Discovering Rembrandt's Materials and Techniques

[@stephanieashworth6317]

Thanks for your in-depth study and HARD WORK!

[@FrankWagtmans]

Dear Luis, I recently discovered your wonderful channel. I am reading the books (in Dutch) by Ernst van de Wetering. He has unfortunately passed away. He was an authority on Rembrandt. Rembrandt's impasto technique was revalutionary in his time. Van Gogh spent some time in front of the Jewish bride at the Rijksmuseum looking at that technique. Later, abstract painter Karel Appel adopted this impasto technique again from van Gogh. These three painters are therefore each other's successors. All three were also moved by the soul of man. I will continue to follow your channel! Thanks and greetings from the Netherlands.

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thank you for visiting my channel and commenting.

[@ginabadeaux9319]

i just found your channel im very passionate about painting ,i have used all art supplies my m graham oils are waiting for me im doing watercolors after painting in acrylics for 27 years i love color more than anything ,you are so good,thank you luis

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Welcome to the channel Gina! Thank you for commenting! 🙏🏻

[@jaybennett5639]

We can learn much from the old masters, great work Luis

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

I agree there’s a wealth of information to explore from past artists. Thank you for your comment Jay!!

[@erxfav3197]

can you show how to make this mysterious oil? Or at least give a recipe? ​@@LuisBorreroVisualArtist

[@monte49]

So much fascinating information here! Thank you for sharing all of your research Luis.

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thank you for coming by monte49!! I really appreciate your comments.

[@magdalenaholt4594]

Thank you So, so much. Means the world to peak into that enchanted place, especially now... When travel is impossible. Just, thank you, for all the information and for the journey into rembrandt's haven

[@jacoboalcaldegibert1977]

Increíble generosidad! Gracias Luis!

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Muchas gracias por tu comentario!! Saludos!!!

[@qumran4210]

Thank you so much!!! I love you 😍 💋 💗 💛

[@natalia.rozsa.4883]

Thank you very much for this fascinating insight!

[@bryanmartin9420]

Wonderful video! Thank you!

[@adib396]

Very good study of Rembrandts workings. I have seen his works also In the Rijksmuseum...always interesting to examine his works and how painting styles have changed and evolved from then. Have you heard of Odd Nerdrum? He has made it his life dedicated to painting with the techniques and feel of the old masters. I have dabbled myself in various techniques and trained academically which tended towards a very rigid style of painting, which technically is great, but, Im not keen on it as lacks expression and emotiuon...However for an atmospheric and feeling way of painting I always fall back to look at Rembrandt.

[@Ron-wf1tt]

Awesome! Thank you.

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thanks again Ron!!! Best wishes..

[@jonroads8281]

Brilliant video, so interesting!

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thank you very much Jon. 🙏🏻

[@erxfav3197]

@@LuisBorreroVisualArtist where do you get the litharge or red lead? You didnt put the links you mentioned in the video i dont think. (You said you dont advise to make your own so you would put links in the description)

[@victorgferrari]

Thanks for sharing this knowledge with us! Congrats for this video, it was very helpful. Great work!

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thank you for commenting Victor. I appreciate your feedback. 🙏🏻

[@bobbybrown8167]

blue flower red thorns. This would be so much easier if i wasn't colorblind. Great channel man! I've been having a really hard time finding the in depth info you're providing. Thank You! Now I can really nerd out haha

[@joseluisespinosa118]

You are very amazing ..information. .thanks 👏

[@forsterarts]

Great Video. Pacheco wrote that Velazquez used verdigris as his siccitive instead of litharge. Jacques Maroger recommended 6% litharge per volume for the black oil. DeMyrn said that Rubins preferred the linseed oil over the walnut oil. But one must pursue their own path.

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Hello Peter: Thank you for commenting. I agree with you that artist’s have to find their own methods and techniques in the end. However, I am interested in finding the source where you learn about Pacheco’s use of Verdigris as a dryer in the context of Velazquez paintings. Thanks again for visiting the channel. 🙏🏻

[@forsterarts]

@@LuisBorreroVisualArtist Hi Luis I left some links previously, but I can't find that comment. The Verdigris is in Jacques Maroger's books Secret formulas of the artists. You can get it on Amazon for about $60.00. I have seen that book go for as high as $900.00! It is in the portion of the book, when he speaks of Rubins trip to Spain to paint the Royal Family. DeMyrn explains how Rubins was sent to Spain as a Diplomatic gesture from the King of England. When in Spain, Rubins befriended Velasquez. Pacheco being the Grand inquisitor of Art in Seville was also the main teacher of art. He also was Father in law to Velasquez. Maroger quotes Pacheco, I am uncertain as to which book. I think you can find that portion of their relationship starting around page 98, if I remember correctly. Its not a lot of reading from there, perhaps less than 10 or 15 pages. I promise you will go back with your notepad and write a few things down. I look forward to your response. And the videos you are putting out are much needed! Thanks for your hard work!

