Post #279300 by Tiki Shark Art on Wed, Jan 17, 2007 12:55 AM

Sorry everyone, I know it's been slow going.... but it anit done yet!

I was researching the whole "color wash over the under painting thing". I couldn't find much info on a painting process that's supposed to have been around since the 1400's! I must just be a bad net-surfer. However, I did find some info on Pooch's web site. He does these GREAT paintings using this process. He suggested working a mid tone wash over the under painting, then if needed, work out into the shadows and and highlights. I tried this and promptly I screwed up the process by getting too opaque. Pooch has a more subtle hand than I do it seems.

Then I found this description from Schorr " ... a detailed monochromatic underpainting in raw umber. after this is completed I than start working my "comic book colors" over this using the lightest washes of color in the dark shadow areas and the heaviest of opaque whites for highlights."

So I tried with a bit more success. Here's sort of what I did: It seems that the under painting is worked up form dark to light. Then, the washes are worked from a highlight (not the brightest, but say upper middle values) down to the shadows.

Then Ken Ruzic gave me some cool advice about working it up veeerry slowly in many many layers. the kind of art that takes way too much time in this day and age, but is great if you are a 14th century Flemish painter working in a cottage with no TV.

All these approaches helped, but none seemed to get me there yet. I guess now comes the practice it till you get good at it part.

So, basically, I still don't know what I'm doing, but here's what I got thus far.

Some blue worked into the Tiki's shadowy bits.

Here's a detail of the barnacles on the Tiki's butt.