AboutFrank Leeding Expertise I can (possibly) answer questions regarding art history, technique, theory, and the occasional quandry.
In addition to drawing and painting (mainly with acrylics these days),
i know a bit about printmaking: Intaglio (etching), relief, offset,
transfer and some things about photography. I also use a welding torch
to "draw" in metal and then pound the sheets flat and print them.
I pretty much "live" in 2D (and much 4D (time); but, 3D is just sort of
"thick" version of 2D to me;)
Experience As an artist I [sic] have shown my art work in both open and juried shows. I have an extensive background in both studio and cultural studies in art and related areas. I currently hold bachelors and master degrees in art and technology.
In addition, I write extensively on "art theory". And I'm fairly good at mixing paint.
Education/Credentials BSCS, University of North Texas, Denton.
MA (ATEC), University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson.
Awards and Honors First place, TIPA: "Brookhaven College - The First 25 Years" (shared with my editor Ivana Corsalle.
Question hi, i have attended few fine arts classes in my country, i have been trying to paint, landscapes, still life etc for the last 10 years. one thing in my paintings is that there is no shining in my colors. it does not look like close to real. i would like to ask whether this is because of primer with which i prepare my canvas, or some problems in painting technique. (i use oil paints). i would be thankful if i could improve my paintings thru ur guidance.
Answer There are products that you use when you are *totally* done
with the painting and it is totally dry - say 3 months+
waiting time. They are various kinds of varnish (similar
to shellack) and your local art store should have them
and be able to help you select one.
I've never used these before, but have seen others do so.
I would *definitely* suggest making some test canvases
-- say small ones or take some old ones that you don't
care about -- to try out the material. ALSO -- MAKE
SURE to check out the manufacturer's web pages on
the product for how to use it, and such.
As regards PRIMER -- you should be using GESSO. House
paint primer is "ok" (yes, we've all used it when we
didn't have the beans in the bank account), but gesso
also contains (as i recall -- now, where is my
"Ralph Meyers" art handbook) plaster of paris and
other chemicals that make a virtually solid surface
onto which to paint.
If you're not using gesso, it's possible that the
oil paints will "sink into" the canvas - even if
primed. This is mainly because they usually use
Linseed Oil in them - most house paints can use
that, but usually its a synthetic polymer or
mixture (mainly to be insect and weather proof).
This applies to the primer as well. Go and look
at your Morris Louis and of course Frank Stella
and other artists who tried not using primer.
I think that Pollock did as well. The risk is
of course as George Luks said, "I can make a
painting out of cat gut and cooking grease"
(or words to those effect, see Barbara Rose's
book on American Painting or any book on
the Ash Can school (you know i *always*
have to get an ad in for ART HISTORY, now
don't ya'll??).
Un-primed canvases (or other materials) are a night
mare to maintain - i could tell you tragic stories
of even my own foolish ways as a young artist, but
perhaps another time.
I've used usually the cheapest gesso i could get
and always had good results. So, paying more may
be a long-term investment, but then i paint so much
that i can't afford much extra expense, so i usually
have to assume that the good paintings will survive.
(I use mostly acrylics these days - a totally nother story)
hope this helps,
frank.
PS: MAKE SURE TO CAREFULLY CLEAN THE PAINTING FIRST.
(hmmm, i probably should have mentioned that earlier ;)
