This week’s focus is on developing a painting from an initial foundation. As you’ve gathered, I’m a big fan of sound foundations as it becomes so much easier to develop an image, add colour, detail, context – really, whatever you wish. I’ll develop a work in progress and paint it out in this session.

Developing acrylic paintings with colour

In the following video, I develop the acrylic painting for which I laid the foundation in lesson 2.  Apologies for the sound quality caused by a nearby waterfall!!

In this second video, I follow a similar approach for a portrait – my method is essentially independent of subject:

 

Method

Adding colour onto an already formed image, whether fairly developed or rudimentary, is helpful in a couple of ways:

1. There is already an image there to guide you, so that you can focus more on colour than form and value. As we explored last week, colour is a world unto itself and adding colour can now be accomplished without compromise.
2. The foundation has already covered up the white of the canvas. There’s nothing wrong with white canvas (some schools of painters insisted on it) however, many painters find the white lightens and gives a less solid result.
3. The background tone “peeks through” the layers which gives a consistent feel and also integrates the image.

I generally use the following approach:

1. I use a two or three-brush “system” which is a medium/light paint brush, a darks brush and, depending on style and application, a third brush for blending – perhaps with some added medium.
2. Work light over light, dark over dark. Remember, you have already formed an image, so use this to guide you and the trick is to not entirely cover it up. It’s not a bad idea to take a photo prior to starting this phase. The only real mistake is to add one tone over everything – thereby losing all of your darks.
3. I start the same way regardless of whether I’m looking to be realistic or expressive. The difference is in the vibrancy of colour,degree of blending and the level of detail I might add.
4. At this stage, I tend to paint around the forms which are there. I am however, careful to keep evolving the image, getting it to work the way I want.
5. I may build the colour into mid-tones and darks first, in that order, leaving highlights for later. As such, the painting might look a little gloomy, perhaps as if the lights were dimmed – you then get to turn up the light towards the end. This can give a real thrill as the highlights are applied. Talk about deferred gratification!
6. As discussed last week, my approach is to use a limited palette, so that I can concentrate on painting rather than all the colours I could be using.
7. One “trick” that I often use in the heat of the process is that I make any changes with whatever brush is to hand, almost regardless of tone or colour. This randomness does not always work, however when it does it can be spectacular.
8. Finally, my mantra is “always be painting” meaning that regardless of the specific process, I am looking for effects to improve the painting, often seeing details to adjust and paint effects that I like, so I will make any changes as I go: not strictly following the plan.

Examples

Here are a few paintings at the foundation stage, along with the final works:

Exercise

1. You might like to continue working on the low-tone study which you commenced previously – equally, why not just start afresh: keep the foundation simple, putting focus on the main forms and lights and darks, as you did previously. Here comes the fun…adding colour!
2. Following the general process above, add colour onto your low-tone foundation. By all means, evolve the image as you go, being mindful of the power of lights and darks as well as placement of forms and features.