Arleta Pech - Radiant Oils: Glazing Techniques for Paintings that Glow

Radiant Oils

glazing techniques for

paintings that glow

Arleta Pech

www.artistsnetwork.com

Radiant Oils: Glazing Techniques for Paintings that Glow . Copyright 2010 by Arleta Pech. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First Edition.

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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Pech, Arleta
Radiant oils : glazing techniques for paintings that glow / Arleta Pech. -- 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60061-176-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Painting--Technique. I. Title. II. Title: Glazing techniques for paintings that glow.
ND1500.P425 2010
751.45--dc22
2009034526

Edited by Sarah Laichas
Designed by Guy Kelly
Production coordinated by Mark Griffin

A Proper Time for Tea 24" 68" (61cm 173cm) Oil on canvas

About the Author

Arleta began her fine art painting career in Colorado. She is listed in Whos Who in American Art . Her work was represented in the touring museum exhibit The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century, and was selected for the Woodson Art Museum touring exhibit for Birds in Art. She is a member of the International Realism Guild and a signature member of the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society. Arletas images have received international exposure through published reproductions by Mill Pond Press (www.millpond.com), and through thirty one-woman shows and appearances across the U.S. and Canada. She also authored P ainting Fresh Florals in Watercolor (North Light) in 1998. Arleta teaches painting seminars in watercolor and oil. You can find her workshop dates, new originals, reproductions and DVD lessons on her website www.arletapech.com.

Sweet Perfection (cover) 32" 60" (81cm 152cm) Oil on canvas

Amaryllis for Alice 28" 38" (71cm 97cm)
Oil on canvas

Acknowledgments

To my best friend, Jane Jones, who has been my sounding board. I worked out my process to keep my beloved transparency in this medium, she helped dust off the cobwebs on my old oil knowledge. To Jamie Markle, who proposed the book and answered all my e-mails asking, Is it time to start writing it yet? To my editor, Sarah Laichas, who kept me on track and gave me feedback when I needed it. To Guy Kelly for making the book beautiful. To everyone at F+W Media who has supported my art with articles and has kept my first book on the market for over ten years. Also, to all the artists whove taken the time to write the books that have helped me add to my own knowledge through the years. Thank you.

Dedication

To Bruce, the love of my life, who has shared the ups and downs of being married to an artist for thirty-nine yearsa feat that deserves its own book. And to my sons, Tim and Kevin, who shared time from their precious childhood with the demands of my art career. Im so very proud of the men youve become.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1
Materials and Equipment

CHAPTER 2
An Introduction to Transparent Glazing

CHAPTER 3
Background Techniques

CHAPTER 4
The Foundation of Transparent Glazing

CHAPTER 5
Painting Subjects With a Glaze

CHAPTER 6
Four Demonstrations

CHAPTER 7
Glazing Techniques in Action

Hydrangea Melody 22" 19" (56cm 48cm)
Oil on board Private collection

Birds of a Feather 19" 21" (48cm 53cm)
Watermedia on 140-lb. (300gsm) cold-pressed watercolor paper

Silver Hydrangea 13" 25" (33cm 64cm)
Oil on board Private collection

Introduction

My love affair with transparent colors began in 1969 when I was a commercial artist working with layers of colored acetate for mockups and proofs. It was during this time that I realized how much I loved looking through layers of colors on my lightbox. This infatuation grew throughout my watercolor years while I developed my transparent color theory, leading to my first book, Painting Fresh Florals in Watercolor . I have continued to refine my theory in my workshops and have even developed a special glazing viewer for artists to help them see and experience using transparent colors.

Sometimes your path for growth as an artist is not evident, and switching to oils was that unseen path for me. In 2001 I began to experiment with other mediums, looking for richer color and more luminosity. I tried working in egg tempera and fluid acrylics for a while, but these mediums lacked what I was looking for.