My last post talked about the way that using new materials can kick start your creative process, or even open the door to a new way of working. I promised to explore that notion in more depth. So--this time I'm writing about oil painting on paper. Yes, plain ole PAPER.
You can buy special papers that are pre-treated for oil painting. These papers don't require any preparation--you just start painting. Eliminating the preparation time is a huge advantage, but I have found drawbacks to these papers. One of the popular brands is so absorbent that it practically sucks the paint off your brush and absorbs it deep into the paper. That's great when you are in a "lay it and leave it" mode, but not so great when you want to move paint around on the surface. Another brand is pressed to have lines that mimic the weave of canvas. Sometimes that's nice, but then again why not just use canvas if that's what you're after?
My latest exploration is painting on heavy drawing or print-making paper. Or even watercolor paper. I have learned in my research that if you give these surfaces two thin coats of shellac, they are archival for oil paint. The shellac creates a barrier that keeps the oil "sitting on top" of the paper. The surface is very smooth, but not TOO smooth. And if you paint a picture that is a keeper, you can mount it on board or another stiff surface, and (if done properly) the painting can be treated like any other oil painting.
I have really enjoyed working with this new surface. I love the way it accepts the paint. And the way you can scratch back into it to make expressive marks (like you see on the blueberry stems above). Plus there is a freedom in painting on paper--since paper is less expensive than the linen I usually use, there is not so much at stake. You can let go and experiment without wasting a lot of resources.
Another advantage if you know how to paint on paper is that you can shift gears in mid-process, and undertake a "change of state". That happens when a picture that begins as a drawing starts to feel more like it should be a painting. Putting a coat of shellac over the drawing allows you to take it to another state, and become an oil painting. Check out the photo immediately above for one of my drawings midway in this process. (I used an amber shellac on this one, but I usually use a clear one). I'm illustrating this post with other recent works on paper--enjoy!
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