*Make sure to get your design approved prior to transferring the image

This might sound overwhelming if you have not painted before, but it is like mixing colors, each step makes itself obvious based upon what you did in the last step.

Once you have transferred your image, the image you choose to paint tends to determine if you need to under paint. 

The under painting step is one which provides a color base instead of a white base to make it quicker and easier to paint in your details.

You would determine if you need to under paint by looking at your image and going to:   
/Painting/PG59First Coat Concerns 

and comparing your image to the examples. 

Under painting is relatively quick and easy, and does save you a lot of time, so it is worth it to compare.

If you need to under paint there are tables provided to take you through the process.

If you do and are getting ready to paint, you will notice the paints are thick like toothpaste and need to be thinned to go on comfortably. 

How to thin the paints, with what and how much can be found by going to:

/Painting/Thinners

If you do not need to under paint, or if your under painting is dry, then you can go on to the next stage which is the first painting coat.

Techniques in painting are simply ways of applying paint that gives you a specific effect, not much different than the many drawing techniques you might use to give a special look to your drawing.

Each coat only tends to have a few techniques that are associated with that coat and so your choices are relatively small.

The first coat is quite simple and offers you very few choices as to how to proceed. If you wanted to know what choices and how to do the techniques you would go to:

/Painting/PG60First Coat Techniques

Once dry, the second coat offers more possibilities for techniques. 

You might think THAT IS TOO MANY TECHNIQUES!!!!!.  

Second coat techniques are primarily designed to save you time, like under painting.

You can do the entire painting using first coat techniques, it just takes a LONG TIME to do. 

So look at the techniques as a way to speed up the painting and get special effects at the same time.

If you wanted to view your second coat technique choices then go to:

/Painting/PG61Second Coat Techniques

Third coat techniques again, are limited in number and usually add 'finishing qualities' to the painting.

When most people consider a painting finished after the second coat techniques, then the artist has the choice of adding more depth, atmosphere, clarity of color, color balance, color emphasis, clarity of detail, all with very little time, paint or effort.

Third coat techniques are well worth the time to use and the effects are exceptional.

If you wanted to see what the third coat techniques add to a painting and how to do them go to:   

/Painting/PG62Third Coat Techniques

You do not have to do third coat techniques or even many second coat techniques in this course. But if you try them you will get extra marks.

These are the techniques the great 'masters' have used to paint their pictures. They learned these techniques to enable them to paint the pictures they did. Just think what you could accomplish if you put the time and energy into learning them!

You will be marked on: