Completed work on Made New

After many more layers of glazing and a final touch, the work is finished:

To help promote a glass-like finish on the final work, I had started with a finely sanded canvas. In my textured work, the rough tooth of primed raw canvas is great, but for a smooth final surface, I find it best to remove the tiny irregularities before starting work with paint.

As this work was drawing to a close, I felt as though something was missing. I was really pleased with the final surface of the colored sections after glazing, but the lines seemed to lack interest. To build a stronger impression of stained glass, the lines needed some mild texture, and a slight reduction in gloss. I decided to go back over the areas with a mixture of heavy gel medium and a dark metallic shade. I used the mixture all around the edges of the canvas as well, which gives the impression of a full support for the work.

The photo really does not do justice to the final result, but the additional detail is impressive.