Finishing Touches – Simple and Fresh

“Fabriano Doorway” by Peggy Burkosky – 20″ H x 16″ W Oil
The final details are added to these demonstration paintings in oils, showing us the benefits of an underpainting. The underlying painterly strokes of a toned canvas or modified surface by way of modeled gesso or layers of white oil paint creates interesting texture and reduces the need to paint every square inch of the surface. Note the “imprimatura” (toned) canvas can be seen throughout the paintings “Fabriano Doorway and “Beach Study – Ucluelet”, creating unity and serving as the mid-tone that keys the darks and lights.
“Beach Study – Ucluelet” by Peggy Burkosky – 18″ H x 12″ W Oil
The fine lines are created with a palette knife and rigger brush, kept simple and not overworked. Very little fine detail is needed since there is enough textured detail from the underpainting, textured support and quick “scumbled” (quickly dragged) brushwork. A final check on highlights, cast shadows and repetition of values and hues that “echo” finishes things off.
“Floral Study” by Peggy Burkosky – 8″ H x 10″ W Oil
This alla prima painting has been created using an analogous color theme – colors that lie adjacent to one another on the color wheel. The “underpainting” of the canvas was wet oil paint blocked in with thinned oil paint in muted tones of yellow/ greens to blue/purples and white. While the paint was wet, thicker “fat” paint was used to paint around the flower shapes rather than painting the positive shapes of the flowers themselves. Subsequent details, negatives and color checks finished this study.