Translucent Layering

Translucent layering is my favorite technique to create depth, add harmony & change the mood of my paintings. In the following blog post, I describe 2 types of translucent layering techniques & how to apply them.

What is translucent layering?

Translucent layers are semi-transparent paint layers that allow some of the color underneath to show through. 2 types of translucent layering techniques are glazes & washes. Glazes are made using a medium & washes are made using water. ​

Depth
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Glazes & Washes add depth to your painting by creating layers that look like they are closer/farther away from you. They also make subtle changes to the colors underneath.
 
Harmony

​Does your painting ever get to the point where different areas of your painting don't seem to be "talking to one another" and look seemingly disconnected? My favorite way to brings things together,  and create a feeling of harmony is to add a glaze or wash to it. 
 
Mood

The quickest way to change the mood of your painting is to play around with the temperature. Colors are said to be “cool” when they range from blue to green. Alternatively, colors are said to be “warm” when they range from red to yellow. My personal favorite is Payne’s Grey when I want to add a cool layer, and Parchment (a combination of Yellow Ochre, Titanium White & Payne’s Grey) when I want to add a warm layer. ​

Glaze

translucent 
involves the use of a medium
permanent
​mediums come in different sheens (matte, satin, gloss)

How to Make a Glaze

Acrylic Paint + Gel Medium = Glaze
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1. Choose a color
2. Squeeze a small amount of color on the bottom right hand corner of the canvas
3. Add the same amount of medium to the canvas
4. Mix paint & medium together
5. Roll on
6. Allow to dry

Wash

translucent
involves the use of water
not permanent
makes the painting look matte & dull when dry

How To Make a Wash

Acrylic Paint + Water = Wash

1. Choose a color
2. Squeeze a small amount of color on the bottom right hand corner of the canvas
3.  on (Do not allow to dry)
4. Spray entire surface area with water
5. Allow to dry (or proceed to Step 6)
6. Use paper towel to lift sections of your wash to reveal previous paint layers underneath

Translucent Layering Tips

1. Once the glaze dries, it becomes a permanent part of your painting. Alternatively, washes (even after they’ve dried) can be manipulated and removed with the addition of more water. Personally, I prefer washes over glazes because they they give me the freedom to manipulate them. Basically, I can decided to put a wash on my painting, allow it to dry, change my mind about it, spray the whole things with water again and rub it right off. Please be aware that this can be tricky because you might end up lifting more layers than the just the ones you want.

2. The fact that washes dry to a dull, matte finish do not bother me because once I varnish my painting, all of the colors will “pop” and become bright again. For more information on acrylic varnishing stay tuned for my upcoming blog post: How to Varnish Like a Pro.

3. My process for applying glazes & washes involves "sandwiching" cool & warm layers in between one another. Typically, my paintings today include several layers of glazes & washes. I've counted up to 16 layers in some of my paintings.

4. Keep in mind that you may chose to glaze/wash parts of your canvas instead of the entire thing. 

5. There are special “Glazing” mediums on the market. These products can be used in the same way I described using a gel medium.

6. The difference between a gel and a glazing medium is viscosity: Glazing mediums are more fluid than a gel. Because I like to limit the products in my studio to only a precious few, I use gel or varnish as a glazing medium.
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7. Glazes can be matte, satin or gloss depending on the gel medium sheen you chose.
8. My personal favorites are Regular Gloss Gel by Golden & Gloss Gel by Liquitex

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