Sunday, February 21, 2010

How can i sketch on my canvas without having it smear with the oil paint?

Whenever i paint on a canvas i always sketch the basic picture first, because i know that when you use oil paints on it, there's no turning back.





But when i do sketch (with a pencil), its smears and shows up through the oil paint!!!





I would use a thin layer of paint to begin with but i only use a pencil because i can erase it, so i want to be able to fix it if i mess up at first.





Is there ANYTHING i could do?How can i sketch on my canvas without having it smear with the oil paint?
I apply a thin acrylic wash under paint, both to kill the white of the canvas and to prevent the oil paint from smearing and obliterating the pencil sketch / drawing.How can i sketch on my canvas without having it smear with the oil paint?
Hm. Well, I'm not sure what you mean about ';no turning back'; b/c I myself find that if you mix a thin wash of paint, like Donaphenk suggests (but I myself mix a neutral color of something like burnt sienna and ultramarine or prussian blue), you can loosen up and do a sketch that easily washes up with whatever you're using to thin it, like turpenoid, turpentine or mineral spirits. Just put some on a rag and wipe off. Sure, it may slightly stain the canvas, but that'll be covered by your subsequent layers. This does apply to those following layers as well. Oil is the most flexible and ';erasable'; of media, I think!
after sketching, you can use a permanent fixative.





or you can also ';mass'; over your sketch first before you paint in the colors. that is, you chose a cool color (prussian blue for example) and use it to paint over your sketch. remember, one color only, and the finish should be like an oil wash, or like a monochromatic painting. this method could also help you analyze your forms and tones before doing the final painting.
I have an idea. Use oil pastels for the sketch. And some good advice that you haven't actually asked for, but still might help with the process is to loosen up the sketch process, make those lines very brief, and let the oils speak.
Use a soft charcoal stick :D


it grey and it erases easily


just before you paint over it smear it a little so its very light


but still noticeable


it works all the time for me :DDDDD


hope it helps

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