7" x 9", Oil Paint on Paper SOLD
This is an example of a technique known
as essence, that was used a great
deal by both Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec.
The oil paint is laid out overnight on
paper towels or blotter paper to soak out
the linseed oil. The next morning the paint
is transferred to a palette. Then, using
only solvent ("essence" is French for "solvent"),
one paints with the oil-less paint on any paper.
The paper does not need to be prepared in any way,
thus you can paint on bond paper, drawing paper,
pastel paper, charcoal paper (like this), Canson
Paper, brown wrapping paper, whatever. It is
really fun - and archival! That's how Toulouse-
Lautrec did all those paintings on cardboard that
are in the National Gallery in DC!!
SOLD
Oil on Canson Paper, 10" x 13"
This semi-clothed nude study was done very
quickly in an interesting technique that was used
very often by both Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec.
It is know as peinture a l'essence, which literally
means, "painting with solvent". If you notice, a lot
of Lautrec's paintings were done on cardboard.
Well, this is how he did that.
To use this technique, the oil paint has to be placed
on blotter paper or paper towels overnight to soak
out all of the oil from the paint. The next morning
(or the day after that...), the paint is transferred onto
a palette and can be used to paint on bare, unprepared
paper, diluted only with turps or paint thinner. No medium
is used, of course, because that would defeat the purpose
of having removed the oil in the first place. It is really fun,
and great for gestural figure painting! You should try it!
