you with received conspiracy theories or musings from this or that gassy knoll, but I would like to use one of the outer limit’s more interesting fields of endeavor as a jumping point for this article.

Predictive linguistics is, in a nutshell, the belief that within the unknowable magnitude of collected human chatter we might dig out kernels of future events, most often along larger-scale trend lines such as shifts in political climate. The governing logic at work within this study holds that humans both intuit and shape future happenings through language; in other words and on a smaller, cruder scale: get a group of 30 farmers together and give them a few hours to kill in a room miked for sound and by the end of the day, you’ll probably have painted a decent picture of next year’s harvest through careful notation of repeated phrases and tonal patterns.

So, the chicken or the egg? To a predictive linguist, the answer is “both.”

On that note, we’ve all worn our eyes to the quick–and likely lost a few winks as business owners–reading about the economy these last few months. Whether or not the credit crunch leads to further fiscal deterioration, the language concentration centered around ‘downturn’ is unmistakable, and it’s smart business to bet that a relational turn towards ‘value’ will take on a gathering intensity as Wall Street makes its uneasy peace with Main Street.

Indeed, to the savvy business, this fog of uncertainty represents a very real, tangible opportunity for growth: how might a successful painting company watch its billable hours climb out of the ashes of recession?

By adding…value.

Keep in mind that most residential customers see their painting projects as component parts to the greater aim of ‘home improvement’ or ‘beautification,’ and slap a double nickel on that relationship during times of economic hardship. They’re hiring for quality, finish, aesthetic, to be sure; as fingers tighten around purse strings it’s unavoidable that they’re also hiring with an eye on a quantifiable improvement to their initial investment in the residence—in short, they are hiring to add value!

And as surely as your customers will be hiring to add value$, they’ll also be hiring to add valueZZZ…consider how much proverbial—and sometimes literal!–sleep you save your customer by doing all the little things well, by covering all of their bases where possible. Time is always money, remember, and the surest way to add value across the board is by becoming a ‘go-to’ business, increasing your customer’s bottom line by decreasing his bottom time:



‘Go-to’ businesses hire, train, and employ go-to guys: Encourage your painters to develop and build upon small home repair skills whenever possible. A ‘handy’ painter might well save a customer the trouble of finding and locating an electrician, joint man, plumber, etc.

‘Go-to’ businesses use their network of contacts to provide their customers with solutions: Let’s say that during the walkthrough, your customer mentions they plan on an addition to the west wing at some point over the next six months. A ‘go-to’ business checks its contact list for a general contractor in that area and is happy to save the customer extra legwork by making an introduction at the right time.

‘Go-to’ businesses take the extra step, every step of the way: your painters are onsite to beautify and fortify your customer’s home; to that end, why not ask that your painters bring in empty trashcans or recycling bins on trash day, take in the customer’s mail or the paper as a courtesy, dust a coffee table that needs dusting? A ‘go-to’ business treats its customers’ homes as its own, and it holds its painters to that highest standard, seven days a week.



As the old saying holds, the list might well go on, and on–these are but a few examples of ‘go-to’ business practice. But for the most potent distillation of ‘go-to’ philosophy, take a good, long look at the telephone: a ‘go-to’ business functioning at its highest capacity is constantly challenging itself to be that first call for every one of its customers–at every point of the decision-making process.



Are you a ‘go-to’ business? If not, why not?