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At which point do you/did you decide to switch medium?

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Norrette Moore

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Popped into the National Gallery yesterday, to see the Bellottos again before they are split up and dispersed.  As I entered the first picture I looked at was the Veronese "The Consecration of Saint Nicholas" mainly because it was en route and the white shirt took my attention.  (As an aside, how different it is to look at a painting from a painters point of view...) You can see it here: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-consecration-of-saint-nicholas I zoomed in to see how he did it, and took a close up ... Now I suspect that those highlights (which provide the wow factor), took him a few minutes.  I imagined trying in watercolour to get the same effect.  I think it would take hours in planning etc. Thinking I might switch to a non-transparent medium. :-(

Painters-Online Team

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We have just added an article on how to make the switch to oil painting in the techniques area of PaintersOnline https://www.painters-online.co.uk/tips-techniques/oil/articles/make-the-move-to-oil-painting/ Two more parts to the series coming up next month too!

Norrette Moore

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Thank you.  I also thought about making a decision to use white gouache :)
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Don't forget that you can lift paint out in watercolour - with a 'thirsty' brush (preferably) or kitchen towel, or sponge.  Even so, watercolour is probably best reserved for fleeting effects and lively washes - on the whole.  But that's a big generalization. As for switching - why?  Why not work across several media?  I shall read the article linked to above, but doubt it will persuade me that I ought to work in just one medium, when they all offer such different experiences. 
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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I've read it now - it's by Martin Kinnear of the Norfolk Painting School, of course.  There are bits of it I find problematic - eg, Low Odour thinners might not smell, but they're still only marginally safer than Turpentine (if that bothers anyone); safflower oil is a semi-drying oil, not to be compared to Linseed or even Walnut - at least it's much better than sunflower oil, which should be avoided at all costs (because it can re-liquefy); Alizarin Crimson is a fugitive colour in both oil and watercolour (it's not the same pigment in acrylic)  especially in glazes and tints; and 'permanent' Alizarin isn't permanent at all.  I don't start my acrylics (or watercolours) in the way Martin suggests they're started - and there's probably a small host of other things, though my attention span is insufficient to recollect them all without going back to the article, and I'm not really trying to micro-analyse it. However, having said all that - that's a wonderful painting he's working on in the illustration for the article, I completely agree with him about the proliferation of entirely unnecessary terms to confuse the painting process (I did know what ébauche meant, but I've forgotten, at no discernible cost to myself) and of course he's NOT saying 'switch' to oil, but 'add to your repertoire': which satisfies my primary objection before I read it. There are many ways to skin a cat, however (an odd idea of fun, but there you are) and I expect he and I could have a good argument about some of the above.  And more.  But we'd agree on don't switch: add. 
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Oh I can't help stirring the pot, somebody stop me! Switching to oils might not help you all that much with capturing the Veronese effect, because most of us don't use the same quality of white paint: nothing would make his technique easy, but he will have used a lead white, not Titanium or Zinc - no reason not to try with modern whites, but this is one major reason why modern copies of classical paintings never - and for once I do mean 'never' - seem to work.  The handling properties are totally different.   Forgeries are something else again, because the likes of Tom Keating will have used the most authentic materials for the time that they could lay hands on.  

Sylvia Evans

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Oh I did think Tom Keating was brilliant.   Roberts idea of taking out paint with a “ thirsty” brush is a good one .  Gouache or even my beloved Posca pen would also work.  Though I wouldn’t use either of those two on a serious watercolour.  Sketches yes.    Acrylic is fun and dries much more quickly.  Plus you can add white ,scrape  back ,wipe off and generally assault your work.  If you want to of course.  

Alan Bickley

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Interesting article by Martin Kinnear, particularly useful if you’re starting out with oils. I’ve always liked his style and approach to the medium and would love to attend one of his many short courses in Norwich, unfortunately a six hour drive away so that won’t be happening any time soon!
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Same here - long trip to Norfolk and - let us be frank and manly about this - I'm too damn' old. But yes, I'd like to do that, too.  

Norrette Moore

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Thanks all, I will give acrylic a try eventually.  I have something on the go which I lifted out highlights, don't know what happened, but the next day they were filled in again. Maybe there was too much water... or the cheapo paper I'm using whilst practising/learning.

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by Norrette Moore

Bari Marsh

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Good luck with that Norrette, I'm old school when it comes to watercolour never use white it's all in the planning,  Robert is right on the lifting out but you do need reasonable quality paper, there are magic sponges (originally used as household cleaning materials) were developed as insulation for space craft,  excellent for removing watercolour back to white paper..box of 4 in the pound shop .

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by Bari Marsh

Alan Bickley

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I would never recommend adding white to watercolours, you may as well switch to painting with gouache. However, I have no issues with using white, or white with a hint of say raw sienna for picking out a few highlights and small areas of body colour. I’ve used both of these techniques on my recent watercolour series, one of which will feature in the next edition of The Artist. Turner adopted white and body colour in his wonderful watercolour sketches, so if it’s good enough for one of our greatest painters, I guess it’s good enough for me.  I don’t like to enforce limitations on myself for no good reason. If you’re working on tinted paper, which Turner did, you don’t have any choice.

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by Alan Bickley

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