Glazing

Applications & Techniques: Glazing Techniques with Patti Brady, Director Working Artists Program Painters seldom associate acrylics with old luminous glazing techniques. GOLDEN Acrylics can create types of glazes that are difficult to achieve with oil or watercolor. With the new GOLDEN acrylic products you now have choices of drying times. We will look in detail at how to layer many transparent layers of acrylic. The Paint and the Medium When finished, this glazing technique will look similar to oil glazes. Use GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics and Acrylic Glazing Liquid for the best results and least frustration. (Other options would be to use tube or jar color thinned with GOLDEN Polymer Medium and mix in no more than 15% Retarder.) GOLDEN Acrylic Glazing Liquid is a special formula developed to keep thin layers of acrylic wet longer, and aid in the maneuverability or “smooth flow” of the acrylic. GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics are formulated into a lower viscosity (thinner) than jar color and are designed for glazing applications. Remember to choose transparent pigments for more luminosity such as the Quinacridones, Phthalos or Azos, rather than the opaque pigments like Cadmiums or Cerulean. (Of course, you need not use the exact pigments chosen for this exercise, go ahead and experiment.)

The Base Begin your work on a smooth gessoed surface. Paint the base color for the pear with GOLDEN Fluid Nickel Azo Yellow. The proportions for all the glazes are approximately 20% (paint) Nickel Azo Yellow to 80% GOLDEN Acrylic Glazing Liquid. Rub out a few highlighted areas. The Acrylic Glazing Liquid is used to thin the Fluid paint and keep the thin application of paint wet long enough to create your layer and to lift out the highlights. The white of the gessoed surface should shine through this layer. The multiple layers of glazes will create a "glow", which is not possible with opaque layers of paint.

Glaze Step Number One When the first layer (base) is dry, begin the next step. (To speed the drying process use a hair dryer between layers. If the layer is not dry, the bottom layer of glaze will lift when you begin to apply a second glaze.) Mix two separate glazes using Ultramarine Blue and Transparent Red Iron Oxide with GOLDEN Acrylic Glazing Liquid. Play with the proportions. You will apply the Ultramarine Blue glaze to the shaded side of the pear and the Transparent Red Iron Oxide glaze to the lighter side of the pear. To blend these two glazes together, slowly move your brush through the two colors, continually wiping off excess paint on a rag. If the paint gets a bit tacky, dip your brush into the Acrylic Glazing Liquid. As you blend keep taking paint off with your brush. This does not "feel right" at first, but keep taking off paint, adding paint back in and adding Acrylic Glazing Liquid when it begins to tack. It is everyone's natural tendency to add water. DO NOT ADD WATER. THIN WITH ACRYLIC GLAZING LIQUID.

Glaze Step Number Two Make sure the first glaze layer is dry and apply this next blend of glazes using the above techniques. The second glaze is a blend of Quinacridone/Nickel Azo Gold and Green Gold. Notice how the Green Gold brings out the greenish sheen of a pear surface.

Glaze Step Number Three The third and final glaze is Transparent Pyrrole Orange and Turquois Phthalo. The Turquois Phthalo deepens the shadow areas. Be patient with yourself. It is a bit tricky the first few times, but your reward will be beautiful, rich, luminous color with perfect subtle gradations. If you would like to see glazing in person see the GOLDEN Working Artist Program page. Note: Not all effects will be seen on these graphics.
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