Mohamed  Hirji

Fine Art

Blogs Page 4

A Curious Pair

Apr 5, 2019

For purposes of paintings, a substrate is the surface on which the paint is applied it is also called painting support. There are unique substrates suitable for different media. For this blog, I am going to confine myself to discussing the substrates used for watercolors.

Painting Substrates - Pastels

Apr 19, 2019

Before dwelling into the substrates used for pastel paintings, A little basic introduction to the different types of pastels may be helpful.

Traditional pastels are powdered pigments rolled into sticks with the aid of a binder. These pastel sticks may be either chalk pastel or oil pastels. The former have gum as its binder whereas the later has oil and wax as the binder of the pigments. These are then further divided into:

Painting Substrates - Acrylics & Oils 1 - Canvas Sheets

Jun 14, 2019

As we discussed previously, the substrate is the surface on which the paint is applied. For oil and acrylic paintings the substrates are interchangeable so I will discuss them together.

For the oil and acrylic paints almost any surface is suitable except for a slick surface which is not suitable for acrylics, oils however can be applied to smooth surfaces but good adhesion may be a problem.

Painting Substrates - Acrylics & Oils 2 - Canvas Boards

Oct 25, 2019

Previously we discussed, thepre cut sheets of canvas or linen as substrates for Oil and Acrylic paintings.

Today I intend to tackle the pre primed commercially available Canvas or Linen board panels.

Painting Substrates - Acrylics & Oils 3 - Hard Boards

Nov 16, 2019

We discussed the canvas board on the last blog. 

Today I will concentrate on the pre-primed hard board panels. especially the popular Russian Birch Panels.

Painting Panels - Acrylic & Oils 4 - Aluminum Panels

May 23, 2024

We have discussed several substrate options for Acrylic & Oil paintings, each with their Pros & Cons.

Lately, a new product has hit the market and some artists have started using aluminum panels. I have tried these and they are impressive to say the least. This I believe is the ultimate substrate.

The Massive Wave -Part 1

May 23, 2024

The Project

This post will provide the readers a rare glimpse into the artists mind as a painting evolves from its concept to its conclusion.
This project is a commission and is going to be the largest paintings thatI have painted.

The Massive Wave - Part 2

May 23, 2024

Starting To Paint

My first challenge came when I realized that despite owning one of the largest easels on the market, it was not capable of holding all the three panels together. I had to either paint with the canvases on the floor which I tried and failed or paint on one panel at a time. I decided on the latter.

The Massive Wave - Part 3

May 23, 2024

The Conclusion

The first two posts on this subject dealt with designing and composing the project as well as dealing with the challenges posed by the large size of the painting on the three separate panels.

The Massive Wave - Part 4 Qn & Ans

May 23, 2024

The Massive Wave Questions & Answers
In the last three posts, I enlightened the subscribers in a step by step manner regarding the creation of the entire painting from its conception, planning and implementation. I also discussed the problems encountered and their solutions.
Today I will briefly address some questions posed by the readers of the newsletter regarding the painting.


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