40 Minutes from Jonesport, alkyd on Masonite, 19 x 30. Private collection. "I've been using alkyd for about 20 years, ever since I saw them used in a demonstration. They are unlike any other medium I've used. They dry faster than oils, and for a painter who glazes as much as I do, placing layers of transparent color one over the other, this is important. (I may use 20 glazes in a sky.) With alkyds I can do two glazes in the same day. With oils it takes much, much longer. The slow drying times of oils is exasperating, because I like to work into a painting quickly. I also like to blend colors, and alkyd, unlike acrylics, dries slowly enough to allow time for blending." "The colors are bright and crisp, and alkyd straight from the tube is stiffer in consistency than oil, which can be used advantageously. I can create a drybrush effect or, if I prefer, achieve a buttery consistency with the addition of a medium such as Liquin." "Since the medium you squeeze out on the palette dries overnight, you can't use it the next day. Thus you tend to use up alkyds faster than other media- its only disadvantage." |
