Can an underpainting improve your artwork?

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 I think so!  It certainly has been a wonderful addition to my processes and how I now begin almost every painting.  This is an example. 

My painting titled "Snip, Snip" ( completed in 2022)was painted to honor my Mother and her sisters who were amazing seamstresses. Those Italian girls were all taught to sew at a professional level and made careers with this ability. Although I tried, I am a poor substitute to their expertise. But....I did inherit a love of art, color and a lot of scissors!


Let me explain how I created this painting.  

1. First I arranged scissors in a complicated overlapping pattern. I photographed the color and the B/W versions as a guide. 


The B/W then became my value study which showed me a minimum of 5 values I wanted in my painting. From the lightest to the darkest, I established a mid tone and one value inbetween.


2. Sketching this on watercolor paper did not require more than a ruler. I did enlarge the shapes from the 8.5" x 11" copy paper to a 15"x 22" sheet of 140# Arches rough paper.

3. The underpainting consisted of just a yellow, a red and a blue : Hansa Yellow (Light or Medium), Alizarin Crimson and French Ultramarine Blue. These are all transparent which means they play nicely, blending well with other colors. That is especially important for the underpainting.  

           I sprayed the paper with a mister so that it is spattered and damp in places. Then, starting with a mildly diluted yellow start tossing pigment from my brush. I encourage you to let the paint and water mix without using a brush, simply turn your paper or use a straw to blow/push it in opposite directions. Keep it soft and let the white of the paper show through. Let this dry.

        You can see why this approach cannot be copied by anyone


The Scissors

Now you are ready to paint your shapes. I started with each of the finger holes and handles individually but no need to rewet the paper as you have already done that. I then left the inner and outer blades white to help the viewer enter this scene. Have fun with this endeavor: use a variety of colors as you progress through these parts repeating each color. 

The Basket

 So you already have a busy design but it's floating in space. The basket anchors it and also allows some 3 dimensionality.you have many choices here…I’m going to create a softer monotone basket as I restart this painting in Kerrville for the Guadalupe Watercolor Group.


And, after that event, their President, Marcia Pape, sent me this wonderful photo collage of the event. I think a picture is worth a thousand words here. 




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