Oil Paint
Oil paint is a slow-drying paint made with pigment and a drying oil binder. It is widely used for artwork because it blends smoothly and develops rich color.
Painter
Ronald Davis
Ronald Davis was an American painter known for colored polyester-resin and fiberglass abstractions, shaped panels, optical geometry, and acrylic painting.
Ronald Davis quick facts
Davis built optical color planes in pigmented polyester resin laminated to fiberglass, using molds, masks, and polished finishes on shaped supports.
| Born | 1937 · Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Died | 2025 · Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Movements | Hard-edge painting · Geometric abstraction · Abstract Illusionism |
| Paint types | Pigmented polyester resin (used as paint) · Oil paint (early work) · Acrylic paint (later work) |
| Painting surfaces | Fiberglass cloth and molded panels · Canvas (early and later paintings) |
| Painting methods | Masking perspective shapes and brushing pigmented resin face-down into waxed molds; layering fiberglass behind, curing, then peeling and polishing the work |
| Common subjects | Geometric color fields, dodecagons, shaped planes, optical depth, perspective, and spatial illusion |
| Industrial materials | Polyester-resin binder, dyes and pigments, fiberglass mat, waxed Formica molds, and reinforced backings |
| Notable works | Roto (1968) · Blue-Black (1968) · Three Panel (1969) |
Sources: Artist's technical statement on polyester-resin and fiberglass painting, LACMA: Roto (1968), molded polyester resin and fiberglass, Smithsonian Hirshhorn: Blue-Black, resin and fiberglass, Artist's studio: chronology, hard-edge paintings and shaped supports, Artist's studio: 1937–2025 dates and place of death, Artist's studio: Three Panel and late acrylic Polar series, Seattle Art Museum: oil on canvas, resins and later painting methods, and Smithsonian Archives of American Art: polyester-resin technique.
Paint types used
Explore Davis's pigmented polyester resin as a painting medium, alongside early oil canvases and later acrylic pictures, while keeping fiberglass separate.
Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint is a fast-drying, water-based paint made with pigment and an acrylic polymer binder. It is widely used in art and decorative projects because it is versatile and durable.
Surface types used
Molded fiberglass supported Davis's shaped resin works, while stretched canvas carried early oil and later acrylic paintings and other geometric series.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is a composite material made from glass fibers embedded in resin. Finished pieces usually have a smooth resin or gelcoat surface rather than exposed fibers.
Canvas
Canvas is a woven fabric support used for paintings, banners, bags, décor, and other projects. Artist canvas may be raw, sized, acrylic-primed, oil-primed, or factory-coated, and each condition changes how paint absorbs and bonds.
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