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TECHNICAL INFORMATION

TECHNICAL TIPS

Moth Balls for Sable Brushes

If you purchase expensive sable brushes for future use, put them in a tightly closed box or envelope, but not be­fore you place a few moth balls or some similar repellent in the container. Moths love sable.

Framing an Oil Painting with Glass

At one time it was considered both fashionable and good protection to use glass when framing an oil painting, but it is seldom done today. If you should have occasion to use glass, make certain that it does not touch the surface of the painting. Small chips of wood or cork can be glued at intervals along the edge of the glass corners facing the painting, and the picture will then rest against the chips and not touch the glass. In a small painting, chips will be needed only in the four corners. Make certain that the chips are small enough so that they do not extend beyond the rabbet of the frame.

Indelible Drawing Pencils

Never use an indelible pencil or a similar marking im­plement for doing preliminary drawing on the canvas. The indelible dye will come through the subsequent layer of paint. If you use a board, such as Presdwood or Masonite, as a painting surface, make certain that you do not use a piece with identification marking stamped on it. Chances are an indelible ink pad was used. Never use carbon paper when transferring a drawing to canvas or to water-color paper.

Keeping Water Colors Moist

A small piece of wet sponge in the corner of your water-color box will help keep the paints moist when not in use. However, in a damp climate mold will set in after a short time.

Storing Water-Color Paper

Store your reserve supply of water-color paper in a dry place. Dampness will affect the surface, causing blotches to appear when a color wash is laid over the paper. Take care, when unpacking unused water-color paper, not to rub one sheet against another, for the surface bruises easily. Avoid unnecessary handling—a grease mark made by the fingers will produce a blemish when paint is ap­plied.

Affixing Paper to a Rigid Base

Use pure white library paste when affixing paper to card­board, because rubber cement or glue will eventually work through and stain the paper. Never apply pressure di­rectly; instead, place a sheet of bond paper or clean wrap­ping paper over the surface being mounted. Then use the heel of your hand or a roller, applying the pressure from the center to the edges.

Wax Finish for Paintings

Oil and casein paintings can be given a wax coating after being varnished. A casein painting on a gesso panel especially can often be enhanced by wax. Casein varnish is first applied to the panel, bringing out all the color possible, and the resulting shine is often objectionable to many painters, who tone down the varnish by applying wax with a soft, lintless rag. The wax dulls the surface at first, but it can be gradually worked up into as much gloss as desired by rubbing with a circular motion.

Giving Your Brushes an Occasional Rest

Brushes, particularly those used for water color, become limp when used daily. Give them a good washing with a mild soap and rinse thoroughly in tepid to cool water (hot water can loosen the hairs). Squeeze the surplus water out and reshape the hairs. Place them brush up in a jar for a time and they will regain their spring and resiliency.

Protecting the Finish of Art Work

The plastic sprays that are on the market today can be used to protect and preserve the surface of many varieties of finished art work. These sprays are especially useful for keeping pencil and charcoal drawings from smudging, and they also provide a protective coating for poster and casein paint. However, once the surface is sprayed it is no longer workable, for paint added onto a plastic base may chip or flake off.

Flattening Rolled Paper

If you have kept your reserve supply of drawing or water-color paper rolled up, you can flatten it this way: Place the paper on a drawing board with the curve belly­ing toward you. Dampen the paper with a moist sponge, and pin the corners with thumb tacks. As it dries it will become flat.

Working in the Sun

When you work outdoors facing the sun, light often shows through a stretched canvas. This can be most dis­concerting at the early stage of laying-in a subject. If you have a reserve panel in your paint box place it at the back of the canvas, or tack a few sheets of newspaper on the back.

Cleaning Mats

The delicate surface of mat board bruises easily and frequently starts to peel when rubbed with an eraser. Try using a household cleansing powder with a soft rag. Sprinkle the powder lightly over the mat and rub gently with a circular motion.

Controlled Drying of a Water Color

A hand-operated hair dryer can be used to hasten the drying of a water color. The gradation of a wet wash can be varied by placing the dryer closer to the area that you wish to dry lighter and holding it there for a longer time. The faster the wet surface dries, the lighter the final tone.

Using the Reverse Side of a Spoiled Water-Color Paper

You can paint on the unused side of good-quality paper. It is advisable to clean the surface with a sponge and clear water first, to remove any grease spots that may have ac­cumulated and thus provide a more receptive working surface.

Eliminating Bubbles on Mounted Paper

Sometimes a small, raised, bubble-like spot appears on the surface of the paper you have just mounted. Just pick this air pocket with a needle. This will release the air and the spot will disappear when pressure is applied.

Keeping Casein Soluble

Casein will stay water-soluble on a metal or plastic palette for days if a wet cloth is placed over it.

Avoiding Eyestrain

Use a tinted paper for sketching a series of subjects that must be rendered in bright sunlight. The usual white surface reflects the glare and is difficult to work on and hard on the eyes. Cream-colored detail paper has an ex­cellent surface and is inexpensive.

Disposable Palette

There is a palette available made up of 50 sheets in a pad-like form. You squeeze out and arrange your paints in the usual way on the top sheet, and instead of cleaning up left-over paint you simply tear off the sheet.

Retarding the Drying of Water Color

Sketch At All Times

A few drops of glycerine in the water before mixing water color will make the color dry more slowly.

OIL-PAINTING TIPS

Salvaging Surplus Paint

Oil paint left on the palette can be saved by placing it in a deep dish and filling the dish with enough water to cover all the paint. When ready to use the paint again, pour off the water and transfer the colors back to your palette. Your palette knife will facilitate the handling of the paint.

Removing Dried Paint from a Palette Knife

Oil paint that has dried hard on your palette knife can be removed by dipping the knife in paint remover. A razor blade can also be used to scrape paint off, but take care not to nick the edge of the knife.

Holder for Palette Knife and Brushes

There is a clip-on gadget sold in five-and-ten-cent stores for use in the kitchen to hold knives and such equipment. It can be fastened to the side of your taboret or work table and makes a convenient place to keep your brushes and palette knife.

Storing Canvas

Do not keep your roll of canvas in a cold room. The siz­ing and white lead coating become brittle and are likely to crack when unrolled.

Making Your Own Textured Board

If you use a compressed-fiber board you can produce your own texture when preparing the board for painting.

After the usual sandpapering to roughen the surface, give it a coat of white lead and allow it to dry. Apply a second coat, but instead of brushing smoothly, pounce the paint with a stiff bristle brush. An old brush cut flat like a stencil brush is excellent. Unlike the ready-prepared mechanically textured boards that have a monotonously even surface, yours can have an interesting textured effect, as rough and uneven as you like. The surface can always be sanded down if certain areas are too rough.

Resurfacing an Old Canvas

You can re-use a discarded painting, but do not work directly over the old paint. First scrape the ridges of paint down to a flat surface, using your palette knife and sand­paper. Wipe thoroughly and coat it with white paint. The coating will dry faster and harder if the white lead is cut with copal oil varnish. A brush can be used, but a palette knife will give a better working surface. Apply the coating just heavily enough to cover the previous painting, and let it dry thoroughly before starting a new painting.

Improving the Surface of a Cotton Canvas Panel

The procedure for resurfacing canvas can be used on new, stretched cotton canvas. The coating is particularly good for cheap cotton panels, which are notoriously ab­sorbent. The subsequent painting will hold its color more readily because the paint will not sink in as much when it dries.

Keeping Your Hands Clean

If you dislike the task of removing oil paint stains from your hands, there is a preparation that might interest you. It is a hand cream that is applied before you start to paint; it forms a protective layer that is easily removed with water at the end of a work session, taking any oil stains with it.

Kerosene for Cleaning Brushes

Many painters use kerosene for cleaning oil brushes, claiming that it keeps the brush soft without affecting its spring. This is done at the end of the day's work, never while painting. Kerosene mixed with oil paint will eventu­ally darken the color.

Eliminating Excess Oil Content

If the oil paints with which you are working have too much oil content, squeeze them out on a newspaper first. The newspaper will absorb the excess oil, and the colors can then be transferred to your palette as needed for mixing.

Preserving Your Palette

Before using a new palette, pour a little linseed oil on it. Then, using a soft, clean rag, rub oil over the entire surface and repeat this on the reverse side. Allow the oil to sink into the wood thoroughly.

