I have recently been working with hardboard, 8" by 8" in size. The board is cut and the edges are sanded. It provides a very smooth surface and that is what I like about it. It is also not prone to warping like canvas panels and other illustration boards. I begin by priming these boards with gesso. This gives the paint a bonding surface. No less than 4 coats of gesso are applied, lightly sanding between coats. Each coat requires 24 hours to dry, so I do about ten boards at a time. The final sanding is done with a fine sanding block to leave a finished smooth surface.
This painting was sketched out beforehand in order to work out any design problems and details. It was approved by the client, no color composition was done. The sketch was then traced to transfer onto the prepared board. This is also the part of the process where I refine the lines and shapes because they are repeated several times. It helps me to solidify the image into my mind before beginning the painting.
Three separate tracings were used for this image to maintain the accuracy of the reflections in the water. Two of the tracings of the rocks and the trees will be inverted into the water portion of the scene.
Again the lines are refined even more directly on the board and the image is cleaned up removing any excess carbon. Shapes and lines are examined, less important ones lifted.
The image on the board is now ready for under painting. I will focus on the accuracy of shapes during this process, looking at the image through negative and positive shapes rather than lines. I will be working with only three colors for this leaving very few of the areas completely white.
Thank you for your interest in my work, stay tuned for Part Two.
Copyright 2014
Darlene Dine, use of or reproduction of any image is prohibited and against the
law without consent or permission.
Oh good grief, that looks even more complicated than I imagined. Oh look, something else prophetic -- the olive tree, Israel, reflected in the "waters" -- the people Rev 17:15. Totally epic!
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ReplyDeleteI worked on some of the under painting last night Elizabeth. I decided to use some warmer, earthy tones for the reflections. I wanted to add the process page to my blog because I think many people envision and artist picking up a brush and one or two hours later, a finished painting appears. That may be true for some pieces of art, but generally this is not what happens. Preparation, design and execution are all part of the journey to creating a finished piece. More pictures coming soon.
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