Last edited Sun Oct 24, 2021, 04:57 PM - Edit history (1)
I always work in water-mixable oils (different brand) and I do generally work from background to foreground as you did here. Sometimes I do an underpainting one day in monochrome--usually transparent red oxide and white--to understand the lights and darks, then go over it in color after the underpainting is dry. Sometimes I dive right in with color. Either way, I draw some rough outlines so I know where I'll place everything, then lay in my shadow shapes first. I do try to cover the whole canvas with something rough before I paint in any details. That way I can compare what I'm putting down to what's already there before I get too caught up in details. Also, I never, never use water to thin my water-mixable oils when I paint. I always use the medium made specifically for them, and I use as little as possible. What I love about oils as opposed to acrylics is that the slower drying time makes it easier to vary the edges: softer edges in the background and crisper edges in the foreground. But there are mediums you can use with acrylics to slow the drying time, too. Whatever you like most! I just hate to see you give up on something after your first attempt.
= new reply since forum marked as read