Under painting! I don't need no stinking under painting

Well maybe I do. Under painting, the painting underneath the painting. The underpinning that holds the scene together and plays off the colors on the top layer. Changes the way light bounces through the painting. I like to start with vivid colors. I may end up covering them completely but I like to work with them. They inspire me and sometimes take the painting in a whole different direction.

My inspiration was some bikes in Bend Oregon. Ted and I have found that bikes are very popular subjects. I try to photograph them where ever we go.

 When in doubt under paint a rainbow. I had a weird sized board to work on and wanted to try something random on the under painting.  Force my brain to look at things differently.

 When I started working in the shapes I was forced to rethink color combos against the background.

Bend Bikes some weird dimensions, oil on board

There were a number of changes as I realized the balance wasn't there and I needed to rethink the composition. It played much nicer when the foreground was changed. Can't deny a good diagonal line can save a painting. The addition made the bikes more important and gave movement to the piece.

A problem I used to have when I started painting was giving the same importance to everything in the piece. I've had to take time to decide what I want the focus to be. Change the values, color palette, soften the background to boost the importance of the focus of the piece. It's like golf, you will never master it but sometimes you're more successful than other times.   We all have paintings, projects, golf clubs that sit facing the wall until we gain enough experience/knowledge/courage to pick them up again.


The Neighborhood Watch
9 by 12 oil on board

This is a painting I did for a couple of their guard animals. Wrigley and Jasper are ever vigilant.

I started this with a bright orange under painting. The bright red of Wrigley's coat was there to show through the dark of the top coat, play off the blues to add a richness. I pushed the intensity of the cars on the street knowing that I would be doing a glaze and sgraffito to reveal the underpainting. In doing that I muted the street scene and stopped the eye at the doorway. Putting the importance on the animals. My wise mentor and friend Gabbie Hirsch told me that as soon as you put a live thing in a painting your attention is drawn there. True words.

Was pretty pleased with the results. Never had done screen before.

If you haven't tried underpainting your canvases/panels/cupboard doors try it.   A