Category Archives: Blog
Figure Study – Jordan Mullins
Last evening’s figure study at the William King Museum.
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Raw Umber
This Raw Umber is decidedly yellow but grays out quickly when tinted. The strength of the color is preserved in scumbles or glazes.
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Bismuth Yellow
From what I understand, Bismuth Yellow comes from the automotive coatings industry. This is common; artists consume a minuscule amount of pigment when compared to industry. This may become a replacement for Cadmium Lemon, we’ll see.
Translucent Brown Oxide
I remember using this color in a still life when I was about 12 years old. I struggled to render a reflection in a tabletop. After much repainting, I went to my professor for help. He said “Man, I sometimes have to put two or three layers on the thing before I get it right.” [...]
Stil de Grain
This color is a variant of Yellow Ochre but it is quite transparent and coarsely ground. It’s not remarkable in mass tone but it really comes alive when rubbed or scrubbed. The name Stil de Grain has in the past referred to fugitive organic pigments.
Bald Badass – Birthday Card
Allison Linder found this great card! V’ry nice!
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Self Portrait at 34
This was yesterday’s painting so I thought I’d whip out a self portrait before my birthday. I pulled out some colors I don’t usually use, starting with Green Earth and some Cobalt Violet Light, Stil de Grain, Lapis Lazuli. All of these were low tinting strength.
Self Portrait Sick
Just found an image of this painting from a couple years ago. I was feeling like ten miles of hammered shit.
Lincolnshower Park
Just the other day, I went out to paint for a bit at Lincolnshire Park in Tazewell, VA. Of course, being ill prepared and perhaps ill advised, I was caught in a rain shower. At first, there were just a few drops and I continued painting – oil and water don’t mix, right? I did [...]
Green Earth
It's a weak tinter and not very attractive but in the right context, it can be just the color!
Papyrus Sightings
I've had enough! We've reached a point of saturation with this typeface that I cannot endure.
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Mars Yellow
This isn’t the usual PY42 Mars Yellow. The color is a very clean and warm. Though my tube indicates PY119, there are some sources that cite Holbein’s Mars Yellow as PBr11.
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Lapis Lazuli
A gritty low tinter but you don’t use lapis for tinting strength. It’s delicate and its crystalline transparency makes for some nicely rubbed out glazes.
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Vermilion
Opaque scarlet red that has an earthy quality. Tints retain hue unlike Cadmium Reds that tend to shift toward blue in tints.
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Lemon Yellow
Harding describes this color as sick looking, but I enjoy its color. Lemon Yellow makes some nice greys with Manganese and Cobalt Violets. The paint’s consistency is wonderfully brushable without any oiliness. I often use Nickel Yellow and this Lemon Yellow is much more natural looking – more butter than acid.
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Assistant Professor of Art – VIC
With great excitement, I have accepted a position at Virginia Intermont College.
Trade Show
Every year, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff sponsors a trade show in Boone, NC. I’ve never been to such an event and Boone isn’t that far away so I went to the show this year. Overall, it was a good show but the selection and prices weren’t as great as I’d hoped. I think “Cheap” Joe [...]
Mountain View