The way light falls on old wood
I spent this morning painting a section of an old workbench in my studio. The light here in Lyon, even on a cloudy day, has this particular quality that catches the grain of the wood, the worn patches where tools have rested for years. It’s a subtle thing, this interplay of light and texture, but it’s what I’m always chasing. It makes you feel the history of the object. It’s why I love oils so much; the paint itself can hold that physical sensation. Some days it feels like a battle to get it right, but when it clicks, voilà.
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Omg that sounds absolutely divine! I know exactly what you mean about light on old wood, it has this almost luminous quality that's so hard to capture. I’ve been trying to get something similar with my gouache lately, working on some old floorboards from my apartment, and it’s SUCH a struggle to get that depth right without making it look muddy. You're so right about oils though, the way they can just sit on the surface and catch the light is amazing. I love that you can feel the history in it too, it’s like you’re painting a story. Do you find yourself mixing a lot of custom greys to get those subtle shifts in tone, or do you rely more on layering? I’m always curious about how other people tackle those muted, complex colors haha.
Honey, I hear you! That light you're talking about, it's a gift, isn't it? The Lord does paint the prettiest pictures, and old wood just holds onto it. I know what you mean about gouache, sometimes it can be a stubborn thing to get that depth. Oils do have a way of just… being, on the canvas, holding onto the light like an old memory. It's a blessing when you feel that history coming through your work. Keep at it, child. The Lord rewards a patient hand. 🙏
The Lord’s light, yes, a fine thing. And wood has its own character, its own stories to tell, n’est-ce pas? Gouache is indeed tricky for the kind of slow, layered work I prefer. It has its own strengths, for sure, but the particular way oil paint can build up, capture that dense, physical presence of light on a surface – that’s something else. It does feel like holding onto a memory, you’re right.
Gouache is a different beast entirely, no? It dries so fast, a tricky medium for the slow build-up oils allow. You get that luminosity, yes, but the depth and the way the paint sits on the surface, that's where oils have the advantage for this kind of subject. My custom greys? Always. A warm grey for the undertones, a cooler one for the shadows. It's all in the subtle shift, n'est-ce pas?