Another long time out

I have painted some more steps, but have had the winter blahs, so I haven't posted. Now that the hint of spring is in the air I am sure I will get back on track. So bear with me and I will post a couple of new shots soon!

next step

Just a little holiday break in the action - and here is the next step in the 'back painting'. Now that all the canvas is covered in paint I will begin the real painting. I know that most people would say I had already, and I do put more detail in the under painting than I advise my students to. This is when I consider depth, form, and lighting.

more under painting

I tried to remember to take photos after each painting session. There is very little bare canvas left at this point, so I have begun some of the over painting as I fill in the under painting.

under painting

Now it's time for the under painting. This is to lay down blocks of color which will create depth when the actual painting is done. When I teach beginners to paint the under painting is usually just one tone at a time, but I generally put in some of the detail in the under tone as well. When the whole painting is complete none of the underpainting will be left without a coat of paint applied on top. Even though acrylic is opaque the under painting will effect the final result, unless of course you make an error, then you can add enough layers to over come the issue. - oh, by the way - this is a fair sized canvas, 18x24.

Sketch on canvas

So after many sketches on paper, I usually use pencil to start and then black marker to finalize the lines, it's time to transfer these to the canvas. Using a lamp behind the canvas and placing the individual sketches on the underside of the canvas, so the lines show through to the top, helps get the correct position and size. Once I have the lightly sketched pencil lines just as I want them, I again use marker so I can see the lines through the first stages of painting.