Glazing An Oil Painting With White - Nial Adams

Can you 'glaze' an oil painting with white? This is something I've been asked a few times by private students and on courses. A controversial question. Well, here's my answer. Make sure you watch to the end to see the final finished work.
NB. As mentioned on my previous videos, please understand that I'm not some fancy KZbin vlogger. So don't expect super-slick video content here. I'm a busy professional artist happy to share my knowledge with others. I hope it's interesting and useful to other artists and students. Please don't be too harsh on me in the comments section. Thanks!
This artwork is a commission, as mentioned in the video. If you're interested to know more about my work, or perhaps commission a piece yourself, please contact me through my website and at the links below.
Follow my Social channels too, especially my Instagram, where I regularly update from the studio and post Portfolio work that's available to purchase.
Thanks,
Nial
NOTES & RESOURCES -
Norfolk-based Landscape Artist Nial Adams FRSA - Short video of Nial explaining another method of glazing landscape oil paintings in the tonal method. Watch in HD.
**NEW** Watch the award-winning short documentary film by Tom Martin -
'Nial Adams - Journey of an Artist' - • Nial Adams - Journey o...
See more - www.nialadams.com
For more information on this original oil painting and others, as well as Commissions contact the studio direct. Nial also offers Private Painting Tuition, Courses and more.
Find out more about Nial and his work -
Visit - www.nialadams.com
Facebook - https:/ bignorfolkskies
Instagram - https:/ nialadams
NB. Instagram is the best way to get in touch with Nial
Copyright - Nial W Adams FRSA 2021

[@alangeorgebarstow]

The older I get (I'm 72) the more I realise just how much I still have to learn. I paint portraits in oils and glazing with zinc white is something I shall now feel confident to experiment with. Thank you, Nial.

[@ingrida1121]

I do not recommend using zinc white anymore, it was found that this paint is very unstable in the long run and does crack and even delaminate in some cases.

[@AFAskygoddess]

Amazing lesson in less than 20 minutes. Thank you so much ❤

[@highphysics3617]

Wow! After a few years unable to paint,this is just thenrefresher I need. Super presentation,Nial,and,great wake up information for me. Thank you for your efforts in putting all this information together. Well done. 😃🙂

[@DCweldingAndArt]

Gorgeous painting! And fantastic demo well done

[@ArtActivePk]

Woaow so beautiful..... painting... just unbelievable

[@kathleenlairscey5934]

Fantastic tip, love the soft look and toned down colors.

[@jess65963]

Love it! It really makes a difference. I like it very much.

[@stuartmiller6123]

What a privelage to watch an expert ,loving your work just found you so glad

[@PainterofMaine]

Thanks for this demo. You have answered several questions. I will look at more of your videos.

[@bb-phantom3324]

Beautiful painting !!! Thanks for the tips. This is gonna help me alot with unifying my contrast an dialing it down from too much juxtaposition !!! You're extremely talented an also a great teacher

[@zubeidaroberts7020]

Thank you so much for demonstrating this. I’m learning all the time!

[@jennyowens7022]

I was heartbroken when Thomas Kincaid passed. i have found a new "Painter of light' in Mr. Adams, (not a comparison, more a likeness in style) the way he brings all this light out of pure darkness. Truly enjoying your work, I cannot stop looking at it, each time I look I find new detail. Mesmerizing.

[@markh7523]

always clear and articulate -cheers

[@MichaelWarthStudios]

Brilliant, I really love the tonal range of this piece and the wash made such a dramatic yet subtle change to the painting. For me, it made the atmospheric perspective work so well. I’d love to see it after the varnish is applied. Well done. I hope to see more videos here. Please don’t stop making videos.

[@annickfornos9994]

Thank you Nial Adams for a perfect demo & explanation. Just what I was looking for. Your painting is lovely!

[@NialAdams]

Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it and found it useful. N

[@marianedbaiilo]

Studying the history of Fine Art in the Baroque and Rococo eras, I caught myself thinking that the techniques of these periods were imbued with some secret of uniqueness. Thanks to you, I understood why - glazing with white color separate Rococo era so much🎨

[@keywansaffari8540]

So beautiful thank you

[@walterhundt]

I’ve been thinking about this exact topic over the last few days, and you’ve explained it perfectly-thank you for sharing this.

