Fixative: Wet on Dry: Alla Prima

Wet on dry Wet on Wet or Alla Prima are techniques you can use on painting.

Layers are not just a thing in Photoshop, Corel Painter, Art Rage, and Paint tool Sai.
One can work with on a dry surface with wet paint and build up from there.
Or you can start with a layer of wet paint before you start painting to be able to push paint around easier or for more softer edges.

I've been working a lot on Wet on Dry. With this method I used a combination of graphite from a lead holder and a draughting pencil to sketch out my initial image.

Go outside and spray it with fixative. (I like Lascaux)

Apply a thin wash of Oil Paint with a mix of walnut oil and turpenoid natural.

See how the underlying drawing is still visible after a layer of paint. If I did not spray fixative the graphite would be runny and leave stains on the brush.

Fixative a type of varnish that tends to come in an aerosol can that seals your medium to the paper or material you are painting. Most are permanent so once you spray it you are done it seals the medium. There is workable fixative if you are not ready to commit it does not completely seal your drawing so if you want to if you are using charcoal or something you can add on to the drawing without smearing as much. I like to use Lascaux, it is expensive but you don't need as much and have to only spray usually one layer. It also doses not dull the color as much as other brands.

Alla Prima example. My friend Elizabeth Jose did this one.

Alla Prima means in Italian first attempt. Usually with this technique one of the unwritten rules is the painting must be completed in one sitting while the paint is still wet. With minimal layers because of the time restriction. Normally I don't do too well in timed conditions like this unless it is a still life painting.

I learned a lot from watching El Coro's demo video and looking at his work.