I haven't had much time to paint in recent months, but I watched a video that discussed the "Flemish Technique" when painting. The video said to paint the canvas all over in a burnt umber, but I went with red/orange. I like using the red/orange because I tend to paint from photos and if you're a novice, like me, you tend to have paintings that are washed out. This time I wanted some life in it! Funny I should say I wanted some life in it it, because after you put the base down using the Flemish Technique, you paint shadows and darks, creating a "dead layer". I mixed up Transparent Earth Oxide and black and created a couple of shades of green. You then use the darker green for the shadows, lighter for the midtones. It was amazing having the green shadows as flesh has blues/purple/green in it anyway. The rest was so much easier with the green against the orange as a guide. Mostly tweeking after that to get the results. I'll try this method again as I love the richer color.
Basically, I've discovered that paint is just practicing and learning. I don't think one ever stops. I look forward to a time when I can devote more of myself to both.
