I'm Gonna Try Paint This In Oils (A Photo I Took Recently)

[Tony (ASM)]

Tony, I am not sure about underpainting either. I was in the middle of my current one and decided right then and there  that popping in a thousand dabs for leave was just taking too long, so I put in an underpainting of solid darker green. Underpaintings do work well and many many artist do use them (blocking in sold masses of color) Good luck on your painting. It's a big one!

[Val]

I now know about underpainting for acrylic and oil...but only recently discovered it also can be used with watercolour. That will have to wait for another day! I'm bogging myself down a bit too much at this point. The whole concept makes great sense to me, I hope one of you will show how you use it.

[liz]

Hi Tony, nice to see you back and using water mixable oils.  They work great for me, but now I'm resting from art work since coming down with bad cold.  And I'm reviewing music theory, guess from whose site!  It's great for visualizing piano chords, along with chording on the fretboard!  You're a GREAT teacher!

[nolan]

underpainting is usually either done with the darkest value or a neutral colour or the complimentary colour, so it's a very difficult question to answer. In other words It's not possible to give a "use Sap Green" type of answer here.

As for me I don't even use the underpainting technique as I believe the light goes through the paint and bounces off the white canvas, giving the painting more luminosity. So by adding an underpainting I lose that effect.

[Val]

I should think that with watercolour it would be even more so? I was thinking of it as a great time saver where you have larger areas of say green for trees or blocking in a large area for background hills/mountains etc. Now I'm beginning to think...why paint the picture twice?  Another conundrum!

[thegrindre]

From what I understand, and how I use it, is for my dark shadows and cracks. Ya, it uses up extra paint and is actually a painting in itself that you/I'm painting over to save a little fine detail work later on.
It's really a painting under a painting, hence, underpainting.

I have a painting I started a few days ago and it's full of underpaintings. I'll share it in another thread, OK?

[nolan]

pretty much my train of thought as well Val 

[Tony (ASM)]

underpainting is usually either done with the darkest value or a neutral colour or the complimentary colour, so it's a very difficult question to answer. In other words It's not possible to give a "use Sap Green" type of answer here.

As for me I don't even use the underpainting technique as I believe the light goes through the paint and bounces off the white canvas, giving the painting more luminosity. So by adding an underpainting I lose that effect.

[Tony (ASM)]

Hi Tony, nice to see you back and using water mixable oils.  They work great for me, but now I'm resting from art work since coming down with bad cold.  And I'm reviewing music theory, guess from whose site!  It's great for visualizing piano chords, along with chording on the fretboard!  You're a GREAT teacher!

Sorry o hear you are coming down with a cold. It's that time of year when those viral critters are out on an attack frenzy  Well, I hope you get better after some rest.
LOL! I'm pleased you are getting some use out of my theory!
Come back on painting soon as you can eh. 
Tony 

[dennis]

I did an experiment the other day with the colors we use in the teaching studio testing the transparency of each.

OPAQUE: Titanium White, Raw Umber and Yellow Ochre.
TRANSPARENT: Cad Yellow, Cad Red, Cad Orange, Aliz Crimson, Viridian and Ultramarine Blue.

Interesting

I'm also busy testing the drying times without the use of any medium (normal single thin layer). Raw Umber, Viridian and Cad Yellow dried within 24 hours. Unbelievably Yellow Ochre and Cad Red are taking longer to dry than White

[EllaNZ]

Most beautiful photos, Topdog. 

[Tony (ASM)]

I did an experiment the other day with the colors we use in the teaching studio testing the transparency of each.

OPAQUE: Titanium White, Raw Umber and Yellow Ochre.
TRANSPARENT: Cad Yellow, Cad Red, Cad Orange, Aliz Crimson, Viridian and Ultramarine Blue.

Interesting

I'm also busy testing the drying times without the use of any medium (normal single thin layer). Raw Umber, Viridian and Cad Yellow dried within 24 hours. Unbelievably Yellow Ochre and Cad Red are taking longer to dry than White

Wow! That's great you are doing this Dennis.  I was going to ask about transparent colours and how they relate to the luminosity on a painting without doing an under-paint (Alla Prima). I think I'll leave the question until it poses any problem as I progress through my painting though.
When the paints are dry after 24 hours, does this change the 'fat over lean' aspect? When 'dry', is it just that a skin has formed and then allows us to do another coat on top?
Thanks for the post Dennis and I look forward to the results. 

[Tony (ASM)]

Most beautiful photos, Topdog. 

Thank you Ella! Yeah, I got very lucky with this one. It's like going fishing to a Photographer! I bobbed down to take a look at the Duck and could see the surrounding area looking beautiful. So, I used my phone camera to snap a few shots. I have a few wider ones too that'll help if choose to extend the painting.
I'm going to put some flowers or Bulrushes in the left foreground. Daffodils might be good or, something red like tulips to compliment the greens.
Although the building is a Giraffe House (you can just make 'em out if ya look close right of mid just under the trees)
I won't make them any more prominent because I like the serine look of the scene. But, I'm open minded and willing to incorporate/consider any suggestions.
I'm going out again today to collect the big canvass so, I'll be making a start tonight. I've a few guitar lessons to do today.
Cheers
Tony 

[Tony (ASM)]

[liz]

WOW! Double WOW!  Words escape me, Tony!  Gorgeous hair in the portrait and your jet is so realistic in its sheen!  You can do anything well, Tony!  You'll do GREAT with your large canvas!  You've motivated me to prep a couple canvases, but right now I'm only viewing Lesson 21 on Theory!

P.S. Just thought I'd tell you I bought a lawsuit Martin Takamine from a collector friend recently, after selling my Washburn when I moved 9 yrs. ago.  When I retired from teaching I didn't think I needed a pick up anymore since I wasn't going to play in school assemblies. Anyway, my new old guitar has great sound quality and the narrow neck makes barring easier for me!