Remodeling - Part 2

Welcome back! I hope that you are enjoying this step-by-step process of remodeling a painting. I find it challenging to revamp a painting, but to me, it's well worth the effort.

Preparing the Canvas

Now that I have a drawing, I'm ready to transfer the new design. But first, because there is paint on the canvas that might have some texture and my design has changed, I'd like to have a smooth surface to start with. To do this, I take a fine grade sanding sponge and lightly sand the surface that I will be changing. Some of the paint will come off and the surface will feel smooth once I'm done. Then, I take a paper towel and wipe off the excess dust from the paint.

Transferring the Design

Now, I'm ready to transfer my design. I decided that I would use vine charcoal to draw the design on the canvas. Vine charcoal will not show through paint later, and is easy to draw and correct. I taped the pencil drawing high up on my easel above the painting so that I can refer to it while I draw on the canvas. I don't bother to put in the shadows, just the outline of the design. As you can see, I added the guitar, moved the tambourine down, added the outline of the sheet music and the border for the fabric. I also added the fountain pen.

Start with Darks

Now it's time to mix my darks. I squeeze some Ultramarine Blue and Transparent Oxide Brown on the palette. I add some Rose Madder (I could also use Alizarin Crimson) and some Veridian. The mixture is about 80 percent blue and brown with a touch of rose madder and veridian green. I thin it out with a small amount of mineral spirits and begin to apply it where I want my darkest darks, which is mostly in the upper background.

Mixing the Colors

Next, I mix my greens for the tambourine, then the golden yellow for the guitar, the fabric, and the pen with a small amount of mineral spirits. I am only doing large shapes at this point, no details. I don't get too concerned with mixing the exact color nor do I worry if the drawing isn't exact. These will all be addressed as I proceed. I work my way through the whole painting like this, from dark to light, ending with the thinned out titanium white mixture for the sheet music.






 There’s no fear in oil painting! Be daring!

Final Block In

Here's the finished first coat. All of the paint was very thin but not runny. Wow, what a transformation! The original design is nothing more than a memory at this point!

References

I taped the drawing above my painting for a reference while I paint. It's important to have the drawing within view in case your design on the canvas goes astray.

I'll also have the instruments and other still life items set up nearby, if possible or have a photo reference, if not.

Next

I''m going to let this painting dry for a a day or two. In a few days, I'll post the next step in the process. I will not use mineral spirits at this point except to clean my brushes. I will also pay special attention to my color mixtures and to the color temperature. More on that later.

I hope you enjoyed Part 2 of Remodeling. Perhaps it will inspire you to pick up that brush and rework one of your paintings!

Tip: Draw, draw, draw first before you paint. Consider different compositions, move elements round, look at the values and ensure that you have a good balance of darks and lights, and get a feel for the design.