Celene Farris, A Maine Artist: January 2024

The reason for an underpainting.

The back and forth corrections during the painting process often result in frustration, muddy colors and unsuccessful paintings. Breaking the painting process into two distinct parts greatly simplifies the process.

A painting can be broken down into two basic parts -

The Foundation (underpainting)- consisting of the composition, shapes and values. This is done as a tonal, monochromatic underpainting, creating the structure of your painting.

Color - with all its subtle nuances and complications, added to the finished, dried underpainting as a separate step.

The underpainting can be done in either thin oil or in black and white acrylic. If I am outside painting I do an underpainting in thin oil washes that will dry quickly in the outside air. In my studio I prefer black and white acrylic. Acrylic, a water based paint, dries quickly, covers well, is easy to work with and has no odor.

For your underpainting, choose a dark, neutral color and white. You will be working in shades of dark, middle values and white. No other colors are used.

I ask my students to think of baking a cake. You cannot frost the cake until it is baked. And if the cake doesn't have good ingredients, no amount of frosting will make it better.

In painting, if you don't have a strong foundation, no amount of color will make the painting better.

First create your foundation (underpainting) (cake). Establish the composition, refine the drawing and create your pattern of light and shadow. This is the time to move objects, change shapes, adding and subtracting. Only when your foundation of shapes, values and the composition is completed to your satisfaction can you begin to think of adding color.

With your foundation (underpainting) complete, you can now focus on color, with all its subtle nuances and complications. Your underlying structure has been completed and is correct. Now it's time to frost the cake.

This is such a logical way to paint. Painting is difficult - so why not try to simplify the process a bit by breaking it into steps?

Below is my black & white acrylic underpainting. I worked on it, making subtle changes until I was satisfied. The second picture shows the beginning stages of adding the colors.