tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73170869732397187082024-03-12T22:10:37.079-07:00Cennini on PaintingRob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-43408558772634574792015-08-08T02:08:00.001-07:002015-08-08T02:08:15.449-07:00Expert artist instructions in Gouache Book<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YnSFzN9BipE" width="480"></iframe><br />Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-21531701828340910712011-11-02T11:33:00.000-07:002011-12-05T11:40:44.248-08:00Art Bootcamp<span style="font-weight:bold;">We're moving our blog discussions over to <a href="http://artbootcamp.blogspot.com/">Art Bootcamp</a> (http://artbootcamp.blogspot.com) and building our art tutorials, lessons and courses on our domain, <a href="http://artbootcamp.com/">ArtBootcamp.com</a>.<br /><br />Please, continue to follow us and join in!</span><br /><br />Thank-you!Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-51274943909733021832011-05-14T08:09:00.000-07:002011-05-14T08:09:21.835-07:00Ria Step-by-step - Cennini Forum<a href="http://www.forums.studioproducts.com/showthread.php?t=31097">Ria Step-by-step - Cennini Forum</a>Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-6155396882384867132011-01-08T01:26:00.000-08:002011-01-09T17:09:54.742-08:00Toward Complete Mastery – I<div>Let’s begin our studies by dispelling some common myths. There is no doubt that talent plays a great part in the creation of great art, but for the basics -- that is, the rudiments such as drawing and painting, the reality is that most of us can do it if we know how. It doesn't take any special skill or any special talent to be able to draw and paint a realistic image. Seriously....I'm not kidding! The basics of accurate drawing and accurate observation of values and colors and color mixing are crafts, and a craft can be learned by anyone.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3XWXgHkUpFeRh0bSUABflvAg_X2EJeCOoYdN5b7_EJpYX9ue3xpCuQTP7_OzuNMWGCCmmpZn_DrD_eVnng7Re0wgyZhT_rMu1ptrqt1JqwUelKgdwxir_ziFvU4HYLnKvVPpLa2DLd0/s1600/GodMakesTheSnake.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 218px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3XWXgHkUpFeRh0bSUABflvAg_X2EJeCOoYdN5b7_EJpYX9ue3xpCuQTP7_OzuNMWGCCmmpZn_DrD_eVnng7Re0wgyZhT_rMu1ptrqt1JqwUelKgdwxir_ziFvU4HYLnKvVPpLa2DLd0/s320/GodMakesTheSnake.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559747539161802002" /></a>This Gary Larson cartoon shows God creating the snakes, but the myths surrounding the creation of heaven and earth has it that God for his very first act created light. And that's what we'll do -- okay we won't create light, but we will learn how to use it as an artist uses light. Light and shadow form the very basis of painting and drawing. Most people become victims of light, that is they accept whatever is given them. If the lights are on in the room…well, that's the light... no questions asked. So they get stuck with the light, usually they're also stuck with the models, along with being stuck with the position in which their easel is placed. No wonder they feel stuck.</div><div><br /></div><div>The purpose of this introduction to lighting is to get us unstuck... and get us unstuck at the very beginning, at the point of light. </div><div><br /></div><div>The best way to understand light is to have a controllable environment, and the most easily controlled environment for the artist is through using a shadowbox. A shadowbox is a relatively easy thing to build in your studio, especially with today's materials. For ours we will be using quarter inch FoamCor, which is readily available at most art stores. We want to use the black FoamCor, which is black on all sides and in the core. FoamCor is very sturdy stuff, easy to cut and work with. The box can be put together with tape.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5ml22K4-WuNDdvojV_DWTPFARrnYMHsXgHdZgSWEdV4cYn83NEduISRSsoTaEh1I1JfGq8dUi3DJy3oB1C39QaESPPoGBDB7K9KHvf0s-MqRetAQqgJs8nSYFVF3W0zJrXBOm_CpPuk/s1600/shadow_box.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5ml22K4-WuNDdvojV_DWTPFARrnYMHsXgHdZgSWEdV4cYn83NEduISRSsoTaEh1I1JfGq8dUi3DJy3oB1C39QaESPPoGBDB7K9KHvf0s-MqRetAQqgJs8nSYFVF3W0zJrXBOm_CpPuk/s400/shadow_box.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559748161195585122" /></a><div><br /></div><div>We'll be making an open front box that will have the bottom, two sides, a back and a removable top. The top will have an opening over which we can place some diffusion screen and other pieces of FoamCor to vary the size of the opening. There's no special size to the box. You can make it any size that fits conveniently in your studio and accommodates the subjects you'll be using your still life. You can make a number of different sizes to accommodate different subjects.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the materials you'll need to quarter-inch FoamCor, some tough diffusion screen -- it's called tough in the trade because it resists burning discoloring and wrinkling due to the heat from the light. The most popular company making gels and diffusion screens is Rosco. Gels and screens are handled by companies specializing in theatrical lighting. You can also get them online.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the light source, get a simple stainless reflector. These are available at places like HomeDepot. Get a daylight bulb, about 5000 K. The bulb needn't be terribly bright, 50 W should be fine. After all we are lighting a very small area so we don't need a tremendous amount candlepower. Any bigger bulb will create too much heat, so I'd recommend something smaller along the lines of a 50 W -- start with that (those little screw-in fluorescent bulbs would be a good choice...as long as they are daylight bulbs). The reflector will be resting directly on the FoamCor at the top, that is on the roof or ceiling. You will cut an opening over which the reflector can be placed. As you can see in the diagram, the diffusion screen (if you choose to use one) is laid directly over the opening. You will also cut strips of the black FoamCor or matte board for use in narrowing the aperture, that is narrowing the opening.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is where we will really learn about the nature of light, because it's not just about light, it's also about shadow. By manipulating the balance of light and shadow, and its quality, along with the type of edges that are produced, we will be mastering one of the most important skills the artist can have. The emotion that we produce in a picture is largely a result of the balance of light, shadow and edge. The nice thing about the light box is that it allows us to experiment. It's when you experiment with light that you begin to understand the emotional content you can create by manipulating the light and the shadow.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPSVEtMADF24ct9xwSUtX_ve5jXiuc896jpZ1wcoocumzJbAcTVYDfl3XUr6GydcjPZSF8-6i-Gi-Um6pZkyeitpRc41D6ZsCjk74RSnKB2MvJPNbAunAGZac4jp7IrKzb-tIhW1xoPI/s1600/shadow_box_wide.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPSVEtMADF24ct9xwSUtX_ve5jXiuc896jpZ1wcoocumzJbAcTVYDfl3XUr6GydcjPZSF8-6i-Gi-Um6pZkyeitpRc41D6ZsCjk74RSnKB2MvJPNbAunAGZac4jp7IrKzb-tIhW1xoPI/s320/shadow_box_wide.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559748571195293314" /></a>In this first example, we want to make the pears look round and have weight. Here we use a wide aperture. The reason for that is to have some of the light spill into the shadow. This creates a more open shadow, and that lack of contrast makes it less dramatic -- we're not looking for drama in this picture. We've also added a diffusion screen... and this is described in terms of how much light it absorbs in making the diffuse light. In this case, it's a full camera f-stop. We've positioned the aperture directly above the bowl of pears and that's what creates, what I like to think of as, a friendly light... nothing too dramatic, but all of the information is right there for the viewer to take in.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnmgGKNHmeXSzxrpWw3wr8_2numJ0Ph2rkF5CABKPpTKmln_niiD8bUlV4K0KDBesN9XqCCPd6mBKh2HFzQq5SAbgULhzy0ZsnTmw8fua_83UdimJlECRvmKexZ85mo92_VTVmm1e4fw/s1600/shadow_box_narrow.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnmgGKNHmeXSzxrpWw3wr8_2numJ0Ph2rkF5CABKPpTKmln_niiD8bUlV4K0KDBesN9XqCCPd6mBKh2HFzQq5SAbgULhzy0ZsnTmw8fua_83UdimJlECRvmKexZ85mo92_VTVmm1e4fw/s320/shadow_box_narrow.