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Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • October 25, 2019 at 2:32 pm #479534
    Zippoah
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        I’m wondering if I am destroying the paint film integrity when I use my fingers to push already set (tacky) paint around ever so slightly, but with lots of pressure from my fingers?
        Sometimes if I see a sharp edge I want to smooth out or blur I will use my fingers and apply pressure and forcefully rub over the paint film until it looks like I want. Am I compromising the film?

        October 25, 2019 at 3:31 pm #898993
        Gigalot
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            I always use my fingers, finger nails, cotton balls, paper and even whole palm to work with oil paint. I use brush less and less, while fingers I use more and more. Real paint layer for me have not a brush stroke form.

            October 25, 2019 at 3:41 pm #898992
            Delofasht
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                It “could” have problems, but I doubt any of us would love to see an issue. Oil paint films are more durable and take far more abuse than we are led to believe in our reading of conservation papers and scientific journals. If it was really as bad as we are commonly led to believe we would see much more widespread autodestruction of oil paintings, it is just so much less common than it seems.

                In short, I would not give it too much consideration unless you are moving paint by more than a sixteenth of an inch (that seems excessive to me) or allowing pockets of air or other mediums in under that tacky top layer.

                - Delo Delofasht
                October 25, 2019 at 3:47 pm #898995
                JCannon
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                    Artists have used their fingers for ages. Don’t worry about it.

                    In my opinion, some people fret too much about the durability of the paint film. Delamination is rare. You’re going to varnish the work in the end, right? The pigment isn’t going anywhere.

                    October 26, 2019 at 2:51 am #898997
                    ilya K
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                        I’m afraid that Gigalot and JCanon, you missed the point: it’s about the paint whose very top layer has already settled a tiny bit. To “amplify” the effect, think about a paint nut on a palette that sat there for few days and has a dense skin outside and still buttery inside.

                        Ilya K
                        C&C always welcome

                        October 26, 2019 at 1:25 pm #898996
                        Zippoah
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                            Thanks for the replies guys. I do have more confidence now but will continue to use caution.

                            October 26, 2019 at 2:04 pm #898994
                            Gigalot
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                                I’m afraid that Gigalot and JCanon, you missed the point: it’s about the paint whose very top layer has already settled a tiny bit. To “amplify” the effect, think about a paint nut on a palette that sat there for few days and has a dense skin outside and still buttery inside.

                                The proper wet-on-wet method said to work with paint until it is wet.

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