My Painting Process

I often get asked what my painting 'process' looks like. For me it was a gradual process that developed over time, and now seems natural. But I understand that if you are trying to get into painting it can be extremely daunting, and not know where to start. If you feel this way then don't be scared, and don't expect anything from yourself - but instead just enjoy it. I have always found with my artwork, that it is when I am relaxed and having fun, that I produce my best work. So here's a peek into the way I work. The other thing to remember is that with art there are no rules. Whilst this can be frustrating when you're trying to learn, you eventually cherish this as a blessing - to know that there are no boundaries.

I have a number of different places I keep my ideas for paintings and I make sure I always have a plan before I even pick up my apron. If I don't, then I sit and look at my Pinterest Inspiration boards until I have one. There is no better way for getting inspiration I have found. Then I clean my palette with a scraper, and refresh any colours that I might need. Then I put on my apron and get to work! If I am starting a new piece I always paint on a thick covering of acrylic paint and let that completely dry. This fills in a lot of the canvas 'look' and smooths it out. It also can make the final painting have more 'depth'. Once that is completely dry I sketch out a rough plan with thinned oil paint (mostly turps with a bit of paint). Here's a photo of what my sketches look like.

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I then wait a couple of days while this dries. (If it is a very thin wash you might only have to wait a day.)

Next I work over that starting with the darkest areas, and working my way up to the lighter colours. This is because with oil paint it is a lot harder to darken an area once there is white on it, as it is so strong so add with caution.

The next layers I start to add Liquin to the paint rather that turps/spirit. This adds a lovely sheen and also helps the paint dry super-fast. Lastly I will add a lot of paint in areas with a palette knife to give the surface a great texture.

Please remember that in between all these stages you may have to wait a couple of days (or more) for each layer to dry. So make sure you wash your brushes each time you're finished.

So here's a simplified recap that you can pin to you Pinterest board for next time you paint!

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Love Katie x