Demo: Establishing a Strong Underpainting

Tuesday, November 7th, 2023

Demo: Establishing a Strong Underpainting

By Robert K. Carsten

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This picture shows a bit of this artist's setup, the underpainting, and the scene that, she says, "grabbed my attention and asked me to paint it."

Landscape Painting Demo: "The aspens were in full fall color display at a higher elevation in the Eastern Sierra," says Kim Lordier. "I dropped down onto the valley floor and came across this beautiful stand of cottonwoods just starting to turn. The dramatic passing clouds and strong shadows were hard to pass up."

Landscape Painting Demo: Establishing a Strong Underpainting

Demo by Kim Lordier

Step 1
Lordier uses a hard NuPastel to lay in the preliminary sketch, then sets a light layer of pastel into the shapes, using a general value and neutral color for each one.

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Step 2
Using a large hog bristle brush dipped into a small amount of Turpenoid, she goes over one shape at a time, melting the pastel but trying not to mix the colors at this point.

The gestures of her strokes mimic the gestures of the objects she is painting. The Turpenoid takes approximately five minutes to dry, and then she is able to apply color on top.

Final Painting:

Kim Lordier, "Cottonwood Drama in Round Valley," 2018, pastel, 16 x 16 in., Collection the artist, Plein air

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Happening This Week: 4th Annual Realism Live

From C.W. Mundy's "3-D realism" painting demonstration

Watch and interact with world-renowned artists as they demonstrate their skills at Realism Live, November 9-11, with an Essential Techniques Day on November 8.

Included is the Realism Live faculty artwork auction, with paintings from over 90 artists, including faculty from previous events such as Plein Air Live, Watercolor Live, Pastel Live, and the Plein Air Convention & Expo.

We'll see plein air favorites such as C.W. Mundy, Cindy Baron, Gavin Glakas, Mark Shasha, and Paul Kratter demonstrating their landscape painting techniques, along with other contemporary masters sharing their secrets for painting still lifes, portraits, and more.