Why does every glaze just turn to mud today?
I am trying to do a simple glaze over a dried underpainting, a bit of a warm umber glaze to unify the shadows, and it is just…mud. It’s not thinning properly, it’s grabbing the surface in streaks, and it looks like I’ve smeared dirt on the canvas. I’ve tried thinning it with a bit more solvent, a bit more oil, but nothing makes it behave. This is the same medium I always use. Sometimes I think the paint itself has a will of its own, and today it’s decided to spite me.
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Oh, honey, I know that feeling. Sometimes the paint just gets stubborn, doesn't it? Mm-mm. I'm more of a fabric woman myself, but I've heard artists talk about the paint's 'mood.' Have you tried letting the underpainting cure just a touch longer? Or maybe a different medium, just for this one session, to see if it breaks the spell? The Lord knows we've all had those days where it feels like the materials are fighting us. Keep at it, child, you'll break through.
It's not the mood of the paint, c'est la vie. It's the surface. The underpainting was definitely dry. I think maybe I overworked the scumbling on the underpainting, made it too toothy. The glaze just can't find purchase. A bit more solvent did eventually make it thin enough, but then it pooled in the low spots. A mess. Next time, I will sand it lightly before glazing. Merci for the thought, though.