An oil painting question -- whites/grays..

[Morgen]

Ok, so it could be my primers, but I've tried a variety of types. I'm having a TERRIBLE time with painting whites/grays in oils.... Namely, the paint itself is just gummier.. and I've sought out the most 'oily' white possible. It actually seems to mix with the primer paint and sort of 'rub' it off in places. Which makes for huge difficulties in getting a smooth undercoat...

So what I'm wondering is if I should be using a fixative spray coating over the primer before starting to apply white/grey colors over that.

I have several light dappled greys I want to do and even with this great new smooth oil paint I've found for the white, I still am getting the "pulling" off of the primer coat before I can lay down layers.

Should I be starting darker and just going lighter? Once some oil is on there it doesn't seem to be a problem.. but for those really faint dapple greys it really is a challenge! -sigh-

Any help is appreciated. I have no problems making stroke-free darker colors.. just that DANG white! :rolleyes

[MaggieBennett]

Try using an undercoat of white acrylic. That way the primer will be perfectly sealed, plus if you prefer grey primer (as I do) you don't have to try and cover it with so many thin layers of oil paint. Hopefully that'll fix the problem!

[Morgen]

Hmmmm... btw, I use a white primer.. or gray... depending on the humidity & availability. Only use the red when going for bays & chestnuts and such...

I didn't think you should put oil over acrylic? Sloughs off eventually? No?

[Wendy]

I think alot of oil painters use a basecoat of acrylic under the oils. I know I do sometimes, depends on what colour I'm painting. It helps to cut down on the number of oil coats needed. As for it peeling, as long as the model is properly prepped and the primer and acrylic coat allowed to dry properly, it should all bond together and not peel or lift.

Good luck!

[merf]

i basecoat in acrylics and i havent had a problem YET but you have to be sure you basecoat as close to the finished color as you can...like if part of the horse is going to be substantially lighter in a spot basecoat it lighter and same for dark areas! particularly dark because ive found its almost impossible to cover light basecoat with dark oils but covering dark basecoat with light oil seems to work much easier

i just did a DARK dapple gray and its challenging to paint something that contrasty you have to get the basecoat right before you put on oils otherwise youll have to pile the oil on and it will look icky in the end!

[Morgen]

BTW, I am probably going to attempt this tonight on my lovely little dauntless that I painstakingly added hair to (before she did the hairy version, lol!).. that's ok. He's super cute & still somewhat unique and I'm going to shoot myself if I ruin him with a bad grey job.... ;)

[merf]

BTW, I am probably going to attempt this tonight on my lovely little dauntless that I painstakingly added hair to (before she did the hairy version, lol!).. that's ok. He's super cute & still somewhat unique and I'm going to shoot myself if I ruin him with a bad grey job.... ;)

well i paint if you do mess him up and/or want someone else to do it hehehehe! ill paint in trade for your lovely new resin too if you like...maybe having him around will inspire me to finish Tilde!

[Morgen]

Pas de deux! Pas de deux! (did i spell that right?)

I do love to paint tho.. I'll figure it out eventually...... lol!

[merf]

Pas de deux! Pas de deux! (did i spell that right?)

I do love to paint tho.. I'll figure it out eventually...... lol!

LOL ah well I tried, but the paint for trade on Duke offer still stands if you change your mind ;) i did that for Hilary H. on her little O'Toole i painted 3 for two blanks for myself...i like doing that gets me to paint and gets me pretty resins for virtually free!

[MaggieBennett]

Well, my art teachers always had us do acrylic basecoats (after all, you prime canvas with gesso, which is acrylic, before doing an oil painting) so I don't think you'll have any problems. It's acrylic over oil that you should avoid--oils need to breathe, and acrylics do not breathe. Good luck!

[SMichaud]

Well, my art teachers always had us do acrylic basecoats (after all, you prime canvas with gesso, which is acrylic, before doing an oil painting) so I don't think you'll have any problems. It's acrylic over oil that you should avoid--oils need to breathe, and acrylics do not breathe. Good luck!

I'm in agreeance there. It's exactly what I was tought as well. As long as the surface was properly prepped, acrylic will stick fine and then the oil will too. I use a white primer as well, then a white or black gesso THEN acrylic basecoat. My acrylic coat thogh is very light and barely any more than a color block in. I ahve yet to have a single problem. And with one of my reins, I scrubbed the buns out of it to get some bad spray off of it and it all stuck like glue! Nothing that was going to come off would ahve been able to survive the hell I put that paintjob through!
Go for it!!!! :D It'll save your sanity!

[Morgen]

That's really funny guys... I guess that makes complete sense! lol! ;)

Of course the masterpiece paintings that've survived through the centuries were not done over acrylic... but hey, you can't win em all, right?
:roflmao