Painting on Dibond or board

GTO

Question for those painting g on Dibond or board....
Do you leave any surface texture or paint marks when you paint on Dibond?  

How thin do you thin down your paint?
when I paint in Dibond I notice some paint texture when I paint.  I thin the paint down such that I leave very little brush mark but even then because one stroke of paint may lay on top another there is a slightly uneven surface.  

I’d be interested in any comments on this.

GTO

@Richard_P @PaulB ?

Richard_P

Yes if you paint on smooth Dibond you can see the brush strokes much more. I nearly always use a toothy gesso to stop the paint sliding around and that helps stop the paint texture from being so obvious.

If you are painting on a very smooth surface then I think you'd have to use a very fluid medium or liberal use of a soft brush to beat the texture flat.

dencal

GTO

No problems to report. Using ketchup consistency Geneva + odd pigment here and there on smooth ACM. Over acrylic under painting. Any layering is buried by the varnish.

Denis

GTO

Thanks @dencal and @Richard_P
I’ve noticed how getting the correct amount of paint/oil combination affects this on a panel and the marks can be minimized up to a certain point beyond which you can’t get enough paint cover.  

PaulB

I use one coat of rublev lead ground primer applied with a brush, and this leaves a minimal texture that I like. Most of my paintings are one very thin layer of paint, no medium. I use a combination of Geneva and other paints.

Some paintings come out really smooth, some have a lot of brushmarks. I haven't completely figured that out.

GTO

 @PaulB thanks for commenting.  I’ve grown to like the Dibond panel, but see that surface finish and paint leveling is something to figure out.   

I do have a question for you.  Do you ever oil out your sunken areas before you put you final varnish down?  I am told that will creat a more even gloss finish.  If you do oil out, how long do you wait before applying the varnish?  I always use a gloss varnish and I’ve noticed sometimes the sunken areas don’t turn out the same gloss as other areas especially with regard to the earth colors.

PaulB

GTO said:

I do have a question for you.  Do you ever oil out your sunken areas before you put you final varnish down?  I am told that will create a more even gloss finish.  If you do oil out, how long do you wait before applying the varnish?  I always use a gloss varnish and I’ve noticed sometimes the sunken areas don’t turn out the same gloss as other areas especially with regard to the earth colors.

I oil out for the purpose of painting onto a dry paint surface, solely to get the colors back, and only in the small patch that I want to see. Never the whole thing.

If I'm varnishing using Gamvar, it helps to oil out sunken areas first, just like you said. Gamvar is my preferred varnish, because it comes off so easily, and doesn't yellow. It's also goes on in such a thin layer, it feels like a molecule thick, and yes, it doesn't solve sunken paint. Also there's no such thing as a second coat of Gamvar, the second attempt mobilizes and lifts the first layer, so it ends up being gummy. I've done that.

When oiling out, the idea is to put the bare minimum on, and scrub off all that you can also. Then leave it a couple of weeks. It's a thin layer, after all. By putting on so little, it's repeatable without creating a sticky never-drying situation. I've done that.

If you use Damarr, then oiling out isn't necessary, because it's like pouring honey over the painting, it's yellow and thick, and solves all the sunken paint problems.

A better solution, in my opinion, is to use Gamvar and stop using burnt umber. It's a terrible pigment in that it often creates these sunken areas. Try Asphaltum, it simply doesn't sink in. It's not the same color as burnt umber, but it is if you add a little yellow.
 
I just attended a realism exhibition today (masks, temperature taken, distancing, and only 5 people in the gallery at once). Walking around I noticed some many paintings with sunken areas, chalkiness, too much varnish and a lot of unvarnished works. Strange.

GTO

@PaulB thanks for all the info.  That will help me from making the same mistakes.  

What realism exhibit were you able to attend.?
Getting out to one safely is a real treat.

GTO

@PaulB whose brand of asphaltum do you use?  

kaustavM

I can talk about my experience with boards (not used Dibond). I thought smooth surface would be preferable. Then i had a lot of scratchy marks on them due to bristle brush. Then made the boards a little rougher or canvas texture...I disliked them even more! Small painting should not have too much texture...it hampers visibility.
i started using soft brushes on even surface and that did the trick. But still nothing beats painting on canvas.

tassieguy

I know aluminium is in fashion now but I agree with you, @KaustavM. Canvas has such a wonderful texture and toothiness which makes it ideal for those of us who like to use stiff  bristle brushes and thick paint to achieve the sort of texture that leaves viewers in no doubt that they are looking at a painting and not a photograph or a copy thereof. 

PaulB

GTO said:

@PaulB thanks for all the info.  That will help me from making the same mistakes.  

What realism exhibit were you able to attend.?
Getting out to one safely is a real treat.

Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition of Traditional Realism

https://www.workshop13.org/artworks-gallery/northeast-fine-arts-exhibition-2020-2

GTO said:

@PaulB whose brand of asphaltum do you use?  

Gamblin.

Richard_P

PaulB said:

GTO said:

@PaulB whose brand of asphaltum do you use?  

Gamblin.

Good!! I thought you meant 'real' asphaltum which is fugitive.

Gamblin's is a mix:

Pigment: Transparent Mars Red, Bone Black (PR 101, PBk 9)