Bev Abbott, Artist
Painting a Miniature
Painting A Miniature Oil on Ivorine
A true miniature is 25 square inches or less and 1/6 scale or less, unless the object is originally tiny and then the overall look of the art must reflect the feeling of a miniature with great attenton to detail as adoped by the American Miniature Association.
A true miniature is 25 square inches or less and 1/6 scale or less, unless the object is originally tiny and then the overall look of the art must reflect the feeling of a miniature with great attenton to detail as adoped by the American Miniature Association.
At the beginning, I glue together three layers, of the chosen dimensions, of Multimedia Art Board. This provides a firm foundation to glue the Ivorine to for stability. Ivorine is cellulose acetate and is the same plastic ping pong balls are made with but thicker. It is transluscent, smooth, and slick requiring special handling as a painting surface. Ivorine has been used by miniature artists for over 100 years as a painting surface.
I lightly sketch the composition onto the Ivorine and then using archival glue, attach it to the foundation and allow it to dry for several hours under weights to insure all areas are in contact.
Usually beginning with the background, I paint in the color and using an old brush remove some of the paint so only a thin layer remains. When the light passes through the paint and the translucient Ivorine, it bounces back up from the white foundation and gives the thinly painted layer the appearence the paint is glowing. I slowly build the painting, working from back to front, paying close attention to the details as I go. In particular such things as strips, spots, placement of eyes, and proportions.
Painting the final layer with a new brush that comes to a sharp point gives me the small details required of a miniature painting. Carefully inspecting the work for stray ridges or dust specks and sanding any questionable areas with a special fine sanding film, I will set the painting aside for a few days or weeks to dry well. After I have lived with a painting for a time, any areas that need to be adjusted will become obvious.
The size brushes I most often use are 5/0, 10/0, with a 20/0 for the final details. I use a mixture of traditional slow drying oil paint with alkyd paint which will help speed up the drying time depending on the mixtures I use. It usually takes me 7 to 12 days to complete a complex miniature, working many hours a day.
The first sample illustrates the beginning stage, unfortunalely the pencil sketch is so light it did not show up when it was scanned into the computer. the second sample illustrates the whole painting having at least one layer of paint and in the case of the tiger two layers. The third sample shows the completed painting with the final refinements to the cat, rocks, and water.
I lightly sketch the composition onto the Ivorine and then using archival glue, attach it to the foundation and allow it to dry for several hours under weights to insure all areas are in contact.
Usually beginning with the background, I paint in the color and using an old brush remove some of the paint so only a thin layer remains. When the light passes through the paint and the translucient Ivorine, it bounces back up from the white foundation and gives the thinly painted layer the appearence the paint is glowing. I slowly build the painting, working from back to front, paying close attention to the details as I go. In particular such things as strips, spots, placement of eyes, and proportions.
Painting the final layer with a new brush that comes to a sharp point gives me the small details required of a miniature painting. Carefully inspecting the work for stray ridges or dust specks and sanding any questionable areas with a special fine sanding film, I will set the painting aside for a few days or weeks to dry well. After I have lived with a painting for a time, any areas that need to be adjusted will become obvious.
The size brushes I most often use are 5/0, 10/0, with a 20/0 for the final details. I use a mixture of traditional slow drying oil paint with alkyd paint which will help speed up the drying time depending on the mixtures I use. It usually takes me 7 to 12 days to complete a complex miniature, working many hours a day.
The first sample illustrates the beginning stage, unfortunalely the pencil sketch is so light it did not show up when it was scanned into the computer. the second sample illustrates the whole painting having at least one layer of paint and in the case of the tiger two layers. The third sample shows the completed painting with the final refinements to the cat, rocks, and water.
Copyright by Bev Abbott