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559749010162926674" /></a>In this next example, the bottle of olive oil is much more dramatically lit than was the bowl of pears. Also, here's something so few people do with a shadowbox, again it goes back to being stuck. They all get stuck on a black box. They don't change it, when all they have to do is to add a little bit of drapery in the background, or something on the floor. In this case, we added a bit of wood paneling. Very simple. Because the paneling is light, it's reflecting light back into the subject, this is very important in the case of glass, as it is the light that defines the content.</div><div><br /></div><div>By making the aperture very narrow, and aimed somewhat behind the pitcher of oil, we've produced a lighting situation with much higher contrast than the bowl of pears. Also note, that we're not using a diffusion screen. What we've made is a thin sliver of raw light, and that's what produces the sharper edges, the sharper highlights and the sharper shadows.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is the very first lesson on gaining mastery over art. As the cartoon shows, it's easy once you know how. And knowing how begins with an understanding of light and shadow. By making your own light and shadow you are no longer a victim of whatever light happens to be offered.</div>Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-59783335178116957552010-07-14T15:38:00.000-07:002011-01-09T17:14:42.746-08:00The Elusive EllipseBy far, the most common problem artists encounter in drawing is with unconvincing ellipses. The most common mistakes are to make them football-shaped, frankfurter-shaped or flat on one side, like a loaf of bread.<br /><br />An ellipse is no more than the visual description of a circle viewed from different angles. Hold a dinner plate straight up and it's circular. But lay it down, it becomes elliptical until, viewed from the edge, it becomes a straight line. This is why the lip of a tall water glass is a very different ellipse than the base viewed from exactly the same angle. Even more to the point is liquid level is also different...partway between the ellipses of the base and of the lip.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 391px; height: 284px;" src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/elipses.gif" /><br /></div><br />By defining your ellipses perfectly, you can make a drawing of a wine glass and define exactly where in the visual plane it is ... whether the viewer is above of below. The effect is so powerful that it defines the space surrounding it, making it (in your mind's eye) go back in space in a specific dimension, even though that is implied.<br /><br />Obviously, mastering ellipses is a powerful tool for the artist. Once you understand how ellipses are formed, you will be able to bring that knowledge to freehand drawing. What follows are two methods for making accurate ellipses and their value for you will be in that you will understand the underlying mechanics, not that you’ll often use these methods in you day-to-day drawing. Still, for those times when there’s a little something wrong with an ellipse, the second method is what you can use to check and correct.<br /><br /><b>STRING METHOD:</b> this is the best known method for making ellipses. It’s moderately accurate but of greatest benefit when you need to draw large ellipses. Here’s a chance to do Crop <span style="font-style: italic;">Ovals</span>, amaze your neighbors and get written up in The Enquirer!<br /><br />Tie a piece of string so when the loop is pulled tight it is approximately to the width of the ellipse. Put a pin in the surface of whatever it is that you are drawing on. Then put the second pin inside the loop and move it so that, stretched from the center, it forms a triangle with the top approximately one-half of the height. Obviously this is all approximate because as you make the height taller, you draw in the sides.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/a1.jpg" /><br /></div><br />Select any spot on the string. Don’t worry because you’ll be coming back to exactly that spot. Keeping a steady pressure on the string, using it as a guide and holding your pencil absolutely vertical, simply follow the string where it leads you and where it allows you to go.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/a2.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/a3.jpg" /><br /></div><br />As you can see, the hand is holding the pencil vertically throughout. Simply follow where the string leads you. In this case we used a waxed string. We had started with a thicker string but it kept tangling the pencil. It’s also important that the string you use will not stretch. That will distort the ellipse.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/a4.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here’s the final ellipse. It’s pretty accurate and took all of a couple of minutes. This is definitely the method to use when you need to make large ellipses to fit a specific area.<br /></div><br /><br /><b>THE DOT METHOD:</b> this is a bit more complex but far more accurate. It had been mentioned that this is one of those bits of arcane knowledge known to only to illustrators and cartoonists. It’s almost completely unknown in fine arts departments. Now we will reveal it to painters!<br /><br />Imagine, in the string method, that we drew a line the longest horizontal axis (where the pins were). Now imagine that at the top of that triangle we had formed, we dropped a vertical line, intersecting at 90°. It’s those crossed lines that will form the basis of what we are about to do.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/b1.jpg" /><br /></div><br />The first thing we did was to rough out the ellipse we want to end up with. Then we rough in the horizontal and vertical lines. In this case, we later sharpened the lines and made an accurate 90° intersection with a straight-edge. Then we label the center with a C (pretty clever, eh?). We then label the horizontal line with an A and the vertical with a B (sorry, no more cleverness).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/b2.jpg" /><br /></div><br />On a strip of paper, we mark the distance from C to A and from C to B. They will always appear in this order C-B-A.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/b3.jpg" /><br /></div><br />Now we line up B on the horizontal and A on the vertical. Wherever C hits, make a dot.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/b4.jpg" /><br /></div><br />In this diagram you can see how the strip is slid along, always aligning A and B with the horizontal and vertical, and always making a dot where C lands. A few minutes of practice is all it takes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j296/studioprod/b5.jpg" /><br /></div><br />As you can see, this is a very accurate method of describing ellipses. All that’s left is to connect the dots. No matter if they are horizontal, vertical or diagonal, if an ellipse gives you trouble, you can always use this method to insure that it will be accurate.Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-78093902835057659732010-04-26T05:04:00.000-07:002010-04-26T05:09:06.425-07:00Republishing some booksAfter almost 20 years in print, <em>The Illustrators Bible</em> has finally gone out of print. If we are to judge by the astronomical prices for <em>Gouache For Illustration</em> on the used book market,(which went out of print several years ago) <em>Bible</em> will surely follow.<br /><br />Having seen ridiculous prices for <em>Gouache</em>, with single copies over $400. I realized that everyone was making money except for me, the author. Fortunately we now have the technology to put it back in my hands. I will be working with a branch of Amazon to produce high-quality reprints. Because they are custom printings, they will be more expensive than the originals (which were $29.95 and $24.95 respectively). We have not arrived at the final price point but you can figure on about twice the cover price.<br /><br />In the years since writing those books, I have learned new things, technology and resources have changed and the old books don't reflect those changes, so I am updating and upgrading both of them. These will be expanded with new text and illustrations.<br /><br />Additional to the custom printed editions, we are working on a more economical downloadable version that might (perhaps) include a few videos where needed to amplify the information.