Cynthia I’ll definitely take you up on an exchange of knowledge!

I did my grad work (4 years) at UW-Madison. I was there 85-90. What about you?

I love the insight into your thread organization — and your fabric dyeing process. I realized while going through my fabric stash this weekend that I’m desperate need of solids to go with patterned fabric.

I use Liquin as a medium but there are plenty of others available now. I don’t suggest using Turpentine because of it’s toxicity and it’s also really not a very stable medium. I use Turpenoid Natural to rinse my brushes.

I admire how you just jumped in and I agree it’s great to skip over the rule part!

What fun to just decide to play around with a new medium…and do it. I don’t paint with oils any longer. I use acrylics. But not too long ago I went to a printmaking workshop where they were trying tu use safer materials and found that they like GAMSOL instead of turpenoid as a thinner and a product called SOYSOLV for cleaning up…but don’t get it in the paint. I bought some for cleaning up and it’s great…just put out some, rub into the surface (palette) and brushes and then rinse out….and no odor.
The fabrics are beautiful………like new paints waiting to be used.

I think not knowing “the rules” can be a bonus sometimes. Innovations are made and you learn more from the mistakes very quickly. Sort of how I am trying to teach myself fabric art…it has to make people smile too.

The basic gist of oil painting (though I haven’t done it in awhile because the solvents are irritating to me I use mostly acrylic) is:

Fat over lean. Use a paint thinner such as Turpenoid (which is an oderless thinner less harsh than turpentine) to paint an “underpainting”. An underpainting is basically your design painted very thin like watercolor…you can still see the white of the canvas underneath.

Then, using a medium, such as linseed oil (there are a lot of different ones on the market), use these to mix with the paint to get a really juicy, soft and buttery paint to layer on top of your underpainting.

Also, make sure you’re working in a ventilated area because some of these products can be toxic.

Depending on how much paint is on your canvas, allow it to cure completely after which time you should add a varnish to protect the painting.

Brushes wash up with Turpenoid or other solvent, and then when most of the paint is off the brush, finish up with soap and water.

Theres really much more to it than that and I’d be glad to share the info with you…we’d actually have info to exchange. : )

PS I haven’t tried them yet, but there are also water soluble oil paints on the market today. And, if you really want to learn, I could help with stretching a canvas and applying gesso.