Christopher Vidal Fine Art
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Artist Christopher Vidal  - Blog

Welcome to my blog. The aim of this blog is to share with you some of my experiences related to my artworks, what inspires me and also how it is done. As an artist I am also constantly learning as this is an ongoing process. I also learn from my students when I am teaching in the class. Sharing what I know with others is also very satisfying. This is how we grow and improve. 
I've been teaching art for a while now, and I must say that from this I learned a lot. This helps me to identify what each individual needs in order to become a better painter. Painting is not an easy task especially landscape painting. One needs to have the inspiration to paint a tree or a mountain and it is not a question of just wanting to paint something. I choose to paint something because there was an element that motivated me to do so ...that inspired me. It could be the game of light and shadows or simply the warm colors of a late afternoon. It is sometimes very difficult to translate the colors that nature shows us using paint on a canvas. This challenge could be also a way to motivate you to paint a scenery. 
Most important is that you do not expect that every painting that you paint is going to be a masterpiece. You shouldn't be afraid that your final product is not what you expected in the first place. An unsuccessful painting should be the teaching ground for a better one that follows. This is how we learn. We learn from our own mistakes and from things that didn't work out as we wanted them but with an effort we try to make them better the next time. 
So if you want to become a better painter then you have to practice and paint regularly. This is the only way how you can improve your techniques, discover ones of your own, learn your colors etc. It is all about brush mileage. The tutor is there to help you find your way, shows you the basics and how to use your tools in order for you to be able to develop yourself. 
Looking forward to share with you my knowledge.

Oil Paint Drying Times

13/5/2020

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One of the fundamental principles to keep in mind when painting in oils is the "Fat over lean" approach, that basically means the top layer of paint should dry at a slower rate than the lower layer. This can be achieved by either adding extra oil to paints used in the upper layers, which slows down the process of drying or simply by starting painting from dark to light. Some manufacturers add dryers to the paint preparation to make them dry pretty much at the same rate, however, these chemicals can compromise the quality of the paint in the long term. 

Here is some info about various commonly used pigments and their drying times. Mixing a slow drying pigment with a fast-drying pigment might alter the drying time depending on their proportions. One should always try to start with fast drying and relatively transparent pigments moving on to slow drying and more opaque paints. In the table below I am also giving the pigment number eg: PW1  meaning Pigment white 1

Reading the label at the back of the tube is important as most of this information is given there. The table below is a guideline and there might be some differences between manufacturers as they might be using different pigments under the same colour name and also due to using different oils in the tube. Avoid buying paints that are in safflower oil. Linseed or walnut oil is the best. One also has to remember that oil paints do not dry by evaporation as watercolour and acrylics do. So the thickness of the paint affects the curing, with thick paint taking longer to dry. Ambient temperature might also affect, in hot weather drying happens much faster, however, never attempt to dry your paintings using heat. Do not forget that oil paint dries by reacting with oxygen in air and not by evaporation. If the paint is touch dry it does not mean that it is completely cured. So it is important to apply thin layers of paint at first moving on to thicker and more oily paint as you progress. 

Fast drying   (1 - 2 days)
Lead whites       PW1      Transparent 
Raw and Burnt Umber  PBr6      semi-transparent   (Very fast drying)
Raw and Burnt Sienna  PBr7      semi-transparent
Phthalo Blue    PB15.3    Transparent
Phthalo Green  PG7         Transparent   (Very Fast)
Viridian    PG18  semi-opaque (very fast)
Cobalt Blue  PB28     semi-opaque    (Very fast)

Average drying time (2 - 5 days)
Yellow ochre  PY43 and Yellow oxide (sometimes sold as yellow ochre) PY42    semi transparent
Cerulean Blue  PB35     semi-opaque
Ultramarine blue  PB29   Transparent
Cobalt teal  PG50  Semi-transparent
Quinacridone magenta  PR122   Transparent
Cadmium red light  PR108   Opaque
Ivory black (Bone black) PBk9   Opaque

Slow drying (5 - 7 days)
Alizarin Crimson  PR83   Transparent
Titanium white  PW6    Opaque
Cadmium Yellow  PY35  Opaque to semi-transparent
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    Author

    As an artist I want to share with you my experiences and what is behind my artwork. Every artwork is an expression of the inner self. It is driven by experience. 

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  • Home
  • Paintings for Sale
    • Still Life
    • Landscapes
    • Plein Air Paintings
    • Cities
    • Portrait
    • Mastercopies
    • SOLD Paintings
  • The Artist
    • About my work
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • Galleries
    • Media/Publications
    • Exhibitions / Memberships
    • FAQs
  • Commissions
  • Tuition
    • Children Art Classes
    • Adults Art Classes
    • Classical Drawing/Painting
    • Student Works
    • Workshops
  • Products
    • Photography
    • Forries Cashmere Scarf
    • Placemats and Coasters
    • Other Products >
      • Licenced Photo DVD
      • Bargue Drawing Level 1
      • Bargue Drawing Level 2
  • Blog
  • Contact