Tips For Artists, How To Prepare Your Own Panels For Painting

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Personally, I prefer painting on a hard surface so I am addressing how to prepare a panel for painting.

I will discuss hardboard, MDF, particle board, plywood and cardboard, and I am only discussing rigid panels right now, we can discuss canvas, papers etc some other time.

First I will discuss the materials, then their preparation:

For smaller work I prefer “Masonite” [ironically the Masonite company no longer makes “masonite” hardboard] which is a high density hardboard and is made by steam exploding wood into very fine fibers then re-compressing those fibers under very high pressure and heat so that the natural lignin re-bonds the fibers. the problem is that the lignin is acidic and is the material that causes cheap paper like newsprint to turn yellow overnight. There are many grades of these hardboard products, ignore the cheaper ones, currently the better grade in 3mm [1/8 inch] thickness, canvas back, is 11 dollars a 4 x 8 sheet at Home Depot. The 3mm is ok for smaller stuff, the 4 or 5 mm is better for medium sizes but as soon as you get over 16 x 20 this material starts getting pretty heavy.

The Apersan panels are “masonite’ type hardboard with frames made from birch plywood, these are very nice panels!

The ideal hardboard panel is pre-coated with Melamie on both sides and is used in the furniture industry, but it is hard to find.

MDF is medium density fiberboard and is widely available, cheap, and very flat, it is made also by steam exploding wood into fibers but the difference between MDF and masonite is that it is not compressed as much and plastic resins are added as a binder then it is put under heat and pressure. It is widely used in furniture and cabinets. It is not as strong as “masonite” so you are need a thicker panel to start with and thus the end result will be heavier, the other problems are low moisture resistance and the edges are easily damaged. Maya Lin uses MDF in her room sized contoured sculptures, it is actually a very attractive material in its self.

Particle Board, this is often confused with MDF, it is sawdust [not separated fibers] bonded with resins and is very easily damaged and has very little moisture resistance, plus it is heavy, but it is cheap. I see no reason to use this for permanent work and not many reasons to use it at all. It is used in the lowest grade of cabinets.

Cardboard, There are many grades of paperboard, for painting you should find an acid free board, forget anything like poster board which is re-cycled newspaper or other cheap board because it will become brittle very quickly. There used to be materials called Millboard and Upson Board, these were recycled newsprint bases with a top layer of a better grade of paper with a glue sizing. I doubt if these are still made but if they are I don’t recommend them. Corrugated cardboard is light but the flutes will telescope through as you paint unless you are attracted to it’s funky qualities, it is not a good painting support.

If you are using a cardboard, you must gesso both sides, otherwise it will warp badly. Painting on un-prepared board is certainly possible, but be aware that oil paints will degrade paper in a few years and make it brittle, also the paper will soak up the oil and make the paints dull. If you use acrylic paints you avoid the oil to paper degradation issues but be aware that the absorbancy of paper will sometimes dull acrylics. For studies I sometimes use Canvaset paper which is paper with a canvas texture and a glue or gelatin sizing. This is ok but the sizing is a bit to slick in my opinion. If your looking for a cheap support and no prep work then this is probably the cheapest option.

If you are going to properly prepare cardboard it is just as much work as better materials with little difference in the costs of the actual materials, so why bother?

Plywood: My preference second to “masonite” for small work and my first preference for larger work is plywood. Plywood is made of thin veneers of wood, coated with glue, laid perpendicular to each other and pressed together under very high heat and pressure. Various grades have differing levels of strength, stiffness, moisture resistance and warp resistance. I have painted on Luan, Birch and Fir and prefer Luan. For smaller panels 6mm [1/4″] is ok, for larger panels that need a structural frame, I use 3mm [1/8″]. You can make a high quality, light weight, stiff and flat panel in quite large sizes with a bit of work. Top grade fir plywood is very expensive now days, the ordinary stuff would not make a good support since it easily warps, has voids, the texture will telescope when primed, etc etc.

For smaller work, up to 12 x 16 inches or so, that is going to get a decorative frame, you can use 6mm [1/4″] luan without a structural frame, over that size you are going to need a structural frame so you may as well use the thinner and lighter 3mm.