<br /><br />As many of you know, gouache is my favorite medium. In the book, I purposely did what I do when teaching…avoid showing off. I left that for John Ball and Dan Tennant to do…and they really shone as the masters of the medium they had become. It is only natural that in the intervening years my skill sets should have improved. So in this revised edition of Gouache, I have decided to show what the medium can do when I pull out all the stops. There will be examples of work done in my professional practice and some done for no other reason than to enjoy what a brush and paint can do.<br /><br />As is typical of my recent work, most of my pictures are done small and shown enlarged. This is one of my dragons and he’s loaded with texture. It’s really quite a simple approach with never more than three tones on any rendered area (most of the scaly texture is just two tones…highlight and shadow). The message I can impart is that the simpler the rendering, the more illusionistic it becomes.<br /><br />The accompanying dragon study is one of the new illustrations that will be added to the revised book and the digital book.Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-66801089003438733752009-12-22T08:44:00.000-08:002009-12-22T08:50:57.518-08:00The Curious Case of CobaltsThe following series of observations are something that could not occur from quoting books and articles. When you’re surrounded by several tons of pigments and hundreds of gallons of paint, you see things differently than a person with the average palette. That’s what has evolved recently and our findings will be of use to the serious painter.<br /><br />Cobalt pigments are classified as synthetic inorganics. Unlike naturally occurring mineral inorganics, cobalt pigments do not naturally occur but must be made by calcining (firing at very high heat). Also, unlike modern organic pigments, cobalt pigments are not carbon-based.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecwLVDqywTw6LIoOEP6xpBipcf4mlPfo7ohyphenhyphenKW6qKK9dUfb3Ie30cpuxNTURDUF_Z6gqYpNnSvdAaXjqDyDn2c9G94Wd2h709Gg47EAGlAIYTb99GqNnqd3cosqIIfvVAQEFLCMy_H5w/s1600-h/cobalt_swatches.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 188px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecwLVDqywTw6LIoOEP6xpBipcf4mlPfo7ohyphenhyphenKW6qKK9dUfb3Ie30cpuxNTURDUF_Z6gqYpNnSvdAaXjqDyDn2c9G94Wd2h709Gg47EAGlAIYTb99GqNnqd3cosqIIfvVAQEFLCMy_H5w/s200/cobalt_swatches.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418103182789775762" /></a><br />What became apparent over years of making paints is that every cobalt pigment mixed nicely with any other cobalt pigment. Unlike so many combinations, the mixes never became muddy or dull. Of interest to artists is the wide range available of cobalt colors.<br /><br />Cobalt produces the most diverse range of pigments currently available in artists' paints: its colors range from cobalt violet through several shades of cobalt blue, two shades of cobalt turquoise, several varieties of cobalt green, cobalt yellow and even a grayish cobalt black. Cobalt pigments tend to be semitransparent, moderately saturated, and very permanent. <br /><br />All reflect a noticeable amount of light from the red spectrum making for warm yellows, violets and blues, but rather dull greens and turquoises; the greenish compounds with chromium become steadily duller and more opaque as the proportion of chromium is increased.<br /><br />That dullness is not a bad thing. Indeed, it’s quite useful on the palette, not overpowering mixes as the Pthalocyanine colors do.<br /><br />While the mixtures among the Cobalt family are very useful, what we found is these paints are at their best when used with other colors outside the Cobalt family. Any mixture of Cobalt Turquoise, Cobalt Violet (Red Shade) and Cadmium Orange Light produces unusually vibrant mixes. Chromium Green Deep and Zinc White produce a tint that can be used in some sections of a sky and definitely in depicting water, trees and most landscape elements.<br /><br />As with Zinc White being the mixing white, the Cobalt family of colors can be the mixing colors. You won’t go wrong with them.Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-71856377218856064142009-11-29T11:08:00.000-08:002009-11-29T17:20:01.898-08:00Growing like TopsyFrankly, we never expected what happened to happen. When we started out it was a little service for like-minded artists. We made black oil, double mastic and imported some hard-to-find materials…always the same high quality materials we demanded for ourselves. Basically, it was an artist’s co-op. We never expected to get so big. But here we are with ninety products and customers all over the world, so how do we handle that sort of growth? Oh yes, something else grew out of it…the Cennini Forum. The forum is devoted to offering solid advice based on experience, not conjecture or rumor.<br /><br />One of our customers used to make paints ground in our black oil. He offered them for sale. No one had made those paints since Ruben’s day and they were excellent. Then, one day, he unceremoniously closed his website and many forum members wondered where they could get this marvelous paint. That’s when everyone began entreating us to make paints.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqeNISAIe3_-_ZTaYx1OKET9eXIzLS2fNroJsD1ftcZDUOfcK6uKUO32zuy6fx7tyByBlU3DP0j9b8yT9mjKWJPlOlSDvUjHRFluXfkPji59J-iOYzmVcZii_dgYqUpPUJM1H5mDM_wc/s1600/cadmium-orange-milled.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqeNISAIe3_-_ZTaYx1OKET9eXIzLS2fNroJsD1ftcZDUOfcK6uKUO32zuy6fx7tyByBlU3DP0j9b8yT9mjKWJPlOlSDvUjHRFluXfkPji59J-iOYzmVcZii_dgYqUpPUJM1H5mDM_wc/s200/cadmium-orange-milled.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409700159579836914" /></a>Making paint is time-consuming and very expensive to set up. That’s when this “Only On The Internet” story began. One of the forum members said, “I’ll put up a thousand dollars to get it going.” Then another and another and soon, we had the nucleus of investors. These investors wanted only to be paid back in paint. And thus began our paint making operation.<br /><br />A great deal has changed since when we dragooned into making paint. For one thing, we no longer grind in black oil (there are problems with shelf-life and with public perception of leaded paints) and after much testing we learned that we could match that quality and performance in the tube paint. However, grinding primer in black oil did make a big difference, so we’ve stuck with making oil canvas primers with Black Oil. We’ve also gone from a group of working artists making our own materials and sharing them, to something more resembling a business.<br /><br />Suddenly we had to hire staff, see to shipping, ordering, P&L statements, W-9 form, import declarations, bills of lading, 1099s and all of the other numbered stuff best done by real business people. To be frank, aside from testing and developing new materials and tools, running a business is something for which we are ill-suited.<br /><br />Unlike the Burger King, special orders did upset us. The original idea was to have an online business that was all computer-driven and hands off. Money comes in, products go out…ca-ching, ca-ching. That was the dream. In reality, that won’t happen because we are dealing with artists who have many different needs. Obviously, we are not about to become the sort of people we are not. What needed to be done was to completely change the business (business types call it the business model…whatever that means. Visions of a little factory made of balsa wood spring to mind).<br /><br />Pasteur rightly said that ‘the milieu is everything’, so bringing in a new team to inhabit the same space would perpetuate all of the old problems. What was needed was a fresh new start with a new team…new and bright people capable of operating 1) a manufacturing facility and 2) an efficient online retail operation 3) rapid fulfillment of the orders. The new group had to have everything needed for greater more efficiency… 21st century efficiency we’ve all come to expect with online purchases, and which had frankly been lacking.<br /><br />On January 8th of 2009 the trucks headed down to Athens, Georgia, to our new 6,000 sq.ft facility. We now have specially designed rooms for the formulation of mediums and paint, with controlled light and ventilation. There is certainly a great deal more space for storage, so we never have to wait for materials to arrive. We have our own shipping docks and UPS can just back trucks into the space. From my standpoint, the best thing is we now have a fork-lift truck. For some of you, this won’t be a big deal but for those among us who haven’t stopped being an eight year-old boy, that’s the frosting on the cake… a fork-lift! Whee!