Second glazing day.
There are three types of glazing:
1. An opaque layer matching the underpainting hues and paints to smooth it. I rarely use this these days, but it has been useful in fixing up an otherwise rough underpainting. For this I tend to use an linseed medium cut with solvent. I avoid solvents in my media, apart from one or two drops of Spike Lavender in the medium. Even a damp brush can be too much solvent.
2. A transparent pigment layer which covers the whole area, matching tones (light/shade). This is rubbed very thinly over a whole area. Details (perhaps still visible from the underpainting) are then added over the top, wet in wet.
3. An ultra-fine 'wisp' layer of genereally transparent paints. Really tiny amounts of paint, the tips of the brush breathing past the painting, adding a magical smoothness to the layer beneath. For this the hues need to match exactly, ideally from transparent colours so different pigments from the underpainting. This is efficient and beautiful, but the layer is very physically delicate.
I painted the floor in type 2 yesterday, and the sky, and most of my work; but the main figure flesh was painted in the wisp type, and it felt remarkably satisfying to do it this way. My work has evolved to use that, a super-detailed underpainting and a super-delicate glaze. A float of the brush seemed to magically 'perfect' the underpainting.
I will probably finish tomorrow.
