Guide Me Home by  Mason Archie

Dahlov Ipcar (American, 1917-2017) 

Black Zebra, 1993

oil on Belgian linen

Fabrizio Biviano, "The Complete Illustrated Guide" Oil on Belgian linen, 91 x 76.5 cm

Luc Tuymans (Belgian, 1958), Smiley, 2022. Oil on linen, 80 x 58 in.

Jonathan Schofield (British, b. 1970s), ABSINTHE MAKES THE ART GROW FONDER. Oil on Belgian linen, 160 x 130 cm

I have a question about your prep for oil painting, or more like when ur practicing. Do you use a specially treated paper to practice with oils (studies, quick thumbnail sketches, etc) before using canvas or do you just sketch ideas, layout on canvas and then under paint? I enjoy the medium a lot but I actually want to sketch and do studies in oil (without much drawing involved) but don’t want to waste canvas. Also hate painting gesso over stuff repeatedly. Is paper something you have tried? Any advise would be appreciated o wise onion painter

Ok, so as for my personal habits, I tend to do "Practices" digitally [I have a tablet and SAI] or sometimes on paper like so: [garlic is pencil on paper, rest are digital]. I do draw thumbnails but they are usually in marker or pencil in my sketchbook, and are little more than like, very stylized symbols representing subjects or different compositional patterns. Most of my painting planning and composition happens via digital photo collages.

The rest of my very long answer is under the readmore

I'll do colour studies occasionally if I'm feeling particularly anxious about a picture, OR if it has a colour range that I am yet unfamiliar with. I have done a couple colour studies for my current big picture with the cattle, one I did on location so I could have an example of the colours present in the landscape to my eye, and another of a seascape because this cattle picture will be my first significant effort to include the blue colour range into my vocabulary, and also to spend some hours painting clouds to get a feel for them. [for context, when I began with my current method of painting I began only painting white objects against back fabric with a value range from chromatic black to titanium white and then added in new colour ranges one by one once I was fluent in all of the preceding colour ranges] When it comes to your practice [and I mean "Practice" as in everything you paint overall] I think you might find canvas panels very helpful, as they take up very little space BUT they are still rigid and therefore don't need to be taped to a board or anything. They also come in a really wide variety of sizes and are very affordable. If you enjoy using canvas paper then you should continue what you are doing, but try different kinds of surfaces. Some people prefer to do oil paintings on sheets of copper. There will be a material that suits your style and your personality, you just have to find out what it is. I like belgian linen, but others may prefer gesso'd particle board.

You have several points going on in your question, so I will address them individually:

Not wanting to "Waste Canvas" Canvas is not a precious commodity. It is a raw material which can be used in the process of painting, therefore, its value lies in the work hours and expertise of the craftsperson who uses it. One of the most common uses of canvas is in art training. So you are not "wasting canvas" by using it for the purpose of learning the skills necessary for painting: that is a perfectly acceptable use for canvas, and all other materials. I'm not "wasting" a pair of hiking boots by walking at the bottom of a mountain, I'm using them, and if I don't use the boots at the bottom of the mountain I will never get to use them at the top.

Putting Gesso over oil paintings Don't do this. Gesso is a water based paint so it dries much faster than the oil beneath it. If you want to paint over a painting you can either paint over it with a neutral oil colour, OR, just do the new painting over it without the middle stage. Some things to watch out for if you reuse canvas this way: Ridge lines [bits of textured paint from the previous painting sticking up through your new painting might take away from it], oil layers [remember the fat over lean rule when choosing a canvas to paint over. if you have high concentrations of oil, aka fat, on the canvas already, it might be better to choose a different canvas], dryness [try to only paint over pictures that have had a good amount of time to dry.] Basically all of these warnings are to prevent cracking and other conservator problems with your paintings. A good painting can happen to your canvas at any time and it would be a shame to paint something you really like and have it crack later from poor application.

"Without much drawing involved" Painting is "mass drawing" [shapes not lines] with colour, so you can't really avoid drawing if you want to paint. This doesn't mean you have to use pencil or other dry mediums if you don't want to though, painting a value study [mass drawing] with oil is a very popular technique which many employ. I'd recommend that you look into "imprimatura" and "grisaille", two methods of value painting used for oil.

