Russ Ball paints in acrylic, oil and egg tempera on canvas and prepared panels. Each media has aesthetic qualities of its own and the style and subject of the painting determines the media choice. Ball’s large canvasses are done in acrylic. Acrylic paint has a “graphic”quality. Fast drying Acrylic allows layering and texturing to be done
quicky which makes it ideal for large canvasses.

Oil takes longer to dry allowing the artist time to model but requiring drying time between glazing. Oil paintings have a creamier appearance than acrylic. Ball’s exquisite bird paintings, some of which are shown on a different page of this site, are done in oil on a gesso panel.

Egg tempera, an ancient medium using egg yellow and water mixed with pigment, requires a series of translucent glazes to build up color. Though tedious, when done properly it allows for beautiful skin tones and wonderful detail. Egg tempera has a lovely waxy surface and never yellows over time.