Getting paint to stick

[Manneherrin]

Im at a loss. I see  plein air painters painting one layer after the other on top of each other and its smooth and creamy. When I paint I cant get paint to stick to layer under it.  I don't want mud so I have to wait for the under layer to get tacky then I can paint over it.  Is there a trick to get the paint to stick layer after layer without having to wait?

I hope Im making sense.

[james kowalczyk]

"Wet into wet" is indeed a little tricky. I use water soluable oils and start a plein air sketch with scrubbing in a block in that is either thinned with a small bit of solvent (in my case water) or a fast dry medium. Have to keep in mind the rule of fat over lean or thick over thin. The lower coats have to dry faster than the upper coats. I then proceed toward a finished sketch. I usually use bristle brushes but switch to softer brushes for any layering since they don't "dig in" as much and I can let the existing wet paint "draw" the new paint off the brush rather than any aggressive, heavy application. It also helps to add medium to a finishing layer. With oils I don't think it's as much a "sticking" process as it is allowing the lower wet layer to gently "pull" the paint off without the layers mixing. It takes a bit of practice.

[Manneherrin]

Ok thank you James for that indepth answer. I really appreciate it. :)