My perfect day is a blank slate with just my easel, paints, and my two cats sleeping nearby. I can happily paint for 6 to 8 hours at a stretch, only forcing myself to break away for a quick meal or other interruptions.
The canvases I use are either pre-made versions that I purchase, or those that I build myself. I've made about half of the canvases I’ve used- using stretcher strips (preformed pine sticks designed to slot together into a frame) and rolls of canvas. In artist's circles it's considered slightly more personalized to create the entire project from scratch in this way. My husband is a perfectionist who usually helps me stretch and staple the self-made ones; especially the large sizes, so that they end up taut enough. Then, whether I bought prefabricated canvases, or made my own, I apply 2-4 coats of gesso. Gesso is pronounced like Jello sounds (instead of Guess-o.). It’s a white “primer” that helps to tighten up the canvas on the frame. It dries very quickly, so I can do multiple coats in one day. (This is handy because I'm always excited to get started right away!) After that, I may do an ultra light base layer of oil paint, thinned with turpenoid. This prevents little white, bare-canvas spots from peeking through later on. I tend towards using cadmium orange because it adds a subtle vibrant, brightening quality.
For portraits, I usually do a charcoal rough sketch on the canvas, which I then “paint into” with turpenoid. After this dries, I have a good base to work with. I prefer to work in layers and stages. This allows me to create subtle shadings and dimension, and to let my vision gradually emerge. I often do drawings all at once; but I find I need to get away from paintings for a while and come back at them with fresh eyes. This also helps me to not overwork them. I am still learning when to make myself stop: I get this feeling that I’m pushing beyond some aspect I've really achieved. By allowing a respite, I recognize when I've reached this point and realize that I'm satisfied, I'm finished.
It takes about a week for oils to dry in Colorado (longer to fully cure). Some days I’ll do a few hours on one painting and few on another; but I can also easily work at one (especially portraits) for 6-8 hours straight. Time just flies when I’m in The Painting Zone.
For non-portrait work, I usually start with a photo that I took. I constantly snap images that I might want to use someday. This is where my training in, and exploration of, photography and film making come in handy. I’ve gradually moved away from using the photo for the entire painting. Now, I may use it for one or two sessions- just for composition and perspective- but then I allow myself go on without it. Otherwise, I get too caught up in realistic details. I excel at copying what I see, but as I've grown more confident I've begun to give myself the freedom to work from my own vision, as well.
I’ve developed a basic oil palette that I use. This means the set of colors that I lay out when I sit down to paint. In the beginning, I bought a whole set of colors- but some of those tubes still have a lot of paint left in them (black, sap green, cerulean blue, burnt sienna). Bold and bright colors most inspire me. I can't seem to be satisfied with my paintings unless the colors really POP!
In the beginning, I premixed colors on my palette before applying them. Now I tend to just layer and mix colors right on the canvas. I have two or three brushes that I always go back to. On many paintings, I’ll just use one brush for the entire time. Once I get going in "the zone" the reality of having to change brushes feels like a distraction. Eventually, I may realize that I must to create the effect I desire, so then I'll switch to a different brush and go down that path for a while. The colors I’m most drawn to are: Thio violet, thalo blue, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellows, viridian. You’ll see these over and over in my work- even in the portraits. Occasionally, I use a premixed oil “skin tone” as a base color for people (this is just a basic blend of a few colors that I actually already have in my palette)- but it never stays that way for long! White, cadmium yellow, and thio violet (plus alizarin crimson, or cadmium red, or orange) make a great base tone without the premixed paint. A little thalo blue mixed in makes for good shadow tones. Thio violet and viridian make the best deep purple. You might think skin is just beige, but when I look I see purples, pinks, blues, greens, reds, yellows...
I also experiment with oil pastels, which are basically crayon sticks of oil paint. They take forever to dry, though. I have watercolors that I use sometimes, too. For drawing I use charcoal pencils and conté crayon. Conté is a bit less flaky than charcoal; a little more clay(ey), but acts about the same as charcoal. However, I really love the feel of working with oil paints and charcoal and tend to go back to them over and over again!
