4 simple steps on how to create a 3D effect without any computer software technology... just watch.

Step 1, you pass a glaze of transparent shadow, (payne's grey),then,with a dry flat tip brush you smooth it down so as to not see any brush strokes, (this is the famous "sfumato" effect brought into vogue by Leonardo da Vinci). Then you do the same on the opposite side with a transparent white glaze. I always do the dark shadows before the light ones, so as to ballance things out evenly on a canvas.

Liquin is the perfect substance I utilize to dilute the oil paint, it is marvelous... and drys quickly in about 3-6 hours, no other linseed oil nor turpentine is required and most of all no poisonous purple dryer.

Yet it is slower then working with acrylics, which I find often too quick as far as drying time goes... expecially if one is facing certain very complex countours which do take a considerabile amount of time... such as a rich deep skyline... acrylic is way too fast to dry off... leaving an irregular pattern from one shade or tone of colour and another, the very opposite of the unperceptable change given by a great "sfumato".

Liquin is the key... try it out my fellow artists. See, the trick is to do a base, (in this specific case here my hot air balloon is done with red and white stripes). Then let it turn totally dry, important... or else it will smudge giving you an "Impressionist" effect, which could be great too, just a matter of taste and style... but if you instead want to achieve a three dimensional type of Dutch Master's hyper crisp acid ride sort of outcome... then work with the light and shadows in utter transparency over a perfectly dry base colour, and then even out the strokes, smooth them out with the flat dry brush for a "sfumatto" effect... that's what renders it 3D! Hey... I am giving away precious tricks of the trade y'all... waiting on a big chunk of dharma.

Do please enjoy!