Murphy Oil Soap - an Artist's Friend

ART TIP -  Removing Paint from Your Brushes and Clothes

Brushes are expensive so you don't want to accidentally ruin one.  It happens to everyone...You meant to clean your brushes later and get busy doing something else.  Its a shame to have to throw them away or even put them in the "old" brush container if they aren't a solid mass.   The solution is to buy brush cleaners that will remove dried paint from your brushes. 

Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner and Restorer.   I wrote about it in an earlier blog.  It is reasonably priced and works like a charm to clean both oil and acrylic from your brushes.  It has saved many of my brushes.  Just make sure you only use a little of the cleaner in a jar so that it doesn't get the wooden part of your brush in the solution.  Remember...it removes paint so you will have a naked brush if you get it on the wooden handle.
  

Murphy's Oil Soap:  A less expensive alternative for removing oil and acrylic paint is Murphy's Oil Soap.  Unlike the Winsor and Newton cleaner, it can also be used on your clothes.  Who hasn't gotten paint on their "good" clothes?   You walk by a painting in progress and decide it just needs a couple more strokes and the paint seems to migrate to your clothes every time.  Murphy's to the rescue.  Carefully rub a little at a time into the paint on your clothes with your finger or a clean rag until the paint looks loose.  Then gently wipe/drab as much as you can off and throw the clothing in the laundry.  For brushes, put about a 1/4-1/2 inch into a glass bottle and swish your brushes around.  Unless the paint is really harden (then let them soak) it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to have your brushes clean and in working order again.  Once the bristles are pliable, rinse them in cool water (never hot).  Don't forget its easier when you leave a little soap in your brushes for them to dry and hold their edge. 

Art Tip - Gizmos &Gagets - Canvas Schlepper

I love gadgets... for art, kitchen, workshop, you name it. 

I have a wonderful wooden carrier for wet canvases my Dad made for me.  In fact, a lot of my friends and classmates liked it so much they asked if Dad would make them one too.   Dad's design is similar to the metals ones you can buy, but its much sturdier and doesn't fall over.  It carries two 20" or smaller canvases/boards at a time. 

A few years ago, I bought an inexpensive gadget at the local art store with the funny, but totally appropriate name "Canvas Schlepper."   Its been out of sight, out of mind in a drawer, but I have been hauling a couple of larger canvas around so I pulled it out.  Simple but effective.  It is a handle to help keep my fingers off of a wet painting.  It works on any size 3/4" wrapped canvas.  If you have two Shleppers, you can carry two wet canvases back to back.    

Great label!

Just slip it on the back between the canvas and the wooden stretcher bar. 

It hooks into place and viola you have a handle

Now you don't have to worry about paint on the edge.

Note: Be careful if it is windy you now have a sail on that handle!

ART TIP- Table Raisers

I saw this tip for the first time at Mary Todd Beam's workshop last week.  I learned when you do many of the water media techniques, your surface needs to be on a flat surface and you really need to stand above it while you work to see what you are doing more clearly.  Of course, at table height that is really hard on your back.  Mary and some of the artists in the class had inexpensive (I paid $7.39 for the set of 4 at Kmart & Walmart carries them too) plastic risers normally used to raise a bed up so you can store boxes under it.  
They raise the table 6", making it kitchen counter-top height.  

My back says thank you to those who shared the tip. 

Artist Richard Robinson - Painting Lesson: Perspective Drawing

Richard Robinson is an internationally known artist from New Zealand and has a regular column critiquing art work in International Art Magazine (one of my favorite art magazines).  He is also a teacher who is amazingly generous sharing his knowledge via the internet.   

I saw an notice on ArtistsNetwork that I could sign up for free short art videos lessons by Richard.  The videos have all been good (you can find them on his website or YouTube), but this one stuck a note because so many people struggle with perspective.  I thought this short video was excellent.  He makes it simple and easy to understand.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  

From his email:

Happy Painting,

Richard.

Lessons: www.livepaintinglessons.com

Paintings: www.newzealandartist.com

Blog & Painter's Group: www.thecompleteartist.ning.com

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

ART TIP - Draw using a Proportional Divider or Caliper

When I mentioned using a caliper when I was having trouble with proportions in an earlier post a couple of art friends asked me about it.  I used a caliper years ago in architectural & drafting classes.  I pull them out once in a while when I'm drawing, but they have sharp metal tips so I was always worried about putting a hole in a canvas.  Artist friend Deena Hunkler-Sanks took a class that used an Accurasee Proportional Divider made from plastic.  It helps artists by helping with scale.  You align the subject matter you are drawing or painting in the small end of the divider and use the larger end on your drawing surface to get the correct proportion. Artist friend Maria Bennett Hock order one and what a lovely surprise when she gave me one too.  It is a very nifty tool, but initially I wasn't using it correctly.  I've learned you have to remember to hold your arm out straight EVERY time.  Deena was kind enough to send out the video (below) on of how to use it and I thought I would share it with you.  

