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Glazing and Scumbling

Glazing and scumbling are methods of enhancing or modifying a painting.

A glaze is an oil color reduced to a watery, transparent consistency and applied with a soft brush over a direct area.

It imparts more depth and luminosity to the area.

The area should be on the light side, for a glaze intensifies and darkens the section it covers.

You can use copal painting medium to reduce oil color to a glazing consistency.

If it is still too heavy add some turpentine to thin it.

There are media made expressly for glazing.

A preparation called Gel is very good. It will reduce any oil color to the desired transparency and requires no turpentine or oil.

Glazing is most successful when done gradually in successive applications.

Drying time must be allowed for each glaze.

Experiment by superimposing warm and cool color glazes.

You can glaze part of a painting or all of it, but make sure that the surface you are working on is thoroughly dry.

Scumbling is generally used to lighten a dried area.

The paint is applied as it comes from the tube and is mixed to the desired color.

Medium is seldom used, for there is enough oil content in the paint to make it workable.

The paint is dragged over the dried area, producing a broken effect of color and an interesting textural quality as well. It is also useful in softening any harsh color or details.

Experiment on a discarded canvas, by scumbling over various areas, reducing tones, creating textural effects, enhancing color, and so on.

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