Tip of the day....Painting Hair & Fur (Part 1)

Without a doubt, the second most frequently asked question that I get is, "How do you paint your fur?" Well, not being one to keep secrets very well, here's the technique(s) that I use:

1. Start with the right brush! The single most important factor in painting hair or fur is having the right brush. For me, there is NOTHING that is better than the 7800 Dagger/Striper made by Loew-Cornell.  Here's a link to their website so that you can see the brush:

http://www.loew-cornell.com/product-page-pages-43.php?pid=29

I use the 1/8" size, almost exclusively for painting fur or hair. I like it's shorter handle, it's easily maneuverable, and simple to care for. I use this brush for more than just hair/fur, too! In my recent painting, "Early Spring," I would guess that about 90% of the painting was done with the Dagger brush...every blade of grass, most of the flowers, and ALL of the tiger was painted with this brush. It has become my most treasured brush, and I simply could not do nearly as well with any other brush!

What makes is so special? Simple...the unique shape allows me to paint very fine lines from the short stubby hairs above a cats nose, to long flowing manes. The brush is designed to be painted on the "Chisel Edge" and I prefer pulling it toward me. Whenever I need to change directions of the hair, I turn the painting...not the brush! Almost always, I keep the strokes going toward me!

Is there a downside of this brush? Well, yes, there is. Because I use this brush waaaay more than any other that I own, I tend to go through a LOT of them. I find that even with good brush care (regular cleaning, using "Pink Soap" to help shape it, etc...) I still find that a brush will only last me about 2 or maybe 3 paintings before the bristles start to spread apart, and the chisel edge is lost. At about $7 per brush, that means that I need to keep a regular supply of them on hand, and when my inventory dips below about 10, I tend to break out in a cold sweat until my next shipment arrives!

In my next few blogs, I will continue the discussion of "Painting Hair & Fur" and give you some tricks that I have learned that may really make a big difference in your paintings too. Thanks for following me...and happy painting!!!

Tip of the day...Painting Surfaces (Canvas vs. "Artboard")

With each new painting that I post on Facebook, I try to list the size, the medium (Oils, Acrylic, Graphite, etc...) and the surface it is on. With most of my more recent paintings, I have painted on "Artboard" and I invariably get the question, "What is Artboard?" Well, here's a little lesson in surfaces, and why I no longer use canvas.

"Artboard" can refer to any type of hard wood-composite surface. Similar to masonite, the surface that I prefer is also called MDF, an abbreviation for Medium Density Fiberboard. No, it is not available at your local arts & crafts store, but rather at your local lumber yard. It is widely used in the construction industry for anything from making fine cabinetry to creating custom furniture. I purchase mine at the Home Depot for around $15 per sheet (4 foot x 8 foot) and have them cut it down for me into whatever sizes that I need. I can get 24 @ 11" x 14" and 5 @ 9" x 12" out of a single sheet of MDF, and when you factor in the cost of the sheet...that makes the cost of each panel somewhere less than 50 cents each!  Compare that to canvas!!!

Once home, I first spray the MDF panels with "Kilz" White Primer (also purchased at Home Depot, or even Wal-Mart! Approx $4.50 per can) and let it dry for an hour or so. Then, after lightly sanding, I give it another coat of Kilz. Finally, after letting it dry overnight and another light sanding, I give it a coat of Acrylic Gesso, applied with a sponge roller, to prevent brush marks. Now, I have a panel that is smooth as glass to paint on, and the oil paints will not soak in.

I use MDF artboard because I need to put a LOT of detail into each painting that I work on...it's just my nature. I stopped using canvas because the less that I have to fight the "weave" of canvas and the rough surface texture, the better off the finished details look. MDF, or artboard, gives me a perfectly smooth surface, with no texture to distort my very fine lines, and I am able to put in all the intricate details that make my paintings stand out from my contemporaries.

That small difference could be what makes your next painting stand out from everyone else's...go ahead and give it a try. Let me know how it works for you!

My very first "Blog."

This is my very first posting. OK, so I am not exactly a technical "guru" but the idea of a blog has escaped me until now. I believe that this may be a wonderful place for me to post my "Tips and Tricks" notes, as well as comments on my paintings, drawings, or other ideas that may help others.