Veiling, or translucent overlays, give a foggy, whitish or cloudy appearance and enhance the illusion of space. This technique uses thin layers of paste to suggest depth. For other translucent overlays using gels see Techniques 17 and 20.
Paint
Several preferred paint colors in dark and bright hues
Substrate
Any primed painting surface
Tools
Paintbrush, painting knife or other spreading tool
Products
A white acrylic paste
For Cleanup
Water, water container, paper towels or rags
STEP 1 Make an Underpainting
Create a vibrant and dark toned underpainting using bright and dark colors, so they will still be visible after veiling.
STEP 2 Apply Paste Thinly
Apply a white acrylic paste very thinly, using a spreading tool such as a spatula, plaster knife or piece of stiff cardboard. Do not dilute the paste with water to thin, but instead apply by using some pressure with the spreading tool. The thicker the paste is applied, the more opaque it will be. It’s better to apply several thin coats to achieve satisfactory results than overkill with a heavy application. While wet, the paste appears more opaque than it will when dry.
The paste, applied in a sweep through the center of the painting, has dried from opaque to translucent allowing the underpainting to show through.
Pastes applied thinly veil an underpainting using Iridescent Bronze and other paint colors.
RED RIBBON
Helen McKeown
Acrylic on panel
10" × 8" (25cm × 20cm)
Collection of Mary Balzer
Thin layers of paste add translucency, the feeling of depth, and a surface quality similar to encaustic or wax. The underpainting uses acrylic paint, metallic inks, iridescent pastes, handmade paper, stamping and carbon transfer.
SURFACING
Cate Goedert
Acrylic and mixed media on panel
16" × 16" (41cm × 41cm)