Luan plywood varies widely in quality, I find that the luan panels carried by big box lumber retailers, like Home Depot, are lower quality than what the independents carry. Look around for a wood panel dealer that sells to cabinet makers, they will have better quality materials for about the same or lower price. I recently bought some top quality 3mm luan panels for $8.40 a 4 x 8 sheet.

For making frames for larger panels, I use poplar or top quality pine. Again finding a independent wood dealer that has better quality materials will pay off here. Poplar is available in the big box stores like Home Depot, it is clear and straight and just a bit more than their terrible “select” grade [which 30 years ago would of been used for furring strips]. Which ever wood you use hand select each piece for straightness.

Rip the lumber into 3/4 x 3/4 or 1 inch wide strips, do your best to cut out defects.

To frame a panel, start with a smooth flat table top. Lay your cut to size luan face down [best way to cut luan is with a utility knife and a new blade] Then use wood glue and clamps to glue a perimeter frame onto the edge of the luan. I do two sides at a time, using a 36 x 80 inch flush door as a table top, the luan and frame gets clamped to the door so to keep it flat, once the glue sets up, rotate the panel and do the other two sides. Once all 4 sides are set up you can add bracing across the panel. The larger the panel the more bracing needed. I use smaller strips to save weight, 1/2 x 3/4 or so work, these get glued to be back of the panel between the frames. [photos to follow].

I had a panel that I unwisely used lower grade pine to frame and it warped badly. To salvage it, I glued a second 3mm sheet of luan on the back side creating a hollow core panel, just like a hollow core door. BTW, hollow core doors make a good painting support, but are relatively heavy.

Let the glue set up over night with the panel laying down flat. Then sand any rough edges and you are ready for the next steps.

Panel Priming: Priming has to do several things, it has to isolate acids that may exist in the support materials, protect against moisture, stabilize the support, and to provide a receptive painting surface.

When preparing “masonite, plywood, mdf, or cardboard, I find that a sealer coat of shellac is ideal, Shellac does not raise the grain or cause warping and it does not react with gessos. Shellac is available in paint stores as clear [traditionally called white], orange [clear amber] and as a white pigmented primer or BIN. [Note that BIN sells primers with similar labels, make sure you get “shellac based”]. I use white pigmented BIN, some painters like painting directly on clear shellac on luan.

For unsupported panels, first sand the panel using an electric vibrating sander and 80 to 100 grit sandpaper. You want to “break the glaze”. Then coat both sides and all edges of the panel with shellac. A disposable brush works or a small roller is even better. A single thin even coat is all that is needed. Let dry. Coating only one side may cause the panel to warp, if not right away then later at the worst possible time.

After the shellac is dry, go back with your vibrating sander and give it a good sanding, knocking down raised grain, splinters, rough edges, etc. 100 grit open coat sand paper is perfect for this. If you don’t already have a sander I can recommend the 1/4 sheet sanders, I have had a Porter Cable for 8 or 10 years and I use it constantly.

After sanding, you are ready to apply the gesso. I use acrylic gesso, others prefer oil ground, or other traditional grounds. Discussion of grounds is involved and will be the subject of another artical.

You can brush or roll the gesso on. I use 1 inch diameter foam rollers which leave a nice even light texture. Between uses I don’t wash them but keep them in a zip lock bag. I now just scoop gesso with a spoon from the gallon pail onto the horizontal panel or canvas then roll or brush it out. Doing this eliminates the waste you have with a roller pan and saves some clean up.

The first coat should be thinned out so to flow into any textures. Following coats can be to your taste. Different brands vary widely in handling characteristics. I find that the more expensive brands thinned down work better than the cheaper brands which start out thinner. At least 2 coats are needed, I put on 3 or 4 until the coverage is uniform. If you prefer a non-white ground, you can add some acrylic color to the gesso. I paint in oil and prefer to apply a thin oil color wash over the acrylic gesso when I start painting. I think the oil is more receptive to the subsequent layers of oil paint.

After the gesso is bone dry, sand it again. You should experiment here. It is possible to get too smooth and slick of a surface that will give your paint a smeary effect, too rough of a surface can interfer with details, for instance, but this is a matter of your taste and intent. I find that the foam rollers leave a nice pebbly surface that is just right after a quick sanding with 120 grit.

