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February 17, 2004

Whoa! too much too soon

Yes, load the paint on; yes, slap it about a bit; yes, feel the sumptuous thickly sticky nature of the oily medium. It feels good. No doubts there.

To get the successful rendering of a figure, however, there must needs be a degree of care taken. I want the colours to be bright and singular. By that I mean separate, not a mess of muddied mucky browns. So I use bold strokes of slightly differing tones and tints [as I have mentioned in these diaries before].

If I put too much oil paint on, too thickly [and enjoy myself too much] I can compromise the colours. The brush strokes start to pick up rogue colours. The tones become polluted, not clear, The form becomes indistinct, the tricks fail.

There are those who go for this effect on purpose, but their cause is not mine.

Posted by john at February 17, 2004 11:40 AM

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