The Artist's Road Painting the World's Beautiful Places

The Beginning

A Step by Step

Oil Painting Demonstration

 
The Beginning - Fig. 1

   A good beginning generally leads to a good finish is a basic rule-of-thumb in painting. So what makes a good beginning? That varies from picture to picture, but always requires one thing—a plan. A very good place to start is with thumbnail compositional sketches followed by a tonal sketch of the winning design. That important tonal sketch can be accomplished either in a drawing medium, or as a thin oil lay-in on our canvas. We prefer the oil lay-in since it can be built upon and incorporated into the final as an imprimatura layer. In painting, imprimatura is an initial stain of color painted on a ground. It provides a painter with a transparent, toned ground, which will allow light falling onto the painting to reflect through the paint layers. The term itself stems from the Italian and literally means "first paint layer”. Fig. 1 is a thin color wash of transparent oxide red on a 12 x 12” oil primed linen panel. We like this surface because it can selectively be wiped back to white primer before it is dry.

The Beginning - Fig. 2

   Fig. 2 is my finished imprimatura layer to establish the composition and spread of values in the painting to come. This was to be a cool, dark woods pierced by bright sunlight. Establishing a feeling of that light early was very important. Note that I have wiped back specific areas to a lighter tone.

The Beginning - Fig. 3

     Working over the wet imprimatura with slightly thicker paint, I began placing where the major masses were while establishing my overall color palette. I was careful to preserve as much imprimatura as I could keep for the final. This painting is really a preliminary study for a larger painting, and its purpose was to work out how to control the large variations in values and the contrasts in color temperature before I started the larger work.

The Beginning - Fig. 4

   Fig. 4  - Working quickly wet into wet, I started defining shapes and edges while keeping those shapes loose and interpretive.

The Beginning - Fig. 5

    Fig. 5 - Thirty minutes in and I am mostly finished with the background and have moved to foreground shapes and elements to build the scaffolding of branches and trunks. The surface is still pliable and a little sticky. It is at this point where I am concentrating on creating that sense of light rays which back-light certain elements and wash over others. The artful removal of paint can be just as important of a skill as the painting-in skill is!

The Beginning     12 x 12"     Oil     © John Hulsey

   The final steps bring me to the front of the picture plane where the thin gray trees stand, brightly drawn in cool daylight against the warmer, darker background. I waited until the other paint-work was nearly dry before attempting this overlay. I think that the contrasts between these two lighting situations creates an interesting effect, and at this size, a successful small study of the forest around my home.

The Beginning     36 x 36"     Oil      © John Hulsey

    This is the larger 36 x 36” studio work based on the results of the study. Can you see how helpful the study was in creating an even more effective and expressive studio work? Give this process a try and let us know how you do!