above are examples of vastly different under-paintings.
“There is more than one way to paint a painting.”
I find myself saying this to my students at Georgetown University every semester. The approach, technique and style you deploy in your painting really depends on what you are trying to say. Not every artist needs to begin their work in the same fashion.
For example, could a painting by Vermeer be painted in the same way Lucian Freud painted? It may sound overly simplistic, and perhaps it is. But I hope it makes sense when I say that I don’t always paint in the way you will see in the video below. Sometimes I start with a monochromatic underpainting, and sometimes I begin with no underpainting. I start my work with the final image in mind and change the way I begin based on the desired results.
For my current body of work I like start with a thin colored layer for my underpainting. I used Liquin Fine detail to thin out the under-painted layer and it dries quickly. In the video below you will see me paint over this thin layer after it has dried (a week). I then proceed to use only oil paint for the rest of the painting. No medium for the rest!
Enjoy!
Scott Hutchison
