More about Zinc White Oil Paint

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TITANIUM WHITE is an opaque non-yellowing white. Most brands contain some zinc white to aid in mixing (even if the label doesn't tell us that). Pure titanium white is chalky and hard to mix. Pure zinc white is a little too transparent for most uses. 

I avoid using Lead White, Flake White or Cremnitz White, all of which contain toxic lead. But maybe now I'll have to rethink this. 

The following material (in blue below) about Zinc White oil paint has been excerpted from an interview with Edward Hopper by John Morse, June 17, 1959:

"JOHN MORSE: Then back to your own techniques, you mentioned that only one painting that you know of of yours has had to have some attention, Nighthawks in Chicago. What was the occasion there?

Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks"

EDWARD HOPPER: Well, I think it was because in order to get a greater whiteness and brilliancy, I had used zinc white in a certain area of the picture. I think that had cracked or scaled, whereas the parts where I had used lead white did not. This is my remembrance of it.

JOHN MORSE: Was that due, do you think, to an inferior quality of the zinc white or to the nature of the materials?

EDWARD HOPPER: No, I don't think so. I think that zinc white has a property of scaling and cracking. I know in the painting of houses on the exterior, zinc white is apt to crack and scale, whereas lead white merely powders off.

JOHN MORSE: I see.

EDWARD HOPPER: So I think that the same would be true in pictures.

JOHN MORSE: And since that experience you have avoided zinc white?

EDWARD HOPPER: Yes, I use only lead white now."

Edward Hopper's "Pennsylvania Coal Town," 1947

Then I got an email from Hylla Evans (who really knows her paint chemistry) and have posted her remarks in green below:

"The problems with zinc white have been known for a long time. You know I like lead/flake white for oils and don't get it on my skin (or wash it quickly if I do).

The article casually mentions the interaction of the zinc oil paint with acrylic (presumably underpainted). This screams for the same attention to be published about reactivity of other oil paints with acrylic emulsions.

Here are my over simplified and obviously personal thoughts:

All oil paintings crack; it's just a matter of when - not if.

Painting on a rigid substrate will make for less humidity-related cracking than comes from expansion and contraction of canvas.

Stick to materials and practices that have been time tested. Meaning don't include acrylic in any aspect of your oil painting. It might be okay and it might not - but why have your art be the experiment?

Fat over lean; thick over thin, etc.

Linseed oil is good but will yellow over time with most whites (titanium especially). It's the oil that's yellowing. Put a yellowed painting in sunlight for a day or two and the yellow will disappear.

Except for the above, keep all oil paintings out of sunlight - direct or indirect - to extend the life of the work at its best.

That said, and other pigments not addressed, museums are best able to control environments for art.

True though that zinc is not a good paint ingredient and really never was.

Also, most drying agents that come in and out of fashion put paintings at high risk. As convenient as they are, they are a serious compromise compared to allowing drying time and natural resins that have been successfully used for hundreds of years.

I'm afraid we are all taking chances with alkyd and other modern resins."

WARNING: Zinc White Oil Paint Problem

A new paper released by scientists at the Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute exposes long-term problems with zinc white in oil paint.

Drat!

This post is merely an introduction to this problem and I urge you to read the entire study on the link above.

Zinc white oil color has a BIG drawback; it makes a rather brittle paint film. 

Zinc whites' brittleness can cause cracks in paintings after only a few years, if it is used by itself and in excess. 

Should artists toss out their tubes of white oil color containing zinc white? 

The answer is YES . . . if you want your work to be archival.

The above detail of a painting by Henry Cliffe, painted in 1959, shows severe cracking and peeling (from rolling the painting) in paint containing a combination of both lead white and zinc white.

The majority of white oil paint available today includes zinc white. 

Even "Titanium White" or "Flake White" may likely contain Zinc White (not always listed on the label). Ouch.

Check your tubes of white paint against a list of brand names here.

Of course, not every painting containing zinc white will crack and its paint fall off the support.

Ophelia (1852-97) by John Everett Millais has areas of zinc white priming. Remarkably, the painting is in generally good condition and does not show problems.

So why is zinc white is so commonly found in white oil paint today?

Zinc white is transparent, nontoxic, doesn't darken and offers a brilliant white allowing artists to obtain highly saturated colors.