In conclusion, I don't want to get all "just be yourself" in here, but i'd recommend you research the different techniques and materials available to you and pick the one that has the fewest barriers to your work flow, feels the best to work with, and creates the final product that you want to create. If you were me I would tell you to work on belgian linen stretched canvases and occasional cotton canvas panels, but you may prefer something different so that advice may not be helpful. Keep at it!

The lady with the yellow necklace -   Rik Wouters, 1912. 

Belgian,  1882-1916

Oil on linen , 23.8 x 29.6 cm 9.4 x 11.7 in

Erica Calardo, Sol Invictus, 2022, oil on Belgian linen, 14 × 27.5 × 1.5 inches.

Oshosi Gets his Crown, 2019

Oil on Belgian linen

23 x 16"

Based on King Oedipus from Greek mythology, this painting depicts the hunter Oshosi who unwittingly killed one of his parents. Oshosi was given a quest to find and trap a rare bird as a gift for Olofi (also called Olodumare or Olorun). Upon completion, his mother thought the bird was for dinner and killed it. Oshosi found the dead bird and trapped another. Olofi was delighted crowning Oshosi and making him an orisha of contemplation, loving the arts and of beautiful things. In addition, Olofi granted Oshosi a wish; he asked for his arrow to kill the person who had killed the first bird. He let his arrow fly, and it pierced his mother's heart. Oshosi is often viewed as a model of justice but in Rosales’ painting he looks vulnerable expressing the costs of his actions.

ADA Museum

Calling all artists!! Submissions for @moderneden's Annual Portrait Show are NOW OPEN! Modern Eden Gallery invites you to submit your work for the opportunity to exhibit at their June 2023 Portrait Show 11 - this is an incredible opportunity! Visit www.moderneden.com/open today for details on how you can apply. "We are once again opening up for submissions from our extended community of artists, but with a slightly different format. This year the Portrait Show will be themed and we hope you find some joy and inspiration in this project exhibition." Artist shown as part of The Portrait Show X @erica_calardo THE PROPHECY Oil on canvas (Belgian linen) 20 x 27.5 in. #beautifulbizarre #opencall #callforartists #callforart #modernedengallery #contemporaryart #portraitart #portraitinspo https://www.instagram.com/p/CpDtBRLLHFK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The Art of Annael (Anelia Pavlova): Dragonfly ~ oil on Belgian linen

for Peace

Mural for Peace, by Norwegian artist Per Krohg, hanging as the backdrop of the Security Council chamber at the United Nations secretariat, New York City, NY.

Untitled (Mural for Peace) was painted by Norwegian artist Per Krohg (1889 – 1965). He was born in Oslo, Norway and was the son of well-known painter Christian Krohg. The painting has sections showing symbols of human struggle.  The bottom center has a phoenix rising from a world covered in ashes, symbolizing the world rebuilding itself after war. The upper center section shows a man and a woman both kneeling and holding flowers with children. The surrounding panels show people happy, singing and dancing while the lower section is dark and somber, showing a dungeon, dragon lairs, soldiers, and war machines. The people are struggling to free themselves from the bonds and chains. The symbol of rising from the dark ashes to the light happiness is inspired by the humankind’s efforts to achieve peace, equality, and freedom.  Artist Per Krohg valued family happiness and unity and is featured at the paintings’ center. He said, “the essence of the idea is to give an impression of light, security and joy. The world we see in the foreground is collapsing, while the new world based on clarity and harmony can be built up.” The mural was presented to the United Nations by the Prime Minister of Norway Oscar Torp on behalf of the country of Norway on 22 September 1952 at an informal meeting of the Security Council.   Donor Region:  Western European and Other Groups Donor:  Norway Classification:  Paintings & Works on Paper Materials:  Other Medium:  Oil on Belgian linen Location (Building):  Conference Building (CB) Location floor: 2nd Floor Donation Date:  September 22, 1952 Artist or Maker:  Per Krohg Dimensions:  18'-3" x 29'-4"

Christina Ridgeway

Daydream ,2022

Oil on Belgian linen

Aida Tomescu, The Tongue Set Free, 2019, oil on Belgian linen, 183 x 306cm

Luc Tuymans (Belgian, 1958), Estate, 2021. Oil on linen, 204.1 x 139.5 cm.