Fat over Lean or from Lean to Fat

This week I redid the background to show a gradient from dark to light by one value (it doesn't show in the photo below though). Fernando used the painting for a school demo on the "second painting" process and begin working on a small area: the lower lid of the left eye.

Some important principles:

• We've been working from lean to fat. Lean at one extreme is pigment thinned with a solvent like mineral spirits. Fat at the other extreme is pure oil, no pigment. In the middle is the "meat of the sandwich" -- the pure pigment of first painting.
• We want "fat over lean" so that a foundation exists before applying the oil. Thin pigment painting over oil will crack and oil takes so long to dry.
• In second painting, you begin "thin" and work towards "fat". Thin means 1 part linseed oil, 2 parts mineral spirits. Then when you do another layer, you reduce the reduce the mineral spirits (equal parts)... And finally you mix 2 parts oil, 1 part spirits.
• The Stand oil (thicker than linseed) can be used for the shadows. It dries quicker.

The technique:

• Mix the medium in a cap (e.g., 6 drops to 12 drops)
• Put some on the pallete and tint it the value of the lightest value in the area selected for second painting.
• Apply it as a glaze over the area.
• The "second paint" the area with pure pigment, blending as necessary.
• Let it dry before going back.

Below: Juliano as completed first painting, ready for second painting.