Using a Grid as an Underpainting
Painting is my work and my favorite thing to do. On vacation, it also becomes work. Every good painting requires some design, drawing and then even more thought to pull it together. This “fun” activity turns quickly turns into a downer when I’d rather party. This year I came up with a new plan to eradicate this issue! Using photographs, I drew out my painting “from the area” before I left and later finished the piece at home. By the ocean, in the shade of a beautiful gazebo I painted and quit as soon as it felt like work. It was fun!
Applying an under-painting can be an exciting way to connect your subject to the background. A colored grid like this, with its repetitive manner, can add rhythm to a piece. See what I did each day.
1.First, an irregular grid was painted on and then the subject was drawn on top of it. I ignored the grid and started painting like it was white paper.
2. The down and up of the fence and irregular railings of pink and white and baby blue, became a useful design feature in this piece. Then I painted between the rails on some and the decorative trim, connecting them. Darks were added and the trunk of the palm tree was painted in.
3. Here I added another darker more detail layer to the objects.I found some issues and worked on them here.
4. I worked a little more to connect the grid and then quit. When confused, wait!
5. Dreams about a shadow from the decorative edge came to me as a way to bring out the darks brightening the piece. I turned the piece upside down, painted in the shadows and worked to finish. The finished piece is at the top.
You can sign up today online or contact me for a full workshop description. There is a registration form and you can pay a $75.00 deposit to hold your spot.
2020 Workshops Schedule
With Instructor Ellen Jean Diederich TWSA, RRWS, WSA
Building Transparent Layers in Watercolor
Workshop Tuesday-Friday April 14-17 9:00-3:30 p.m. Fargo, ND
Acrylic Landscape Painting
Workshop June 2-5 9:00-3:30 p.m. Fargo, ND
Beginning Watercolor Workshop
Workshop July 21-24 9:00-3:30 p.m. Fargo, ND
————————
