How can I fix this?

[Letitia]

I did an acrylic 16x20 painting of a friends house as a gift, it came out better than I expected. The problem I had though was when I first sketched it out in an ordinary pencil that I found around the house and it smeared terribly as I started to paint from top first,but I managed to cover it with paint as I finished. Well, here I am doing another for commission, only this is a 22x36 and I did it again, sketched the whole house. Is there any spray I can use over the pencil sketch that will prevent the smearing? and won't affect the acrylic paint when I appy it? Another question, I always used Matte finish, do you think if I used gloss, it will give it more of an oil painting look?

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tish, Chelsea's mom and inspiration

[henrik]

I use fixative over the drawing. It works for me.
I think it is more the style than the gloss that determines the "oil color look". Gloss varnish over a watercolor style thing does not turn it into an oil color look.

You can try an acrylic gloss medium if you want to make the acrylic look more like oil.

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Visit my gallery at Artistnation

[Dima]

Hello letitia,

You could well use a matte medium as a fixative over pencil drawing.

Dick

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[LDianeJohnson]

Letitia,

Welcome to WC! The two suggestions above are both good. You also want to be careful not to bear down too hard with the pencil which leaves grooves in the gesso. You might also try using acrylic with smaller brushes and draw your image in paint.

As for varnishing to achive an "oil painting" look. Gloss may give the surface a "licked" appearance and be a bit too shiny. Try mixing 1:1, gloss and matte varnishes for a very nice satin glow...not matte, but not real glossy...just right. In addition, part of the look of oil is the thickness of the paint. Acrylic can paint out flatter than oil. You can mix some gel thickner to give your paintings that "oil" painted look. It's not the greatest, but works.

Diane

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2001 L. Diane Johnson Plein Air Workshops

[gill]

I usually sketch (when I do), with something like sienna really thinned down with water. It doesnt show through very bad.
gill

[Kevin M]

A small amount of impasto medium in water seals drawing lines for me and it usually dries flat which can easily be drawn over again.

[Letitia]

Thanks so much to all of you. I am going to try each technique with each new painting I start(wrote them all down)and see which one works best for me. Thes ideas are ones I never thought of. You guys are great!

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tish, Chelsea's mom and inspiration

[carly]

I do a lot of my sketching in watercolor pencils...when wet the drawing disappears into the painting. That's when I work in watercolor or acrylics.

When I work with oils, I sketch with pencil also...lightly...don't want little grooves. Then spray with a fixative like you use on drawings or pastels...this will set the pencil and the paint won't smear it.

carly

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"Everything is not art and Art is not everything, but it comes close."....carly