Back to oil painting! Believe it or not, this is a good start to my next painting – an underpainting using very dilute oil paint, suggesting the tonal layout of a forest glade near Darwin. A very user-friendly part of the forest, I hasten to add, but by cutting out the helpful board-walk, I achieve something a little wilder.
I have restricted my palette to Prussian Blue, Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna, since these will give me the colours and tones needed. I may add others later as the picture progresses, perhaps purples and crimsons in the shadows.
Using dilute colour makes for a very loose beginning while giving great intensity to the painted surface. Any misplaced runs can easily be covered. Allowing the restricted colours to collide/mix gives texture and interest, and certainly adds to the fun. Deciding which bits to retain and which to obliterate, discovering Serendipity in fact, is bliss.
Progress on this is going to be fascinating. I can see it will be fun when you know what you are doing; you do but as yet I don’t, hence the fascination waiting for the image to emerge and understanding why!!
It looks jungly and rainforesty already!