Underpainting study
 

This is a first attempt to try an underpainting for a portrait. It is 14 x 11 and I used raw umber with titanium white.

It definitely has helped in establishing my tones and I see some things I hope to work out in the next phase. I am curious to see what happens when I start to apply more color.

Since this is in the critique forum, any suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Hopefully, the file will show up this time!

I know that you probably want to "vignette" the lower part of this, but this is not the stage to do it in.

In an underpainting, make your drawing clear, concise and always define your edges - don't fudge it. You can lose and find your edges, but be accurate. Define those sleeves and arms.

I'm not sure what I am seeing on my computer screen (and I could be wrong) but the tones look uneven in this painting. I hope you are working in thick enough paint. You shouldn't be thinning your paint with anything at this stage.

Thanks, Karin. Didn't know what to do at that point because I knew that it wasn't all going to be clearly defined in that area.

For some reason, I missed your last paragraph. I am thinning with linseed oil. The water mixable paints can get sticky so it helps to have a bit of the linseed oil. And, yes, it is a thin layer of paint. Have I gone about it all wrong :o ?

Ouch, water mixable paints sound awful....try Genesis if you want non-toxic, easy-to-use oils.

Anyhow, if your underpainting is splotchy, it will show through into the upperlayers and ruin them. Thick paint underneath is the way to eliminate this.

Thanks, Karin. So I need to use thick paint without any medium. I thought it looked on the "splotchy" side too but thought I could smooth it out when I added color. If it shows through, I'd better fix it!!

The water mixable paints are oils, they just clean up with water. I like them but I haven't used traditional oils in 20 years so I don't have anything to compare them to. I hate the smell of turpentine as it gives me a headache. The Genesis paints are intriguing...

Thanks again and I'll post the "fixed" underpainting.

Virginia,

Turpenoid doesn't have a smell. I accidentally bought a tube water mixable oil paint and I didn't like it. There are other brush cleaners that do not have a smell.

I know that you are planning on adding to your underpaint so I wanted to offer one observation. The face seems a little elongated to me. This may be how the subject looks, though. If that's the case, ignore my post! The detail in the eyes, hair, and shirt look good.

Virginia,

Be very careful to clarify your general areas of light and general areas of shadow at the beginning of your painting.

Is this distinction clear in your reference photograph? Could you post it?

Karin,

One question about thinning paint to use for an underpaint. I am trying the flake white replacement instead of the flake white and have found a major difference in the consistency of the two. The replacement seems chalky and not as easy to mix. To remedy this, I have mixed a very small amount of mineral spirits to the FW replacement until is about the same buttery texture as FW. I haven't noticed a problem with my recent underpaints, so will this affect the painting in the long term or while I'm working?

Thanks,
Renee Price