<br /><br />As for the crew, Max and his partner, Craig, are handling the manufacturing and operations, Alicia brings what was sorely needed…real customer service. Max answers most of the technical questions and Jennifer cracks the whip…because that’s what bookkeepers do.<br /><br />Studio Products is a good idea that has developed into a great idea. All of the bugs have been worked out and, with 90 products in the line, it’s about time to take it to where I never could have taken it. I’ll be overseeing some things but generally, I will be like the pedal notes on a pipe organ…more often felt than heard. As I said before, the company needs to adopt new ways of dealing with our customers…and no kidding, we really do like you guys and very much appreciate your trust. And that is what buying a product is all about isn’t it… trust! When you buy something from us, you trust that it will be exactly as we say. Usually, you are surprised that we haven’t oversold it and that it’s actually better than what we claim.<br /><br />There really is a “philosophy” behind Studio Products. Even though I’ve been a pro for … (gulp) has it been fifty years… I never forget what it was to have the unbridled passion of the true amateur (on my best days I have that amateur’s passion). I also remember the needless blaming of myself I did when sub-par materials and paints didn’t perform. It was the junk I had bought, not me. Now I know that using the best materials help you grow faster and better. I wish that I knew it then.<br /><br />I will be devoting more and more time to writing instructional material as well as producing more instructional videos. I feel a burden has been lifted and placed on able shoulders.<br /><br />…Rob HowardRob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-4326804858742164242009-05-16T05:00:00.000-07:002009-05-16T05:03:29.375-07:00Tips on Getting GrantsI doubt that there is an occupation more obsessed with money than artists. Despite all the high-toned rhetoric, most conversations with artists boil down to potential sales, uncooperative galleries and, well...money, money, money.<br /><br />Whether artists get the short end of the stick or whether they are so divorced from reality as to not even know that there is a stick and where to find it is another question. The reality is that there are all sorts of opportunities for the artist willing to put in the time to find them and apply for them.<br /><br />That's where Mira's List comes in. If you are looking for a residency in Helsinki, a grant for your film project or that all-time favorite...a hand-out for "woman's art" (don't ever offer a grant for men-only art...it's illegal and immoral to aid that gender), there's something for anyone willing to slog through the paperwork and learn how to write grants.<br /><br />Here are a couple of references to <a href="http://miraslist.blogspot.com/search/label/TIPS%20ON%20GRANTWRITING" target="_blank">grant writing</a> from Mira's List. For those who want grants, residencies and fellowships, this is a good site to bookmark.<br />A couple of similar socio/political artists sites are at <a href="http://www.artistsfoundation.org/art_pages/list_serve.htm" target="_blank">http://www.artistsfoundation.org/art...list_serve.htm</a> and <a href="http://www.artistsunderthedome.org/" target="_blank">www.artistsunderthedome.org</a> which is basically a Bay State lobbying group for artists "of any discipline" that means followers of Piero Manzoni.<br /><br />If you're up for playing the game, realize that very little of this is based on the merit of the art itself. It's all about the artist (of any discipline) thus, pictures of a recent demolition site can be used to apply for a grant for Earthworks and, if you know the key words and where to apply, and if you are persistent, you will get some money to tear down walls and photograph them.<br /><br />Remember, <a href="http://transculturalexchange.org/index2.html" target="_blank">anything is considered art</a> here's <a href="http://www.altosdechavon.com/fs_artits_in_residence.htm" target="_blank">another example</a> so, just because you don't have formal art training...or maybe because you have been afflicted with it, you can write your way into a constellation of grants and remember, one grant begets another. If you have a history of getting grants on your c.v. it betters your chances for grants in the future.<br /><br />Sure, I sound cynical but the reality makes it impossible to sound otherwise. Take the money and run...to Helsinki.Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-63252090174862682632009-05-01T15:19:00.000-07:002009-05-01T15:20:08.263-07:00feed<a href="https://freerangeinc.virtual.vps-host.net/freenews/jsp/feedEdit.jsp?addurl=http://feeds.nooked.com/news/feed/studioprod?c=Product"><img src="http://feeds.nooked.com/news/feedwizardimages/freerange.gif" align="middle" style="border:0" /></a>Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-35077941874831495002009-03-17T20:57:00.001-07:002009-03-17T20:57:40.765-07:00Illustrators Bible now a Google Preview bookTime certainly flies. Now that I am with Random House, Watson-Guptill has seen fit to release my book, The Illustrators Bible as a Google preview book. Just <a target="_blank" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=XaCuEP7CMkEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0#PPP1,M1">click here to see it</a> (or some of it) online.Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-26050997139170826132009-01-12T18:33:00.000-08:002009-01-12T18:39:27.297-08:00What started as a group of working artists sharing information and painting mediums has grown into a business dedicated to reintroducing traditional artist's materials that had become almost impossible to find. Studio Products are made as traditional artist's materials used to be made, by artists for artists.In recent times, artists have become yet another group for marketers to explore and, at times, exploit. Traditional materials have always been more costly to make, relying up more careful selection of natural materials and more labor in producing them, usually in small batches. On the other hand, modern synthetics and petrochemical products have been introduced into the artist's market, offered solely to boost profits, not improve your painting.This is a list of some of the artist’s materials Studio Products handles and manufacture, along with some information on uses and applications.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Amber-Gum-5oz-148-ml-p-16141.html" target="_blank">Amber Gum</a> a concentrated solution for mixing with oils and resin varnishes to make emulsions. Simply whisk or beat the Amber Gum and the oils or resins together (approximately equal parts Gum to oleoresinous materials) and either mix with dry pigment or tube oils to make emulsion paint. Perfect for lean, but fully pigmented, underpainting. Amber gum is a water-soluble form of cyanomethylcellulose and is a pale amber color. Studio Products offers an improved CMC for use in the Technique Mixte taught by Patrick Betaudier and others.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Beeswax-8oz.-tin-228-grams-p-16180.html" target="_blank">Beeswax</a> [16oz. tin] pastilles of pure white beeswax are melted and mixed with mediums and varnishes to reduce gloss and improve handling. Beeswax is the most permanent of all painting mediums. Dry pigments can be mixed into the melted wax to produce the jewel-like colors of encaustic painting. Beeswax is one of the most often adulterated materials. Studio Products imports beeswax directly from an apiary in Germany.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Bistre-Ink-Genuine-p-16262.html" target="_blank">Bistre Ink</a> genuinely aged bistre ink made from beech wood soot and crushed oak galls (ox galls) and boiled for ten hours. The ink is then aged and purified for a year before bottling. The drawn line grows warmer and takes on a golden quality as it ages. This is the brown ink of the Dutch masters, made in exactly the way they made it.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Black-Oil-5oz.-bottle-148ml-p-16151.html" target="_blank">Black Oil</a> [5oz. bottle] Special Aged linseed oil and laboratory-grade litharge heated for hours until clear, produces a quick drying oil that can be used alone or with Double Mastic to make Maroger's medium. Adds great handling qualities to oil paint. Because of the lead content, Studio Products Black Oil greatly improves the strength of the dried paint film. Black Oil lightens upon drying.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Canada-Balsam-1oz.