If you are painting with regular oils, you can simply soak them in hot water with little bit of washing powder. Make sure that just the bristles are dipped in the water, avoid soaking metal parts of the brush because they might rust especially if you’re using them very often and leave them for too long. I would leave them over night or at least a couple of hours and then using washing soap like sunlight soap wash them under the running warm water. If you don’t have washing soap, regular cake hand soap can do, it might take a little bit longer. Once soap is clean of paint you can check by rubbing the brush on old rug. If there are no traces of paint you can dry them. It is very important that brushes are cleaned properly, if not they will be hard and not usable. You can simply fix this if you put them back in a hot water with washing powder and leave them to soak for a couple of hours and rewash it with soap and water.

I usually leave them on the sun or in winter put them in the front of heater. One important thing: if you are using natural hair brushes I would wash them straight away and not soak at all. Especially hog or sable bristle brushes which will literally melt into a slimy mess.

Using fine brushes with long hair could be a problem to soak because they will curl or bend and there is no fix for that (as I know), unless you have special device that can hold them you can simple tape them with the larger brush so the tip will be in the water but not bend.

If you have brush which you by accident left to dry, simple leave it soaked for a couple days and then wash with the washing soap. You can also use dish washing powder for that which is much stronger. Alternatively for fine brushes with natural hair u can boil vinegar and keep dipping them and wiping with dry cloth. I also found that you can also dip them in linseed oil and wipe number of times. Be patient it make take quite few times of dipping and wiping. ALWAYS finish by washing them with the soap.

Enjoy painting!

Recently I have had quite a few bad experiences regarding pre primed canvases. The main reason why canvases are primed is to protect the canvas from direct contact with oil paint. In time,  the canvas will get damaged if it is not primed.

If you buy a primed canvas and then you paint on it and you find that the paint has gone through and it shows on the back, then it has definitely not been well primed, even if it was an expensive canvas. This is the reason why I always ask my students to add an extra coat of primer to their already primed canvases from the art shops. I just wont take the risk any more, especially when it comes to using colour shapers.  A ruined canvas can feel like a ruined orgasm.

If the paint does not come through the canvas but it does have a problem with flow and feels sticky, simply cover the canvas with paint mixed with a little linseed oil using a big brush. If you still have a problem, use lots of white paint to cover the canvas and leave it to dry. It might take longer to dry, just be patient. Once it is dry, the surface will be fine for painting.

If you are beginning with raw canvas, I would firstly do a coat of  wood glue eg, pva. This will provide good protection for the canvas.  I love doing that first coat with a palette knife, it glides on beautifully. Leave it to dry and then lightly sand it.  Simply run your hand over the sanded area and the non sanded and you will feel the difference. Canvas has lots of tiny hairs and bits and when you go over them with the palette knife they  harden and create rough patches and this is why the canvas needs to be sanded.  After this initial coat, you need to do two more coats using gesso and your palette knife. Lightly sand between coats. If you want a nice white finish, I recommend one more coat.

If you are using a brush and dilute the gesso, then you will have brush marks which have to be sanded and you will need more than three coats of gesso. I recommend Atelier brand which is more expensive than others but it has a nice viscosity and thickness which can also be used for texture on the final layer. I sometimes like to play with it and it can lead me in an unexpected direction when I am painting. Gold leaf on top of it can create a great effect.

]]> https://nemeshart.co.nz/2015/06/22/priming-the-canvas/feed/ 0 https://nemeshart.co.nz/2013/12/10/painting-the-edges/ https://nemeshart.co.nz/2013/12/10/painting-the-edges/#respond Tue, 10 Dec 2013 07:48:31 +0000 http://www.nemeshart.com/blog/?p=64 Painting the edges of your canvas, or not, is a big question. If you are a famous artist nobody really cares about it but if you are a beginner it is a big dilemma. What impression do you want to make? What will your customers think?

