There are several areas on my painting that appear matte and uneven compared to the rest of the composition. I am not quite done painting so am unsure how to proceed…
Some pigments are worse than others for causing “sinking in” after they dry. Burnt umber is the worst in that regard. Another cause is paints thinned with solvent. Avoid these causes, and you’ll probably have less trouble of this kind. As for the present picture, to restore the wet appearance of the dried paint before you continue painting, I suggest you scrub a small amount of linseed or walnut oil over the area to be painted into, and then blot the excess off by holding a paper towel over the oiled area with one hand, and rubbing your other hand over the towel to help it absorb oil. What remains on the surface will be enough to accomplish the intended purpose without causing any problems. Paint into this immediately with new wet paint. Do not oil out over the entire picture, but only over the area to be reworked immediately, and perhaps slightly beyond. After the painting is finished, wait at least 6 months before varnishing.
I see I forgot to identify myself in the above comment. Elliott, Virgil
Very good question….if you visit our Resources section you can find more information about this under our “Varnishes” document.
Often this means that the paint is slightly underbound.
In addition to Kristen’s advice to look at the information in the resources section, you might want to also take a look at the following article, which discusses some of the causes of sinking in and best practices once it occurs: http://www.justpaint.org/oiling-out-of-dead-colors-in-oil-paintings/ While this article appears in a technical newsletter published by Golden Artist Colors, the testing and overview of the issues should be applicable to all brands of oil paints.
Yes the article that Sarah Sands cited is a great resource….it is also listed in our Reference section at the end of the “Varnishes” document….hope that helps!
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