12
votes
Accepted
Bob Ross - Ebony Sunset - Did he use a dry black base coat?
Bob Ross usually starts his paintings with a completely dried base coat. He starts this particular episode explaining that he already prepared a coat of alizarin crimson, but that should make the ...
Elmy♦
- 10.9k
7
votes
How do I paint hot glue so that it's slightly translucent?
The best material that comes to my mind is Window Color, an acrylic based liquid paint used to create faux stained glass ornaments. Alternatively, acrylic paints designed to paint directly on glass ...
Elmy♦
- 10.9k
7
votes
Are stretcher bars always left attached to an oil painting?
Yes, it's a time-honored tradition to leave canvases on the stretchers. There are some exceptions to this, but the usual reasons are:
Stretching a canvas cleanly without tension irregularities and ...
Elmy♦
- 10.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Does drawing on a transparent sheet what you can see behind it have a name?
The method or technique with which you copy a subject by following its lines with a pencil (or other tool) on the surface it appears on or behind is simply called tracing.
I am not familiar with the ...
- 9,942
5
votes
Accepted
Direction of light in a dark painting?
The light currently seems to be coming from a diffuse source a little bit above the observer's position (or slightly above the painting's 'window').
If you want the light to come from the halo, ...
- 9,942
4
votes
How should I paint/color my Revan fx lightsaber green button to black?
Depending on how much you're going to be touching the button, hobbyist enamel paint (applied with a brush) could work. You can sand the surface of the button first if you're worried about adhesion. I'...
- 147
4
votes
Direction of light in a dark painting?
Quick tip for lighting from behind a subject: reverse the placement of lights and shadows.
When painting a human you usually have highlighted areas in the front of the body and on top of the shoulders....
Elmy♦
- 10.9k
4
votes
Accepted
What is the art genre of this painting on the T-shirt?
Formally it reminds me of art brut (or the related primitivism), because of its somewhat crude and naive style. It could also be considered expressionist, but it's hard to tell without seeing more art ...
- 9,942
4
votes
Are there any chrome spray paints you can use a sealant on?
The question asks about coating chrome paint, but you really need to take a step back to the chrome finish, itself. Applying a chrome-looking finish to plastic has always been a challenge. Before ...
- 11.4k
4
votes
Are there any chrome spray paints you can use a sealant on?
As fixer1234 wrote in the comments, anything with solvents ruins the chrome paint, so you cannot seal the spray painted object with anything that comes out of a spray can. Many (but not all) chrome ...
Elmy♦
- 10.9k
4
votes
Accepted
How to clean up margins of a wet-on-wet oil painting?
Usually you don't clean the margins at all.
If you painted on a canvas that wasn't stretched on a wooden frame (so just the fabric), the logical next step is to do exactly that. To mount the canvas, ...
Elmy♦
- 10.9k
3
votes
colour mixing for a still life with apples
Does it make sense to attempt this using acrylics, although it's originally done in oil?
It does. The video is mostly theoretical to begin with, and breaks up painting a still life (and, as the ...
- 9,942
3
votes
Accepted
colour mixing for a still life with apples
In my personal opinion, the video tutorial is really good and valuable for beginners, but as you noticed yourself, acrylic paints behave differently and require a different painting method.
First my ...
Elmy♦
- 10.9k
3
votes
Accepted
Best drawing material for creating an underdrawing on a primed and toned canvas
There are a few alternatives I can think of you can use to refine your underdrawing:
Using a small brush you can paint the finer details, either with acrylic for quicker corrections, or already in (...
- 9,942
2
votes
Accepted
How do you paint a plastic miniature to look like polished mahogany?
I'm a lifelong artist and owner of a museum display with many thousands of miniatures. I'm going to share the method I would use.
I'd probably use acrylic for this job, it's quicker drying and easier ...
- 298
1
vote
Are stretcher bars always left attached to an oil painting?
While Elmy is absolutely right with their answer, I want to stress that the price of stretcher bars should not impede your creativity. If you want to reuse your stretcher bars, just do so.
Yes, ...
- 9,942
1
vote
Is it safe to spray paint a canvas?
If you want to use acrylic paint just use hot water and water it down before painting the canvas, but spray paint will work also, just hold the can further away than what you would normally when ...
- 11
1
vote
Outdoor wooden sign repaint
Why not use Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Plus? It blocks oil and water-based stains, no sanding, dries fast, is OK for exterior & is water-based. You can use finish a coat of your choice. Only caveat I ...
- 21
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible