Create luminosity, depth, and surface variation in your paintings. Learn Sadie’s advanced painting techniques for building up thick impastos of paint with lush textural marks, and creating even more texture by applying a glaze over a dry scumble. Sadie also discusses the properties of lead white that give it a wider range of effects than other white pigments.
NEW PREVIEW: Nov 19th, 2021
Technically, glazing is merely applying dark paint over a light layer, and scumbling is applying light paint over a dark layer.
In more common usage, glazing means to tint a large area with darker transparent paint, and scumbling means to gently drag opaque light paint over a darker underpainting to create textured impastos.
This is a very efficient way to paint because textured and smooth surface variations can be used to create the illusion of three dimensional form and space.
Oil paints have a huge range of properties we don’t usually reach when we only focus on color and value. Learn how to amplify the transparent and opaque qualities of paint pigment to bring new dimension and interest to your paint surface.
“I purchased the Glazing course….I was a bit hesitant as I felt so burned out by online and remote learning experiences. But I was so wrong – the course is amazing. I am working along with you using the reference photo and am about to proceed to the second color layer. Jumped ahead and watched the color strips exercise and quickly toned a panel to try my own. My painting is definitely going to improve with a better understanding of transparent and opaque pigments.”
–Jan W.
Video Content Running Time: 3 hours
Hi-res images of Sadie’s seashell final painting and the source photo of the setup are both included with the course
Glazing and Scumbling is the first course we offer with Closed Captions! We are thrilled to be able to make Sadie’s instruction accessible in this way.
Become a member to access all our courses with an affordable monthly subscription. Members can share their artwork and ask questions in our community forum.

oil on panel, 11 x 14 inches, 2021
See the Direct/Alla Prima Materials list
Pay close attention to notes within the materials list that apply to the Glazing and Scumbling course.