-jar-p-16133.html" target="_blank">Canada Balsam</a> [1oz. jar] the finest of all the balsams (others are Venice Turpentine, Olio d' Abezzo, etc.), reasonable open time, crystal clear, balsams are the important ingredient in the paintings of Vermeer and the Little Masters. Canada balsam lightly fuses colors and makes them jewel-like, drying to a perfect gloss. Studio Products sells the same optically pure grade used in making microscope slides.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Cats-Eye-Retouch-Varnish-p-16249.html" target="_blank">Cats-Eye Retouch Varnish</a> a faster-drying retouch and barrier varnish. Made from Mata Kucing (Cats Eye) resin, a fossilized Damar from Indonesia, it is much harder and less sticky than the usual Damar. Studio Products Cats-Eye Retouch Varnish is the perfect barrier coat to use between layers of paint, hard enough to resist being dissolved yet flexible. Cats-Eye Retouch Varnish has a slightly cloudy cast, which clears up drying, leaving the colors more brilliant, and unifies than before. Perfectly safe over even the most delicate glazes, acts as a barrier coat to protect fresh paint and for unifying the surface. Many artists use Studio Products Cats-Eye Retouch Varnish as a final coat. While not as substantial as a picture varnish, the artist need not wait the requisite six months before varnishing and exhibiting the painting.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/CONGO-Copal-Concentrate-p-16228.html" target="_blank">Congo Copal Concentrate</a> [1oz. bottle] the wonderful handling quality of true Congo copal, holds the finest detail and dries to a rich sheen. Studio Products Congo copal improves handling and can be made to dry quickly with the addition of Lead Napthanate. Mixed with Flake White, it produces those Rembrandt-like "ropes." Mix a bit more and the paint becomes fluid. Mix even more and the paint becomes thick and pastose. Slowly cooked into oil. Unlike varnishes made with softer "Manilla" copal, no solvents are used in making this varnish. Because of the decades of violence in the area, genuine Congo copal has been unavailable. Studio Products was fortunate in being able to buy the stock of "run" copal from a violin manufacturer. This is at least fifty years old and the real thing. Studio Products makes the varnish in the traditional method. First the fossil copal is melted ("run") at high heat. It is then crushed and gently cooked into linseed oil and allowed to settle. The resulting varnish is unlike anything available to the public. Some manufacturers sell "copal" varnish that is either rebottled alkyd resin or soft Manilla copal dissolved in harsh solvents.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Damar-makes-1qt.-of-cencentrated-Damar-varnish-p-16134.html" target="_blank">Damar</a> [11oz. bag in a 1qt. paint can] just fill the can with turpentine (we recommend our triple-distilled rather than that in hardware stores), cover and leave for a day or tw. Remove the muslin filter bag and you have one quart of the finest concentrated Damar varnish. This concentrate is what is needed for making mediums, not like the thinned-out bottles sold in art stores. Those are mostly solvent and little resin. As a serious artist you will want to make your own Damar varnish in this concentrated strength. Can be diluted with turpentine to commercial strengths. Do not ever use mineral spirits as it will cloud Damar and other natural resins.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Gallery-Varnish-p-16245.html" target="_blank">Gallery Varnish</a> is a final picture varnish that, <a href="http://studioproducts.com/newsletters/january-newsletter.html" target="_blank">when properly applied</a>, produces a finish that is deep and lustrous but not overly glossy. Made from both Damar and Mastic varnishes, mixed in the ideal proportions, Studio Products Gallery Varnish combines the best qualities of both with few of the less desirable qualities like darkening and cracking. Studio Products adds a small quantity of a dispersant to keep both resins in suspension (they tend to settle out). Gallery Varnish is best applied slightly warm, onto a canvas that has been warmed. This is not totally necessary but it is the ideal. A generous coating is applied and the brush wiped dry and used to pick up the excess varnish. The brush is repeatedly wiped dry and the process continues until a slight drag happens. At that point, switch to a dry, soft brush and lick the varnish out until the dragging is quite noticeable. The surface will be disturbed enough to produce a soft sheen upon drying. Years later, when the varnish needs to be removed for cleaning, it can be dissolved away easily with turpentine. There is no damage to the underlying paint. Applied properly, this bottle contains enough to easily cover a six-foot by six-foot canvas.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Easy-Gesso-Mix-1lb.-bag-454-grams-p-16168.html" target="_blank">Gesso Mix</a> [1lb. bag] simply mix equal amounts of water and powder, wait a few hours for it to gel and then warm it until it is liquid enough to apply with a brush. After using acrylic "gesso" you'll be amazed at how much better real gesso is.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Glazing-Medium-55ml-p-16156.html" target="_blank">Glazing Medium</a> [2oz jar] a thick medium made especially for glazing with full-bodied paints, not thin washes. This is the third medium in our 3-part painting system and the effect it produces is of brilliant paint and solidity, not a thinly tinted photograph. A thin layer of glazing medium is rubbed into the area to be glazed. Then a small amount of the glazing medium is mixed with the paint and it is applied heavily. The glazes are then carefully reduced with dry brushes, fingers and rags. The control it gives is astonishing. Made with heat-bodied oil and a small amount of Canada Balsam to prevent beading, this medium contains lead and should be used with<br />intelligence. <a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/Paint-Grisaille-Kit-8-Large-Tubes-p-16209.html" target="_blank">Grisaille Kit</a> corresponds exactly to the Munsell Neutral Gray Scale. As grisailles are used for underpainting, these paints have been formulated to be smoother to leave less texture. Brush texture in your underpaint can present problems when you glaze. This set of matched grays is formulated to be extra soft, buttery and capable of producing very fine detail with no dilution. They are ground from a naturally neutral “reference” bone black, so there will be shifting to the cool or warm.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Liquid-Lead-Drier-lead-napthanate-24-p-16153.html" target="_blank">Liquid Lead Dryer</a> [1oz bottle] contains 24% lead and must be used with intelligence. Add a few drops to paint and mediums to speed up drying and improve the strength and flexibility of the dried paint film. This is a professional product and should not be compared with the cobalt and Japan driers offered to artists. Liquid lead dries the paint from within and does not form a blister skin, as other driers do.<br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Marogers-Medium-5oz.-Black-Oil-5oz.-Double-Mastic-148ml-bottle-p-16148.html" target="_blank">Maroger's Medium</a> [5oz. bottle of Black Oil & 5oz. bottle of Double Mastic] one of our best selling products ... and rightly so. Maroger's medium imparts fantastic handling qualities, quick drying and a flexible surface. Contains lead and should be used with intelligence. This is an unusually well made painting medium. Mix equal parts, as you need it. The freshly mixed medium handles better than that which has been stored in a tube for . . . who knows how long? Sennelier sells 34ml for $22.46 -- that translates to $194.87 for the ten ounces Studio Products charges much, much less.<br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Gel-Marogers-Painting-Medium-Genuine-55ml-p-16155.html" target="_blank">Maroger's Medium</a> - ready-made [2oz. jar] like the above, this medium is made with Black Oil and Double Mastic mixed in a perfect proportion to form a perfect ready-to-use gel. The ready-made has all of the great qualities of the two-part Maroger's medium but in a smaller and more convenient to use form. This is the second part in our 3-medium painting system. Contains lead and should be used with intelligence.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Oil-of-Cloves-2oz.-bottle-59ml-p-16135.html" target="_blank">Oil of Cloves</a> [2oz. bottle] unsurpassed for slowing down the drying time of oil paints and added as a preservative to egg tempera. Just a few drops of Oil of Cloves and your studio is filled with the rich smell of cloves, making the air more pleasant.