Thursday, March 28, 2013

Woman with Long Hair

Diane Mannion, 47 Woman with Long Hair, 10x8" o/c

Always a treat painting with my friends at the Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center Portrait Studio!

Experimented with Grumbacher's MG Titanium white and found it not to my liking at all.  Grumbacher's Pre-Tested titanium white, the regular kind, has been my favorite for years and will continue to be.  But the MG white got gummy and tacky really fast.  By the end of the three hour session, it had almost dried on my palette where I had mixed it with other colors in the center.  The pile on the side was a mess of stringy goo.  Slowed down my work... had to use stiff brushes just to mix it.  Will be removed from my paintbox!
An artist friend sent this information from Dick Blick which probably explains why I had problems with MG:
Grumbacher underpainting MG white according to user instructions on Blick.com is as follows:

This permanent, fast-drying Titanium White oil paint is designed for use in underpainting or in wet-in-wet (alla prima) painting. Specifically formulated to create a lean, dry paint film, MG Underpainting White has enough tooth to readily accept glazes.
Other uses include creating surface textures and impasto techniques. In normal applications, MG Underpainting White dries to the touch in 4 to 6 hours and may be painted over immediately.
Need to control drying time? Mix MG Underpainting White with oil colors or mediums. To dilute, mix it with Pure Gum Spirits of Turpentine or Grumtine only. Petroleum solvents and paint thinners and odorless paint thinners are not compatible with this product. Mixtures of MG Underpainting White in excess of 1:1 will result in a brittle, dry paint film.
 *I don't like to complain about Grumbacher, I have used their paints for years recommend them.  Perhaps, if an artist wants to use Grumtine or Pure Gum Spirits of Turpentine  MG would work for them.   However, I'm trying to use less mediums, mostly Gamblin, linseed oil, or simply paint from the tube, so MG is not for me.


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