How to Begin a Painting
When I started painting over 20 years ago I painted on white canvases. But I always had a problem of not getting enough paint into the canvas. When you don’t get enough paint into and onto the canvas, little white specks can be seen where the weave of the canvas is. I was always pushing paint into the weave to cover those specks.
After several years I learned about toning a canvas. Toning a canvas is covering the canvas with a neutral color. I personally like using terra cotta, a light green or a gray.
I created this short video of how I recently toned a large 36″ x 36″ canvas for my large water lily painting. While you’re on my YouTube channel you can really help me by liking the video and subscribing to my channel if you haven’t already.
I use a #12 natural bristle brush with large quick strokes to put the tone on. Sometimes it’s called a ground.
Why Tone a Canvas?
- Toning a canvas takes away looking at a blank white canvas which often causes an artist to have a sort of a block. Even if they knew what they wanted to paint when they started, the blank white canvas stymies some.
- You can give your painting a warm or cool feel depending on the temperature of the toning you use. In theory you will not see the tone, but you might if you don’t get the paint on very heavy and it will give you a warm or cool tone to your painting.
- Toning a canvas prevents the white dots of the weave of the fabric won’t show through. You’re eye goes straight to those dots when you’re painting is finished.
Is it necessary to tone a canvas?
Nope! It’s not necessary but for me it helps with all the problems listed above, especially #3. It’s one of those things I began doing to solve a problem that I’ve continued doing. Painting on a white canvas now seems somewhat strange to me. When I teach a live class we paint on a white canvas and I’m always telling my students to push that paint into the canvas.
All along your art journey you will find and learn things that will improve your art. Try all of them to see what you can learn and keep the ones that help and forget about the ones you don’t like.
Artists are always learning techniques and you should take notes on them so you don’t forget. I’ve left myself notes on how to move my brush to achieve a certain look or how to load a brush for a different effect.
If you haven’t requested my Beginner Artist Bundle click HERE and get all three printable workbooks and worksheets.
Have a fabulous day and let’s paint together real soon!