Orange Indian Silver

Basic palette for chestnut
(Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Ochre, Indian Yellow, and Burnt Sienna)

Repair.

No matter how long one has been painting no one is exempt from some sort of repair at some point in time. This Indian Silver resin decided to go orange during the initial stages of pastel/pigment placement. No matter how I tried to change the color when I would spray I got this horrible orange color. One way to fix such an imperfection is to switch gears and use a completely different medium. In this case, oils.

Oils are lightly glazed onto the already painted surface. It doesn't matter how offensive the color currently is, the glazing process in oils will change it slowly. The key however, is to go SLOWLY. One layer is glazed onto the horse at a time. Because oils and linseed oil are being used the layer will need a full day to dry. So this is a time consuming process but it does fix the problem perfectly.

All colors were mixed together with the linseed oil

then brushed onto the neck of the horse.

The basic formula (if you've never used oils before) is to squeeze a bit out then dip your brush into some linseed oil and mix the oil with the oil paint. This just gives the paint some smoothness and flow and the more linseed oil you use the more transparent the glaze will be. So truly depending upon the repair you'll have to use your judgement on how much linseed oil to mix in with your oils. Experiment and see what feels and looks best. You'll know fairly soon what works best.

Basic paint formula is (I guess you could say): 60% Burnt Sienna, 30% Yellow Ochre, 5% Indian Yellow, 5%-or less-Aliziran.
That's the easiest way to describe the color you see on the resin's neck.

A silk pad (found at Maryland China) was then used

to "blot" and blend the brushed oil into the horse.
Please note: If Maryland has discontinued this item look to other
suppliers of "china painting" supplies for the silk pad.

This is only ONE layer. It hasn't changed much

but you can see it is darkening and slowly changing.

Let dry fully.

After the first layer has had 24 hours to dry.

Repeat the exact same process. Let dry another 24 hours.

"Three Little Owls"

Graphite, Acrylic, and Watercolors on

archival bristol

"Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For so the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day."

~ Matthew Arnold