A reader asked something along the lines:
“One of my teachers says you should always do an underpainting at the start. I would love your thoughts on the subject.”
My thoughts:
There are few things I broadly recommend as “must-do” practices. Enjoying the process and not taking yourself too seriously are the only ones that come to mind at this moment. But these are more related to the art life. In terms of painting techniques and processes, what works for me might not work for you, and what works for one painting might not work in the next.
Not only that, sometimes a painting calls for you to break free of convention and use “bad” or unusual practices to get the desired result. For example, Jeremy Mann makes skillful use of a household paint roller in his cityscapes, but that doesn’t mean everyone should start doing the same. What works for him, might not work for you.
And as for underpainting the canvas, yes, it can be an effective way to start a painting. I often start with a thin stain of color, but it depends on my mood and the subject. Sometimes I prefer to jump straight into it and see where the painting takes me.
My overall philosophy is to treat every technique and process as a tool at my disposal for each painting. I don’t start a painting with a strict set of tools, but rather I tailor it based on the subject and my mood. Of course, I have my go-tos and habits, but I always try to be flexible.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
drawpaintacademy.com