Grade 10 Art - Day 33 "Drawing on Canvas or MDF Board"

Up top this point, we have stretched and primed our canvas with gesso, or applied gesso to your pre-sanded hard board.  Now, we can apply a image to the canvas or hard board before painting.

Here are some recommendations:

• Do rough drawing with charcoal.  As we learned before, charcoal is unstable and will not bind as readily as pencil.  It also can be experimented with in mixing with acrylic for specific effect.  At any point, you can dust away the charcoal with a tissue or chamois, leaving a ghost image to work with. 

• Feel free to experiment off of the canvas in your sketchbook.  Vary the scale and values so that you have a visual reference when you return to your canvas.
• When you have an outline down, paint freely. If you try to adhere directly to the outline, it will look more "manufactured" than if you just paint freely, using the ghost charcoal image as a guideline.

• You may choose to paint your outline with a fast-drying colour that is harmonious with the subject.
• After your outline is laid-down, use the same colour to arrange light and shade.  Make sure the paint is fairly thin at this stage. 
• Paint the shaded areas first in their appropriate colours, then follow with the light areas in their appropriate colours.  
• Add the final details to complete your work.  

Image source: http://www.art-is-fun.com/