Post #415751 by THOR's on Mon, Oct 27, 2008 6:09 PM

Thanks for the encouragement!

I definitely don't recommend the velveteen..only because it has too much luster for me. I studied a lot of realists when I was learning classic painting in school. Some of my first paying jobs in school were painting extremely tight still life paintings for a ladies home. She was an editor for Bon Appetit Magazine..excuse my French. Every oak cabinet had different foods and thngs based on what cookbooks she had inside them...intricate stuff..and she got it for a steal! Anyways, I read a lot about the effects of light and the science behind what makes a painting "glow" other than just contrast. There is a lot of science in it as much as skill or developing an eye. I can see Robb takes this approach as well. It gets really fun when you combine the intellectual with the artful!

Basically what we all are fascinated by when we see a velvet painting is one basic illusion. When light falls upon paint, it bounces back into our eye and reflects it's source. The more opaque a color is..the more light it bounces back at us. Velvet..especial quality black velvet absorbs it's light source. So..it REALLY exaggerates the surface that is covered in the paint, which is reflecting the source. It almost looks like the painting has light inside it if done well. Canvas, even if painted dark, still reflects more light that the velvet will. Anyways...enough science.

I have been asked for years to do more velvets and I think now is the time. I really love the fact that the others doing velvets all have their own styles and so we can all explore together and help this lost medium take on a new interest and appreciation. Ok..the sun is about down..I am going to go experiment!!