Watch this video on YouTube Making Bone Black Oil Paint — The Alchemical Journey Series — by Damian Osborne 1 | What is bone black pigment? 2 | How long does bone black oil paint take to dry? 3 | When was bone black first used? 4 | Bone black vs ivory black 5 | How does bone black oil paint compare with other black pigments? 6 | What does bone black symbolise? 7 | What equipment will you need to make bone black oil paint? 8 | How do you make bone black oil paint? 9 | What…
Final Stages of a Portrait Painting
Watch this video on YouTube Final Stages of a Portrait Painting — Nigredo by Damian Osborne 1 | What pigments will I need for painting a portrait? 2 | Should you add chalk to your oil paint? 3 | How do you mix colours for the Verdaccio? 4 | How many stages do you need for a portrait painting in oils? Here are the final stages of a self-portrait painting I called ‘Nigredo’ (or the crucifixion). Using my own oil paints, I show a quick summary of the various stages of the portrait, beginning with the Verdaccio.…
Underpainting Stage for a Self-Portrait
Watch this video on YouTube Underpainting Stage for a Self-Portrait — ‘Nigredo’ by Damian Osborne 1 | How do you begin the underpainting stage of a portrait painting? 2 | Can you oil paint directly over charcoal? 3 | Making my own oil paint from Bloodstone In this self-portrait oil painting, I start with a charcoal drawing, then make my own oil paint from bloodstone for the underpainting stage of the painting. This is a self-portrait oil painting called ‘Nigredo’. It comes from a pretty dark place. Nigredo is the first stage of the alchemist’s journey. The putrification. Annihilation.…
Searching for Meaning: Where Does Art Come From?
We’re all searching for meaning. And artists, at their core, are visual philosophers. Yet, the ‘art world’ is so full of pretenders. The funny thing is, many artists, and curators, draw a blank when searching for meaning in their art.
Who Am I and What Am I Doing as a Full-Time Artist?
Who Am I and What Am I Doing as a Full-Time Artist? by Damian Osborne This is my first blog post as a full-time artist and marks the beginning of a new journey. I have girded myself with all the inspiration and optimistic hope necessary to believe that this is going to be a great and revolutionary path for me. The reality of suddenly finding myself as a full-time artist That’s it! I just quit my job! And I’m now a full-time artist. As perhaps you could imagine, after the initial hurrah of leaping forth, I struggle…