Painting with oils on top of acrylics requires a binder layer of pale oil mixed with
"drops only" of Japan drier. This wet, oil-based layer will dry slowly and provide the bonding surface for the oil paint. "Oil paint gives me the flexibility to extend color to very fine points," he says. "One color beside another defines it and creates a synergy." This binder layer will allow for soft blending of paint and then give a shine to the painting. Though it takes several hours to dry, "slower drying is better for the paint (which shrinks as it dries). If it dries too quickly, the paint will crack," he says. Varoujan's oil palette displays a wide array of colors, but he may use only brown, black, ochre, red and blue, as he did to complete the demo. Still, he says he wants to have colors on hand should he need them during this application of oil glazes. Once this layer is dry he can not go back in and add to it. Over his silver border, he strokes on a mixture of umber and black, building contours. He feathers this dark color from the edge of the canvas to the central painting and then pulls lines from inside the painting out through the border. The same burnt umber feathering is applied to shapes within the painting. This transparent glaze, done in the classical style, blends instantly because of theoil beneath. The three-dimensional shapes continues to build and new forms are added with a blend of dark to light curves. At this point Varoujan seeks to emphasize the curves, angles and lines of his figures. Shapes comes out from the canvas.
A dab of the umber mixture blended on Romeo's check softens the blue tone, originally highlighted with white. Instantly the color values change. This is how"colors talk to colors."

Final touches
The final step is to evaluate the painting within a black lacquer frame with a white liner. The black enhances the colors and is Varoujan's favorite frame. Each step in this series allows for changing the initial drawing. But the penciled border and freehand application of abstract lines give Varoujan the underlying direction for his creativity. "Anyone can do it, but each person will bring something of their own sense of balance and color." From simple lines, visible shapes, and shaded colors comes an engaging original abstract with figures.