Glazing With Oils

Painting that could be glazed.

Glazing is a semi-advanced technique used in oil-based paintings. The glaze is applied after the detail of the painting is complete and thoroughly dried. Often the glaze is the mixture of a pigment and mineral oil that is rendered quite thin. The application of the glaze can alter a painting in several ways. It may be used to artificially age the appearance of the painting. It can repair damage to an older painting. Glaze can transform the color and luminosity of the painting by mixing colors so that the eye sees the mixed color rather than the glazed color. Selecting the right color, thickness and application of the glaze further changes how the finished painting will look.

Things You'll Need

• Pigment
• Mineral oil
• Disposable paper bowls
• 1-inch artist paintbrushes
• Rags
• Q-tips

Instructions

1. Allow your oil painting to dry out completely. All of your detail work on the painting should be complete before you begin glazing the canvas. It is a good idea to have a sample canvas with samples of the colors you would like to glaze over. This will allow you to refine your glazes before applying them to the finished canvas.

2. Thin your glaze using several disposable paper bowls. Apply a consistent amount of pigment in each bowl and various amounts of mineral oil. This will allow you to control the consistency of each glaze. Mark each bowl with the ratio being used. You may use more than one color of glaze in different areas of the canvas although these will usually be applied at different times.

3. Test your sample glaze on your sample board. When you find the glaze that provides the effect you prefer, select that bowl. This will allow you to mix up a larger amount of glaze if you are covering a larger painting.

4. Paint over the painting with the glaze. Use a 1-inch flat artist brush and try for consistent coverage. Remember that you can remove some glaze with a rag or Q-tip while the glaze is liquid.

Tips & Warnings

• Glazing adds oil to the painting and oil attracts dust. Accumulations of dust can obscure details. Glazing will influence how underlying colors are viewed. A glaze is much like a color filter through which the painting is viewed.

References

• Girl With A Pearl Earring: Glazing
• William Powell Artist: Painting Exercise Intro