I love to read about art and art techniques. I’m currently in love with another man, a really creative and amusing artist. Forturnately for my husband, this artist is quite dead so he doesn’t have to worry. But that is a subject for another post.
I read a book by Erik Bossik called How to Create an Underpainting Like the Old Masters: A Step-by-Step Guide. I liked the idea of following in the footsteps of Rembrandt and others. I found the idea romantic. My husband came by and looked at my progress and shook his head and said, “That doesn’t look like a Rembrandt.”
Of course not silly, I am not painting in his style but trying to use his technique. I have to admit I spent three weeks on this. Ack. If I didn’t try the underpainting and the layers over it I would have finished very quickly. But you will have to be the judge as to whether the layers “glow” from underneath and I have more texture and color depth if I had not.
So here is my reference photo.
And next the underpainting. Wow, pretty good. I like how this came out.
Rut roh, too much color, where’d my egg go? Yikes what did I do? Is there any going back or forward. I’m a color addict! Someone help me!
The final still life.
I am going to try this technique again. I can’t really get excited about painting a still life. But I do like how the glaze came out on the bowl. And the egg. Onward and upward.