Scumbling along!

Kimberly Dow · 03-09-2004, 09:50 PM

Ah, ok. Thank you for explaining Tom & Beth. I've been using this technique all along and did not know it.

Tom Edgerton · 03-09-2004, 10:43 PM

Beth--

Almost, but to me it's not whether your underpainting is monochromatic or colored, it's whether your new wet layer is transparent (glaze) or opaque (scumbling).

But again, anything further from me is putting too fine a semantic point on it.

Best--TE

(Nice skin tones on your Bouguereau exercise, by the way.)

Terri Ficenec · 03-10-2004, 01:46 PM

How does Fat over Lean work with this?

Just started doing this with my last painting but am wondering if this is the right way. I've been painting with cold-pressed linseed oil very thinly (stretching it out, then brushing off any excess) on top of a (dry) section of painting then painting into that linseed oil either thinly/transparently like a glaze or more thickly/opaquely like a scumble- and probably in-between like translucent too. I'm not using anything but the linseed oil and the paints. Its really easy to get nice soft blends this way, or alter colors. It's been fun.

But is this the right way to do this?

Is the glaze/scumble layer then really 'fat'.... And how do you make sure that the next layer is as fat or fatter? How long does a glaze layer like this need to dry before you put another layer over it (it seems to go through a time where it's kind of tacky and it's not a good time to mess with it)? If it's dry to the touch - is that enough? And can you only paint more 'glaze' type layers over it? Is it OK to 'scumble' over an area that was previously glazed (like if you need to make a correction)? Or would the scumble be leaner than the glaze?

I've been painting additional 'oiled-in' layers over top once the layer below is dry to the touch... is this sound? I'm loving this, but don't want to be abusing the technique!

Tom Edgerton · 03-10-2004, 08:28 PM

Quote:

But is this the right way to do this?

Is the glaze/scumble layer then really 'fat'.... And how do you make sure that the next layer is as fat or fatter? How long does a glaze layer like this need to dry before you put another layer over it (it seems to go through a time where it's kind of tacky and it's not a good time to mess with it)? If it's dry to the touch - is that enough? And can you only paint more 'glaze' type layers over it? Is it OK to 'scumble' over an area that was previously glazed (like if you need to make a correction)? Or would the scumble be leaner than the glaze?

I've been painting additional 'oiled-in' layers over top once the layer below is dry to the touch... is this sound? I'm loving this, but don't want to be abusing the technique!

Terri--

Fat over lean is the ideal, but it's also the thing oil painters obsess over WAY too much. Oil painting is a very muscular, forgiving medium, and will take a lot of experimentation and idiosyncratic technique before imploding on you. So don't worry so much. As Mr. Silverman once said in a demo, "Concentrate more on making better art...If it's good, somebody will be around later to take care of it."

"Oiling out" is a legitimate technique, but the key is not to let the applied oil get too soupy. Wipe on a LIGHT layer with a clean, lint-free cloth. Old tee shirts are great. You can then scumble or glaze to your heart's content. Of course you can scumble over a dry glaze, and vice versa. If the underlying layer is too tacky to work wet-in-wet, it's better to let it dry to touch before working over it, as working over tacky or sticky paint will cause it to wrinkle. (Experience will teach you when something is really dry or only skinned-over.) Then either jump in again, as I do, or oil out and proceed as you wish.

Again, oils are very forgiving of individual technique--it's not rocket science or high-level chemistry, more a product of experimentation, experience and intuition. You don't have to feel as if you're walking on eggshells. But for a well-rounded view, read previous posts on oiling out to get a wide range of opinions.

Best--TE

Terri Ficenec · 03-10-2004, 11:37 PM

Tom - Thanks! I do tend toward worrying too much about things... it does help to get some reassurance!

And Beth, thanks for bringing up the topic... What a difference the scumbling has made in your two images above! The color shift between your 'before' and 'during' photos was a result of the glazing/scumbling (rather than an artifact of lighting in the photos), yes?