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Oil-of-Spike-Lavender-8oz.-can-p-16136.html" target="_blank">Oil of Spike Lavender</a> [5oz. bottle and 12oz. cone top can] can be used instead of turpentine. Non-toxic and adds superior handling qualities. The old masters claimed the smell improved creativity. Whether that's true or not, the smell is delightful. For people exhibiting symptoms from using turpentine, Studio Products Oil of Spike is the healthful alternative. Worth every penny in the improvement it makes in the art and the artist.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Olio-Verde-p-16263.html" target="_blank">Olio Verde</a> is a heat-bodied oil containing both lead and copper salts. Maintained in a vacuum at 125F for more than a week, the oil eventually thickens and absorbs the metals. The final result is exceptionally smooth-handling oil that dries fast and to a solid, hard finish. Studio Products has long wanted to offer this very special handling oil to our customers. Because it is so time consuming to make, Olio Verde will always be a limited production item. Olio Verde combines the handling and longevity of both lead and copper in the oil. Thin it with a high grade of turpentine or Oil of Spike.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Paints-p-1-c-257.html" target="_blank">Paints</a> Cennini paints are as close to the paints used in past centuries as can be produced. They have extraordinary pigment load and very few amendments and no fillers. This means that they do not have the unlimited shelf life of art shop and hobby shop paints. It is reasonable to expect the paints to last several years in a closed tube, but much less if kept in a tin.<br /><br />Among Studio Products' line of paints are these outstanding colors:<br /><a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/Paint-Naples-Yellow-GENUINE-p-16208.html" target="_blank">Naples Yellow - GENUINE</a> this is the finest Naples Yellow pigment we have ever encountered, heavy, brilliant and smooth handling. This paint is ground in Studio Products' Special Aged Oil to add even greater handling qualities (and as an aid to permanence). Unlike the dry, gritty Naples Yellow paints that are on the market, ours is smooth, easy to handle straight from the tube and boasts an incredibly high pigment load. The weight of the tube will convince you that this is not adulterated with cheap fillers.<br /><a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/Paint-Van-Dyck-Brown-GENUINE-p-16231.html" target="_blank">Van Dyck Brown - GENUINE</a> pigment imported from Germany, this pigment is historically identical with the one to which Van Dyck gave his name. Modern processing methods have made it considerably more lightfast and permanent. A perfect neutral brown which, when mixed with white produces a slightly warm grisaille -- cooler than Raw Umber. It is impossible to duplicate in a mix. It certainly is one of the ideal underpainting and drawing colors.<br /><a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/Paint-Vermilion-GENUINE-p-16210.html" target="_blank">Vermilion - GENUINE</a> the rarest and costliest of all reds, genuine Vermilion made with the finest Dutch-process Mercuric sulphide. The special overtones of genuine Vermilion is impossible to duplicate with any other pigment. Because it is made with mercuric sulphide pigment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find genuine Dutch-process Vermilion pigment. Once this is gone, there will be no more.This luxurious pigment is ground in Studio Products' Special Aged Oil for superb handling and great film strength, the depth of this pigment makes it an important addition to every portrait and still life palette.<br /><a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/Paint-Optical-White-p-16234.html" target="_blank">Optical - White</a> Studio Products has been deeply involved with the leading edge paint formulations of companies such as Mercedes-Benz, who have been formulating startling new finishes using nano-technology. Sub-microscopic optically perfect spheres of silicon are milled into the paint to raise the brilliance and Chroma of pigments. The visual effect is immediately apparent, setting nano colors apart from their non-nano brethren by causing the pigment particles to orient themselves in a less scattered configuration. This reduces the interference of the reflected light rays and boosts the power of the paint closer to that of the dry pigment.An unexpected benefit of including nanospheres has been in the increased strength of the paint film. The film is noticeably tougher and far more flexible. Thus far, we have incorporated nano-technology in our Optical White, a Zinc based mixing white. The first thing the artist notices is that colors mixed with Optical White do not lose power as they are made lighter in Value. The second things that is apparent is the unusually smooth handling...a though you are painting with tiny ball bearings.The new nano-technology is used with Studio Products Optical White and with our Black Oil/Titanium Oil Primer. This is the toughest, most crack resistant oil primer on the market.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/PreRaphaelite-Medium-2.5oz.-p-16158.html" target="_blank">Pre-Raphaelite Medium</a> achieves exceptional clarity of color and razor sharp detail with this medium. This is a historically accurate replication of the best of the mediums used by those painters. Rub a thin layer onto the surface of the painting and add a few drops to your paint. The paint stays where it is put and the finest lines will not bleed. Colors stay bright, dry quickly and handles with smoothness and precision. Contains a small amount of lead. One of Studio Products most popular mediums.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Rabbitskin-Glue-Claro-Grade-1lb.-bag-454-grams-p-16217.html" target="_blank">Rabbitskin Glue - Claro</a> [1 pound bag] imported from Portugal and made from rabbit's skins, not calf-skin trimmings. Spray dried, this is the finest … bar none. Mix 1 part Studio Products Claro rabbitskin glue to 11 parts water. Allow it to swell and absorb the water for a few hours. Heat in a water-bath until it becomes liquid and apply to raw canvas, panels or board before priming. Mix with linseed oil for a glue-emulsion paint that dries quickly and is the perfect lean underpainting for subsequent layers of oil paint. For our step-by-step guide, <a href="http://studioproducts.com/newsletters/Rabbitskin-Hide-Glue.html" target="_blank">Click Here</a> and learn to be your own expert at making and applying rabbitskin glue.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Robersons-Medium-22-50ml-tube-p-16235.html" target="_blank">Roberson's Medium #22</a> is our 22nd and final formula in a line of variations on what is basically a mix of a Maroger-like base with pure Congo copal. It is a soft, pale amber gel that has exceedingly smooth handling and dries to a rich finish.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Silverpoint-Ground-5oz-bottles-148ml-p-16167.html" target="_blank">Silverpoint Ground</a> a new formula that is ready-made. Just shake, pour and brush out and it will be ready within 30 minutes. This ground is silky smooth and does not drag or bind the silverpoint tool. Comes in four traditional pale colors. Use a single thin coat to prevent flaking.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Silverpoint-Tool-p-16177.html" target="_blank">Silverpoint Tool</a> manufactured to Studio Products’ own design. Perfectly balanced, this tool will last a lifetime. Anodized barrel and comfortable powder-coated grip securely holds silver, gold, copper and platinum rods. Comes with a Sterling silver rod and a copper rod in a rosewood box that will last a lifetime. Silver and copper replacement rods are sold separately.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Special-Aged-Oil-5oz.-bottle-p-16181.html" target="_blank">Special Aged Oil</a> [12 ounce bottle] raw linseed oil contains a number of substances that can weaken and degrade the paint. In making Special Aged linseed oil, drums of the oil are kept at a constant temperature for long periods of time, constantly tended and sprayed, encouraging them to cast off these impurities. The impurities (mucilage, albumin, gelatins) are periodically drained off until the oil clears. This oil has superior wetability and mixes with dry pigment much more easily that raw oil, producing a smoother paint. Special Aged Oil is also the choice for making heated-oil varnishes. Studio Products Special Aged Linseed Oil is superior in every way and very economical to use as your regular easel oil. As with all artist’s materials, painting oils are a small market and we use materials made for other industries. Studio Products Special Aged Oil is the only oil…I repeat that, the only oil made specifically for use in grinding with pigment. Most other oils are made for cooking or industrial lubricants.