After reading his book and considerable conversation with the author "Oil Painting with'Calcite Sun Oil':Safety and Permanence Without Hazardous Solvents, Resins,Varnishes and Driers" by Louis R. Velasquez, I've experimented with his painting process and I've decided to start a journal of a portrait work in progress using the patented "Calcite Sun Oil" method. Cold Pressed Sun Thickened Linseed Oil which is actually produced from the flax seed in this painting will be used for thinning, improving gloss, transparency, and smoothing brush marks. Louis believes and provides substantial evidence that this was ultimately the main ingredient of the old masters when it was sun thickened and beached from exposure to air to get a head start on the polymerization curing process before using it on canvas. Inspired by his mentor Frederic Taubes, Louis provides insight in his book from a considerable amount of valuable research on this topic. He also covers the advantages of using calcium carbonate and egg white glair blended with linseed oil in his medium.
I will begin this portrait utilizing the strict traditional method of stretching and preparation of my canvas as explained here on my website. The only exception made at this step is the replacement of rabbit skin with poly vinyl acetate glue sizing. Scientists and conservators claim that rabbit skin glue allows the damaging absorption of moisture and it is also believed that rabbit skin glue and acrylic gesso possess different expanding and contraction properties than oils where eventually in changing atmospheric conditions these underlying materials will cause the oil painting surfaces to crack. Prepping with lead white oil base primer, the entire canvas ground is neutral toned in Ochre and applied with a palette knife.
When this segment of the project is dry I will provide images of it's progress in my next post.
For more information and references to painting visit,
