Underpainting

Yesterday some of Carol Carter's students asked me about underpainting. Oil painters are accustomed to using the technique, for instance with a flat field of red. Watercolorists also use underpainting, which can be soft edged, wet-into-wet, or sharp edged shapes that form an abstract pattern. After the underpainting dries, the subject matter is super-imposed on the abstract pattern. Both the colors and the pattern influence the second layer, providing unity and harmony.

Notice also the curvilinears in the underpainting and the repeated circles in the subject. And as mentioned in yesterday's blog, watch for the softened edges near the edges of the paper.

Perhaps these photos will help to demonstrate the process.

"I Love a Parade" is the second in a series of 4th of July subjects.