The blank canvas, it's kind of like this page and the inevitable question where do I begin. Hmmm good question. So you are there in front of this white rectangle, most of them are rectangles that is. You have thought about this, it's been rattling around in your head like a marble rolling around kind of aimlessly. You need to put paint on there so how do I begin....
OK most artiest I know use a reference some two like adding a boat to a lake scene from one picture but anyway a reference of what you want to paint. My own references are generally my own photos. You know the type, you shoot a hundred pictures and find one that stands out an kind of says "hey paint me" Well that's all good but how do you start.
To begin I tone the canvas, this means to put a color all over it for the most part to get rid of all that white with nothing on it. You start your painting that way, now I've used many colors and it doesn't matter much to me which I chose. I've used black on some of them which is interesting to paint on, but usually in a landscape I'll use a blue or green mixed with a thinner like Gansoil or Liquin. What you are doing is a thin coating of paint on the entire canvas.
I've read that this step in a painting does have consequences. The base color is a reflective layer some of the thinner paints will kind of bounce off. The light passes through then to the bottom layer and a little is reflected back. Not so much in the case of the blank toned canvas but you do get even that feel to the painting so chose a color that will add or help the overall mood of the picture. The Masters doing a portrait might use green undertones that will give a sort of radiating base color. It's a matter of experience what works better for you and again it tones the canvas so it's no longer white and of course it does give you a better surface to paint on. It fills in the pores of the canvas and is a good starting place.
Many artist will tone their canvas before they begin painting. Now it's nice if this undertone is dry as painting over a wet mix gets a bit tricky; it mixes with the color you are applying which can be a pain. There are wet on wet techniques but that's another topic, so let the toned canvas dry for a few days at least. Now if your smart you'll do a few canvases this way in different undertones then choose later which you'll use for a specific theme. I always intend to do just that but never much accomplish this task. I will tone them but usually just start painting right away, it's one of those personal choices you get to make.
So again you still have a basically blank canvas and a reference photo to paint. This is the point to make a few decisions and the first thing I do is make a sketch of the painting. That means finding a table some place and sitting down with a pencil and an eraser and make a quick sketch of the photo. Here is the beginning of understanding your painting and getting acquainted with what you'll have to do. This planning phase... well is where you can make changes too. It's a design thing, maybe a tree would look better just a little to the left or not even in the painting. You look as you draw this thumbnail sketch for ways to improve the work. After all you are the artist, get to know your subject a little, and as you draw see what you feel about the work also.
A good painting will hit you, it will grab your attention and pull you into the painting by things like a bright color for instance or a pathway bringing you into the painting. something about the work attracted you in the first place to try this particular painting so at this point get this in your sketch. You need to find out the why of this particular painting, why paint it in the first place. Make a statement and wright it on the sketch, you might title the piece to kind of guide you as you paint, a theme that will motivate you. For example I did a fog painting, an early morning scene, like before the sunrise. The landscape full of distant fog and trees a slowett the mood quiet and silent, the grass wet and cold as I ran around taking photos that morning. I had the mood of the piece by personal experience of the painting so I knew where I was going before the brush hit the canvas.
Now you might not have an on the spot experience of your reference but you can look into the photo and find what you want to say. In my case this fog bit was my motivator and yours could be a bright sunshine or moonscape but get a feel for the subject and the why you think it would work. It's kind of important to try and get this inspiration down and keep reminding yourself as you paint what you are trying to do, I know when your are into a painting you can get sort of lost and forget where your are going with this mess of paint your trying to pull together into something worthwhile. So the sketch and thinking process will work out for you rather well. Getting some finer points also helps you understand and see things better too.
Doing a drawing you'll find out how to draw whatever you going to paint. It helps me lots finding out the little things in a lighthouse for instance. You can do silly things like counting how many railing post there are, it brings it to your attention before you start painting them; once you start painting that is. The other and most important reason for a drawing is light and dark areas, their shapes and the value study. Where is the light coming from, a big thing to know, the direction of shadows is another thing to study before you get going. the sketch answers many questions and gives you answers or at least gives you a place to start.
Once you are happy with what to do and the ever important why paint it, the canvas toned you start with some shapes. The darks first, nothing fancy just areas in the drawing you can build upon later with colors. Like a tree for example you will layer in starting with dark greens for the under or inside of the tree and midtone and lights over that darkness. Start there, get the darks in and I'd go home and let it dry a bit. Hell if nothing else you got rid of that white canvis and now know what you are going to do with it and why. Now the fun begins, and a fresh start another day will help and one thing; put the thumbnail on the easel. Glance at it once in a while, you'll probably change things a bit but then that's the fun of it.
see ya
Dave
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