It seems that my painting process changes all the time. Maybe more often than it should. With tonights Methodical Geranium painting I think I was painting more like the Richard Schmid process, but with less of the amazing outcome.
This way of working is probably frowned upon at most atelier’s. Basically you get right to the details at the beginning. I didn’t do much drawing besides kinda placing the foliage where I wanted it, then I began drawing a budding flower exactly the way I saw it, each stroke hopefully being placed and left alone.
The advantage to working this way is that at any point in time you have a finished area and if the wash around it looks good even a finished painting. The next advantage is not having to worry about an underpainting mixing with the colors I place on top. Something I have to deal with often as my brushes are a bit too stiff.
The disadvantages to working this way are many though. For one you have to have strict focus to work this way. Tonight felt like one of those night where I could focus, so it was going well, but as soon as you start flying around the painting without thought it can go bad fast. The next issue is composition, lots of time when working this way the subject will end up in a placement that is not very pleasing on the canvas. Also, drawing, if your drawing isn’t spot on then the painting is doomed, luckily this is forgiven a lot with foliage.
Despite it’s disadvantages I really like working this way. Would I do it with a figure painting or drawing? Probably not, with the figure, the gesture is really important as well as proportion and placement on the page. I guess I could try it…
