How to Use Glazes in Painting

 By Jim Hingst

What is a Glaze?

Ever since the advent of oil painting, painters have utilized glazes, which are transparent layers of paint applied over layers of dried, opaque paint. The Old Masters, such as Caravaggio, Hals, Vermeer and Titian, would first paint the subject primarily using a monochrome scheme of colors, such as greys or earth tones. For portraiture, tones of green were frequently used in the underpainting.

After the initial opaque layer had completely dried, the painter would apply transparent layers of paint. These transparent layers would tint the painting just as if you had overlaid the grey painting with colored films.

The transparent layers typically do not physically mix with the  dried layer below (or underpainting). Instead, the transparent or translucent glazes allow light to pass through them and reflect off of the opaque base layer.   As the viewer perceives the reflected light, the colors of the base layer combine with the those of the glazes. This illusion is called Optical Color Mixing.

How Glazes Are Made

Glazes consist of two basic components: a paint pigment suspended in a medium. In making a glaze, the glaze becomes more transparent as you increase the amount of medium. When oil painting, you can produce a glaze by simply adding more oil.

While the amount of oil affects transparency, so does the choice of pigment. When mixing a colored paint with medium, you should also read the label on the tube of paint to evaluate its opacity or transparency.

Mixing Golden Open series of paint with the Open Acrylic Medium makes a great glaze, when painting with acrylics. The Golden Open products feature an extended open time, so they handle similarly to oil paints.

Why are Glazes Used?

One primary reason that the Old Masters used glazes was economic. Compared to greys and earth tones, such as siennas, umbers and ochres, many colored pigments were expensive. Using transparent glazes over a monochrome or grisaille underpainting was cost-effective. Today colors are much less costly and there is less reason to use glazes to reduce expense.

Another more relevant reason to use glazes, is that they create a unique luminously or brilliance that you cannot achieve any other way. Using multiple layers of glazes also creates a sense of depth as well as producing a greater richness of color.

Glazing is not quite as difficult as you might image. It does, however, require planning, experience and testing.

 This painting on aluminum composite material provides a smooth surface, which is preferred for glazing. A smooth surface prevents pigments from collecting in the recesses of a texture, resulting in a blotchy appearance.

Why Glazes Work Better on Smooth Surfaces

Glazes work best when you are working on smoother surfaces, such as prepared aluminum composite material. The reason is that smooth surfaces reflect light that passes through the transparent colored glaze in the one general direction. On the other hand, rough surfaces refract or deflect the light in many different directions.

If you paint on canvas, apply several coatings of gesso, sanding between layers to achieve a smooth surface.

Using glazing techniques, you can create interesting visual effects.

 

How to Glaze 

 

● Many artists overcomplicate the glazing process. The key to successful glazing is to apply very thin coats. If the coating doesn’t look right to you, wipe it off. Before you apply glazes, think about what you are doing and plan the process that you will follow.

 

● The Old Masters would often apply as many as 20 different glazes to a painting. You can mix different colors in making a glaze, but you are much better off glazing with one color at a time. Using a single glaze of color at a time allows you to better control the final outcome. Using single pigments will also help you learn how that particular color produces its visual effect.

 

● If you are painting with oil paint, you can make your own medium, mixing one to two parts of turpentine to one part linseed stand oil. The viscosity of the medium should be fluid enough to allow you to paint thin coats. You can use alternatives to linseed oil, such as poppy seed oil and walnut oil. Expect slight yellowing over time, however, when using these alternatives. Some homemade concoctions can also take several days to thoroughly dry. Commercial brands, such as Liquin, will usually dry faster.

 

For More Information About Mediums Read These Articles:

Using Linseed Oil to Make a Medium

Acrylic Mediums & Additives

Mediums for Oil Painting

 

● If you paint with acrylics, try Golden Open series of paint. In making a glaze, I combine their paints with the Open Acrylic Medium. The advantage of the Open brand of paints and mediums is that the open time is extended, so they handle similarly to oil paints.

 

● When painting with acrylics, do not use water as a substitute for glazing medium. The water will weaken the binder of the paint, which can compromise intercoat adhesion. On the other hand, the Open Mediums are comprised of the same type of binder used in their paints. The mediums ensure even distribution of color, which prevents any blotchiness.

 

● In mixing paint with glazing medium, use 10 to 20% of paint to medium. Before applying it to your painting, test the mixture on  a white substrate.

 

● Use a soft brush to apply the glaze. You don’t need to glaze the entire painting, just where it will achieves the desired effect.

 

● After applying a glaze, allow it to thoroughly dry before applying another glaze.

 

Other Painting Articles

Why Paint Wrinkles
Why Enamels can Dry Slowly
Why Paints and Pigments Degrade
Paint Pigment Basics
Safely Working with Pigment Powders
Physical Properties of Paints and Pigments
Troubleshooting and Preventing Paint Problems
How to Clean Brushes Used for Water-Based Paints
Blending Colors
Painting with a Limited Palette
Making Oil Paint
Oiling Out a Canvas for Oil Painting
Flesh Tone Paint Recipe
Why Yellow Ocher and Naples Yellow are Important in Painting Fleshtones
White Lead Oil Paint
Best White Paint for Oil Painting
Damar Varnish Recipe
Fat Over Lean Rule
Paint Chemistry Terminology

Do You Have Questions or Comments?

About Jim Hingst: Sign business authority on vehicle wraps, vinyl graphics, screen printing, marketing, sales, gold leaf, woodcarving and painting. 

After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 190 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 500 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.  Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon. 

Slides of Jim's Artwork

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