Glazing might be very helpful to make your colors more attractive and intensive. It is not a type of painting but a technique that was developed to improve oil paintings. Suppose you are going to draw the sunrise scene in which the sun is rising and light is coming out of the sky. You also need to draw the light of the sun. Thanks to the glazing technique which can be used to draw it.
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As Bob Ross’s technique of liquid white is used to create blending effects, somehow glazing is used to give a final texture to your painting.
What is Glazing?
“Glazing is a process of coating a very thin layer of a transparent pigment over an opaque and dried pigment layer”
This technique is widely used by artists to enhance the visual appearance of an oil painting and mostly use to highlight the sky or even anything which an artist can think of.
Most people think that oil paints can only create thick layers of paint and very thin layers are not possible. But in glazing, we use these paints in very thin layers which required a lot of practice to draw.
There are two types of pigments available in oil paints, opaque and transparent. In most paintings, artists use opaque pigment which is thick and non-transparent but the transparent pigment is crystalline which cannot hide the texture of the original surface. Just based on these two pigments, transparent pigment is layered over the opaque to get glazing effects.
Important to know! Don't get confused between glazing and wash because glazing is not a wash. Wash is just a thin and transparent layer of paint over the canvas to change the color underneath.
What are the best glazing mediums for oil painting?
It is always difficult to get the right formulation by using glazing mediums to get durability. You should prefer those mediums which will allow you to make the thinnest layer like 10% of the original oil paint layers. By considering this important point, I have listed some of the mediums which are gonna allow you to create the thinnest layers for glazing.
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1. Linseed oil
- This oil reduces the consistency and improves flow of artisan oil colours
- It also increases gloss and transparency, slows drying
- Can be cleaned up with water
Linseed oil is the best glazing medium because it will thin the paint to draw perfect thin layers for glazing. Old painting masters also used this medium in their paintings to get perfect glazing effects. You can transparent any color by adding a more amount of linseed oil. For getting perfectly shiny surfaces, linseed oil is also a good choice for artists. When you are using linseed oil, you are actually thinning down your paint with the shiny glow of the oil.
There is one of the most common questions arises here, how much quantity of linseed oil should be used to get perfect glazing effects? Well, the quantity of linseed oil is not important because you need the different thicknesses of layers. You can take out your pigment and then add a small amount of linseed oil to it with your brush then try to draw a line on any other surface. If you think your line is not too thin, you can add more amount to it until you get the perfect glazing effect.
2. Alkyd-based mediums
Alkyd mediums are also perfect for glazing because they also thin down your pigment to give perfectly transparent layers over the dried layer. There are so many products available in the market which are known as alkyd-based mediums.
Liquin is an alkyl-based medium that is available by the name of Winsor & Newton Liquin Original. It also decreases the drying time and if you are going to create a glazing layer, it is gonna dry in hours. Linseed oil decreases the drying time but liquid fastens it. You can also prefer it if you want to work faster with your painting. If you are working with multiple layers, make sure to let it dry completely before using any glazing medium.
- Halves the drying time of conventional oil color (touch dry in 1-6 days depending on color & film thickness)
- Resists yellowing
- Not suitable as a varnish or final coat
- Package dimensions : 9.0 inches (H) x 4.0 inches (L) x 6.0 inches (W)
Walnut Alkyd Medium is also a good choice for glazing because it enhances the adhesion between layers which makes it suitable for glazing. I have seen many artists who prefer Walnut Alkyl medium even more than linseed oil for glazing. If I talk about price range, it is gonna more expensive than linseed oil. Linseed oil is in the first place because it is beginner’s friendly and you will get it in a cheaper price range. Many professional artists use the Walnut medium for glazing.
- Thins the color and accelerates drying and enhances adhesion between layers
- Increases surface sheen and flexibility while remaining non-yellowing
- Increased flow allows more control over all types of painting application
- Nontoxic and solvent free
- Made in the USA
3. Stand Oil
- Ideal for glazing and fine details as it gives a smooth enamel effect finish with no brush marks
- It also increases film durability and slows drying
- Can be cleaned up with water
Stand oil is an excellent glazing medium and also a popular choice of artists because it causes oil colors to flow out. It is also a slow-drying oil that increases the drying time of your paint to allow more work under a single layer. Usually, you have to wait for a day to let your paint dry if you have used stand oil as a glazing medium.
Stand oil can also be thinned out using some other mediums such as turpentine or mineral spirits. In this way, you can adjust it according to your need. Stand oil is different as compared to linseed oil because that can be used to create oil paints but don’t use stand oil in making your oil paints. But for glazing, it is the best choice.
4. Dammar Varnish
- Good item for making many types of arts and crafts projects
- They are ideal for home decor projects, holiday ornaments and decorations, or handmade gifts that will add charm
- Manufactured in united kingdom
- Package dimensions : 2.2 inches (H) x 4.1 inches (L) x 3.7 inches (W)
Luminosity is very important when you are doing glazing. Dammar Varnish is well known for giving luminosity to your oil paints because it works as a varnish component for the paint. It is actually a resin-based medium that dries to a hard finish.
Like stand oil, it can also be thinned by using turpentine and other mineral spirits. For a glossy look, dammar varnish is a popular choice by artists. It is much more expensive than simple linseed oil. Only professional artists use this kind of high medium in their oil paintings for even better results.
Final Words
There is a difference between glazing and wash because glazing is used to get high-quality visual results. Linseed oil is the most popular choice for glazing because it is beginner’s friendly with low cost and high potential. Linseed oil is also available to any artist. That’s why it is the best choice for many artists.
You can also consider coming of other mediums too for glazing techniques including alkyd resins, Stand oil, Damar Varnish, and Cobalt drier. Although, you have to test all of them for glazing to compare which one suits your painting methods because sometimes, artistic skills decide which medium is best for them to use.
As I talked earlier, it depends on mediums but it also depends on an artist who will apply them for glazing. Some update themselves from linseed oil to other Alkyd resins for better results and some use linseed oil to create perfect glazing effects.
FAQs
After how much time, should you apply the glazing technique?
It depends on the thickness of the layer but normally you should wait for at least a day or two like old masters to avoid any kind of damage to the original paint layer.
Who developed the glazing technique?
The glazing technique originated in northern Europe and it was practiced by some the artists such as Vermeer and Rembrandt.
Which things are needed for glazing?
You need the following things for glazing
Transparent pigment, glazing media such as linseed oil, brush, and canvas on which you have to apply this technique.
Can I use titanium white for glazing?
Titanium white is known as the kind of white due to its strong and permanent white color. You can use other white like zinc white which is more transparent and easy to use.
If you like this content, please help others by sharing this blog post with others on social platforms so that all beginners can start with the best glazing mediums.
References:
- Essentialvermeer, “Glazing” , accessed Jan 4, 2022, http://www.essentialvermeer.com/technique/technique_glazing.html.
- Mgraham, Walnut Alkyl Mediums, accessed Jan 6, 2022, https://mgraham.com/mediums/walnutalkyd-medium/.
- Artist network, “Titanium White”, accessed Jan 6, 2022, https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-mediums/oil-painting/ruby-glow-glazing-secrets-vermeer-rembrandt/