Art can be taught through a step by step technical process. However, the demonstration below is not a detailed tutorial on drawing the hands per se. It is a guide on how you might approach any subject. A window into my thought process while I draw.

Come join me, and good luck!

A Drawing Demonstration with Hands

Reference Image – Free download

————— Affiliate Links to Supplies I Used in the Demo

1) Faber Castel – 120 Color Pencil Set – https://amzn.to/35brD1V
2) Factis Retractile Eraser – https://amzn.to/3lg5llo
3) Kneaded Eraser – https://amzn.to/3eDqG5u
4) Fabriano Artistico 300 lb. Hot Press – https://amzn.to/2U4pAXc

5 Reasons why it’s important to learn how to draw glass.

There were a few drawing exercises I would assign during every basic drawing class, and one of those subjects was glass under a one-directional light source. By practicing drawing glass lit this way, you learn so many things! Here are a few:

1. You will learn how to integrate foreground, middle ground and background relationships. (Especially a clear glass!)
2. Experience transitions and blending techniques that give the illusion of volume and light.
3. It’s important to fool your mind, and see masses and shapes. The glass is not a glass, but broken shapes of light and dark.
4. Do you know how important, broken edges are? These are important when drawing glass. You are drawing something solid without line.
5. There is a strikingly similar process to drawing, no matter the subject. Everything you gain by drawing glass will easily transfer to other subjects such. Even the figure and landscape.

The mediums I used in the video demonstration are:

• Faber-Castel FC129997 Pitt Compressed Charcoal Sticks (3 Pack)
• Strathmore (400-108) 400 Series Drawing, Smooth Surface, 18 by 24″, 24 Sheets
• Conté à Paris B 2 Count Sketching Crayons, White
• GENERAL PENCIL CO. GPBM2-BP Factis Pen Style Eraser Carded (3-Pack)
• Faber-Castell Erasers – Drawing Art kneaded Erasers, Large size Grey – 4 Pack

You will see that I always begin with an underpainting before I work in color. I also paint the whole surface of the painting at once. I don’t really see the point of working in a detailed manner at the onset.

Though I paint from a photos, I’m not copying. What I mean is that the color and value choices I make are based on experimentation, play, intuition and experience. If I am just copying the photo there is no creativity, it’s only technique.  The painting in this video is titled – Open Wide I hope you enjoy it.

– Scott

above are examples of vastly different under-paintings.

“There is more than one way to paint a painting.”

I find myself saying this to my students at Georgetown University every semester. The approach, technique and style you deploy in your painting really depends on what you are trying to say. Not every artist needs to begin their work in the same fashion.

For example, could a painting by Vermeer be painted in the same way Lucian Freud painted? It may sound overly simplistic, and perhaps it is. But I hope it makes sense when I say that I don’t always paint in the way you will see in the video below. Sometimes I start with a monochromatic underpainting, and sometimes I begin with no underpainting. I start my work with the final image in mind and change the way I begin based on the desired results.  

For my current body of work I like start with a thin colored layer for my underpainting. I used Liquin Fine detail to thin out the under-painted layer and it dries quickly. In the video below you will see me paint over this thin layer after it has dried (a week). I then proceed to use only oil paint for the rest of the painting. No medium for the rest!

Enjoy! 

Scott Hutchison

After All Your Hard Work, Now You’re Ready

You have worked days and possibly months on a painting, and the thought of varnishing your painting may be a scary proposition if you have never done it before. What if I destroy my piece in the process? It’s a valid concern, but there are countless resources that can help you through because wiping a wet and permanent to semi-permanent material over the top of your work can be concerning. However, with a little care and planning you can do it! The video below shows you how to varnish an Oil Painting

Three Reasons To Varnish an Oil painting

1. Deepens the darks and brings out the colors. If you use a gloss varnish, your painting will look as it did when the paint was still wet.
2. Acts as a nonporous barrier between the paint surface and indoor/outdoor pollutants. It also allows the painting to be easily cleaned if needed.
3. Evens out the way light reflects off the paint film. Have you noticed that some areas of a painting will dry flat and other areas are shiny? This is due to the oil to pigment ratio and the medium(s) you use. Varnish can even out this appearance, wether you choose a satin, gloss or matte varnish.

Do You have to Varnish a Painting?

It’s not absolutely necessary that you varnish an oil painting. It’s a personal choice, and each artist must weight the pros and cons. Personally, I have chosen to varnish some paintings and left others unvarnished. Why? For me, it’s mainly an aesthetic choice, and I feel that some of my work may change in appearance if varnished.

Which is the Best Varnish?

Different brands and varnishes have differing qualities. What varnish you use also depends on what you are looking for. Therefore, the term “best” is a relative term. However, I have a lot of experience using Gamvar and would recommend trying it. especially if you have never varnished before because it’s less toxic and can be easily removed if you make a mistake. You can easily find it on amazon.

Below is a running list of varnishes, and their characteristics. More to come as I update this post. Feel free to add your thoughts, or experiences with varnishing in the comments below! (6/5/2020)

Dammar Varnish: A traditional varnish that dries quickly to a high gloss. It is a resin obtained from the tree family Dipterocarpaceae in India and East Asia. Ventilation required – fumes are toxic, tends to darken with age. Check the price on Amazon.

Re-touching Varnish: A temporary varnish, often used during the painting process to unify the look of the paint surface and to help in matching dry colors to the new wet layer. Retouch varnish can be painted over and then reapplied many times. Ventilation required – fumes are toxic.

Gamvar: Made of oderless mineral spirits and hydrocarbon resin. Developed in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art, Gamvar can be easily and safely removed with Gamsol. Virtually no smell. check the price on Amazon ( update: Some artists having issues with Gamvar? )

Conservar Finishing Varnish: A colorless, reversible varnish made from hydrogenated hydrocarbon (Regalrez 1094) resin dissolved in pure, low-aromatic solvent and UV stabilizer. Ventilation required – fumes are toxic.

Synvar – An water-clear, acrylic resin picture varnish for oil and acrylic paintings dries to a gloss finish in less than 30 minutes. Excellent durability and good adhesion. Will not darken with age. Ventilation required – fumes are toxic.

Drying Time

Varnish dries faster than oil paint. For example, the Gamblin line of varnishes I recommend called Gamvar dries between 18-24 hours, and has little to no smell. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, I suggest waiting 6 – 12 months for your painting to throughly dry before varnishing. This recommendation comes from the Artist’s Handbook by Ralph Mayer. (I highly recommend this book. It’s a great resource if you want a quick reference book in your studio on the almost endless list of artist’s materials, and their archival properties

If your painting is not thoroughly dry, you run the risk of cracking while the paint and varnish film dry at different speeds. Besides cracking, a benefit to waiting for you painting to dry fully, is that if you make a mistake, Gamvar can be easily removed with Gamsol, a completely oder-less mineral spirit. (Gamvar varnish can also be removed after the varnish has been dried for years.) Varnishing an oil painting does not need to be a scary proposition, but at least you know you can take it off. Good luck, and if you have any questions or additional comments leave them below!

7 Quick Basic Tips.

Items used in the video are:

• Brush: Liquitex Freestyle 4 inch Varnish and Mural Brush
• Varnish: Gamvar Gloss Varnish