What is the secret to blending in oils?
A. When you’re striving for painted realism, whether it be soft, translucent flowers or the hard edges of fruit, blending skills are extremely important. Blending mistakes can make your subject look harsh (from underblending) or flat (from overblending). If your colors become muddy, you may have overblended-the most common painting mistake. If the colors look spotty, you may have underblended. For best results, always use the best quality brushes you can afford. For working in oils, use natural sable bright brushes (shorter-bristled flat brushes). To help reduce overblending, use the largest brush size that still feels comfortable in the area you’re working. I generally block in values on an object, which means I place the light, medium and dark values side by side within an area such as a petal or leaf. Use very small amounts of paint, and wipe the brush after placing each value. To blend, hold the brush at a slightly relaxed angle, so half the chisel edge rests in the light value and
