Quick Tip 155 - The Alla Prima Scumble

[@aloppor]

I know this is literally called a "quick tip," but it's so refreshing to see someone who actually knows what they're talking about actually teaching and not just making videos with "hacks, tips, and shortcuts." I appreciate these quick, yet somehow deep dives into the subject. I've purchased a few of your full-length videos as well and I've thoroughly enjoyed them!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks, Chris. And also for giving the full-length lessons a plug.

[@phyllisjeanfulton]

I found your recommend Handbook for Artists and a couple of your books and a couple of videos, ordered on Amazon. 😊

[@frankdavis4836]

Thanks for clear instruction Dianne. No need to be tentative about other Art teachers we have seen on You Tube misforming the public. They are simply wrong about Scumbling.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

There are a lot of technical terms that get interpreted haphazardly. All it takes is one "teacher" using it misleadingly, then others pick it up. Unfortunately, that's the world we live in.

[@sunbee33]

Thanks Diane! Your art instruction is by far the best on KZbin. I have purchased a few of your videos and you Finding Freedom book. Your instruction has been immensely helpful, thank you!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Wow, thank you! And thanks for plugging my book and the video lessons on my website.

[@Golden_reds]

I can’t thank you enough. I have repeatedly tried wet in wet, but always ended up with mud. This is invaluable, thank you.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Great. Have fun with it.

[@darrenmcallister7511]

This is by FAR the best tip I’ve found so far. I’ve struggled with this since I’ve started and you in one fell swoop made me a better painter. Thank you so very much for your quick tips. Some are hard for me to understand as I am fairly new to oil painting and just learning the vernacular but you are making it a lot easier. I wish I could show you how I’ve progressed over the last 2 years, I am amazed at myself everyday that I could create such things. I will continue to watch everything that you put out!!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

How delightful, Darren. As you watch these Tips, try doing throw away practice exercises for the things they are teaching. That will help you grow by leaps and bounds. Happy Painting!

[@eileenschuller5309]

That's scumble kind of fun! Never heard the term before. I feel so well educated and more talented after every video of yours. Thank you so much for helping us grow in proper techniques.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

It's a pleasure to share these.

[@robertquay4451]

I am just catching up on your lessons and ,so far I find them very concise and right to the point. You are an excellent teacher. Thank you.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thank you!

[@robhead22]

Beautifully done Diane! And just the lesson i needed!!! Thank you!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

So glad! Have fun with it.

[@marymindfull]

I love your quick tips. They are so very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure.

[@joantucker4731]

Your instructions are OUTSTANDING. Thank you!!!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

😊

[@deeawt2539]

Thanks for clearing up the difference between scrubbing and scumbling. I took a class so many years ago ( too many to count lol) and i was taught that scumbling was scrubbing. Now i know better. Thank you

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

A lot of technical terms like this one often get misused. Glad to clear up this one.

[@birgitblume7877]

Ecellent! That's what I was looking for! Thank you!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure. Thanks for watching.

[@judithgoulden972]

Thanks from the far south of New Zealand....very helpful.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

😊

[@joanistotler8804]

Thanks, Dianne - another great tip!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

😊

[@mizllen]

Thank you! This is wonderfully appreciated!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are so welcome!

[@zofoblueszofoblues8339]

TY so much for what you do and what you share with us all. I am about to order the DL of Composing Matters. I think it will be what I need and hope a few lights get turned on too !!!! All the best Teacher and TY again .

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks. And enjoy the lessons in Composing Matters.

[@rolanda.arriagaarchitect3566]

I love your quick tips and have learned so much by watching them. I would like to see a technique on creating telephone and lamp posts and power lines.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

A telephone, lamp posts and power lines, but in what kind of light would you like to see these done? What kind of environment are they in. Every image's characteristics is determined by the light source and environment.

[@rolanda.arriagaarchitect3566]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction either a sunny or overcast day. The setting can be rural or urban. I love those Main Street scenes in small towns and older sections of major cities such the New Orleans French Quarter and it's Riverfront. A lot of power lines there. I like the way they criss-cross but I can't figure out a way paint them besides using a palette knife but they come out too straight. Power lines have a sag and curb downwards. A fine brush I find doesn't do the job well. I thought maybe you have a better way of delineating them in oil.

[@jacquimanuel3180]

Thankyou Diane, that was a good explanation , watching all of your quick tip videos in South Australia 🎨

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Hello from northern Georgia! Glad you enjoy the tips.

