tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post3987054731676481519..comments2024-03-28T16:36:12.581-04:00Comments on Gurney Journey: Frederic Church's Oil SketchesJames Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-60039845033245138942015-05-04T12:30:51.001-04:002015-05-04T12:30:51.001-04:00He must have applied the gesso as he went section ...He must have applied the gesso as he went section by sectionANDROIDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02429794802700560207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-58152903943073898792015-05-03T18:38:39.328-04:002015-05-03T18:38:39.328-04:00If you don't place a barrier layer (size; acry...If you don't place a barrier layer (size; acrylic gesso; etc.) between the paper and the oil paint layer, the paper will deteriorate, sooner rather than later. Therefore Church's oil sketches on paper will have some sort of barrier layer coating the paper before he applied the oil; he is too much of a good craftsman not to have done, and the very fact that his oil sketches still exist, and in such good condition, is the proof.Not Quite a Painting a Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15811055845021714071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-72616506412334123812015-05-02T11:08:25.948-04:002015-05-02T11:08:25.948-04:00Great post James, thank you! Church was an amazing...Great post James, thank you! Church was an amazing artist. The thought of traveling as much as he did back then to such diverse locations and environments, and painting plein air to boot is beyond impressive. I'm sure he inspired numerous artists including modern adventure photographers (whether they know the history or not!).<br /><br />Also, the Cooper Hewitt Collection is extensive and a wonderful resource for inspiration and understanding his approach and methods - thanks for the link!<br /><br />I agree with Steve - you do bear a resemblance to Church :) seadithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052851423700566814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-4422928497728011472015-04-30T11:26:40.440-04:002015-04-30T11:26:40.440-04:00Perhaps when the paint is applied thinly on thick ...Perhaps when the paint is applied thinly on thick board the linseed oil cures fast enough it doesn't have much time to penetrate the board? Or maybe they sprayed something over their pencil drawings. Or maybe they just didn't care and we're lucky enough that nothing happened.ANDROIDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02429794802700560207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-82917274686998095192015-04-30T09:04:26.748-04:002015-04-30T09:04:26.748-04:00Steve, you were lucky to have him for a teacher. I...Steve, you were lucky to have him for a teacher. I never saw that photo of Church before. Hard for me to say if there's a resemblance, but maybe I'll need to grow mutton chops.<br /><br />Gavin, the lightfastness and stability of the paint is a factor on how paintings last, but also the support and ground and the whole combination. Thin paint on its own should not be a problem.<br /><br />Android, I kind of wondered the same thing and am trying to find out more about how the Hudson River guys prepared their paper and paperboard for oil studies.<br /><br />Patrick, window shading (or "area-by-area painting") works best for me when I've got a pretty solid plan for the composition and values—or I'm working on location— so I know exactly where I'm going. To match previous paint patches that have dried, you might try retouch varnish. I generally don't mix batches of paint in any recipe or system, just mix as I go.<br /><br />Melle, glad you enjoyed it.James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-9014238978227016952015-04-30T04:10:41.082-04:002015-04-30T04:10:41.082-04:00I've seen a number of old paintings (at least ...I've seen a number of old paintings (at least 100 years old) that have been sketched incredibly thinly and do not seem to suffer for it. I have also seen finished works, sometimes with reasonable heavy strokes, where it's evident some layers have faded revealing drawing or other elements beneath.<br /><br />Is it simply a case of the permanence of the oil paint used that determines how well certain paintings have stood the test of time?<br /><br />If I could lay a line of trees down in a few minutes like Church, I'd be a happy man!<br />Nice post.Gavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12120455549012225566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-11801651393543454992015-04-29T20:51:44.695-04:002015-04-29T20:51:44.695-04:00These are wonderful. Thank you for posting them. ...These are wonderful. Thank you for posting them. Mind-boggling to contemplate 2000 in the collection. When I was a University of Michigan student int he late 60's, I was fortunate to have two History of Art classes with David Huntington. He was passionate and deeply knowledgeable about Church. He sent many Church appreciators out into the world. He also spearheaded the campaign to preserve Church's estate, Olana. <br /><br />I'm prepared to be the only one who sees this, but I feel the photo of Church (by Matthew Brady) in the Wikipedia entry bears a resemblance to a younger James Gurney. Add mutton chops, a wave in the hair...Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09596875722436085739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-7335903136643305562015-04-29T18:23:29.547-04:002015-04-29T18:23:29.547-04:00I notice in your instructional videos you work thi...I notice in your instructional videos you work thinly and build the overall value structure before rendering details. Are there times when window painting is more efficient?<br />Or is it a technique that requires more experience to achieve proper chroma and value balance in a short period? <br />When I try to finish one area of a painting at a time I encounter great difficulty in matching colors. On that note do you have any tips for remembering/documenting paint proportions for accurate remixing of colors used in a part of the painting that might have been finished during a previous painting session?Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13285747131172173058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-54291053839266206922015-04-29T11:40:26.153-04:002015-04-29T11:40:26.153-04:00Does the oil paint deteriorate the paper board ove...Does the oil paint deteriorate the paper board over time if there is no layer of gesso?ANDROIDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02429794802700560207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-6696933842432104312015-04-29T11:25:49.999-04:002015-04-29T11:25:49.999-04:00Thank you for this post! It's inspiring and re...Thank you for this post! It's inspiring and really interesting to see the technique. Melle Ferrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08370366181768395772noreply@blogger.com