When your undercoat goes down, some people are too timid: they “badger” too gently. Like they were dusting a priceless china vase. Like they were frightened they might break their glass.
Like they don’t really want to blend.
But let me tell you this: that’s not the way to do it.
Timid is no good
If your undercoat needs blending, you must be decisive, confident.
Not timid. Not fearful.
You must get the job done quickly while you can – while your paint’s still wet enough to move around.
Which usually means sweeping across from all directions. Boldly.
But actually there’s something else as well
Indeed. Yes, you sweep across from all directions. But there’s something else as well.
Something which the folks who “dust” are missing.
And it’s crucial.
How to respond to what your badger tells you
Line of sight
Yes. It’s also about your eyes, what they can see.
If you’re “dusting” (as I shall bluntly call it), your hands are in the way.
The answer is: get your hands right to the side so you see clearly, in between each sweep of your badger, where next to blend.
New bonus video for e-book readers
So there’s a brand-new video where I demonstrate it all.
It’s a free update for those of you who have our best-selling guide to the key techniques of kiln-fired stained glass painting.
If you don’t yet have your own copy and you want to join, you can get your copy here.
Hello! I really enjoy your dvds and on site videos: thank you so much! I am learning the art of portraiting and have a hard time with highlighting and shading the face features: any DVD or class for this important part of painting a face. Thank you very much for any kind of help !!
Philippe
Hi Philippe: faces / portraiture – noted: thanks for telling me that’s useful to you.
In general, oil or propylene glycol are marvellous for the kinds of shadows I believe you’re seeking.
Oil. Quick demo on a monster here. And our guide to the key techniques of stained glass painting comes with a full set of videos about how to paint a stained glass face. In this case, Saint Martha’s. She’s here. Password with the guide.
Glycol. Very useful long article and videos here: again on a monster. (What is it with monsters and Williams & Byrne?)
Oil vs. Glycol. Good discussion here.
I’ll write to you by email in a moment so we can continue this discussion.
Best – Stephen
Some day I must come and see you. I so enjoy your tips and videos. Thanks
That’s great: glad you like the tips and videos. And our thanks to you for writing. It’s always good to know what works, and also to understand what doesn’t work. The studio is a busy place. Miles from the nearest city. So we must just make our best guess as to what the many 1000s who read the blog and get the newsletter will find useful. Just let us know.
David