As difficult as it is to get painters to apply enough paint, it’s even harder to get them to take it back off again, unless they’re trying to rub out a mistake. The “Lift Up” or “Wipe Out” method is not for obliterating mistakes, it’s a fast way to shape light and dark values on the canvas. The brush loaded with dark paint makes dark shapes, the “Lift” makes light shapes. See?
The technique is simple: Once the canvas has been covered with a solid layer of dark or medium-dark paint, a lintless cloth or brush can be used to bring back the white of the canvas. The cloth or brush can be dry, or it can be dipped in a bit of odorless mineral spirits (for oil paint) or water (for acrylic paint). This method of painting is similar to watercolor in that the white surface supplies the primary light source, and produces a fresh and glowing effect. The wipe up technique is easy in oils, but it can also be used with acrylics if you’re quick.
Experiment 1: The Wipe Up method is great for underpaintings if you’re starting with thin paint (like the video below), or “alla prima” – painted in one sitting – if you’re starting with thick paint (like mine above).
Experiment 2: This technique has a very different look on white gessoed panel vs white gessoed canvas. Try both surfaces, and see what you like better.
Pictured at the top of this post: My 15 minute demo; a fast study of a self portrait by Eugene Carrier, a Wipe Out champion. For this demo, I used a blue shop towel and then a little titanium white for highlights and solidity.
Video Below: A demo from Georgetown Atelier, in Seattle. www.georgetownatelier.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I67UYK5y6s This has nothing to do with anything.
I liked the form of the model’s body within the fabric. The pose reminded me of classical sculptures, extraneous arms removed. This is one of the first prints I made with drypoint, for this series. I was surprised and thrilled to see what the lovely pattern on the flowered rug looked like after printing. Ink makes …
The Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn created nearly one hundred self portraits during his 63 years of life. Roughly 40 of these self portraits were oil paintings. The rest were drawings and etchings. This was, and is, a fairly unusual number of self portraits for an artist without a smartphone. He might have made self portraits to practice rendering …
One year ago in March, to protect our students and teachers from a new coronavirus, the Seattle Artist League moved our classes online. The virus was declared a national emergency, and we went into quarantine. We have now been in quarantine for thirteen months. Through this year, we have met each other online to draw, …
Here’s an idea for something to draw: throw your jacket on a chair. Now you have a still life, a portrait, and a landscape. *Quoted from Charity Baker’s “Museum Crawl” class featuring Cezanne’s show of drawings in NY
The “Wipe Out” Method
As difficult as it is to get painters to apply enough paint, it’s even harder to get them to take it back off again, unless they’re trying to rub out a mistake. The “Lift Up” or “Wipe Out” method is not for obliterating mistakes, it’s a fast way to shape light and dark values on the canvas. The brush loaded with dark paint makes dark shapes, the “Lift” makes light shapes. See?
The technique is simple: Once the canvas has been covered with a solid layer of dark or medium-dark paint, a lintless cloth or brush can be used to bring back the white of the canvas. The cloth or brush can be dry, or it can be dipped in a bit of odorless mineral spirits (for oil paint) or water (for acrylic paint). This method of painting is similar to watercolor in that the white surface supplies the primary light source, and produces a fresh and glowing effect. The wipe up technique is easy in oils, but it can also be used with acrylics if you’re quick.
Experiment 1: The Wipe Up method is great for underpaintings if you’re starting with thin paint (like the video below), or “alla prima” – painted in one sitting – if you’re starting with thick paint (like mine above).
Experiment 2: This technique has a very different look on white gessoed panel vs white gessoed canvas. Try both surfaces, and see what you like better.
Suggested Product:
Blue Shop Towels (from any hardware store)
My 15 minute demo; a fast study of a self portrait by Eugene Carrier, a Wipe Out champion. For this demo, I used a blue shop towel and then a little titanium white for highlights and solidity.
Video Below:
A demo from Georgetown Atelier, in Seattle. www.georgetownatelier.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I67UYK5y6s This has nothing to do with anything.
Ruthie teaches art classes at Seattle Artist League. Click here to sign up for drawing, painting, pottery, and more!
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I liked the form of the model’s body within the fabric. The pose reminded me of classical sculptures, extraneous arms removed. This is one of the first prints I made with drypoint, for this series. I was surprised and thrilled to see what the lovely pattern on the flowered rug looked like after printing. Ink makes …
Rembrandt’s Self Portrait Drawings
The Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn created nearly one hundred self portraits during his 63 years of life. Roughly 40 of these self portraits were oil paintings. The rest were drawings and etchings. This was, and is, a fairly unusual number of self portraits for an artist without a smartphone. He might have made self portraits to practice rendering …
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Jacket on a Chair
Here’s an idea for something to draw: throw your jacket on a chair. Now you have a still life, a portrait, and a landscape. *Quoted from Charity Baker’s “Museum Crawl” class featuring Cezanne’s show of drawings in NY