Getting the Most Out of a Tube of Paint

Always squeeze the paint from the base of the tube. As the paint is used, roll up the bottom of the tube. It is sur­prising how much more paint can be obtained from a tube by following this simple procedure.

PAINTING A LARGE PICTURE

As you progress you will eventually want to do a larger painting than the 12-X-16- or 16-x-20-inch canvases you have probably been using to paint from nature.

Oil paintings that are being exhibited in most shows today are not as large as those displayed in the past. Aver­age sizes today are 25 x 30, 30 x 36, and 30 x 40 inches, plus the width of the frame. Many art societies limit the over-all size because wall space is limited, and since paintings often have to be shipped, costs also help to limit the size.

I suggest that you paint your first larger canvas 25 x 30 inches. While this is not an impressive size, compared to many of the paintings you have seen exhibited, it will offer enough problems. It should be painted in the studio, us­ing one of your most successful small on-the-spot sketches for reference.

The several ways of enlarging a sketch are described on pages 228-229. Probably the best way is to redraw it with charcoal on the large white canvas. You can reshape, add to, or eliminate any areas you like, to help the painting. It is seldom that the spot sketch can be enlarged line for line to a larger canvas and still be a satisfactory composition. You will also discover, very shortly after you begin to apply the paint, that color passages which seemed attractive in a small canvas have lost something when enlarged.

This is natural enough when you analyze the problem. On a small canvas bits of attractive color seem more exciting. Sometimes they are only shapeless daubs of the brush but they acid life to the sketch. However, when you work large, these shapeless daubs and exciting bits of color must take form and be correct in tonal value. This is where the student encounters his first pitfall. There is also the prob­lem of paint quality. A passage of painting that was pleas­ing in the small canvas often becomes very thin when enlarged. The edges of the different color areas have to be handled more carefully; you cannot get away with just smudging it or making it fuzzy! And last, there is the drawing. What was just a few wisps of paint and a small walking figure must now be more delineated.

All these problems will have to be solved when doing the large canvas. Use as large a brush as possible and do not be too concerned with brush work and textural qual­ity at this stage. Follow the form of the objects with the brush as simply as possible. Try to obtain a pleasing color arrangement, but, most important, concentrate on the correct values.

You may also want to experiment with underpainting when doing a large painting in the studio. A vibrant effect is obtained by painting a warm color over an area that is to appear cooler in the final painting. For example, the sky could be painted a pinkish tone, then the blue sky color applied over the pink. You can carry such experi­ments further by allowing the undertone to dry thor­oughly before painting over it. This produces interesting color effects and textural quality.

VARNISHING AN OIL PAINTING

Varnishing protects the finished painting from dirt and moisture and at the same time brightens the areas that have dried dull, producing an even sheen on the entire surface of the painting.

However, a final varnish should not be applied until the painting is thoroughly dry. Some paintings dry more slowly than others, so it is wise to allow a minimum of at least three months. In the meantime retouch varnish can serve as a temporary measure. This can be applied as soon as the painting is dry to the touch.

I find copal picture varnish very satisfactory for the final varnishing; it dries with a hard finish. Make certain that the painting is clean before applying the final varnish. Use a lintless cloth to remove any dust that may have accumu­lated in the three-month drying period. Pour a small amount of varnish into a dish, so that it is easily accessible with the brush, and use a soft housepainter's brush of 1-inch to 1½-inch width.

Place the painting in a horizontal position and varnish as uniformly as possible, overlapping each stroke slightly to make certain that all of it is varnished. Leave the paint­ing in a horizontal position until dry, otherwise the varnish will run. For an added gloss you can repeat the above process on the following day.

Varnish can also be applied with a spray. Special cans are available which have built-in atomizers for spraying the varnish evenly.

Avoid varnishing a painting on a damp day, because the drying will be considerably retarded.

GLAZING AND SCUMBLING

Glazing and scumbling are methods of enhancing or modifying a painting.

A glaze is an oil color reduced to a watery, transparent consistency and applied with a soft brush over a direct area. It imparts more depth and luminosity to the area. The area should be on the light side, for a glaze intensifies and darkens the section it covers.

You can use copal painting medium to reduce oil color to a glazing consistency. If it is still too heavy add some tur­pentine to thin it. There are media made expressly for glazing—a preparation called Gel is very good. It will re­duce any oil color to the desired transparency and requires no turpentine or oil.