Many years ago I discovered that framing paintings is a big expense and then very often customers dislike the choice of frame. Another thing, you put your nicely framed painting in the gallery and then when it sells, they put their mark up on everything. Or they might not sell your painting and they return it to you and the frame has a dent on it. What can you do? Argue with the gallery and risk that they will not want you any more.

This is why I started painting the edges of my paintings. I hated it at the beginning but now it just feels natural. I loosely follow the colours of my painting and carry it over to the edges.

Academics argue about it and opinions are divided. We are talking about paintings that are gallery wrapped. In the old days the canvas was nailed on the side of the canvas, preferably with copper nails, and the paintings were then framed. Framing a painting is like dressing a woman in a nice dress, it can enhance or it can be unflattering. Your customers can always frame your painting if they want to, how they want to.

So let’s go back to the original question. One option is to put masking tape around the edges and when the painting is completed you will have nice, tidy edges. You can decide to paint in one dominant colour or just black. Please be careful with that because you can easily wreck the painting if you are not careful enough, especially if you are doing it while the painting is still wet. Leave the painting to dry and when you are doing the edges you can easily wipe off unwanted paint. Sometimes when I am adventurous I have a play on the edges, usually using colour shapers. It can give interesting effects.

The choice is yours, choose your own path and follow it through.

Happy painting folks!

Below are some samples when I have been playful with the sides:

WHY IS MY HEART BROKE, 2012, oil on canvas, 29 X 20 cm and the left side of the painting

KISS ME, 2012, oil on canvas, 29 X 20 cm and the left side of the painting

HEAVEN IS PLACE ON EARTH WITH YOU, 2012, oil on canvas, 29 X 20 cm and the left side of the painting

It is an evolutionary process for every artist. Some artists create some kind of stamp or logo which they use as a signature and use this all their life, however, most of us go through a process of evolution.

Sometime in 1987 I came up with a kind of gothic lettering signature which gradually evolved into a stylised, almost always white, signature in the left side corner.

Then over the years when I started using colour shapers and especially when I was very expressive I started occasionally signing with the shaper simply carving my name into the fresh paint.

Later I started signing on the right hand side edge of the painting and eventually it has become my ground rule becuase often customers like to hang my vertical paintings horizontally and vice versa. By signing on the side I solved that problem and they can hang it however they want. Also I felt that the signature somehow interferred with the painting. I continued to sign a few paintings on the left bottom corner and it just didn’t feel right any more.

However, I am signing my limited edition prints on the left side edge, including the number of the edition.

I often suggest to my students when signing their paintings to leave some space on the side just in case later they may want to frame their paintings and the frame might cut the signature and it might look silly.

I noticed that Dick Frizzel signs his paintings, including the title on the right bottom corner and all of his canvas paintings are gallery wrapped. So the choice is yours. Set the rules for yourself or break the rules all the time. It’s up to you.

Happy painting!

Blue Horse, 2007, oil on canvas, with old signature

Buddha’s Hand/Oh Superman, 2008, oil on canvas, 122 X 31 cm with expressive signature

I can tell you what works for me.

Music is the most important thing for me. It is always a big inspiration. I am constantly searching for something new which will move me. I am a big fan of Bob Dylan and I have been naming my paintings after titles of his songs for some time. I make CD cocktails of the songs I like. Instead of just going for greatest hits, I search albums looking for that raw diamond, the one you don’t usually hear on the radio.

I play music at my art classes and it’s the best feeling when students start singing along with the music because then I know that they are relaxed and attuned with the painting.

Visiting art exhibitions is always inspirational. I love visiting the galleries in Parnell. I always find works that inspire me.

When you are painting, make a date with yourself, have your favourite music ready, maybe a glass of wine (I personally like to drink Cointreau over ice with a bit of orange zest).

Meditation before hand is always beneficial too.

