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Shitake!


"Shitake," 6" square, mixed breed dog portait, acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .

I'm reading Harley Brown's "Eternal Truths for Every Artist." It's a book that nearly every successful artist I know speaks highly of, but it's also a title that's very difficult to find, and therefore pricey. I snagged one (bargain priced, no less!!) on-line as an early Christmas gift to myself, and have been curling up with it each night for an hour or so. It is sheer brilliance!

One of his many Truths is to start your painting with confidence. Attack the blank canvas with attitude, and carry that momentum through. Your initial attack should be an underpainting, regardless of the color, just as an exercise to "own" the surface and create a middle value upon which you can start your composition.

Shitake has a seafoam green, brilliant teal and cadmium red underneath - you can see bits peeking through here and there. The energy of the underpainting kept my brushes flying, and the process of painting was seamless.

Toning the canvas is something I did frequently. Looking back at my blog, I can see that when I did use a bold underpainting my work had more verve. I'm going to start doing this all the time now!

Thanks, as always, for looking at and sharing my paintings with your friends and family.
See you tomorrow!
Kim
ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com
www.turtledovedesigns.com
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