Glazing is most successful when done gradually in suc­cessive applications. Drying time must be allowed for each glaze.

Experiment by superimposing warm and cool color glazes. You can glaze part of a painting or all of it, but make sure that the surface you are working on is thor­oughly dry.

• Scumbling is generally used to lighten a dried area. The paint is applied as it comes from the tube and is mixed to the desired color. Medium is seldom used, for there is enough oil content in the paint to make it workable. The paint is dragged over the dried area, producing a broken effect of color and an interesting textural quality as well. It is also useful in softening any harsh color or details.

Experiment on a discarded canvas, by scumbling over various areas, reducing tones, creating textural effects, enhancing color, and so on.

OPAQUE AND TRANSPARENT QUALITIES IN OIL COLORS

Oil colors vary in their degree of transparency. You will soon discover how much more the transparent colors on your palette are affected than the opaque colors, when mixed with white.

This does not necessarily mean that all transparent colors possess less tinting strength. On the contrary, such transparent and semi-transparent colors as Prussian Blue, Thalo Green, Thalo Blue, and Alizarin Crimson have a powerful tinting capacity.

It is useful to know of this varying degree of transpar­ency in the colors on your palette, both for mixing and for glazing and scumbling.

Opaque

Burnt Umber

All of the Cadmium colors Cerulean Blue

Chromium Oxide Green

(Opaque)

Light Red

Indian Red

All of the Mars colors Vermilion

All of the Whites

Naples Yellow

Raw Umber

Semi-Opaque

Lamp black

Lemon Yellow

Permanent Green, Light Terra Rosa

Yellow Ochre

Zinc Yellow

Semi-Transparent

Brown Madder

Cobalt Blue

Gold Ochre

Ivory Black

Thalo Blue

Thalo Green

Permanent Green, Deep Prussian Blue

Raw Sienna

Transparent

All of the Ultramarines Alizarin Crimson

Burnt Sienna

Green Earth

Permanent Blue

Rose Madder

Viridian

DRYING TIME OF VARIOUS OIL COLORS

It is useful to know just which colors are fast-drying and which dry slowly. For example, a fast-drying color is espe­cially needed in the preliminary lay-in of color, when you want the underpainting to dry as quickly and thoroughly as possible before you resume painting. At other times you may want the colors to remain as workable as possible from day to day, and may find a palette of slow-drying colors desirable. This is important in portrait work, when you want to keep the paint flexible enough for successive sittings to complete the modeling of the head and fea­tures. Of course, retarders or driers can be added to con­trol the paint, but they should be used sparingly. Keep in mind that the thickness of the paint and the atmospheric conditions at the time affect drying time.

Burnt Umber Cobalt Blue Raw Umber

Fast

Viridian Prussian Blue

Burnt Sienna

Yellow Ochre

Oxide of Chromium

Medium

Light Red

French Ultramarine

Naples Yellow

Cadmium Yellow Cadmium Red Cadmium Orange

Slow

Alizarin Crimson Zinc White

THE CARE OF YOUR PICTURES

The use of retouch varnish as a temporary protection until a final varnish can be applied has already been dis­cussed (see page 221).

Care must also be taken to protect the back of the can­vas, particularly when sending the painting to an exhibi­tion. There is always the danger of a dent or a hole being made in a canvas when several are stacked together. This can happen in your studio as easily as when they arrive at an exhibition. A piece of strong heavy cardboard, cut to the size of the painting and tacked to the wooden canvas strips, will minimize this danger.

If a painting is damaged by a tear or a hole accidentally poked through a vital spot, it can be repaired by re-backing the canvas. To start, the canvas must be perfectly dry. Re­move the tacks and separate the canvas from its stretchers. Cut a piece of new canvas with a margin (including the tacking area) about an inch larger than the damaged can­vas. Place the fresh canvas right side up on the floor and spread a heavy layer of white lead, cut with linseed oil, evenly over all of it. Now place the back side of the dam­aged canvas against the new canvas and apply even pres­sure over the entire area. Any surplus white lead that oozes out will be deposited on the 1-inch margin of the fresh canvas and can easily be scraped off. Put a sheet of waxed paper cut to the size of the damaged painting over the face of the painting and place everything under a flat drawing board. Let it dry for several days. Remove the board, trim the margin, and restretch. It is not always necessary to re-back or reline the entire canvas. For a small tear, a patch made from new canvas can be applied. Whether the painting is patched or re-backed, some re­touching will be necessary if the hole or tear is of any size.

