Post by Cynthia Houppert on Aug 4, 2003 14:10:27 GMT -5
Obviously, to be successful in the art market, the artist has to be prolific enough to create a consistent body of work. In galleries, Internet or land-based, a body of work means, depending on the size, around 10 or 12 pieces for inventory. Since museums expect a gallery solo show from the artist every other year, (the reasoning behind the ideal number of 24 artists in a land-based gallery) the contemporary artist is expected to complete vast amounts of work within the shortest time period. Furthermore, the collector requires that the work maintain its permanence. In acquiring work of heirloom quality, it is anticipated that the work will exist for the following generation without having to resort to the expense of art conservators replacing cracking, peeling paint.
The question is how to produce that much work in the shortest time period and maintain the quality. For oil painters, the issue is drying time. You are all aware of the work of the Old Masters and the time they spent waiting for burnished glazes to dry before adding another layer. You have noticed that their works that we see today are riddled with craqulures and fissures on the picture's surface. That is because paint films dry in layers. Exposure to atmospheric conditions have caused the paint film to expand and contract, causing tiny breaks in the surface.
Thanks to modern chemistry, the oil painter often seasons the paint mixture with metallic salt (driers) , to speed up the drying process and a dash of Dammar varnish for flexibility. Metallic salts, derived from cobalt or manganese, are cooked in linseed oil or naphtha. Used sparingly, less than 1% to the painting mixture, Cobalt Linoleate accelerates the drying and oxidation of paint film by as much as eight to ten hours. Subject to darkening and yellowing, used in excess it creates a sticky paint that does not work well on Impasto or thick paint.
To counter the cracking that comes with using a drier, Dammar varnish is used to give the paint film flexibility. An organic substance derived from the Dammar fir it is tapped from the tree. It should be noted that if using the organic version of Dammar in the paint mixture a synthetic version should be used, for the final varnish or vice versa, to avoid the paint lifting at cleaning time.
Dammar varnish, when used alone, creates a brittle surface and linseed or stand oil dries with a soft, oil finish. Combined, they compensate for the other's weakness. Turpentine is then added to make the thick mixture more fluid and brushable. Alla Prima paintings finished in "one sitting" can use the following recipe. To accelerate the drying time, add 10 - 15 drops of Cobalt Linoleate drier for a well-seasoned painting that will stand the test of time.
RECIPE 1
2 parts dammar
2 parts linseed oil
2 parts gum spirit turpentine
The formula is by volume using the 5# cut solution of Dammar. Clifford T. Chieffo provides an excellent source on the chemical properties of paints, oils and solvents in The Contemporary Oil Painter's Handbook, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliff, NJ.
Cynthia Houppert eMail: Cyndij@cowboyenterprises.com
Author, Art Gallery Safari: Bagging the Big One
www.cowboyenterprises.com/id34.htm
For questions:
www.allexperts.com/displayExpert.asp?Expert=54061
The question is how to produce that much work in the shortest time period and maintain the quality. For oil painters, the issue is drying time. You are all aware of the work of the Old Masters and the time they spent waiting for burnished glazes to dry before adding another layer. You have noticed that their works that we see today are riddled with craqulures and fissures on the picture's surface. That is because paint films dry in layers. Exposure to atmospheric conditions have caused the paint film to expand and contract, causing tiny breaks in the surface.
Thanks to modern chemistry, the oil painter often seasons the paint mixture with metallic salt (driers) , to speed up the drying process and a dash of Dammar varnish for flexibility. Metallic salts, derived from cobalt or manganese, are cooked in linseed oil or naphtha. Used sparingly, less than 1% to the painting mixture, Cobalt Linoleate accelerates the drying and oxidation of paint film by as much as eight to ten hours. Subject to darkening and yellowing, used in excess it creates a sticky paint that does not work well on Impasto or thick paint.
To counter the cracking that comes with using a drier, Dammar varnish is used to give the paint film flexibility. An organic substance derived from the Dammar fir it is tapped from the tree. It should be noted that if using the organic version of Dammar in the paint mixture a synthetic version should be used, for the final varnish or vice versa, to avoid the paint lifting at cleaning time.
Dammar varnish, when used alone, creates a brittle surface and linseed or stand oil dries with a soft, oil finish. Combined, they compensate for the other's weakness. Turpentine is then added to make the thick mixture more fluid and brushable. Alla Prima paintings finished in "one sitting" can use the following recipe. To accelerate the drying time, add 10 - 15 drops of Cobalt Linoleate drier for a well-seasoned painting that will stand the test of time.
RECIPE 1
2 parts dammar
2 parts linseed oil
2 parts gum spirit turpentine
The formula is by volume using the 5# cut solution of Dammar. Clifford T. Chieffo provides an excellent source on the chemical properties of paints, oils and solvents in The Contemporary Oil Painter's Handbook, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliff, NJ.
Cynthia Houppert eMail: Cyndij@cowboyenterprises.com
Author, Art Gallery Safari: Bagging the Big One
www.cowboyenterprises.com/id34.htm
For questions:
www.allexperts.com/displayExpert.asp?Expert=54061