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Spray-Medium-Kit-p-16149.html" target="_blank">Spray Medium Kit</a> [12 oz metal bottle with well made metal fine mist sprayer] a modern take on an old master's technique and another Studio Products exclusive. Spray a thin coating of medium on your canvas and block in the shapes, softening with a fan brush. Allow that to dry then spray another layer and begin to add more shape, softening again. By the third day you'll be able to add sharper detail. The secret to hyperrealism is in the soft edges with very few hard edges. See <a href="http://www.studioproducts.com/demo/spraytxt.html" target="_blank">complete details online</a> or get the <a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/DVD-The-Spray-Method-p-16179.html" target="_blank">step-by-step video demonstration</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Stand-Oil-5oz.-bottle-p-16218.html" target="_blank">Stand Oil</a> [12 ounce bottle] exceptionally light-colored and as thick as honey, Stand Oil is the most important oil to keep on the palette. Stand Oil is made in a vacuum kettle that is heated to 550F for several hours. Molecular changes take place. Nothing is added or lost but the structure of the oil is radically altered. The resulting thick oil is the least likely to darken of all oils. Stand Oil is less likely to darken and crack than raw oil and cold-pressed oil. It dries to an enamel-like sheen and gently fuses the paint into smooth transitions. Should be diluted with turpentine or Oil of Spike to a workable consistency. Should be on every artist's materials list.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Titanium-Black-Oil-Primer-p-16260.html" target="_blank">Titanium & Black Oil Primer</a> formulated with optically pure nanospheres for more brightness and much improved resistance to cracking, the use of Black Oil insures a trouble-free surface. This primer is a bright white that dries to touch over a weekend and cures quickly. Neither too absorbent (like acrylic primer) nor too slick, the dried surface accepts paint beautifully. Studio Products is expanding its use of nanospheres in paint making. These are sub-microscopic clear silicon spheres that help reflect light and also produce a much tougher paint film.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Titanium-Oxide-1lb.-bag-454-grams-p-16160.html" target="_blank">Titanium Oxide</a> [1lb. bag] the most opaque white pigment with great covering strength. Mixed 1 part with 4 parts Whiting and stirred into hot Rabbitskin glue produces an easy-to-apply gesso that needs far fewer coats than gesso made with Whiting alone.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Gum-Turpentine-TRIPLE-DISTILLED-p-16242.html" target="_blank">Turpentine, TRIPLE DISTILLED</a> traditionally made vat-distilled gum turpentine, distilled three times to remove most of the resinous material (less than 1% remains) at gentle heat. Studio Products Triple Distilled Turpentine mixes well with oils and all oil mediums (even alkyds) and makes clear Damar and mastic varnish, with no or little smell in the studio. Steam is not used and, as a result our Gum Turpentine contains no water. Gum Turpentine draws in atmospheric oxygen, causing the paint film to dry thoroughly and not form a skin of dried paint over soft paint, as happens with mineral spirits such as Grumtine, Turpenoid, Gamsol and other petroleum-based products.This is the same grade of turpentine used in the cosmetics industry.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Ugly-Dog-Brush-Soap-p-16169.html" target="_blank">Ugly Dog Brush Soap</a> [4 ounces] Our top seller. There is nothing like this 100% linseed oil soap. At Studio Products, this is the soap we use to clean our own brushes and keep them in top shape for years. Made with pure linseed oil and balsams, Ugly Dog Brush Soap retains 100% of its natural glycerin (glycerin is removed from commercial soaps). The resulting soap removes all the paint from your brushes without drying them out (as commercial soap and detergents will) and does not soften the adhesive holding the hairs in the ferrule - no more loose hairs stuck in the wet paint. Just wash, rinse, wipe and allow to air dry. The bristles actually begin to shine and take on a new liveliness. Start with new brushes and they continue to improve. Helps bristles to retain their flags. For bristle and sable oil brushes only.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Ugly-Dog-PAINTERS-SAFETY-SOAP-p-16172.html" target="_blank">Ugly Dog - Painter's Safety Soap</a> made with de-ionized water to attract and remove dangerous metallic pigments such as lead and cadmium. A skin-softening gel made especially for painters. 6 ounces. Some artists use it as a super-cleaning brush soap.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Underpainting-Medium-Base-9-p-16154.html" target="_blank">Underpainting Medium</a> [2oz jar] the first part of our 3-part painting system. Originally known as Studio Products Base #9, this allows you to lay in a fast drying underpainting with real paint, not a thin wash of paint. This is the ideal medium in that it is very lean, contains almost no oil and contains lead to aid in drying and longevity. Can be used as is or diluted with Oil of Spike, Studio Solvent or mineral spirits to produce paint that will handle very smoothly but dry in just a few hours. Dries to a semi-matte finish that's perfect for accepting subsequent coats of paint. Some painters buffer this medium with Maroger's medium to extend the open time and change the handling characteristics. Because Studio Products Underpainting Medium contains lead, it should be used with intelligence.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Beeswax-Medium-8oz.-jar-228-grams-New-Size-p-16150.html" target="_blank">Wax Medium</a> [16oz. tin] a combination of beeswax and natural resins, this was the wonder medium of the 15th century and it's still a good choice. Added to your paint, it improves handling and dries quickly to a soft matte sheen. For outdoor painters, the addition of wax medium is unsurpassed because it allows the painter to overlay layers of paint without smearing the underlying layers. Wax is probably the most permanent of all painting mediums.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Whiting-Marble-Dust-1lb-bag-p-16162.html" target="_blank">Whiting</a> [1lb. bag] this natural white pigment is made from white marble ground as fine as talcum powder. Mixed with rabbitskin glue, this finely ground Whiting makes a gesso that is as smooth as ivory. Whiting does not have the covering power of a more opaque pigment, so Studio Products recommends you add up to 20% Titanium Oxide to make your gesso more opaque and a brighter white. Titanium Oxide is a brittle pigment and Studio Products does not recommend it as a main ingredient in gesso.<br /><br /><a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/Zinc-Oxide-1lb.-bag-454-grams-p-16163.html" target="_blank">Zinc Oxide</a> [1lb. bag] this is the most commonly used 'mixing white' because it is not so opaque as to dominate other colors in a mixture, as Titanium is known to do. Every artist should have a variety of white pigments to choose from and Zinc Oxide is one of the mainstays in the artist's kit.Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317086973239718708.post-9696203640377327912008-10-21T20:25:00.000-07:002008-10-21T21:56:28.825-07:00<p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Driers for Oil Paints</strong></span><br /><br />Lead driers dry the paint throughout the paint film at a constant rate. They do that by forming their own oxygen in the form of peroxides. All other driers are surface driers that rely on atmospheric oxygen to cure. They dry and form blisters of hard paint on the surface and soft paint inside. <em>Japan drier</em> is a generic term and can contain any of a number of metallic salts, usually there's some manganese in it. <em>Manganese driers</em> are brownish. In its concentrated form, <em>cobalt drier</em> is cobalt blue in color.