Oil paintings that have been stored for some time in a closet or on a curtained rack may darken or yellow. They will brighten considerably if you place them where they will be exposed to constant daylight (not direct sunlight). Keep this in mind if you are planning to exhibit any older paintings, so that they will be shown to best advantage. It is also possible that a new coating of varnish will help; some dull spots may have developed because of color sink­ing into the canvas.

It is good practice to keep a case history of paintings that are the result of experimentation. This experimenta­tion can be the paints used for an underpainting, new colors that you have added to your palette, time allowed for paint layers to dry, or any new approach. This infor­mation can be written on the back of the stretcher strips and will often provide vital data for future paintings.

Your water colors will give you less of a preservation problem than your oil paintings. They can be stored in portfolios with hinged flaps to keep out the dust and placed in a horizontal position to prevent warping.

A water color that has been soiled by dirt or dust can be cleaned with a kneaded eraser. Bread crumbs can also be used as a gentle means of removing accumulated dust smears. If a water color has a crease in it, moisten the back with clear water on a sponge. Then rub the under side of a spoon gently over the crease to help smooth it. Put the sheet between two clean blotters and place it under a draw­ing board, using some books for added pressure. Allow it to press for a few days before rematting.

METHODS OF ENLARGING AND TRANSFERRING SKETCHES AND DRAWINGS

In Painting a Large Picture, page 219, reference was made to enlarging a sketch as a base for a larger canvas.

There are several ways of enlarging a sketch or a draw­ing. The simplest method is "squaring up" the sketch and transferring the composition to a canvas or a sheet of water-color paper.

If the sketch is 8 x 10 inches it is divided into 2-inch, pencil-ruled squares. Assuming that it is to be enlarged to twice its size, that is, to 16 x 20 inches, 4-inch squares are drawn on the blank canvas.

The squares act as a guide for each area of the composi­tion and it is a simple matter to fill in each of them. This enlarging method can be used for a picture of any size. If the subject is complex, you may want to use more and smaller squares; on the other hand, a simple subject may require only a few squares. Any incidental passages of intricate drawing that occur can be subdivided as illus­trated.

If you want to keep the sketch intact, place a sheet of transparent paper or glass over it. The squaring-up process can then be done on the protective sheet without harm to the original. Use a grease or china marking pencil on glass, to make sure the lines will show, and use a soft pencil on the transparent paper so that the ruled lines will not in­dent the sketch. Charcoal can be used on the canvas for the enlarged drawing.

There are several mechanical devices that can be used for enlarging, such as the pantograph, proportional di­viders, and others, but you will find the squaring-up method convenient for most subjects.

You may some time have a sketch photostated and enlarged to the desired size, then trace the photostat on the canvas. This is an inexpensive way of copying material and making it any size. First rub the back of the photostatic copy with graphite or charcoal, then thumb-tack it to the canvas and trace through, using a hard pencil. The traced image can be sprayed with a fixatif or redrawn directly with a brush and thinned oil color.

At the left is the sketch that has been squared for enlarging.

Below are the cor­responding squares enlarged on the canvas and ready for painting.

FRAMING OIL PAINTINGS

Many amateurs spend valuable time painting their sub­ject and buy the best quality of paints and equipment-then they place their efforts in a cheap thin five-and-ten-cent-store frame. Even a professionally executed painting would not look very impressive in such a setting.

I admit that no amount of money spent on a frame will improve the painting as a work of art, but a tastefully selected frame will certainly improve its over-all appear­ance.

You can purchase suitable molding from a lumber yard and, using a miter saw, make your own frames, but this is time-consuming. Rather, compromise and buy the raw wood frames that are now sold in all art supply shops and many department stores. The sizes that fit stock-size can­vases are very reasonable in price. Just make certain that the frame you select is heavy enough in width for your painting.

You should apply some type of finish to the raw wood, even if only a flat gray tone. Putting a finish on the raw frame can be fascinating work and can be done at a time when you have become "stale" and lack desire or inspira­tion to paint. All artists go through such periods, espe­cially after a season's work or a one-man show, and many take advantage of these times by finishing frames, cutting mats, and reading about art and artists.