[@elsevandergoot5491]

some time ago I looked with excitement at your marvelous demo, how to paint a rooster and an other of a Robin, to day I wanted to see it again, I looked everywhere, forgot the number of the Quick tip. I just can't find it. Can you be kind enough to send me the information. sorry to bother you and thanks a lot in advance for your answer

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Perhaps you're referring to a couple of trailers our production team put up two years ago. Both introduce two lessons from Series 21 of my full lessons available at diannemize.com . Find them at kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIe3ZqKFlrKYopY and kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6G4lpWFd55gmbs

[@abigailhumes4608]

Thank you. I had been taught scumble was scrubbing. True terms are best. Now I know.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

So many have, Abigail. I don't know where that originated unless out of not knowing the difference between the two.

[@mauricebosse977]

Excellent on technique!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Many thanks!

[@muhlenstedt]

I have learnt someting new, thank you!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure.

[@jeromebland6635]

Diane thank you for sharing your passion and love for teaching. The tips are great like painting..tips are like layers of paint here a little there a little like studying bible line upon line precep on precep its builds your faith your tips are like that this tip..i needed handling the brush and stroke and pressure it makes learning exciting.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

I like to think of painting as a journey, not a destination. That keeps it alive and exciting.

[@zsuzsiwinn9786]

Another great valuable video. Thank you so much. I am a beginner oil painter and I wish to learn alla prima. Do you have a video or can you recommend how to start and finish a painting that has soft blending backgrounds and foggy scenes. I am so confused by what medium I need to use as a first layer to create a soft gradient background ( like a foggy forest backgrounds of a lake) that dries fast. I also want to use non-toxic medium . Can I use Alkyd walnut oil for my first layer for these backgrounds then use paint out of the tube without any mediums? I really want to paint in one session. Is this possible? Thank you for help in advance!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Alla prima simply means doing a painting in one session. As to which medium you use, it doesn't matter. The important thing to remember is to not get the paint too thick at the beginning so that it will be easy to manage toward the finish. Alla prima is not usually done in layers. Painting in one session is what alla prima is all about.

[@phyllisjeanfulton]

Yes scumble has been a puzzling technique. Now I know!! Thank you for clarity 😃

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You are so welcome!

[@susannerauch8237]

I appreciated this quick tip very much, particularly with regard to the information on the soft brush. I love the stiffer ones, but I can see how a good, soft brush can help with parts of the wet into wet process. However, without going into too much detail, I have a disability issue which precludes being positioned at the easel for more than an hour or so. It's therefore very difficult to finish a painting alla prima in one sitting. I love working wet into wet, though, so would you consider doing a quick tip on how to keep oils wet over the course of, perhaps, a few days? (Or direct me to one you might have already done?) I'm leery of simply trying to spray on medium or solvent, and I generally use the sun thickened linseed oil for a medium, so things probably dry a tiny bit faster anyway....Sorry for the long "comment." Thank you for all your hard work on these videos. I have befitted immensely from them!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

@Suze Z, thanks for your comment. I will put your request on our schedule, but it will be late fall or early winter before it appears on KZbin. We film these several weeks in advance. Meanwhile, for a sustained painting, I keep by my palette a 50/50 mixture of poppy oil and gamsol. When I finish a day's session, I clear the palette of thinned mixtures, then give all the wet paint a very light wisp of the mixture, then cover it with plastic wrap, carefully sealing out the air pockets for the wet paint piles. Next day, areas that are dry to touch, I give a light wisp of the mixture, then carefully layer over it (to soak up the excess ) a facial tissue. I uncover the palette and wipe up excess oil with the same tissue, then get to work.

[@susannerauch8237]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction Thank you so much for responding! I have ordered poppy oil, but in the meantime I have used the linseed with Gamsol for the palette (thank you for that video as well!). I wasn't sure that I could safely spray it on the wet areas of my canvas to keep it "alive" overnight when I had to stop for the day. I'm assuming that if it's safe for the palette, it's safe for the canvas, so I'll give that a try...I really look forward to seeing your quick tip for this when it comes around! Thanks again!

[@nurinqistina706]

There are so helpful! Thank you!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You're so welcome!

[@Romans8.28-f5c]

Hello wonderful artist O do have an important question. My paintings are great when I copy other paintings, but I suffer much when trying to come up with ideas on my own. Even when painting what is in front of me doesn’t help. How do you get great ideas?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

You get great ideas by paying attention to the visual world. What kinds of images get your attention? Why do they get your attention? Listen to and trust your own voice and learn to distinguish your voice from the voice of others. Your creativity comes from your inner source which comes from the creator of all sources. Listen to it.

[@giovannisiano574]

Thank you very much Dianne. Once, in a KZbin tutorial, an artist was applying lighter tone color onto a darker dry painted part . the scope was to lighten up the tone as it was a distant hill, so to create more atmospheric effect. He called it scumble too although was wet on dry. Was it a correct way of calling such method?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Scumble is applying one layer over another, wet or dry. I usually use it wet because wet over wet seems softer to me.

