The Evolution of a Painting

One of the first things that people say when they see my paintings is, "How do you do that?" Well, I truly believe that it's about 90% technique and 10% talent combined with a true passion about the process...well, at least most of the process. So I thought I would share with you the evolution of a painting.

Step One is to choose a subject that you absolutely love. Why? Because you will be stuck with it for many weeks or even months. Ok, "stuck" may not be the best word however, like your children, your paintings occasionally go through some "growing pains" so you better love them right from the start cause they can make you question your abilities (as a parent and/or as an artist)! For this painting I chose a wonderful couple who were gracious enough to invite us to their wedding in Punta Cana in January 2009. It was a simple, fun, touching, beautiful ceremony and a terrific vacation. Two days after the wedding a group of us convinced the newlyweds to get dressed up once again in their wedding attire and go for a "trash the dress" photo session on the beach. We had a blast and I managed to get a couple of really nice pics. This painting is a recreation of one of those pictures.

Once the subject has been chosen, I decide what size canvas I feel would be appropriate. I chose a 16 X 20 canvas which is a pretty standard size, not too big and not too small. I then draw the picture using a grid method to ensure that I have the appropriate perpective and proportions. This is the part that I like the least but it's one of the most important steps. It's so difficult to correct errors, add or delete here and there as you paint so I take my time and try to be as accurate as possible. Then the fun begins. I start with a monochromatic underpainting. This technique was used by the Old Masters such as DaVinci, Rembrandt and many others. So I'm thinking they must have known what they were doing! The colors chosen for this painting are black, grey and white. I block in shadows and highlights and some detail but most of the "nitty gritty" details will be done in future layers.

I'll keep you posted on the next steps soon! I hope you enjoy and don't be shy....post a comment or two =D