How do I start a new piece? I'm sure different artists have completely different ways of going about this but for me the process begins with prepping my canvas with at least a couple of coats of gesso. Depending on size I try to do a couple at a time, that way I always have a canvas ready to go when I need it. It is time consuming, but I much prefer how the gesso makes the surface not only brighter but also smoother to paint on. The next step for me is applying a coloured ground - this means covering the canvas in one flat, overall colour. I choose the ground based on what I am going to paint or the colours I am going to be using. It can tie-in with the overall colour palette, or be a contrasting colour to add depth to the paints layered ontop. For me, there is nothing scarier than a blank white canvas! Honestly, I find it really intimidating and it usually takes me ages to get started. I have found that adding a coloured ground REALLY helps with this!
Layer 1: Coloured ground - not a scary white canvas anymore!
Next, I paint and paint, and then paint some more! This is the part that I enjoy the most because you really never know where you're going to end up. I can get into a zone and paint like a crazy woman and finish a piece in a couple of days, OR I can spend weeks coming back and changing things until I am satisfied. There is no set rule to how I work. One thing that has really helped my process is to work on at least a couple of pieces at a time. I had heard other artists suggest this and was a bit wary because I thought I would be spreading myself too thin etc. But it does just the opposite. If you get bored or uninspired or things are just not working with a certain piece, you just set it aside and work on the other one. This gives you time to mix things up and come back to things with fresh eyes. I highly recommend giving this a go. It's changed the way I work, and I've been producing more than I ever was before!
Layer 2
Progress shots! I cannot stress how important this part is to my overall process. I take a photo of each piece once I am done working for the day. That way I not only have a record of how the painting has progressed (which is always really interesting to see!) but it also in some ways seems to highlight areas that need further work. I don't know how or why, but seeing the piece in its entirety in a smaller format (on my phone or ipad) seems to make me notice things that I wouldn't normally 'see' when I'm in front of the canvas itself. It helps the most with looking at the overall layout of colour on the painting as well as the composition.
How do I know a piece is finished? This is such a good question, and one that artists get asked all the time! Generally it's a gut feeling. I know that doesn't help much, but for me it really does come down to intuition. You are constantly asking yourself questions while you paint like "what about if I did this here" or "what if I added this colour there". I think a sense of completion comes about when that internal dialogue stops and you're more satisifed with keeping the majority of elements rather than adding to or changing them. When I think I'm 'done' with a painting I leave it alone and live with it for a while. I put it up somewhere where I can see it and just observe it while I am going about other things or working on a new piece. I generally don't add to a piece once I think it's done, but I like this part of the process because it allows me to enjoy the painting and to highlight the areas that I love about it so that I can incorporate them into future work.
Evolution: the start and the finish
The absolute final stages of a painting are the adding of my signature and then coating it in a layer of varnish. I cannot express how much I love varnish! Literally! I have a slight obsession! It just seems to bring the piece together in some way and make it look more finished. It also REALLY seems to make the colours more vibrant. If you thought they looked good before, they look even better after they've been varnished! Seriously, if you haven't tried this you need to! (*On a side-note: It's really difficult to take good pictures after you've added the varnish. So if you need photos for your website etc. remember to take them before this step!)
And that's my process from start to finish! I hope you've enjoyed reading about how I work - if you have any comments or questions or even different ways of doing things, I'd love to hear them!