I highly recommend that every artist own a copy of Ralph Mayer’s “The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques”. First written in 1940 and revised many times since, it has a breath and depth not matched by any other reference. Every artist should read it cover to cover, not only to learn about their own media but to understand what artists working in other media do, also what is possible and what may be detrimental to your intent. It also helps you to understand how and why historic works were done they way they were. THis book should be part of any artists education in my opinion. I often see these in used book shops and garage sales [sometimes unread] and I always grab them and pass them on to worthy recipents.

Ancient Martial Arts in Modern Day Society

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White Tiger Kung Fu, also named Bak Fu Pai, is a Southern Shaolin variety of Kung Fu first manifested in 1644. Although this self defense sort is very ancient, it is still intact to this day with the customs and techniques prospering here in 2011, while still blossoming and exploding with life (for the general self defense class they were playing rock music on the boombox, which is in all likelihood a new transformation since 1644.) Somehow it works, and its just subtle and not at all nettlesome. My concentration was unquestionably on the teacher, not the audio, but it lends a fun spirit to the lessons and it’s just enjoyable to do things to music sometimes.

Despite the fact that this shaolin style dates back officially to 1644 and the 1st in the Doo Wai lineage, you must also consider that in 1644 some of these disciplines were already 1000’s of years old. Many of the sparring and sanative techniques that were incorporated in 1644 were probably created far earlier in Chinese boxing and healing arts. I think its hard to say how old many of the methods may be, or how old many of the herbal concentrates are as well.

When people think of Kung Fu, they are generally thinking of Northern Shaolin style, with its long flowing graceful kicks, but Southern Shaolin Kung Fu looks more like boxing or Karate and isn’t at all like what you see in the tv shows typically. White Tiger style is a no nonsense kung fu developed in the Southern Shaolin tradition.

The land being hard In the colder northern regions of China, it provided a more stable footing when kicking and stepping, therefor, northern Shaolin styles developed more kicking, acrobatic strategies, while in the warmer southern climate of China, the dirt was not as hard which made kicking and stepping more arduous. As a result, the Southern shaolin style is more focused on higher stances with hand methods. More like boxing or Karate than what most people think of as “kung fu”.

Of course, the subject being Shaolin Kung Fu, its not so simple to depict in short little pieces on the web, its a real world training to experience for yourself first hand. I always find language hopelessly limited to accurately portray things with such importance as Shaolin Kung FuShaolin Kung Fu .

I don’t think its really meant to be thoroughly described in an article on the web. Its an ancient partly oral tradition, partly an active fitness regimen that includes interesting ancient Chinese herbs. You must train on your own as well, to master anything in life, it takes dedication and it takes time. In this case, reading or writing short articles on the topic is never going to even begin to thoroughly describe a venture into the depths of Shaolin Kung Fu the way real first hand experience can.

The traditional stories, the ancient wisdom, the accumulation of discoveries from thousands of years really is a very amazing and storied history, but the active fitness lifestyle that comes with Kung Fu training is a huge extra reward. Many people don’t have time for fitness , but for those who do, martial arts training can be a very rewarding journey with many reinforcements besides just physical conditioning.

Nutritious Ingredients That Are Good During Martial Arts Training

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For the best performance, an engine needs a fuel tuned to its specific needs. The same is true for the human body, and there are many foods that are great for martial arts training. Strength, dexterity, and mental acumen can all be sharpened with the right balance of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, giving a martial artist a boost in performance.

Bananas: They come in their own wrapper, and if that wasn’t benefit enough, bananas provide the body with potassium, a nutrient that a martial artist loses quickly when sweating through a rigorous workout routine. Electrolytes help maintain muscles and nerves when they’re put under stress, and potassium is a key electrolyte. The carbohydrate sugar in bananas can be digested easily, for a quick energy boost.

Water: Everyone knows by now that water lost through sweat needs to be replenished, but a properly hydrated body is essential before the martial arts workout even begins. Water carries nutrients, is the body’s cooling system and keep muscles functioning at their optimal performance levels. When fully hydrated, the muscles can stretch further, and the chance of cramping is heavily reduced. The benefits of hydration to a martial artist can not be overlooked.

Oatmeal: This breakfast staple has shown potential to reduce cholesterol, but what makes it great for a martial artist is its ability to fuel a workout. Oatmeal is low on the glycemic index, which means it can provide constant energy over a long period of time by breaking down slowly and letting your body release insulin in smaller doses. Avoid adding extras like sugar or syrup, which can cause insulin to spike, leaving you drained of energy early in your training.

