I am reading a few books on the technique of painting (mostly oil painting). One is a collection of essays by a professor of painting. It was originally published in 1934. This book is filled with rich content on the materials and techniques of the masters from preparing grounds. The book is The Materials of the Artist and their Use in Painting by Max Dörner (or Doerner). It is still in print and available from Amazon. There is a Doerner Institute in Munich that continues the authors work, studying and conserving paintings, artist materials and techniques. The institute is at the Neue Pinakothek (new painting museum) in Munich.
The other book I am reading on technique is Sir Charles Eastlake's Methods and Materials of the Great Schools and Masters. Also still in print even though it was originally published in the middle of the 19th century. This is a history of oil painting. I have only read up to the early renaissance but what I have covered so far has been captivating. If you are interested in painting and its history this is a great read.
I am interested in pursuing this research in the hopes that in my own studies I missed a material or technique that will be useful to me. So far I have found that I have a good studio practice. I have discovered a few things that I want to experiment with. I will post more on those later (increasing the amount of oil in final paint layers ala fat over lean, mediums/dilutents, and the use of a reflective material in my light colors to increase luminosity).
It is scary to read about all of the chemicals that were once considered safe to use: barium, strongtium, lead, cadmium, cobalt, arsenic, etc. Many of these are still used today to make artists colors for all media. While I have worked to eliminate my studio of obvious carcinogens and poisons, I still use cadmium and cobalt colors. I plan to post about what to do when you decide to no longer use the toxic or poisonous materials you have purchased.
I will post more about the techniques and materials that I find useful or extra interesting as I come across them.
Hint hint: if you find yourself wondering what sort of gift to give me on an appropriate gift giving occasion either of these books would be wonderful (I borrowed them from MCAD's library).
