Louise 2 - Blocking In

Let me first say that I'm not intending to teach you how to paint; I'm not qualified to do so.

 There's three reasons for spelling out the process (that dates back 100 s' of years) that I use:

a. You may well see that something I'm doing is wrong or can be done in a better way, and you may be kind enough to let me know.

b. There just might be someone starting out who has little or no idea about painting, who may realise that if I can blunder through a portrait then so can they.

c. It journals my play work.

OK, so I'm using a pre-primed linen canvas measuring 18 inches by 14 inches.

I've sketched onto the canvas, with a soft pencil, a drawing of Louise, copying a (awful) photograph as a reference.

I then lightly sprayed over the canvas with a fixative to prevent the pencil running and getting all mixed up with paint.

I then mixed up my first medium as follows:

I used a kitchen scales and metal jug for this ... don't tell Pat!!

I like to use throw-away paper palettes,  and on to mine I put a squirt of oil paint

It's an Burnt Umber coloured Alkyd - a quick drying oil paint - from Newton and Winsor.

I then sploshed it over the sketch to show me were the darks are.

Then I left it to dry, and started another portrait of a surprise visitor to the blog, Blodwyn!