Avocados: The body requires fats to work as efficiently as possible. The best way to deliver those fats is in a healthy nutrient dense form like avocados. Avocados are the number one fruit when it comes to healthy fat packed with calories for muscle growth and brain function.

Spinach: Iron is an essential mineral, facilitating the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. Iron deficiency is quite common, and when the body is low on iron, oxygen consumption slows down. It’s important to stay oxygenated while training in martial arts, and spinach can provide your body with massive amounts of iron, ensuring that you’ll never be deficient.

Sardines: This tiny little fish is one of the few foods on earth to supply the body with Co-enzyme Q10, a nutrient and anti-oxidant that increases the body’s energy supply. On top of that, sardines are a healthy source of omega-3, one of the healthiest essential oils. Sardines also have large supplies of potassium and iron, vitamins and minerals that are required for a healthy functioning martial artist.

There are many foods that are great for martial arts training. Whether you’re looking to build muscles or develop the mind, choosing the right diet is important. A martial artist requires the best nutrients at all times in order to perform at peak capacity. Finding time to incorporate these foods into your diet will pay off and provide you with an added boost of energy and performance.

Arts And Crafts- Making A Career In Creative Arts And Commercial Arts

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Creative and Commercial Arts are an upcoming and much in demand field today. Those with creative aptitude and good art skills have no lack of job opportunities with a rise in the media, advertising and publishing sectors. To hone the inherent skills, one can avail the formal training which is available for fine arts at the certificate, diploma and degree level at a number of institutions. The course duration could vary from 1-5 years. Those who want to make a career out of it can pursue courses at institutes across India and abroad. To become a successful commercial artist, one must have a creative bent of mind and an eye for detail. Apart from this, for more details visit to www.insomnia-battle.com one needs perseverance and an indomitable will power to pursue this field of fine arts as a profession.

Commercial fine arts could refer to painting, sculpting, applied art, graphic interior design, ceramic design, mural design, metal craft, pottery design and painting. It is important to get training as a course helps one nurture and align the creative energy and gives the technical edge and finesse required to survive in an industry where competition is ever increasing. There is training available at both degree and diploma level. For doing a Bachelors Degree course in Fine Arts (BFA), one must have successfully cleared the Higher Secondary Examinations or 10+ 2. Subsequently, more details visit to www.101-save-money.com for acquiring a Post Graduation Degree in Commercial Fine Arts; one must be a graduate in Fine Arts.

There are many premier institutes in India where Commercial Fine Arts is taught as a subject of study. These include Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art (Mumbai), Faculty of Fine Arts (Baroda), Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan, Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi) and College of Art (New Delhi).

Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art is based in Mumbai. It is a state government college that has four departments which offer training for various types of Degree and Diploma courses. The Department Of Painting offers BFA (Painting) 4 years, Post Degree MFA(Painting ) 2 years, MFA (Painting) (by papers) in Portraiture, MFA (Painting) in Graphic Art, MFA (Painting) in Creative Painting. The Department Of Sculpture And Modelling offers BFA (Sculpture) 4 years and Diploma Sculpture and Modelling 4 years. The Department Of Arts And Crafts offers BFA (Craft- Metal Work) 4 years, BFA (Craft – Textile Design) 4 years, BFA (Craft- Interior Decoration) 4 years and BFA (Craft – Ceramics) 4 years. The Department Of Art offers Teacher Training Art Teacher’s Diploma ( A.T.D.) 2 years, Diploma in Art Education (Dip. A. ED.) 1 year and Art Master Certificate Course (part-time) 1 year.

Symbiosis Institute of Design based in Pune offers the following degree programs: Bachelor of Design (B. Des) in Communication Design, Bachelor of Design (B. Des ) in Product Design, Bachelor of Design (B. Des) in Fashion Communication and Bachelor of Design (B. Des) in Fashion Design. The institute tries to offer an optimum mix of traditional skills, new media skills and soft skills.

Other than these, Jamia Milia Islamia, Loyola College, Amity University, University of Calcutta, Rabindra Bharati University, International Institute of Fine Arts, Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Aligrah Muslim University, University of Jammu, Animation and Fine Arts Academy, Anna University and the University of Delhi offer courses on fine arts.