[@NialAdams]

My pleasure Walter. Great minds think alike!

[@janethart3606]

Just what I was looking for. Thank you.

[@robhead22]

Excellent!! Thank you!

[@kirlikokalista]

Perfectly explained in 2 minutes. Great!

[@NialAdams]

Thanks

[@soniareginagiro2959]

Estou conhecendo agora, seu trabalho. Estou encantada, é lindo. Parabéns.

[@lauraharris8140]

Great information, thank you. Love your painting, too!

[@NialAdams]

Many thanks, I appreciate your compliment

[@freditorials]

Very well done

[@robinaart72]

very interesting - great info - thanks

[@dawnemile4974]

Great tip. Thanks.

[@ninakathrinart9249]

This is very helpful thank you!

[@ticceljohn]

Beautiful work , thank you for explaining so well .👍👍

[@NialAdams]

My pleasure John and thanks for leaving a comment. I appreciate it.

[@wayneh-s2985]

Such a great skilled artist and unique style.

[@NialAdams]

Thank you kindly Wayne!

[@africo9104]

Thanks, I've just subscribed, I find you explain very well and calmly as well.

[@NialAdams]

Thanks and I hope you find these useful. Enjoy your painting!

[@nikkiswenson54]

Good info about glazing and scumbling!

[@tonymilroy9684]

Thanks for that! I have a painting that could just do with this! I’ll give it a go

[@pjjmsn]

Thanks for the tip regarding leaving some edges in clouds as opposed to blending them. It helped. I was over smoothening. Some paintings look great with totally smooth skies, but for some reason, mine don't.

[@DutchCreekRanch1]

Lovely

[@glennsmith5149]

Very helpful video, Nial. Thank you very much for sharing this. I did have a difficult time hearing you. But perhaps that's just my old ears. Thanks again. Cheers.

[@africo9104]

I heard him perfectly.

[@NialAdams]

Thank you and I’ll increase the sound volume a bit on future videos. I appreciate the feedback. N

[@naturalismundi4359]

Nice tutorial! And a godsend. Working on a big Isle of Skye landscape and needed due to its lack of distant "signals" (trees and houses) that the only indication was lightening.

[@NialAdams]

Many thanks for leaving your kind remarks. I appreciate it. N

[@amir1977sw]

Thank you for sharing..

[@hamode_]

❤️

[@dandansapainting]

Great your painting

[@NialAdams]

Thank you very much!

[@pjjmsn]

Thanks, great video! I am thinking of adding some transparent lemon yellow to the zinc white because some of the areas I want to lighten are a creamy yellow-white. I will be more or less spot glazing, in that all I want to do is raise the value of some of the light areas in the sky. I have never done this before, so as you said it will take some bravery! I am a beginner so it is all new to me and I scew up a lot which causes stress, but I am learning to to fix the screw-ups.

[@NialAdams]

It’s all about learning and experimentation. So how did it turn out for you?! N

[@pjjmsn]

@@NialAdams Thanks Neil. I ended up painting over the area with opaque paint, cad yellow mixed with Titanium white which enede up looking better. I haven't had much success glazing with transparent paints in skies. Seems like opaque works much better for me on skies. Unless I want something to look like fog or water mist/spray. But if I try to use zinc white for clouds, it looks bad and I need to paint over it with opaque paint.

[@billmancos9820]

Thanks, I’m guessing so many paintings need a little something at the end to unify, I know mine do. Would love to know how you got started doing this glazing/wash technique. You must like experimenting, as all great painters do! It is just fabulous I can’t wait to use it on my own un-unified paintings. Thanks again! 😊

[@NialAdams]

Yes Bill, give it a try. Sometimes it’s all a painting needs to complete it. Let me know how you get on please! N

[@gerryheyen7701]

Thanks for your helpful video. I have two questions: glazing the burnt orange line of sunset with zinc white diluted the colour somewhat, so why not glaze the sunset with say cadmium orange? Also, can you glaze (or scumble) with light colours to make the background of a painting receded to create depth and reduce detail?