Youtube: Bjorn demonstrates how to draw using the Accurasee Proportional Divider  (FYI - A number of the online art stores carry Accurasee Dividers)

ART TIP - Inexpensive homemade Plein Air Pochade Thumb Box

      I keep telling myself that I want to try my hand at plein air painting.  So far I've procrastinated, but I'm always on the lookout for plein air ideas!  Go figure.  I want to buy a plein air easel even if I only use it for workshops.  There are a number of really good ones out there.  That's the problem, each of the four I like seem to have at least one feature I really like.... so hard to decide!  I am also intrigued with the "how to" internet videos where people show you how they built their own boxes.  Some of the small ones are built out of cigar boxes.  

     I spotted a thrift store the other day and swear my car just turned in on its own.  I went in looking for toys to paint.  They didn't have any toys I was interested in, but I found some cigar boxes and then an old metal cash box for $4.00.   Of course I bought both. When I got them home I realized that unlike the cigar box, the cash box was ready to use.  The lid opens to exactly the right angle and I don't need to add hinges as I would with the cigar box.  The lid easily holds a 6x6" panel.  I think I will cut a piece of masonite to fit as a palette then it will have  room for a few paint supplies under the palette.  I also think paint will last with the top closed. 

      I tried it out today painting a 4x4" 'mug' and it worked like a charm.   The lid has a lip that holds the panels and leans back just far enough you don't have to worry about the panel falling forward. 

Use a metal change box to paint on small panels

                                                                                                                 I was even more thrilled about my pochade cash box after looking online for modifications ideas.   I found this wooden Pochade Thumb Box ... it was on sale  for $84.00!   I saved $80!!  What else can I buy?

 

 

 

 

 

Its all about Art...

B.C. by cartoonist Johnny Hart

Oil Painting Portrait Tutorial Video - Ben Lustenhouwer

Hello from cool & rainy southern Florida. It's been pouring since I arrived yesterday morning.  I can't believe I've been wearing a sweatshirt!  Hoping for sunny skies soon!

An Art Appetizer for you:

Featured Artist - Ben Lustenhouwer

Lustenhouwer is another gifted artist who has shared his talents by producing a number of wonderful YouTube oil painting tutorial videos with many great insights for painting portraits.

One of the interesting techniques he uses to determine the right skin tone on various parts of the face is to take a white sheet of paper with a small square cut into it.  He then places it over the photograph he is using to isolate a color before mixing it.  Great tip.   

the color against the white helps you see the correct color

In this video (time 10:37) Lustenhouwer shows how to start a portrait painting: 

In this video (time 2:57), he adds color to the portrait.

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Mug #9 - Pepi aka Stephanie McNair

WANTED

Pepi, aka, Stephanie (The Dog Walker) McNair

Mug #9, Stephanie 'Pepi' McNair, 4x4" oil on gessobord

 

Lead # 9 from ‘Supervisor’ Wanda Rottenfusser concerning "The Dog Walker"  suspect in the Hilton Head Caper:

This week the hunt is on for the elusive Stephanie (The Dog Walker) McNair. Pepi, a favorite pseudonym, is one of two known felons who call Hilton Head home. One of the guises she has donned in the past to escape detection is that of Executive and Design Assistant for McNair Builders. We suspect this is a front for money laundering but it has yet to be proven.

We know she is a graduate of the Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida so is well trained in sleight of hand and producing magic with brush and paint. This can be seen in her numerous depictions of landscapes and seascapes. She does not often shoot humans but can be seen furtively skirting the marches and the beaches in the company of what appear to be guard dogs. We must pool our resources and work together to apprehend her. Remember, life should be a circus, not a lot of fools running around being clowns.

See other eye witness accounts (paintings) of the 2012 Hilton Head Caper

ART TIP:

I decided one way to ease into painting these 'portraits' was to purchase flesh tone paint so I would have base colors and not agonized over mixing flesh tones.  I read an art magazine article about 3 flesh colored paints used by a portrait artist who did beautiful work.  I hope I can find the article and credit the artist by name in a future post because it has made painting the mugs so much more fun for me.  I will go back to practicing mixing flesh tones again when I feel a bit more comfortable with these little paintings. 

It is amazing how different each of the flesh tones colors are used by the artist yet to be named.  The paints are: Sennelier Blush Tint, Winsor & Newton Flesh Tint, and Gablin Flesh Tint.  The artist also used Sennelier warm gray and a cool gray plus black and  white. 

 

The Williamsburg Persian Rose in the picture was not part of the flesh tone palette.  It is a great color I was recommending to a friend.  Its a beautiful color and good for lots of things, but especially helpful to use in summer green landscapes, so they aren't so green.  Again, it was recommended in one of my many art books.  I will take better notes in the future!!