Sylvia Florence

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Comment by Nancy Sands on January 18, 2012 at 10:30: Thank you, Sergei. I appreciate your advice. When I am ready to dive into a painting using this technique, I will very much call upon you for help. It sounds quite complicated, but as with everything, practice is the key.

Nancy

Comment by Sergei Rioumin on January 17, 2012 at 22:34: Feel free, Nancy, to ask questions whenever you have doubts what to do next or how to do it. BTW the underpainting we did was a value lighter than required. Glazes always darken the surface. It is much easier to darken the shadow by an additional glaze or two than lighten it. You cannot use white for lightening. If shadows are too dark one has either to redo the whole thing (preferably on a new canvas because of the fat on lean rule) or darken the lighted parts too making it look a different type of fabric altogether. Only transparent colours are used for glazing. In the deepest shadows I used a little bit of ivory black which is transparent as well but vey sparingly. Any excess paint should be wiped out with a soft rag to leave only as much colour shift as you need.

Comment by Nancy Sands on January 17, 2012 at 13:43: Thank you for this information. I will copy your directions and try to do it. One of my all time favorite artists is Turner. I have always wondered how he glazed for the gorgeous transparency acid Ed in his work. Thank you.

Comment by Sergei Rioumin on January 16, 2012 at 19:34: The layers (about 5 or 6) are very thin and made with Alizarin Crimson, highlighted with a bit of CRL in the lit areas (on top of the last glaze). A medium made of Stand Oil and Dammar Varnish with gradual increase of oil content from layer to layer was used as a couch (or 'soup' in the artist lingo). It was applied very thinly onto the surface and then painted into with unthinned paint with very soft brushes as not to leave any brushmarks. These look beautiful in the alla prima work but ugly on a glazed surface. Alizarin's consistency is thin to begin with. A very small drop of lead or cobalt dryer was added to a nut of paint. We simply did not have time to watch the paint dry. Each layer had to be touch-dry before the next could be applied. That is one of the reasons why the indirect method takes so long.

Comment by Nancy Sands on January 16, 2012 at 17:27: Just beautiful, Sergei. I'm interested in the glazing process. How think a layer? Is it the consistency of watercolor?

Comment by Anna Stenier-Karadjova on January 12, 2012 at 3:27: Beautiful work, Sergei! I love the drapery and the intensity of the red colour. :-)) Anna

Comment by Sergei Rioumin on December 31, 2011 at 13:57: Thanks for your comment, Deodanda. The intensity of the red colour was achieved by multiple glazing over a light/shade underpainting. I am not sure if it can be achieved by any other means. Impressionists would probably use straight colour and surround it with contrasting colours to make it stand out which actually requires much more experience and colour awareness that I currently have.