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Andy PYRAH

8 Years Ago

Fat Over Lean

Fat over lean, thick over thin, gras sur maigre - Does it really matter?

Whilst being aware of this rule, I have never really taken much notice of it.
I've been painting for about 12 years now and I have not seen any obvious deterioration in any of my works.
I tend to paint 'alla prima' over a few of days or there is a long time between sessions where the existing paint has had several weeks (or even months) of drying time.

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Robert Kernodle

8 Years Ago

I suspect that the time required for deterioration to occur is much longer than twelve years.

I wonder what 100 years might cause. THIS is when I would guess that significant differences in deterioration might start to show up.

... just a guess. I assume that you are talking about oil-based paints.

And I do not know how the oil paints of today compare to those used, when this rule developed.

I know that some totally different kinds of paints have come into existence, and I do not know how the rule applies to these. Maybe other people will chime in on that.

 

Roy Erickson

8 Years Ago

There are other things to consider - how thick you paint - and you say you sometimes leave months in between - and it would depend on how dry it is in your part of France. I doubt oils of today are much different than 300 years ago. And while YOU may not see any degradation - even the old masters got crazing/crackle if they failed to put fat over lean.

 

Nancy Merkle

8 Years Ago

I've been painting in oils for most of my life and have discovered the "rule" is a good one to keep in mind as I work. It doesn't seem to be much of a problem when painting alla prima (at least it hasn't been for me), but when painting in layers ignoring the "rule" can cause trouble. I learned this when trying to repaint over the top of old oil paintings. I ignored the "fat" over "lean" rule, worked freely with a mixture of paint and turps. Next I added a layer of "fat" paint over the "lean" paint. Within a few months, the top layer of the new painting began to chip and flake. Although I was happy with the image, I couldn't sell the work or exhibit it because it was not stable. I am mindful of the "rule" now. I'd love to hear about experiences others have had with respect to the "rules." Mostly because I don't really like "rules".

 

Ronald Walker

8 Years Ago

Just to confuse this issue a slight bit more many artist gesso their canvases with an acrylic based gesso. This will stay flexable far longer than the oil paint over it violating the fat over lean rule.

 

Sarah Kersey

8 Years Ago

I'm one of those who doesn't like alla prima painting. I paint in very thin multiple layers, because I like the visible luminosity effect of underlying colors. I have oil paintings I did over 40 years ago applying no rules and they are still solid, no cracking. The only issue I've had over the years was using/mixing different brands of paint. So, now, I use Old Holland exclusively. My procedure is simple. I do a thin monochromatic wash in to establish the composition and kill the white. It's hot where I live and thin layers dry very quickly. Before working another layer, I lightly oil the board/canvas. BTW coffee filters (which are lint free) are great to rub out, or even apply and manipulate, color. When the underlying layers reach sufficient rich color blend, I then add the medium into the paint for the refined detail work. The final painting is usually comprised of 3-5 thin layers of paint, with the final layer the "fattest", and the surface is smooth. While I love the "spring" brush action of painting on canvas, I have found that with highly detailed work the canvas will lose some of the tautness when wet, although it does ultimately dry taut. I prefer using the boards as substrate, knowing that they will not tear or sag, and if the painted surface is scratched a fix is easy.

 

Andy PYRAH

8 Years Ago

Ronald, wouldn't the gesso-ed canvass be only as flexible as the canvass itself? And what would you suggest as an alternative to gesso?

 

Ronald Walker

8 Years Ago

Rabbit skin glue followed by oil based gesso.

 

Ronald Walker

8 Years Ago

I quit oil painting many years ago due to the fact I lost my sense of smell to it and turpentine. Thought that might not be a good sign. I only mentioned the acrylic gesso issue because years ago this was the cause of some debate.

 

Andy PYRAH

8 Years Ago

Do you have to make allowances for the drying times of different colours?

i.e. Cerulean blue and raw umber dry quickly whereas titanium white and the cadmium colours take a long time to dry?

What could happen if, for instance, if I paint cerulean blue over cad yellow?

 

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