In the past I have used Zinc White in small amounts because of its transparency and ability to "cool" an area. 

Right now I am using "Titanium White" and hope it doesn't have much (unlisted) zinc in the ingredients. I use a very small amount of Titanium white in Liquin (or any medium) as a  thin scumble to replace the zinc white paint I used to use.

So, if any reader knows of any high quality artist's white oil paint that does not contain lead and/or zinc, please let me know.

Tickling Your Punny Bone

A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion. 

Sorry guys, I just cannot resist an awful pun once in a while. Maybe it's the paint fumes...

Two Letters: from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & another from North Africa

I have a friend who passed on a letter that she received from two former students in the Foreign Service in Saudi Arabia.

The following thoughts are from one of them on the election of Barack Obama:

Dear (Name withheld),

"Wow. I never thought I'd see the day that Americans would vote for a black man. I knew it would happen eventually when the minority numbers sufficiently outnumbered those of the white populace but I just couldn't believe it would happen in my lifetime. 

I've never been so proud to be American. I had been awake for 32 hours planning the embassy party with 1400 invited guests from midnight our time to 9 am.

At the party, I stood around for hours with Saudi Arab men and women who've never experienced a democracy or elections because they've lived for generations with a monarchy under an authoritarian regime. 

They were as glued to our giant screen televisions as the Americans and people from other countries -- Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Kenya, Egypt, Ireland, Italy, Britain, Germany...they came from everywhere. 

They sat amazed when they saw so many American diplomats and business people at the party -- even traditional Republicans -- with tears in their eyes. 

After McCain's gracious concession speech and Obama's acceptance speech, our Chief of Mission gave parting remarks to the crowd at our party and he just couldn't get the words out through his tears. 

He may have even been Republican but he talked about how people of his generation -- 50-70 year olds -- grew up with racism and for years have witnessed the devasation it causes on a nation and the fabric of its people. 

It was a very powerful moment for us diplomats who try to explain to other countries what it means to be American -- how, despite some differences, we all believe in some common values like democracy.

I don't know how this is all playing out over there in the states but over here it is very profound. We even had mock elections at our party so the Saudis could cast pretend votes to show them how its done. 

They really got into it -- going into the booth, proudly wearing their I-voted stickers over their robes...the whole thing. 

But they kept signing their ballots - they couldn't believe that we allowed confidential voting. 

Obama won here too -- 127 to 25 before we got too wrapped up in the real vote and quit counting (Ralph Nader got 4 votes). 

Incidentally, it was a little sppoky that here in the desert where it hadn't rained for two years we suddenly had ferocious thunderstorms. 

What was supposed to be an outdoor garden party had to be moved (TVs, stereo speakers, computers, cabling, tables/chairs) indoors at the last minute due to the freakish rain that wouldn't let up. 

The 50 carpets we had laid on the ground were soaked in puddles of water. What was even more freaky is that two minutes into Obama's acceptance speech, the sun finally came out in all its glory. It was very surreal... "

- P. (Name withheld)

This is an old map of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (above) and a vintage (c. 1885) map of Africa (below).

I really love how small the world has become! 

I have a friend whose son is working in North Africa - he passed on the Saudi letter posted above and this is the reply he got:

Dear Mom and Dad,

"The international news is full of similar stories. We had dinner here last night for 12 local teammembers (11 Pakistanis and 1 Iranian) and the conversation did eventually turn to the election results. 

Everyone was so positive, so happy, like a gloom had suddenly lifted. Keep in mind that these are citizens of a country Obama said he would carry out uninvited attacks on. 

The people and the press here are not universally impressed with Obama and his policies, but rather with the system, with the seeming re-birth of the American Dream. 

A poor person can make it to the top; millions of whites can vote for a black man. 

One editorial in the local paper ended by asking the question if his readers could imagine the son of their servants become president. 

Only in America, but the rest of the world wants to believe it eventually possible in their countries. The world is happy to have the hope and example that is uniquely American.

Whether you like Obama or not, it was a great feat and it makes me happy to be an American.

Love, (Name withheld)"

Why I Am A Studio Painter

When it comes to painting landscapes, I prefer to take photographs of beautiful places and then go back to my comfy studio and paint.

I stood in the mud on a drizzly day to get the reference photo for the painting above. I'm a wimp when it comes to "roughing it."