Good company can also be beneficial. I used to like to organise a dinner party and then when everyone was relaxed I’d paint in front of them. With my way of painting I like to be distracted by conversation because that way my subconscious mind can be easily reached. The chatterbox inside your head often likes to work against you.

Some artists prefer solitude and to be alone with their thoughts.

There are no rules, and even if there were, they are there to be broken. I guess that’s one of my favourite sayings that I tell my students. The second is: It’s not Christmas every day. This means that masterpieces do not happen every day. You have to be persistent.

I always save pictures which I come across on the internet and sometimes just browsing through them can inspire me.

Any spiritual practices that I am going through inspire me and are reflected in my paintings, namely, Reiki, Journey, Silva Method.

I like following artists on Facebook, often they share their own processes which can be very inspirational. Cristina Popovici and Steven Da Luz are very generous on Facebook (FB) and they often share images of artists who inspire them.

Visiting the Sydney Biennale a month ago was an eye opener for me and I also decided to record as much as possible of it to share on FB with my friends. Cristina was there at the same time and she had a number of pictures on her FB page which I did not even register while there myself. So when she shared her album on FB I was able to catch up on the missing bits!

Please feel free to share the things that move and inspire you.

Enjoy your painting.

Butterfly Bride, 2013, oil on canvas, 101 X 51 cm

This Dream Of You, Inspired by Bob Dylan Song, 2009, oil on canvas, 60 X 30 cm

Well it all depends on the situation. Palette knives are very sharp and sometimes if you are too energetic you can easily cut the canvas. Painting on canvas is my area of expertise and here are some solutions.

If you are lucky and the cut is not in a crucial part of the painting there is an option to take it off the frame and stretch the canvas again on smaller stretcher bars. This is what I did recently with one of my paintings which I named Amorous Rays.

If the painting is very precious to you and the cut is somewhere crucial, you can glue a piece of canvas underneath (I would use unprimed canvas and PVA glue) and then carefully touch up that spot. In museums they would paste canvas on the top of another stretched canvas. I would not advise you to sell that painting but if it is that good you can always make a print of it and sell that instead.

I had several pieces where I glued a piece of polished stone, of similar colour, into the hole. Be creative! This is what I did with my painting Gentle Goddess.

I have seen paintings where the canvas was cut and then roughly stitched creating an interesting piece of work. I could not say whether that has happened by accident or intention. Who can say it is wrong in this age of modern art. You can even create a set of paintings that way.

Happy painting!

Amorous Rays, 2013, oil on canvas, 92 X 76 cm (original size was 101 X 76 cm)

It happens to everybody, but don’t worry, it is a process of learning. There are still options.

If you are painting on canvas you could take it off and stretch another one. It’s not a big deal, I can teach you how. My art classes are not just designed to teach you how to paint but are also designed to show you all aspects of the complete process from preparation to end product.

As a part of my Summer School I am planning to teach how to stretch canvases.

If your overworked painting has a piece that is good, that you like, then you can cut it out and frame that. Or maybe you can create a collage out of several gone wrong pieces. You can even create a 3D piece.

The most important thing is not to worry too much as you do have creative options to rescue your work. You may even produce a much more interesting art form than the original piece would have been.

If you have space in your studio just put the disaster pieces to one side and wait for inspiration. Look at them carefully and you may by chance see something which will give you an idea how to move forward. If you can see them and it’s annoying you very much, it may prompt you to do something to finish the pieces.

The most important thing is to recognise the point at which it is best to leave a painting and finish it later.

This is exactly what happened with my LEGEND OF MAUI. I started painting it at 2am and by 6am I was too tired to go forward. I was not able to finish it and I was going in circles so I decided to go to bed. It took no effort to finish it after a couple of days of careful observation and reflection. It became one of my best pieces painted this year and it was sold shortly after painting it. I have produced a limited edition of this work which I think will also get a good response.

Happy painting!

Legend of Maui, 2013, oil on canvas, 101 X 75 cm