MATTING AND FRAMING WATER COLORS

At one time all water colors were displayed in mats of generous margins, and it is still difficult to surpass the enhancing effect of a wide white mat on a simply framed transparent water color. Nowadays, however, when water colors are painted in larger sizes and are heavier in both color and paint content, many artists exhibit their paint­ings in wide, carved frames with very narrow mats. In some cases the mat is eliminated and an inset is used in­stead. The method you use is a matter of personal prefer­ence, and the key in which you work should help deter­mine the choice. A wide frame with just an inset would certainly look too heavy for a high-keyed water color.

Have on hand mats with various-sized openings to place over your sketches when you return to the studio. Their appearance is immediately improved, and it is easier to judge the over-all effect with the mat providing a clean, sharp edge.

A mat is also helpful when working indoors on a water color. Placing the picture in the mat as you near the final stages helps in determining how much more work is needed. You will often be pleasantly surprised at how little work is left when your painting is viewed this way. Never display water colors to anyone without a mat, in fairness to him as well as to yourself, because it is difficult to judge an unmatted painting. At the final stage it is also wise to place glass over the water color, for the smooth sheen always adds depth as well as finish to a painting.

FRAMING

The detailed or "busy" sub­ject is displayed best in a simple frame.

A more ornate frame en­hances the simple subject.

The picture will appear to its best advantage when the light from the window or lamp that illuminates it comes from the same direc­tion as the light in the painting.

MATTING

The rectangular mat has widest margin at the base. The margins of the sides and top are of equal width.

A wide mat with colored lines that harmonize with the subject gives a pleas­ing over-all effect.

The vertical mat has, gener­ally, the same mat margins as the rectangular mat. How­ever, many liberties can be taken in varying the mar­gins, especially when the picture is extremely elon­gated.

FINISHING YOUR OWN FRAMES

Following are recipes for putting various finishes on raw wood frames. They are not too time-consuming and will definitely enhance the presentation of your paintings. Just make certain that the width of the frame itself is heavy enough for your painting.

1. For a simple water-color frame a coat of white shellac will suffice for a quick job. Make certain that the raw wood is well sandpapered and that the surface is clean before the shellac is applied. When dry, rub down with fine steel wool.
   
   
2. Maple, walnut, mahogany, and other stains can be used. Select a shade that harmonizes with the water-color and apply to a clean sandpapered surface. Rub down lightly with steel wool when dry. A paste wax can be used to give a protective finish and a slight gloss.
   
   
3. Casein paint is excellent for obtaining a quick finish for narrow or heavy frames. A warm gray is produced by mixing white and a touch of raw umber in casein colors. Applied directly to the raw wood, in a heavy consistency, it can be textured before it dries. An effective ridged texture can be obtained with an ordinary comb. You can also produce a stippled effect by pounding the wet casein surface with a stiff stencil brush. Old toothbrushes, shaving brushes, and the like also make handy texturing implements.
   
   
4. Second-hand gold frames can be used to excellent advantage after they have been pleasingly toned. Brush a casein mixture over the gold and allow it to dry. Then, using a fine sandpaper, rub it down, allowing parts of the original gold to show through.
   

FRAMING TIPS

1. Rubber or cork tips placed in the lower corners of the back of a frame will keep the picture from tilting and will also prevent the wall from becoming streaked.
   
   
2. If you keep your paintings a standard size, you can use inexpensive stock frames. These are obtainable in many designs, and give you the added advantage of being able to try several types of frames for the same painting.
   
   
3. A small piece of cellulose tape placed on the wall before the supporting nail or hook is driven in will prevent the plaster from chipping.
   
   
4. Keep several mats of various colors on hand. It is surprising how a warm gray mat will enhance the appearance of a certain water color in contrast to the usual white. Even a slightly off-white tone may be a vast improvement over a dead-white mat.
   
   
5. You can put button backs on water-color frames to eliminate nails. The big advantage, however, is that the pictures can be changed easily.
   
   
6. Dip your glass cutter into some turpentine before cutting a piece of glass for a frame—it will cut much easier.
   
   
7. To keep your picture flat against the wall, place the pic­ture rings as near the top of the frame as possible. When it is necessary to have the picture tilt forward, to eliminate reflections, for instance, place the rings lower.
   