[@mamo1752]

Hi Luis, many thanks for valuable wonderful information. Could you please write how i can make this magical oil or is any similar product i can buy ?Many thanks

[@Tt-t100]

Great content once again Luis. Excelente canal!

[@RonalddeHaan-mn6pv]

An amazing website with a very knowledgeable master - many thanks. I would like to ask how much Litharge, in grams, do you add to a certain volume of walnut oil, and what temperature do you "boil" the oil at, for the half-hour you say. Can one use Red Lead instead of Litharge ? It doesn't look as black as does linseed black-oil.

[@albertoruiz6992]

Many thanks and very informative. Couple of questions........... when making the impasto medium do i use walnut or linseed, because you begin by suggesting walnut oil and then talk about linseed oil? Secondly can this impasto medium be made simply by mixing stand oil with Litharge and red lead pigment ? Any ideas? Much appreciated.

[@popdiego]

Thanks !

[@cuentamedenuevo7399]

Stunning channel. Stunning explanations. Thanks a lot for sharing!

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thank you for wonderful feedback Bren!! Best regards!!!

[@javierdelfierro4180]

Hola Luis. Gracias por la detallada información de este video. Me sorprendió el uso de la arena en la preparación del lino. Eso eliminó el uso de la capa de gesso después de la cola de conejo? Nada de blanco de plomo u otro material como blanco de España en las capas siguientes? Tengo que buscar los artículos de la National Gallery. Te enviaré fotos de mi intento con la capa de arena. Gracias otra vez y muchas felicidades para el año nuevo.

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Gracias Javier!! Muchas felicidades. Acabo de compartir el artículo con toda la información técnica. Gracias por visitar y subscribirse a mi canal.

[@jamescheever7982]

Do you know wes barrier? I was taught to mix my own blacks and copy rembrandt style 45 years ago

[@erxfav3197]

Can you show how to actually make that mysterious oil? @Luis Borrero, Visual Artist

[@NapatRoongrawewan]

Can you elaborate on how to make impasto oil? I tried it and the problem is double boiling for two hours but nothing seems to change. When trying to boil it without going through the double boiler process, the color of the oil changes very quickly but after waiting for the oil to set, the texture of the oil is still not similar to the honey like you said. I'm not sure if it depends on the amount of oil, the heat or the dryer. Thank you. and always support such educational videos.

[@MrTommySullivan]

So the mineral stones in Rembrandt's studio were things like cadmium and cobalt? It's amazing how they made their own paint. I can only imagine how unhealthy the grinding dust from those stones must've been.

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thanks for commenting PO G: Most of the minerals that they have displayed in the Rembrandt museum are natural earths, such as Ochres, Siennas and Umbers. They had some Malachite, but the really toxic pigments during Rembrandt’s time were made from Lead, Mercury and Cobalt glass. These pigments were usually manufactured and made available to artists in the form of dry powders by suppliers. The cadmium and modern cobalt colors were introduced in the 19th century and colors such as cadmium red in the 20th century. Unfortunately the task of handling these materials was delegated to an assistant therefore minimizing the risk of toxicity to the artist. There are many fascinating manuscripts that have detailed information pertaining to the handling if these materials. Check out my book list to find out about some of my historical references. Best regards!!

[@MrAmadeo1001]

Thank you!

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thank you for commenting!!👍🏼

[@gabiperez6548]

Thank you thank you thank you

[@erxfav3197]

where do you get the litharge or red lead? You didnt put the links you mentioned in the video i dont think. (You said you dont advise to make your own so you would put links in the description)

[@jimqartworks]

wow, just what I need, thanks a million!!! wow! keep safe

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thanks for commenting!! Best wishes..

[@lee-annolivier4289]

Thank you for this, Luis. Very interesting. Please could you tell me what the object you used to grind the sand is called. It’s like a pestle but bigger. I’ve not seen one like that before. Thank you.

[@ArtbyJasonABell]

...excellent stuff!!!

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thank you!!!

[@henrikivioja2985]

Hi Luis! Thank you for your great and informative videos! Could you some day make a video about Tintoretto's painting technique? I know there might be lots of similarities with Tizian, but it could still be very interesting! Thank you, keep on doing the good work ☺️👍

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thank you for commenting Henri! I love Tintoretto’s work also. I think your idea would be a great addition to the channel’s collection. I will start gathering my notes for a future Tintoretto video. I really appreciate your feedback.

