Opaque and Transparent Painting

I painted these two vintage bisque porcelain match holders at my friend Mel B's collection. I think the leering man's face is even weirder than the exuberant baby waving a flag.

The study on the left is painted with casein (an opaque water-based medium a lot like gouache), and the one on the right is painted in transparent watercolor.


Opaque and transparent painting require a rather different mindset and approach.

To paint this head in casein, I had to mix each of the values separately, keeping in mind the slight value shift as the paint dries. The ADVANTAGE of casein or gouache is that it's possible to achieve absolutely flat, smooth passages and control their relationship.

The CHALLENGE with opaques is to blend edges and to achieve softness and variety of tone. The PITFALL is the tendency to lose sparkle and lightness.

I painted the baby in transparent watercolor. The ADVANTAGE of watercolor is that it's fast and direct. Gradations and soft edges (such as the round forehead) are achievable, but they take deliberate and rapid action.

The CHALLENGE is 1) to achieve accuracy and smoothness of value, and 2) to paint around the light accents. The PITFALL is the tendency to get everything too light. The first washes on the forehead looked incredibly dark when I first put them down.

Every painting technique has advantages, challenges, and pitfalls, and you have to know them from experience and keep them in mind at every stage.