The Artist - UK (2021-02)

http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistFebruary 2021 45

PRACTICAL

Palettes

There are some great designs available

nowadays, including the traditionally

shaped palettes that we are perhaps

more familiar with. New Wave have a

selection of ergonomically designed

styles to choose from. I prefer to work

with a wooden palette, but you can

choose glass or melamine. Don’t forget

the tear-off disposable palettes that

come in pad form, which are very

convenient.

Varnishing

You don’t have to varnish your finished

masterpiece, many artists don’t, so why

do we? Well, it can depend on a variety

of factors. Obviously it will protect the

surface of the paint, making cleaning

with a damp cloth, etc, really simple,

but it’s for aesthetic reasons. Paintings

sometimes have areas of dull patches,

caused mainly by different quantities

of thinning medium and paint used. A

coat of varnish can give the painting a

more uniform sheen and appearance,

a vibrancy and richness that was

otherwise lacking.

Whether you select from matt, satin

or gloss is a matter of taste. If I varnish,

which I generally do for competition

entries such as The Artist Open

competition, my choice is always matt,

as I don’t want any distracting glare to

be seen when the paintings are hung.

I much prefer to use varnish available

in bottles that is brushed on, rather

than the aerosol cans – I don’t use

anything in an aerosol if I can avoid it.

If you do choose to varnish your

paintings, you must wait a minimum of

6 to 12 months to allow the paint to dry.

I mentioned Gamblin cold wax earlier

under mediums and this can also be

used as a protective coat; apply it with

a lint-free cloth or brush, then buff the

surface to the required sheen.

Easels

For studio work, the H-frame easel suits

my needs perfectly. Solid and robust, it

will hold a large canvas steady. Radial

easels are popular but do make sure

you buy a good-quality branded easel,

which will be constructed from beech;

a cheap easel may warp – not what you

want!

For plein-air painting there are many

well-designed easels available. The

French easel is sturdy, although a

little heavy when full of materials. My

preference is the pochade box, which

is small and compact enough to carry

around. One of the best on the market

is the American hand-made Open Box

M, which is available in four sizes. You’ll

need a good sturdy tripod to go with it,

the Manfrotto MT190 tripod is a great

choice.

Finally, always buy the best materials

that you can afford, opt for the well-

known branded makes. Brushes, in

Alan Bickley

studied fine art and graphic design at

Stafford College of Art and spent many

years as a designer and editorial artist

in the newspaper industry. He has won

many awards in The Artist Open painting

competitions and is a regular contributor to

the PaintersOnline e-newsletter. Alan’s more

recent work can be seen here:

http://www.painters-online.co.uk/artists/

alanbickley

particular, must be good quality, a set

of inadequate brushes will prove to be

a huge handicap. Oil painting may look

easy in the hands of a professional yet

it’s anything but – you do need good

materials to work with.

Next month: Techniques for oil painting

TA

p Snow: grey ground

TA02p42_45_Alan.indd 45TA02p42_45_Alan.indd 45 07/12/2020 15:1507/12/2020 15:15