Art is handcraft
fabrication of the canvas
Only untreated, organically produced raw linen is suitable for the production of a long-lasting canvas. The fiber of the linen plant is robust and very long, so it has excellent qualities to carry the color painted on it through the centuries.
Washed in very hot water (without detergents), the linen is dusted off and given its final shape.
The dry linen is then stretched over a wooden frame and pre-glued. Glue is a natural glue that is applied in several layers to make the linen more resistant.
After pre-gluing, the canvas is primed. For this I usually use a mixture of glue, chalk and linseed oil, as this has proven to be the most suitable for me. The primer is built up in at least three - but usually more - very thin layers. This is important as a thick layer would tend to craze easily.
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When everything has dried, the primer - depending on the motif that is to be created - is sanded so that it forms a smooth painting surface.
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In total, the production of a canvas takes about a week.
The color
There are several ways to get good paint. The most important ingredient is high-quality pigments.
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I prefer to work with oil or tempera, as these are binding agents that take the least strength out of the paint, have shown enormous durability over the centuries and are absolutely natural .
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pigment and oil. This is the purest formula for a wonderful color. Since oil alone takes about 5 days to dry, it is not suitable on every layer of a painting. For antique paintings I paint the last layers with oil. I prefer to work with tempera to build up the underlying layers.
The abstract play of colours
For abstract paintings, I prefer tempera exclusively, as this medium allows many layers of paint to be superimposed, creating an amazing depth of colour.
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The secret of the color strength of my pictures lies in their composition. Countless layers evenly applied - I often stop counting after 10 layers - give the color its depth and help it to stand on its own.
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The old master painting
imprimatur
When the canvas is finished, the imprimatur follows. This is a colored primer that serves to better work out the contrasts.
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The imprimatur can be painted in different colors, classically it consists of a layer of caput mortum - a very dark shade of red - and a layer of ocher on top. Together, the thin layers of paint create a medium brown tone that is dark enough to bring out the highs and light enough to further darken the lows.
underpainting
The imprimatur allows for a much higher level of contrast in the painting than would be possible from a white background.
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First the highs are worked out in white, then the lows. You can use different colors for this step. Finally, after the underpainting, the color is worked into the picture.
The painting
With the underpainting, the painting is roughly laid out. Now follow many color glazes in which the painting is built up. This glazing technique allows the underlying color to shine through and gives the picture depth and plasticity.