[@henrikivioja2985]

@@LuisBorreroVisualArtist That's so cool, I'll be waiting your video ☺️👍

[@רונישכטמן-י1י]

Great video

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Thank you for commenting!👍🏼

[@etienne7774]

What thinning medium did he use?

[@luzarsacdetoro903]

Which is the name of the oil?

[@jacoboalcaldegibert1977]

Hola Luis! No sé si será mucho pedir, podrías comentar tres detalles acerca del aceite? (Quizá en otro video) -Proporciones aproximadas entre el litargio, el minio y el aceite -A que temperatura hervirlo y si es necesario añadir agua durante la cocción -Alguna fuente donde buscar esa información(¿ Se especifica en Palomino y Pacheco estos pasos en detalle? Sé que son muchos años de investigación y no quiero abusar, así que me encantaría poder compensar tu generosidad. Muchas gracias!

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Saludos Jacobo: Este tema es un poco complejo y pues creo que puede ser un buen tema para otro directo en un futuro cercano. Gracias por tus valiosas preguntas. Palomino ofrece las instrucciones más exactas para preparar este tipo de aceite secante. Puedes encontrar una copia del Museo Pictórico y la Escala Óptica en archive.org. Saludos!!

[@jacoboalcaldegibert1977]

Muchas gracias Luis!

[@ivanmuniztattoos3728]

Hey do you mind spelling that blues name I tried finding it under the name asherai blue but I can’t find anything. I’d appreciate it as I am working on a master copy of Rembrandt and I’d like to use some of the color pallet to try and imitate it.

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Hello Ivan: The colors are Azurite and Smalt.

[@danachristianson8257]

I found it as “Lazurite” on natural pigments

[@lee-annolivier4289]

Luis, please could you let me know the final list of paints based on Rembrandts that you would be happy to use in your paintings today. For example, In another video you mention that the lakes are fugitive and that you would use alizarin instead. Thank you

[@canalcerrado2433]

🙏 gracias

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Gracias por tu visita!! Muchos saludos..

[@danachristianson8257]

Hi, my hearing isn’t very good (nor are Yt transcriptions) and I wanted to know the name of the paint made with buckthorn berries. What I heard was “still the grain”, or “steel the green.” Thanks!

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Hello Dana: Thanks for commenting. Here’s a reference link to the color I mentioned 👉🏻en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stil_de_grain_yellow

[@Splatterpunk_OldNewYork]

At 7:45 you mention the concept of Houding, which you say is about creating atmosphere. Can you please elaborate on this concept, or direct me to a source/book? I have heard this term before in passing, describing Rembrandt's painting of his son as a monk. Your channel fell into my recommends as I am making Rembrandt copies. Praise the algorithm.

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Hello Martin: I first learned about the concept through De Wetering’s book 👉🏻books.google.com.pr/books/about/Rembrandt.html?id=SyYhBOBVmcYC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&redir_esc=y

[@Splatterpunk_OldNewYork]

@@LuisBorreroVisualArtist You. Are. Awesome. This has been a journey for me for several years now. I will buy a course or two from you. Wonderful channel.

[@Dzastater]

where can i buy litharge?

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

Hello: You can buy Litharge from Kremer 👉🏻shop.kremerpigments.com/us/shop/pigments/43010-massicot-litharge.html

[@Dzastater]

@@LuisBorreroVisualArtist would i get the same thick substance / oil when i put the litharge in a cup or bowl with linseed oil in the sun for a month? or does sun-thickened oil have a different body than the one you made?

[@LuisBorreroVisualArtist]

@@Dzastater It has to be cooked exposed to open air at a very low heat for close to two hours. It’s a dangerous affair. I recommend you do it outside and wear proper protection. You can probably buy it from natural pigments and let it thicken in the sun for a little while. This medium is used very sparingly.

[@Dzastater]

@@LuisBorreroVisualArtist am i able to buy the cooked version on natural pigments? such as the one you made? i really love the texture of it

[@portervillelouis]

Luis, I have many KZbin videos: I have 2 channels(1) CSO VELASQUEZ (2) PortervilleLouis -- thank you

[@artbylarry]

🙂

[@normanstratford9329]

I thought that Rembrandt would have used Dutch Stand oil. It is very sticky.

[@naedolor]

Seven Letters By Rembrandt - MCMDXI in roman numerals make no sense. It should be an L instead of the D to make 1961. As it is now it erroneously means 2411, which correctly would be written as MMCDXI.

[@eddieg66]

Far to many ah ums ah um . great info tho