I fell in love with this little video of Tony Pro and Jeremy Lipking the minute I saw it:

So far my adventures in plein air painting have been a disaster. Who knew that bugs loved wet paint so much? They took my industrial strength "Deep Woods Off" as a party invitation. 

Rain, lightning, wind, sunburn, and no bathroom...ick.

My last effort to paint outdoors cured me: a sudden gust of wind blew a very wet paint-loaded canvas off the easel. As I struggled to catch it, I stepped in my paint thinner. I swear that more than one annoying sarcastic squirrel laughed at me.

Now I think it is funny but this is really why I am a studio painter.

As I recall, the above painting involved a ferocious battle with mosquitoes and I cut and ran right after I snapped the reference photo.

I keep an inexpensive digital camera in my car at all times because I never know when I'll see just the right lighting, cloud formation, shadow pattern or simply an amazing tree.

I especially like "weather" - the moisture-laden air, clouds before the rain, the clearing after the storm, mists, vapors, fogs, smoke and hazes. 

The mysterious colors of dawn. dusk, twilight and moonlight are better captured on location with my camera instead of my brush.

It only takes an instant to snap a picture. I appreciate the luxury of painting long hours in my warm, dry, bug & wind free indoor studio.

Candid Shots From The Campaign Trail

This is NOT meant to be a political blog...but this election has been so very important to me personally.

I just can't resist posting these pictures - it gives us a tiny peek into the very human and everyday aspects of a campaign.

It's been such a long journey and I (along with a zillion other volunteers) proudly worked to help make this happen.

 

It's true that every election is significant. 

But it's also true that it's impossible to exaggerate the special significance of this one.

The days of racial divide is gone forever. 

From now on, when people around the world hear us say that we believe all Americans are created equal, with equal rights and opportunities under the Constitution, they'll know we really mean it.

I will get back to painting again, but right now I am still blown away by the results of this election and haven't "calmed down" yet...it still makes me cry to think about it.

On the domestic front, we will soon have a president who believes in: civil rights; women's rights; gay rights; workers' rights; universal health care; protecting the environment; and making our schools, again, the best in the world. 

On the global front, we will soon have a president who believes in: ending the war in Iraq, obeying international law, leading the fight against global warming, favoring diplomacy over bombs, and working with our allies as a partner rather than a schoolyard bully.

It's a new day and a new beginning. 

I've never been so proud to be an American.

1.20.2009

On this date America will finally say goodbye to #43 and hello to #44.

"When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set." 

Lin Yutang

Arthur Miller liked to say that the essence of America was its promise. 

"At the end of the evening, the electoral vote count was 349 for Obama, 148 for McCain.
Or, as Fox News says....too close to call."

-David Letterman on election night

Seriously though, the final tally wasn’t even close. Democracy worked and America should be proud.

A New Day Dawns for the Arts

Congratulations President Elect Barack Obama!

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." 

Barack Obama

The following is quoted in part from Robert Genn's Twice-Weekly Letter **

Government involvement in the arts is like the porridge in the Goldilocks-Three Bears story. It has to be "just right." 

Obama is brainy enough to get the support going toward education so that young people begin to know and appreciate the arts once more. Then, perhaps sometime later, free enterprise can truly kick in--yep, it works in the arts too.

Obama wants to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and change the Federal Tax Code for artists. 

He has ideas like sending out "Artists Corps" to underprivileged schools and communities, expansion of public-private partnerships to increase cultural education programs, cultural diplomacy and the inclusion of foreign talent, less inward-looking xenophobia all 'round, as well as health care for artists.

Obama also backs Senator Patrick Leahy's "Artist-Museum Partnership Act," allowing artists to deduct the fair market value of work given to charitable institutions. We might hope that this enlightenment may shine on fundraisers too.

Positive change in this last area would do wonders for charities. Fundraisers would attract better and more valuable art, raise standards, and would give relief to perpetually beleaguered artists. Think of the value to educational institutions alone.

"It is unprecedented," says Robert L. Lynch, CEO of "Americans for the Arts," a Washington-based arts advocacy group. "No presidential candidate in recent times has addressed cultural issues in such detail."

**Subscribe to Robert Genn's Twice-Weekly Letter for free.