[@giovannisiano574]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction Thank you.

[@Daihatsu_Hijet]

Thanks Diane Tony... West Hills, California USA

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure.

[@jillrobbins4488]

Thanks for this VERY helpful video!!!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure.

[@RobertF-]

Thanks, this was really helpful.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure.

[@rememberallahsubhanallah6282]

Hello dear..could u let us know how to create maximum shades of colours using limited basic colours?..like shades of reds,oranges,purples,greens,browns,yellows?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Books have been written on this very topic because there are so many possibilities. A Limited Palette usually means that we limit the actually colors we work with to no more than three or four. For a full range of hues, we consider selections that will also give us a full value range, too, so a good start to explore this might be Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Yellow or Hansa Yellow Light, and Thalo Blue (Aka Winsor Blue, Phthalo Blue, etc.) plus Titanium White. When setting up a limited palette, we don't count white as one of the choices.

[@lizettemarais6892]

Is it possible to paint wet into wet with acrylics?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

If you use open acrylics, wet in wet works much better. Otherwise, you will need to work relatively fast.

[@leannarandall]

This was very helpful. Thank you so much!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure.

[@mischabe3]

Hello, Dianne, I have a question please. When would you apply the scumbling technique in an actual painting - I mean, to create what kind of effects? Your guidance would be much appreciated.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

There are no limits to when you uses scumble, but some examples include when you want to identify texture by having a lighter color sit on top of a darker color or when you need a strong highlight placed on a rounded form, such as a vase.

[@lorrainedespres3129]

I enjoy watching these so much ,do you have videos of quick tips,in batches of 10 or 20 or a list of these?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

To date, we have over 200 Quick Tips, but have not yet batched them into categories. Perhaps that's something we could do to help folks navigate. Thanks.

[@Frankdarnese]

Perfect! Thank you very much

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure.

[@Paula19482]

Quick Question. I purchased a set of "Silver Pure Red Sable Brushes" they are dropping bristles all over my painting. How do I get them to stop dropping bristles. Help!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Paula, The best way is to ditch them. Sorry, but a brush poorly made will drop its bristles.

[@lorriestolt3761]

What is a la prima?

[@sooart5333]

very good~!

[@lucianotradus]

Nice video and thanks for it and by the way what material is your palette made of? How can i can get a nice middle grey one?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

This particular palette is plastic. There are a number of mid-gray palettes available from art supply stores. Try Jerry's Artarama or Cheap Joe's Art Stuff.

[@lucianotradus]

@@IntheStudioArtInstruction thank you

[@tcchris2]

I am one that learned from videos that scumbling was brushing , so thank you

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

😊

[@burnts1enna]

Hi Dianne, I am about to paint the back side of my plexiglass palette gray, like yours is. I’m assuming your gray is the mid tone between white and black. Is that right? I think you might have already posted a video on your gray palette along with discussion about its usefulness but I can’t find it. If so, could you please give me its title? Thanks so much. I love your videos. You are an excellent teacher and I learn much from you. Gordon.

[@burnts1enna]

Trudy Jones Hi Trudy, thanks for your suggestion. It is much appreciated. But I make my own pochade boxes and i want to replace my wooden palette with a plexiglass one that I have already fitted to my box. I was wondering what value of gray Dianne Mize’s palette was.

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Thanks, Gordon The Quick Tip you're looking for is #30 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpTFiX1tZtpsr6s .

[@johncowburn4444]

Hi Dianne, you don't usually say what medium you are using, can we assume that the medium is usually acrylics?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

John, most of these Quick Tips are done with oils, unless I state otherwise.

[@NicoleLamadieu]

Yes

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Have fun with it.

[@Petrrific]

I think I found the reason why people are confusing "scumbling" with "scrubbing". These are quotes from Richard Schmid's "Alla Prima II": Page 68: "The mass tones are laid on within the lines very thinly , as a scumble (paint scrubbed on sparingly in its tube consistency,)" Page 174: "Dry brush is very lightly dragging a loaded brush held at a low angle across your canvas. The idea is to deposit paint on the painting's textured surface creating a ragged effect without covering it entirely. Scumbling is using a lightly loaded brush to gently scrub paint thinly across a surface.." I'm leaning towards your own definition, because Schmid's definition of "Dry brush" is self-contradictory. You would think dry brush should be dry, not "loaded" as he states. Why would you call it "dry" if it's "loaded"?

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

I, too, have some arguments with some of Schmid's technical explanations.

[@virginiarparker9503]

I thank you

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

My pleasure.

[@AudiobookLibrary24-7]

Thank you so much!

[@t0raneko]

Kitty crashed your shoot!

[@IntheStudioArtInstruction]

Kitty always gets the last word 😊.