Those who have acquired a degree or diploma in fine arts, commercial arts or creative arts can work as freelancers. This allows for variety and free hand in their projects. There is demand for specialists in drawing in the publishing industry and newspaper houses as illustrators, cartoonists, and designers. Those who are good at applied art have unlimited opportunities in advertising agencies as graphic artists, designers, visualisers, and creative directors. Trained artists have a wide arena of options in front of them, ranging from working in art studios, advertising companies, fashion houses etc. Other related careers are teaching, direction, photography, television, clothing and fashion, as art directors for magazines, on-line services, software companies, manufacturers, promotion and product design.

In the television and media field, one could design the non verbal presentations for television programmes involving trade figure analysis, election results, etc. A commercial artist can also design stamps and letter heads for government organizations. Software firms in India require experts in commercial fine arts as Graphic Equalisers.

Apart from working in India, one can also explore career options abroad. One can organize exhibitions and auction his creations abroad. Then, there is an option to conduct various workshops on fine arts and its related fields. Other related option is to be art critic and write reviews for various art magazines which are quite popular abroad. Thus, there is no dearth of job options for skilled and trained artists in creative arts, fine arts and commercial arts. After a course from a good institute, one can land a job with either a good company or work on his/her own and earn name, fame and wealth. This field can give one high visibility and recognition with one good piece of art.

Buffets, Infusions Restaurant And The Okanagan College Culinary Arts Buffet, A Gourmet Dining Experience

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In eighteenth century France the modern day buffet was developed which soon spread across Europe. Serving a meal to oneself has a long and interesting history, and eventually this style of eating was converted to modern day buffets.

The second half of the nineteenth century, especially in the English speaking world, buffets became extremely popular for meals. Buffets are very popular with people today, because, it offers plenty of food variety at a reasonable price. People can create their own dishes with more meat, less vegetables and fewer side dishes, plus creating salads with appealing ingredients that they enjoy. Buffets offer people the opportunity to try new types of food that they would not order off a menu in a restaurant.
Infusions Restaurant at the Okanagan College hosts many buffets every year, and the last “buffet” was held a week after their Okanagan Wine Festival Gourmet Dinner which attracted a sellout crowd of over 80 dining guests. Guests were treated to a “Five Course” gourmet dinner with special Okanagan Valley wines to accompany each course.

The Okanagan College Culinary Arts Buffet will be prepared with the special talents of the new, up and coming future chefs of your favorite restaurants, cruise ships, hotels, ski and golf resorts, all directed and instructed by World Class Chefs. The buffet will include fresh meats, poultry, seafood of all types, and of course Okanagan Valley fresh vegetables and fruits.

Infusions Restaurant and the Okanagan College Culinary Arts Bakery will have a spectacular dessert buffet for this special night with freshly made gourmet desserts, and with a delicious assortment of as many freshly made Pastries, Tortes, Cakes and Chocolate Confections as a person could possibly eat after the meal.

The Culinary Arts buffet will offer a HUGH selection of seafood and seafood platters, from Sushi Rolls, Dim Sum, Salmon, Halibut to Shark and Lobster. Dishes containing Gratin of Potatoes & Yams, many types of Pasta with Grilled and Glazed Vegetables, and of course the Roast Beef and Beef Tenderloin, and ALL for $15.95!

For people in Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley who want a “Spectacular Feast”, this buffet will take place on December 12, 2008 at Okanagan College’s Infusions Restaurant. Infusions Restaurant at the Okanagan College and the Okanagan College Culinary Arts program hosts many private gourmet dinners, private functions and private buffets every year for people, companies and organizations in all parts of the Okanagan Valley and beyond.

Join them on Friday at Okanagan College’s Infusions Restaurant for their Spectacular Friday Night Seafood & Prime Rib Buffet! The Chefs and Culinary Arts Student chefs will create special tantalizing items for this special December Buffet Extravaganza! Come in on Friday, December 12, 2008 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm and enjoy a fine gourmet meal of your choice. Infusions Restaurant is located at 1000 KLO Road, in Kelowna. Fine Dining At Kelowna’s Best Kept Secret!

A very reasonable price for this gourmet buffet at $15.95. Call for reservations at Infusions Restaurant: 250-762-5445 ext. 4426.