January 2016

RECOMMENDED READING

References for Fundamentals Workshops II and III

(Faces & Features and The Human Body)

The following references  will help art students of all levels understand the details of human anatomy. I suggest you take a look at all of them before choosing which ones to purchase.

·        Henry Gray, Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body

·     George B. Bridgman, Heads, Features and Faces

·     Andrew Loomis, Drawing the Head and Hands

·     Louise Gordon, How to Draw the Human Head Techniques and Anatomy

·     George Bridgman, The Human Machine, the Anatomical Structure and Mechanism of the Human Body

·     Jeno Barcsay, Anatomy for the Artist

Natural alternatives for cleaning paint brushes (Workshop: Oil Painting)
 

I’ve been using Reine Kernseife (curd soap) for over 40 years; it’s all-natural soap made from palm and coconut oil. Unlike turpentine, this soap smells good. It will not dry out your hands or fingernails, and it will get the job done.  

With paint brushes costing what they do today (a luxurious DaVinci Maestro Kolinsky flat short handle lists at around $1400), it’s in your best interest to take care of them by keeping them clean. Once your paint hardens on brushes, you can kiss them goodbye.

To clean your brushes from oil paint: squeeze any excess paint from your brush onto a rag or newspaper. (If you use the DaVinci Maestro Kolinskly, a cloth, perhaps made of the finest imported silk, would do nicely!) Then with warm water and curd soap work brush up into a lather, rinse thoroughly, reshape the brush and  let stand upright, taking care that the bristles are not leaning  on anything that might  misshape them. Allow them to dry completely before using again.

I usually buy doubles of the same brush; for times when I think I’m done for the day, and clean my brushes, only to go back to painting a short while later and my brushes are still damp. . . . so, stock up when there are sales.

Note on my Workshop at Deaton Creek