[@lophoflora]

Liquin may add more flexibility to zinc white. But if it flakes off, being at the final layer, maybe it can be fixed.

[@francoismennes4891]

Thank you Nice

[@maxkoch3232]

Hey, nice Video!! When i am painting a figure or portrait and i want to glaze to change the temperature in some darker halftones for example or give it some more color in some spots, but i dont want to change the value, how to i Do the glaze? When i want to warm some tones up and i glaze with for example a mixture of indian yellow and alizarin crimson it gets too intense most of the time even when i wipe out the most. Should i neutralize it with ivory Black or bring it to the same value the Spot is where i want to glaze with white? Would love to hear your idea. Max

[@lafortunato2894]

What do you think of using Windsor and newton blending and glazing medium?

[@winniw6846]

What about cracking? Zinc white is said to be leading to cracking.

[@kelseyyoung9150]

Would this technique work if trying to create fog or mist in a painting ?

[@lindabusch5964]

My question is that in using Liquin to thin the Zinc White paint to a glaze, doesn't the Liquin tend to yellow over time? I used Liquin with Titanium White on one of my very large paintings; after a year, it had yellowed. In my eyes, it ruined the painting that I worked so hard on. Any other suggestions?

[@allenvoss7977]

Excellent! I just found you and I did enjoy it very much. Do you critique others paintings ?

[@NialAdams]

Thanks and if you’d like to contact me direct please email me or message via Instagram.

[@allenvoss7977]

@@NialAdams ok .

[@ingrida1121]

I do not recommend using zinc white anymore, it was found that this paint is very unstable in the long run and does crack and even delaminate in some cases.

[@youareamazingyesyou5880]

rembrandt royal talens do a transparent white oil paint

[@africo9104]

Do you varnish this painting when finished, and if so, do you varnish with gloss or satin or mixed. .

[@NialAdams]

No, generally there is little need to varnish an oil painting these days. Paintings were traditionally varnished to protect them from atmospheric contamination like coal fire smoke, etc. Today the air is much cleaner. By all means you can varnish. Damar is a good choice but can give more gloss/shine than you might want. Most importantly do not varnish a painting until fully dry and that can take up to a year!! Nial

[@dianekey4780]

Beautiful work. I’d love if you had a Patreon site!

[@Handles-R-Lame]

Why not do him one better, and buy one of his paintings?! 🤔 it'd be quite the friendly gesture to return your appreciation thats forsure!

[@anonymousano3430]

Should have shown the painting originally, then the same painting after the glazing.

[@vernonhart9292]

will it give a mist effect.

[@NialAdams]

Yes, depending upon how thick the paint/glaze/wash is you can create lovely misty effects. Give it a try!

[@demej00]

I'm a scumbler! Haha.

[@JacquelynSmith_perfect45degree]

Love your video here! Check out Virgil Elliot’s book about oil paint. The new version. Regarding Zinc White: “Delamination of layers of oil paint containing zinc white was also revealed to be a significant issue.” Do you think this research proves we should no longer use it?

[@JacquelynSmith_perfect45degree]

I bet the Liquin will trap it in the way you are using it but I am no scientist.

[@NialAdams]

Thank you. And I’d say that delaminating only becomes an issue where Zinc white is used thicker, as an Impasto. In the case of using it for thin glazing there is adequate medium to bind it successfully.

[@JacquelynSmith_perfect45degree]

@@NialAdams I wondered about that. Time will tell us. The study was only 27 years long so we will learn fairly soon. Cheers!

[@shnyby1]

Warning: A glaze using zinc white works well over warmer colours, but beware that it yellows rather quickly, so if you soften a sky with lots of blue and grey tones it could yellow to an ugly greenish tint within a year or two.

[@1977ajax]

Zinc white has several inherent problems. Not to be used willy-nilly at all. Research carefully before using.

[@chriswhitehouse8982]

I thought glazing with white was call a "veil"?

[@PromodhSridhar]

Your volume is pathetic and hardly audible