If building up colors by glazing isn't working, there are two things to check. First: are you glazing onto paint that is utterly, totally, and completely dry? If it's not, then the fresh and old paint will mix on the canvas, which you don't want.
The second, are your colors thin and transparent? When glazing, it's better to have to apply another glaze because the color isn't quite where you want it to be rather than using paint that's too opaque or thick. A glaze should be like a color filter, rather than a color layer.
The photo above left shows a painting where the paint used for glazing isn't thin enough to produce subtle color changes. This will be solved by diluting the colors with more medium than has been used. The photo above right shows how far you can go in terms of diluting a color for glazing. It may look too thin, as if it won't have any effect, but it will. Glazing is about building color up through layers, slowly, until you've the strength of color you want.
See Also:
• Top 7 Tips for Painting Glazes
• How to Paint Glazes in Oils or Acrylics
• Painting Demo: Glazing with Acrylics
• Painting Glazes with Watercolor
• An Oil Painter Reveals His Glazing Secrets
The second, are your colors thin and transparent? When glazing, it's better to have to apply another glaze because the color isn't quite where you want it to be rather than using paint that's too opaque or thick. A glaze should be like a color filter, rather than a color layer.
The photo above left shows a painting where the paint used for glazing isn't thin enough to produce subtle color changes. This will be solved by diluting the colors with more medium than has been used. The photo above right shows how far you can go in terms of diluting a color for glazing. It may look too thin, as if it won't have any effect, but it will. Glazing is about building color up through layers, slowly, until you've the strength of color you want.
See Also:
• Top 7 Tips for Painting Glazes
• How to Paint Glazes in Oils or Acrylics
• Painting Demo: Glazing with Acrylics
• Painting Glazes with Watercolor
• An Oil Painter Reveals His Glazing Secrets