EXHIBITING PAINTINGS

Almost every painter arrives at the stage when he would like to exhibit his work. I think that it is a good idea to have your paintings shown with those of others; it gives you a fresh perspective on your work, because it is surpris­ing how different your picture looks on a wall surrounded by paintings of other artists. Sometimes you are agreeably surprised when your painting holds its own in comparison. At other times the painting that seemed so colorful and strong in your studio looks drab and weak alongside the other pictures.

If your work looks disappointing, you may first be in­clined to blame the lighting, the other artists' frames, or the place where the hanging committee placed your paint­ing. Any or all of these reasons may be the right ones, but it is quite possible that the painting itself is to blame!

If you exhibit too soon in your career you are bound to be disappointed. Rather, attend various exhibitions, care­fully observing all the paintings on display. Then, when you feel that your work is comparable to that of the exhib­iting artists, submit your paintings. I use the word "sub­mit" because I am thinking in terms of open exhibits that are juried.

It may be more feasible for you to join a local art group or club. These groups have exhibitions for their members, and such exhibitions, besides being stimulating, can be stepping stones to competitive juried shows.

However you chose to exhibit your work, keep foremost in your mind that you are painting to satisfy yourself rather than a jury.

GLOSSARY OF ART TERMS

Accent The emphasis of dark or light in a drawing, or of color in a painting.

Alia Prlma  A method by which a painting is usually completed in one sitting—painting in a direct manner.

Aniline A derivative of coal tar used to produce brilliant, but not necessarily perma­nent, colors.

Blend   To merge together or soften.

Bright  A brush with short-haired bristles.

Broken Color  Color that is broken by another color.

Cast Shadow The shadow that is cast from one form onto another.

Classical   Established ideals of perfection.

Coat    A layer of paint.

Chroma   The element in color that indicates its degree of saturation.

Design The planned composition of a work of art.

Fat      Rich in oil content.

Ferrule    The metal band encircling a brush and holding the hairs.

Fixatif A thin varnish of watery consistency, used to keep drawings from smudging.

Flat A brush with long-haired bristles.

Flat Color   An even or uniform area of color.

Genre  A type of realistic, story-telling painting.

Gesso  A plasterlike material spread upon a surface to prepare it for painting.

Glaze   Transparent painting over a light under painting.

Gouache   1. A painting with opaque or body colors. 2. Non-transparent.

Graduated Color The range of color from light to dark or from warm to cool that results in a gradually changing effect.

Grisaille   The painting of the subject in gray colors, used as an underpainting.

Impasto     1. Thick application of pigment. 2. The pigment so applied.

Mat    The surrounding area between the frame and the picture.

Matte  A dull surface.

Medium    1. The means of drawing or paintingoil, water color, pen and ink, and so on are media. 2. The binder for the pig­ments, the vehicle.

Monochrome   A painting executed with one color.

Motif   The theme or source.

Muted Color    Restricted or suppressed rather than the full range of color.

Neutral Color A color without definite identification.

Nocturne    A night scene.

Opaque   Heavy or non-transparent.

Palette 1. A rectangular- or oval-shaped flat surface used for mixing colors. 2- The selection of colors used by an artist.

Prime  To make ready. The preparatory coating.

Rabbet The recess or groove of a frame for holding the picture.

Reflected Light The shadowed part of an object which is lightened by the reflection from an adjacent object.

Saturation   The greatest possible intensity of the color.

Scumbling    Dragging paint in a broken manner over a previously painted dry surface.

Sketch 1. A brief statement of the subject. 2. A drawing complete in itself.

Study   1- A comprehensive drawing or painting. 2. A detail that can be incorpor­ated into a finished painting.

Stretcher   The wooden frame on which canvas or paper is stretched.

Support    The surface material on which the paint is applied.

Tacky  Sticky, partly dried.

Tint      A light hue of color.

Tooth   The textural surface quality of the white canvas, varying from rough to smooth.

Tone    The changes of color achieved by lightening with white or darkening with black.

Value   The difference in effect due to light and dark.

Wash   1- The application of color in a thin, fluid manner. 2. Diluted pigment.