The Artist_s Magazine 2016-03__

56 http://www.artistsmagazine.com

outdoor lighting conditions in order to paint

them convincingly later in the studio.

The All-Important Underpainting

h e nice thing about oils is that they’re wet;

the problem with oils is that they’re wet. h at’s

why I like to start my paintings with a fast-

drying, transparent underpainting in warm

and cool colors. h e type of medium I use

depends on the size of the painting. If it’s

18x24 or smaller, I create a 50-50 mixture of

paint and Gamblin Gamsol and literally scrub

it on as if I were cleaning my brush. h e color

gets thinner, more luminous and transparent,

and the paint dries quickly.

On the other hand, if my painting is larger

than 18x24, I add a second layer of a dif erent

consistency to my underpainting. I follow the

scrubbed-on layer with a wash, the dif erence

being that I dilute my paint with more Gamsol

and, using a two-inch brush, cover the canvas,

applying the paint with both a sense of aban-

don and an intuitive feeling for what’s needed.

h e visual ef ect of this application is more like

a watercolor wash and, as with watercolor, the

“accidents” of unexpected drippings occur. I

value these unplanned marks, for they add to

the overall texture of the underpainting and

quite possibly will add mystery to the i nished

work and bring pleasure to the eye.

h e underpainting literally sets the tone

of the work. I use a mixture of Winsor &

Newton burnt sienna (a warm color) and any

brand of ultramarine blue (a cool color) to

make a special “black.” Adjusting this mixture

gives me dark colors, both warm and cool,

ABOVE: In the upper

half of The Red

Barn (oil on panel,

24x36), one can

easily see the warm

and cool transpar-

ent colors of the

underpainting. These

vibrant colors blend

beautifully with

the subsequently

applied kaleidosope

of greens, so inher-

ent in the subject. I

applied the opaque

upper colors with

both brush and pal-

ette knife, creating

engaging contrasts.