<br /><br /><em>Siccatif de coutrai</em> is supposedly a mix of lead and manganese driers. We've tried a number of recipes and none were very good, they darkened almost immediately, so it makes me think that the stuff that Bouguereau used was very different from anything written about. <a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/"><em>Lead napthante</em> </a>is clear.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Lead Naphthanate</span></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/files/t_16153.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 301px" height="345" alt="" src="https://store.studioproducts.com/files/t_16153.jpg" border="0" /></a>Thus far, lead is the only drier that works from the inside out rather than the reverse. That's why most other driers can cause cracking.<br /><br />Our lab guy demonstrated the proper proportions when he took the palette knife and mixed a small amount into each nut of paint (about the size of a walnut). It was no more than 5 drops gently stirred into each nut of paint. It improves handling slightly (all lead compounds do) and the paint is solid in the morning. AT that point you can scrape high parts (the Dutch Little Masters got that smooth finish by scraping and sanding between coats).<br /><br /><br />You can add Lead Naphthanate to anything that contains oil. It won't mean much to resins, so adding it to picture varnish won't do much. Walnut oil is lacking some elements that allow it to take full advantage of ead napthanate. In Stand Oil, one drop per tablespoon would be enough for most uses. Two or three drops will REALLY speed it up.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Cobalt Drier</span></strong><br /></p><p align="right"><a href="http://www.iconofile.com/images/products/drier_cobalt_25oz_md.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.iconofile.com/images/products/drier_cobalt_25oz_md.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.iconofile.com/images/products/drier_cobalt_25oz_md.jpg"></a></p><br /><em>Cobalt linoleate siccative</em> is the proper name. A<em> linoleate</em> is a drying varnish made with linseed oil. A <em>siccative</em> is a substance that makes paint dry. The practice of cooking heavy metal salts into linseed oil is an old and honored practice. Cooking lead salts into linseed oil produces a drying oil that dries from the inside out. Cooking cobalt into linseed oil produce a drying oil that dries from the outside in. If you use thick paint, cobalt linoleate will dry with a skin on the outside (as most paint does), rather than all at once, as lead-bearing paints do. It's a deep, bright blue (cobalt blue) and tints all colors when used straight. It is usually diluted with mineral spirits to between 2% to 5%. It dries from the outside-in, essentially making a blister of paint. ...Cobalt drier dries quite brittle. It comes in two forms. In mineral spirits, it is deep blue and very difficult to use because of it's tinting strength. Cooked into linseed oil, it becomes brownish and much more tractable. That is then thinned with mineral spirits and called, cobalt linoleate siccative.<br /><br />Manganese and cobalt driers are surface driers. They attract atmospheric oxygen to the surface of the paint and that's why the paint dries like a blister. Lead driers work in a very different manner. They produce internal peroxides, causing the paint to dry evenly throughout. The surfaces driers are faster than the lead driers. They also embrittle the paint film whereas lead strengthens it....The cobalt or manganese driers will accelerate polymerization on the surface, where it is in contact with the atmosphere. Lead napthanate produces internal peroxides that dry the paint film evenly throughout.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Olio Verde</span></strong><br /><p align="right"><a href="http://studioproducts.com/images/olio-verde-diagram.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://studioproducts.com/images/olio-verde-diagram.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br />The recipe we have calls for holding the oil at 275F for a week, under a vacuum. We start with Special Aged Linseed Oil, a copper salt and litharge. Over the week, the resulting oil has thickened considerably to an amber color that has a greenish tinge when put to the light or mixed with turpentine. It is WONDERFUL stuff, very fast drying, hard and flexible with a good gloss. It's also very thick and must be diluted.The recipe we are using dates back to somewhere around 1910, so it takes advantage of modern materials. The trick is low heat and vacuum over a long period. We begin with copper and litharge. Just remaining in contact over time will cause the oil to take up some lead and copper. Being heated (about 275F) for a week or so causes it to thicken and take up the oil. Sun-thickened oil is so variable in quality that I stay away from it. The good stuff is good. The bad stuff looks just like the good stuff.<br /><br />Like stand oil, Olio Verde is made to exacting standards by professionals who know what they're doing. I thin it with two parts of turpentine for use in diluting colors for the underpainting. It's smooth and dries hard overnight.It is quite different from a true cooked oil like Black Oil.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Siccatif de Coutrai</span></strong><br /><br />Siccatif de Coutrai is a mix of lead and manganese. For <a href="http://store.studioproducts.com/">Cennini</a>, we have tried every published recipe for Siccatif de Coutrai (mostly blends of lead and manganese driers) and every one of them darkens badly. <em>I wouldn't touch any of them with a barge pole.</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Q: <em>How does japan drier differ from cobalt drier?</em><br /><br />RH: Basically, there's no standard recipe or method. One man's fish is another man's poisson. Some might be good, others might not be. It's a generic term (like Siccatif de Coutrai) whereas, 32% lead napthanate, 12% cobalt linoleate siccative leaves little doubt as to what to expect. You know that the lead is in a specific concentration and probably in a mineral spirits base. The other tells you that cobalt salts were cooked into linseed oil to make a linoleate. Japan drier gives no such clue. From what I have seen, most are made with manganese salts and whatever else happened to be kicking around (except lead). As I said previously, manganese makes paint brown, very brown.<br /><br />Perhaps the most common misconception is to think of Alkyd resin as a drying additive. It's one of the many synthetic plastic resins made from petroleum products. It has a drier added and is often incompatible with oil paints (according to the manufacturers, it should not be mixed with oil as it can causes delamination and flaking paint layers).<br /><br />Q:...<em>the bottom of the bottle is covered with a white precipitate. Sugar of Lead? Just white lead from reaction between lead oxides and fatty acids?</em><br /><br />RH: It's a form of lead acetate that precipitates out of solution when lead salts come in contact with some oils. Perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>This doesn't really belong under this topic<br />but...Allowing the painting to dry face down is the best. In that way it fuses<br />in all directions rather than in the pull of gravity. Just place small blocks at<br />each corner and lay it face down with those blocks supporting the painting. BTW<br />this is a good way to dry paintings free from dust.</strong></span></blockquote></strong></span>Q: <em>This is something I've always been curious about. When people place a painting face down on blocks, do they not paint all the way to the edge or what? I mean, don't the blocks mess up the portion of the painting that rests on them?</em><br /><br />RH: They don't come in that far. Make them with thin lattice. The actual blocks at the bottom are less than 1/2". You can also use pushpins in the corners.<br /><a href="http://forums.studioproducts.com/uploads/attachments/post-1-63001-blocks.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://forums.studioproducts.com/uploads/attachments/post-1-63001-blocks.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/express.php">Lead Napthanate</a>, <a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/express.php">Black Oil</a> (cooked with litharge) and <a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/express.php">Olio Verde</a> are available at </span><a href="https://store.studioproducts.com/express.php"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">https://store.studioproducts.com/express.php</span></a>Rob Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.com0