Here is another painting from the cycle of large paintings ( this one is 42″ x 56″) that I am doing. The drawing was finished yesterday and it took yesterday and today to finish the initial under-painting. Following my usual practice, the detailed drawing–pencil over a raw umber ground–took several days. After fixing the drawing (with ink), I started laying out broad areas of local color until the entire surface was covered.
The under-painting is thin in order to see the ink drawing through it. The broad areas of color will show through the subsequent layers, and provides a counter balance to the drawing–detailed versus simplified areas.
My labor-intensive process works for me. Funnily enough, it–detailed drawing followed by many layers–is how I started painting as a teenager. Except for brief intervals, it’s how I’ve always approached painting. It feels natural, and whenever I’ve tried to change in order to speed up, I inevitably take longer as I struggle with the drawing. I think about drawing all the time and I need a thoroughly thought-out drawing to work against.