Part 3

Developing the Under Painting

At this stage I am still using the acrylic Burnt Umber. I add more tonal washes and start to describe areas of light and shade. The techniques at this stage are identical to those used with watercolour. I am adding thin transparent washes so as not to lose any of the lines. These are subtle and built up gradually and patiently. All during this process I have a copy of the original close to hand.

Here, I begin to fill in the dark areas of the background. So far, all of this has been done with one colour, Burnt Umber, accurately placed lines and a few transparent washes. Again, like watercolour, I have used just the background priming for the highlights. Already a lot of the original painting has been established. It’s all about planning, method and patience, taking each stage as it comes and not trying to get finished effects immediately. I believe that (in painting, as in life) the harder a thing is to achieve the more method is required. Slow, sure layered technique and thinking is the key here. This is the final stage of the drawing. The next stage is applying oil paints over our drawing…