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portrait painting
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Message
Posted
Um .... I didn't notice that bit about the hairspray; there is of course the more expensive product known as fixative, which isn't the same as hairspray, and yet I wonder if it's a good idea to paint over either. I've never come across this practice before: if I want to fix a pencil drawing, I use a thinned down acrylic or oil paint over the lines, or transparently over the whole thing - yes, it'll smear slightly, but better that than have a questionable surface.
This is beyond my level of expertise - on the one hand I would expect the water in acrylic paint to mix with and disperse the spray, but that rather depends on what the spray consists of. I will investigate, as best I can, by asking a few experts I know of.
Posted
How do, AG - you may be right, but I thought it would be useful to seek a bit of very expert advice, so have done so. Will let you know if anything turns up - it's difficult for me to theorize about this, because there are a number of technical issues; eg, if the hairspray is shellac, almost certainly (big word, that 'almost') the wet or at least moist paint will dissolve it anyway, and mix a little with the paint, but not I would imagine in sufficient quantity to affect adhesion. What acrylic won't stick to, as of course you know, is any sort of oil or grease; my only concern about the practice you've adopted (and presumably you've had some of these canvases for a good many years now?) is that I know fungicide, as applied to some canvases and boards from, particularly, India can repel acrylic paint. But if they're going to do so, you know that pretty quickly - i.e. while you're still painting, or at worst when you try to varnish.
Obviously you won't be applying coats of the stuff. But if there is a concern, better to know it than not.
Posted
AG, and Marialena - I have consulted the greatest authority I know on paint chemistry (George O'Hanlon, the US paint-maker who runs the Natural Pigments website). To summarize his opinion, it is that provided you are keeping the spray to a minimum you're not likely to run into problems with oil or acrylic over the top: it won't form an impermeable layer- but he recommends that if you are going to keep on fixing your drawings, you use a fixative made for artists' purposes - the cost difference is minimal, but it contains fewer possibly problematic ingredients.
I would still be a happier little painter if you used a transparent glaze of acrylic paint, or even dilute medium, over your drawing (I realize this is bound to make it a little harder to see): or strengthened the drawing by just going over the lines with very thin paint: but from what I've read over the last few hours, and speaking to George online, I believe that provided you're painting on an acrylic 'gesso', the spray won't cause delamination or poor adhesion, other things being equal.
If you are at all worried - and you didn't actually seem to be, because you've taken advice before - an inquiry to the makers of your usual paints should put your mind at rest (or not: but as I said before, good to know one way or the other).
Posted
Oh we've wandered about a bit! However - a) Syd, your wife being fond of you will be a bit concerned by anything that makes you look less than perkily vibrant: but you look fine to the rest of us - not that we're not fond of you too; b) (bloody) hairspray - yes, it should never be used on paper, or on work you're trying to protect, because it deteriorates and leaches out anything on which it's applied - and if I were AG I wouldn't use it, but I would also say the way he uses it isn't as a permanent coating but as a temporary measure to stop pencil marks polluting his paint: as such, I do doubt that it's an ideal method, to be honest, but I don't think it's going to be lethal, i.e. cause delamination, either.
George O'Hanlon did also point out, to be quite fair at the possible cost of boring everyone into fits, that this has never been subject to rigorous testing - and that Marialena 'might have a point' about it being a damaging practice, no one really knows; but it's highly unlikely to cause paint to peel off using AG's method.
Phew..... right, now we're really off course, but as Syd philosophically remarks, it's all grist to the mill.
Posted
I've never attempted a portrait in acrylics Syd, but I've painted a few in oils. They're a bit out of my comfort zone, but quite enjoy them. First one is me in oils done with a palette knife - rattled this off in an evening:
The second is a sommission that went slightly wrong as the subject didn't like it, but I'm fairly chuffed with it:
Anth.
The second is a sommission that went slightly wrong as the subject didn't like it, but I'm fairly chuffed with it:
Anth.
Posted
Thanks for the responses to my daubings - there's some beautiful work here, particularly like the looser style of some of the portraits. Mine are funny - the Russian woman is 'me', my style, whereas the selfie was totally out of my comfort zone. I've experimented with palette knife since and just can't seem to 'get it'.
Posted
The answer to Geoff's rejection is FASHION. But you might be even more taken aback if you saw their (judges) pick. Whats fashionable, whats the latest think. I do not mean to be disrespectful to judges, but many times I do wonder if some have a solid art foundation background for judging. Its a funny old nut the art world.
Posted
Marjorie I am just talking in general terms. But I have seen the most super pieces of art turned away so many times throughout my experience of entering work for exhibitions. Don't let so-called rejections put you down Geoff. I have never done well at exhibitions but have had my work on display in topnotch museums, galleries and the best prestigious art and craft shops. I do remember talking with a fellow artist once. I was tried to get into an annual exhibition more than once. My fellow artist had been trying for many a year. He said, "one year I did manage to catch their eye." The penny dropped for me and I thought yes that it, just catching someones eye. Press on you did not choose art, art choose you.
Posted
I am terrible at portraits. I can get a good likeness if I use a photo and a grid, but I can't do them from life and copying from a photo isn't the same (I don't see anything wrong with using photos, but I just wish I could do them from life).
I've been limbering up to painting a self-portrait for a few years now. My plan is not to do a typical head-and shoulders picture, more of a scene with me in it, with a number of symbolic things. It's going to be partly from photo and partly from life. If I ever get it started (or even more unlikely, finished) I'll share it here.
There is some really good work in this thread. Maybe I'll start off with a pencil drawing before going for the paint.
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