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Four stages of painting used by many Masters of the past.
The traditional steps of oil painting technique are :
(1.) Inventing and drawing. } Underpainting
(2.) Dead Coloring } Underpainting
(3.) Laying in colors } Overpainting
(4.) Touch up } Overpainting
The term "inventing", corresponds to the modern terms drawing or sketching,
"dead-coloring" to under painting and "laying in colors" to finishing or the application
of color and detail.
The traditional steps of oil painting technique are :
(1.) Inventing and drawing. } Underpainting
(2.) Dead Coloring } Underpainting
(3.) Laying in colors } Overpainting
(4.) Touch up } Overpainting
The term "inventing", corresponds to the modern terms drawing or sketching,
"dead-coloring" to under painting and "laying in colors" to finishing or the application
of color and detail.
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Inventing and Drawing
1.
The early master concept of "inventing"
corresponds to the initial drawing or sketching
executed directly on the artist's canvas or panel.
This kind of drawing served to fix the most
significant contours of the subjects and act as a
guide to subsequent stages of the work. Chalk,
charcoal, tempera and oil paints in various tones
were employed. My recommendation is that you use
paint instead of dry medium for this stage. I also
recommend that you do not use thinner. To the
extent you use it, you will lose control. The more you
use it, the less control you will have. If your paint is
to stiff, which is rarely the case with modern tube
colors, especially darks, relax it with a drop of oil. Do
not use white at this point. They call it oil painting, do
not worry that this early stage is to fat. Just be sure
to spread the oil very thin. You could do this first and
paint wet into wet. If you do so you will not have to
relax the paint. Mistakes are easy to correct, unlike
acrylics, that would have to be painted over, so get
your drawing accurate, take breaks and look at it
again with a fresh eye. Ask friends to take a look,
they don't have to be artist to see mistakes, or make
good suggestions. Your painted drawing can be as
detail or simple as you like. Slow drying is an
advantage here and all carbon blacks are slow
driers. If you are more confident and want this stage
to be dry tomarrow so you can continue to stage
two, add about 25% raw umber to the black and it
will still appear black but be dry tomarrow. It may
stimulate your imagination more if you use raw
umber only on a gray or mid tone brown imprimatura
or toned ground or priming. Other than accuracy,
correct proportion, and perspective your goal in this
Inventing stage is to decide on the best placement of
your main element or point of interest along with
secondary elements into a balanced and interesting
composition.
corresponds to the initial drawing or sketching
executed directly on the artist's canvas or panel.
This kind of drawing served to fix the most
significant contours of the subjects and act as a
guide to subsequent stages of the work. Chalk,
charcoal, tempera and oil paints in various tones
were employed. My recommendation is that you use
paint instead of dry medium for this stage. I also
recommend that you do not use thinner. To the
extent you use it, you will lose control. The more you
use it, the less control you will have. If your paint is
to stiff, which is rarely the case with modern tube
colors, especially darks, relax it with a drop of oil. Do
not use white at this point. They call it oil painting, do
not worry that this early stage is to fat. Just be sure
to spread the oil very thin. You could do this first and
paint wet into wet. If you do so you will not have to
relax the paint. Mistakes are easy to correct, unlike
acrylics, that would have to be painted over, so get
your drawing accurate, take breaks and look at it
again with a fresh eye. Ask friends to take a look,
they don't have to be artist to see mistakes, or make
good suggestions. Your painted drawing can be as
detail or simple as you like. Slow drying is an
advantage here and all carbon blacks are slow
driers. If you are more confident and want this stage
to be dry tomarrow so you can continue to stage
two, add about 25% raw umber to the black and it
will still appear black but be dry tomarrow. It may
stimulate your imagination more if you use raw
umber only on a gray or mid tone brown imprimatura
or toned ground or priming. Other than accuracy,
correct proportion, and perspective your goal in this
Inventing stage is to decide on the best placement of
your main element or point of interest along with
secondary elements into a balanced and interesting
composition.
Click on thumbnails to enlarge |
1.
2.
3.
4.
2. Dead Coloring
A.
B.
C.
Figure A. Shows the canvass with a raw umber and ivory black imprimatura, with a white chalk
drawing. The chalk disappears with the paint, in next step.
Figure B. Shows the first painted drawing session with the same two mixed colors.
Figure C. Shows my last painted drawing session. I think this is all I need to finish the drawing
and inventing stage. This will serve as a map for the next three steps.
drawing. The chalk disappears with the paint, in next step.
Figure B. Shows the first painted drawing session with the same two mixed colors.
Figure C. Shows my last painted drawing session. I think this is all I need to finish the drawing
and inventing stage. This will serve as a map for the next three steps.
