Do you glaze?

Brenda's Passion . 14 x 11 . oil on canvas (after glazing)

Brenda's Passion . 14 x 11 . oil on canvas (before glazing)

It feels like a supreme luxury when you actually have the time to glaze over parts of a completed painting.  Frankly, it's often the icing on the cake, the oomph that's added, the "topping off" of your original idea. 

 

Yesterday I glazed my quick oil sketch painting of artist extraordinaire, Brenda Behr, www.brendabehr.com , and decided to share it with you, a before and after - note, in my usual quirkiness, (once a rebel, always a rebel) I've placed the AFTER first and the BEFORE second! 

 

The glazing deepened her shirt, "toned it down" in artist lingo, so that it's not competing with her face, and is more indicative of the shadowy presence of overhead trees.  And I added some warmth to the top of her face under the hat to suggest some shadowing and reflection of light coming through her hat brim.  I chiseled a little under her cheekbone (Brenda has great cheekbones!), and added a little more warmth/emphasis on her arm as well as neck and chest.  If you scroll between the two photos, you'll see what I mean. 

 

What is glazing you might ask?  It's a layer of transparent, thinned paint applied over a lighter, dry color previously applied to the canvas.  It's a technique watercolor artists use all the time, but it also works beautifully in oil - it simply enhances the light.  Adding depth and luminosity in different areas of your paintings can truly pull it all together, and often you can change a color dramatically if your painting is working. The key though is to save glazing for the last, as your under layer should be totally dry - you have to resist the temptation to go in too soon!  Glazing came very naturally to me as I worked exclusively in watercolors for 10+ years before transitioning to oil.  www.sandybdonn.com.

 

When this portrait is varnished all the colors will literally come alive. . .it especially deepens the darks.  I see a lot of paintings in shows with no varnish whatsoever, and I'm always mystified.  Not only does it preserve the painting and makes it easier for your client to clean, but it gives such depth.  Obviously, to each his own - and yes, it's a bit heart-thumping to brush on varnish over your painting, but if you quiet your monkey brain it usually all comes out looking fabulous.  I can't say enough about Gamblin's Gamvar and their Cold Wax Medium.