A Day At The Beach – First layers of paint

It is amazingly satisfying to pile on paint with a pallet knife… simultaneously obliterating the texture of the underpainting and creating a whole new surface texture. I also feel like the paint is more alive when it’s very thick. I want to continue painting and adding colours, wet on wet, and see the messy magic of the mixed colours.

I stropped myself short of the sky with the wet-on-wet technique and I might rethink adding very thin highlights and shadows with the pallet and very watered-down paint. I started the whole covering with a yellow core for the skin; dark emerald green for the bathing suit; unbleached titanium for the beach, and an evolving mix of blues for the sky.

I used a small brush, overfilled with paint to add the emphasis colours on the beach towel. It all has to dry/cure for a couple of days so I can really see the matte finish and how the light plays off the texture and hues. Then I can strat contouring and adding features.

Stay tuned…