Transparent verses opaque

Here is you into to find this out for Walnut oil paints:

http://mgraham.com/products/oil-paints/blue-oil-paints/

Sunflowers

Building the surface first with Modeling paste and then painting thick on top.  Creating an impasto effect/look.

Painting Thin

This is for my students at the Danforth Museum, intermediate painting class.  This is a painting where  I am building layers of paint to get a luminescent effect.  The first one I am drawing into the painting to reorganize my ideas.

Almost Finished

Another 12 hours on this painting.  I think folks who are not artists do not understand how long it takes to make a painting work really well.  I am still pondering on changing some things.  I don't ever want an ok painting.  I want a huge success.  I feel like I've hit the point maybe twice in my life.  It is always worth working towards.  The values still need a little adjusting and I am not sure about losing some of the stripes.  I am trying to redirect the eye to make sure there is a flow in the painting.  It is so busy, that I have to let go of some of the elements.  I will see it for the next three days, since I won't be touching it but teaching and walking in and out of my studio.