Painting Demonstration
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I´ve included the major steps of completing one of my recent oil paintings below.   The sketch is often my most important step since I believe a good painting hinges on a strong design.

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I begin with a red ground and a blue or purple underpainting to lightly outline the major areas of the painting.  I find that it´s more exciting to begin on a colored ground.  While I was traditionally trained to begin with a neutral color such as brown, I have been inspired by local artists such as Cathy Martin and Caroline Jasper who use a brighter palette and red colored ground (gesso).

Next, I lay in a tonal study to establish the main values in the painting.   start with shadows and other dark areas and save the sky for last as you can see to the right.

Here my tonal study is complete.  I try to do most of this in one sitting (1-3 hours) so that it stays fresh and slightly sketchy.  Otherwise, the painting lacks unity and I find myself bored with it.  My best paintings were often the quickest to do and the ones I´ve enjoyed the most.

Finally, I return to add some finishing touches and highlights after the first layer has some time to try.  Notice that I pull some light areas into the snow and sky.  There were some areas that were hard to distinguish forms such as the areas around the clothesline.  Other than priming and the underpainting, this painting was completed in about 5 total hours.  However, several more hours were involved in planning it so it could be done in so short time.

As an artist and life-long learner, I appreciate feedback whether it is constructive, positive, or whatever.

 Please e-mail me at mharrell@wcpss.net.