Undertones

Undertones. Hmmm, sounds a little bit sinister, doesn't it?  But toning a canvas before starting to apply paint is anything but! In fact, for most painters, it's an essential first step in the painting process. (For the uninitiated, "toning" a canvas refers to putting a thin layer of color down on the raw white canvas, as shown in the top photo). 

There are many different reasons that painters tone their canvases. Here are a few:

Photo from Bill Guffey

(1) Some painters use a medium value, neutral, gray tone, so that when they start to apply color, they can readily compare

Behind the Scenes

Lesley in Provence

Lots of you are curious about the steps involved in painting abroad and getting those paintings back home to the States. Especially when one paints larger paintings, or lots of them: How do you get them all safely home, and ready to hang?

When I embark, I take my blank canvas (mostly Belgian linen) rolled up in a sturdy mailing tube. Having long rolls of canvas allows me to select any size for any particular subject. That provides much more flexibility than painting on pre-cut panels! I also take a piece of plywood, as large as will fit in my suitcase, to tape the canvas on, thus providing a sturdy support for painting.

Canvas clipped to board...

Usually I quit painting a few days before returning home, so the paintings have time to dry. Then I roll the finished paintings back up--painted surface facing outward--and put them

The King of Soaps

Happy Bastille Day! I thought it would be timely to write about a French product this holiday. If you haven't discovered the wonders of Savon de Marseille, you are in for a real treat! It is an amazing soap, touted for a wide range of uses. Need  a moisturing skin treatment? Check! Or a high-powered stain remover? Check, Check! Personally, I have found that a nice block of Savon de Marseille is the very best thing ever for

Level with Me

When painting, it's important to establish a strong horizon line. Something that anchors your painting, and keeps the viewer from feeling off balance. This means that you need to have your canvas perfectly level, so you can judge your lines accordingly. 

I have developed a pretty good knack for this, and I can often calibrate my canvas just by eyeballing it. But sometimes extra help is needed. Interestingly, the most difficult place for me to keep my canvas level is inside my studio. The studio is in an old factory building, and the wood floors are very uneven. I might move my easel slightly, and find that suddenly the canvas is all askew. To the rescue--my trusty level! And a few handy shims to make adjustments.

Some easels and tripods come with built-in levels. Or you can purchase a small, lightweight, inexpensive one at the hardware store. I am hereby officially adding the level to my "Tools of the Trade" series--you can check out some other favorites by clicking on these links: my drawer-turned-palette; my still life stage; my camera; and my mirror. The toolkit is getting full...

Manual Labor

Lately I have been muttering to myself  "A painter's work is never done!" I know many painters sing the same refrain--if only we could spend all of our time actually PAINTING! But alas, there are many more tasks involved in our work. One distinctly unglamorous job is