The Underpainting

Here is the underpainting

The underpainting is the first layer of paint before the more "natural" colors go onto the canvas. So even though the picture above looks like it was made from charcoal, it is actually all done in a light wash of oil paint. The color used was a mixture of raw umber, burnt sienna and a touch of black, and then mixed with a healthy amount of mineral spirits to get the wash look.

Now I will have a better idea about the true tone of the colors I put on in the next step. Better than if I had not done an underpainting at all.

The next time you see the picture it will have color. Exciting.