Figurative Mixed Media Painting Process of Canto IV, an Illustration of Limbo inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy

I start with stretcher bars.

2-stretcher-bars

73 cm x 100 cm or 28.74 in x 39.37 in

I’m using duck cloth. It’s heavy, plain woven cotton fabric.

I mounted the material on the stretcher bars, gave it a thin coat of rabbit skin glue (let it dry) and then I primed it. Primer: Mix equal amounts of zinc oxide, calcium sulfate and rabbit skin glue. Pour the rabbit skin glue into the zinc oxide and calcium sulfate little by little mixing with a brush.

Here is the primed canvas on the easel.

Egg tempera emulsion is made by mixing an egg, oil, varnish and water together in a tall flask of equal proportions, shaking after each ingredient in that respective order.

I started off using these earth colors: blanco de España, zinc oxide, verde Veronese, transparent gold ocher and vine black.

pallet-basic-tierra-pigments — Dry Pigment with Emulsion and Spatula for mixing

This is what the pigments look like when mixed with the emulsion. This is a water based medium.

9-dry-pigment-mixed-with-emulsion — Pigment mixed with emulsion and water container

Egg tempera can be watered down as thinly as you like, but not always as thick as you like.

session-1-light-underpainting — Session 1 egg tempera under painting in process

I start adding color and still painting thinly.

session-2-building-up-color — Session 2 egg tempera under painting

This is the under painting.

session-3 — Session 3 egg tempera under painting

Canto IV describes a castle emanating a fire-like-light in limbo within a dark forest void of light.

canto-4-session-5 — Session 4 egg tempera under painting

I used gold leaf to represent the light.

I paint the area where I want to put the gold leaf on because the canvas has to be sealed or the gold leaf won’t stick.

canto-4-session-6a — Session 5 gold leaf

Here, I’ve just started to use oil color. I mixed dry pigment with poppy seed oil. When mixed, the paint should stand up like butter.

canto-4-session-8 — Session 6 oil painting

Resin oil is a mixture of stand oil, thickened linseed oil and venetian turpentine.

canto-4-session-9

Session 7 resin oil

With wet resin oil, you can paint hair-line brush strokes into it with egg tempera and switch back and forth with tempera and oil. This is a mixed media. You must always follow the rule of fat over lean.

canto-4-session-10 — Canto IV, Limbo Session 8

Victoria Olson Art – Watercolor, Egg Tempera & Oil

Figurative Mixed Media Painting Process of Canto IV, an Illustration of Limbo inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy

I start with stretcher bars.

I’m using duck cloth. It’s heavy, plain woven cotton fabric.

Here is the primed canvas on the easel.

Egg tempera emulsion is made by mixing an egg, oil, varnish and water together in a tall flask of equal proportions, shaking after each ingredient in that respective order.

I started off using these earth colors: blanco de España, zinc oxide, verde Veronese, transparent gold ocher and vine black.

This is what the pigments look like when mixed with the emulsion. This is a water based medium.

Egg tempera can be watered down as thinly as you like, but not always as thick as you like.

I start adding color and still painting thinly.

This is the under painting.

Canto IV describes a castle emanating a fire-like-light in limbo within a dark forest void of light.

I used gold leaf to represent the light.

I paint the area where I want to put the gold leaf on because the canvas has to be sealed or the gold leaf won’t stick.

Here, I’ve just started to use oil color. I mixed dry pigment with poppy seed oil. When mixed, the paint should stand up like butter.

Resin oil is a mixture of stand oil, thickened linseed oil and venetian turpentine.

With wet resin oil, you can paint hair-line brush strokes into it with egg tempera and switch back and forth with tempera and oil. This is a mixed media. You must always follow the rule of fat over lean.

I’m waiting for this painting to dry completely so I can decide whether I want to stop or continue.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Figurative Mixed Media Painting Process of Canto IV, an Illustration of Limbo inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy

I start with stretcher bars.

I’m using duck cloth. It’s heavy, plain woven cotton fabric.

Here is the primed canvas on the easel.

Egg tempera emulsion is made by mixing an egg, oil, varnish and water together in a tall flask of equal proportions, shaking after each ingredient in that respective order.

I started off using these earth colors: blanco de España, zinc oxide, verde Veronese, transparent gold ocher and vine black.

This is what the pigments look like when mixed with the emulsion. This is a water based medium.

Egg tempera can be watered down as thinly as you like, but not always as thick as you like.

I start adding color and still painting thinly.

This is the under painting.

Canto IV describes a castle emanating a fire-like-light in limbo within a dark forest void of light.

I used gold leaf to represent the light.

I paint the area where I want to put the gold leaf on because the canvas has to be sealed or the gold leaf won’t stick.

Here, I’ve just started to use oil color. I mixed dry pigment with poppy seed oil. When mixed, the paint should stand up like butter.

Resin oil is a mixture of stand oil, thickened linseed oil and venetian turpentine.

With wet resin oil, you can paint hair-line brush strokes into it with egg tempera and switch back and forth with tempera and oil. This is a mixed media. You must always follow the rule of fat over lean.

I’m waiting for this painting to dry completely so I can decide whether I want to stop or continue.

Share this:

Leave a comment Cancel reply