A.
B.
I begin the dead coloring stage by adding white to the two colors used in the first stage . It is
time to begin opaquing up the painted drawing. In the shirt area no white at all has been added,
just another layer of the first two pigments mentioned. This time more ivory black than raw
umber. Flake white was the only white available to the old masters, and is still the best to use,
especially in the under painting. It forms a more durable film and dries much faster than
titanium or zinc whites. It is harmful if ingested so I recommend you resist the urge to eat any of
your paint.
time to begin opaquing up the painted drawing. In the shirt area no white at all has been added,
just another layer of the first two pigments mentioned. This time more ivory black than raw
umber. Flake white was the only white available to the old masters, and is still the best to use,
especially in the under painting. It forms a more durable film and dries much faster than
titanium or zinc whites. It is harmful if ingested so I recommend you resist the urge to eat any of
your paint.
3. Laying in Color
It might seem I have jumped way ahead in this next session. Actually it only took a few minutes
to apply a flesh colored frottie to the face , cap, and background. The previous stage is still
showing through, and providing the form. There was a slight addition of sun thickened oil to
the frottie mix, of flake white and red ochre. For the background a little yellow ochre was also
added. Up until fig. B of this stage everything has been relatively fluid or easy flowing. I was
careful to keep these earlier stages very thin, if you are thinking they might be to fat. In figure B
the brush strokes become more articulate or specific, with less brushing back and forth. Paint
pretty much as it comes from the tube , without medium.
to apply a flesh colored frottie to the face , cap, and background. The previous stage is still
showing through, and providing the form. There was a slight addition of sun thickened oil to
the frottie mix, of flake white and red ochre. For the background a little yellow ochre was also
added. Up until fig. B of this stage everything has been relatively fluid or easy flowing. I was
careful to keep these earlier stages very thin, if you are thinking they might be to fat. In figure B
the brush strokes become more articulate or specific, with less brushing back and forth. Paint
pretty much as it comes from the tube , without medium.
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I feel compelled to move on or am inspired to try an idea I have been headed toward, for
over 50 years of painting. The 4 steps above are certainly not the only way to do a
painting. It makes perfect sense to me now, to begin a painting on a dark ground and
paint toward the light, rater than applying dark colors to a light ground. I am in good
company, Caravaggio , El Greco, Rembrandt , Goya, Velazquez, and others. I will give
reasons later.
over 50 years of painting. The 4 steps above are certainly not the only way to do a
painting. It makes perfect sense to me now, to begin a painting on a dark ground and
paint toward the light, rater than applying dark colors to a light ground. I am in good
company, Caravaggio , El Greco, Rembrandt , Goya, Velazquez, and others. I will give
reasons later.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 1 is just a yellow ochre, with a little black, imprimatura. Only a little thinner was used in
this step. None will be used after. This canvass was in the studio as such, I could have
started with step 2.
Step 2 is a priming of mostly red ochre with a little black and raw umber mixed together and
applied with a painting knife.
Step 3 - I am continuing using darks to lay in the drawing for the under painting, saving the
heaviest lights and detail for the next step of the under painting.
Step 4 - This is hardly a step, more of a short session, where I am trying to continue refining
the subject . I plan to stay in this stage for a good while to make the under painting very
complete. As long as you are painting with darks, in my case raw umber, and holding back
with the lights, you will not lose any harmony with color. Too many young artist start a painting
with 20 colors, and in a short time are lost.
Step 5 - I jumped ahead with color. In the next step I will try to discipline myself, for you,
to go back to working on the cloth, and limestone fireplace above the handle in two colors,
raw umber and flake white.
Step 6 - I am about half way through at this point.
this step. None will be used after. This canvass was in the studio as such, I could have
started with step 2.
Step 2 is a priming of mostly red ochre with a little black and raw umber mixed together and
applied with a painting knife.
Step 3 - I am continuing using darks to lay in the drawing for the under painting, saving the
heaviest lights and detail for the next step of the under painting.
Step 4 - This is hardly a step, more of a short session, where I am trying to continue refining
the subject . I plan to stay in this stage for a good while to make the under painting very
complete. As long as you are painting with darks, in my case raw umber, and holding back
with the lights, you will not lose any harmony with color. Too many young artist start a painting
with 20 colors, and in a short time are lost.
Step 5 - I jumped ahead with color. In the next step I will try to discipline myself, for you,
to go back to working on the cloth, and limestone fireplace above the handle in two colors,
raw umber and flake white.
Step 6 - I am about half way through at this point.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Copper Kettle
Step 6
Step 7
Finished
