1.6 Layers

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Work across the whole of the image, one colour at a time

You know that you have to make one unified image
You know that you have to put equal intent and weight into painting around an element as much as shading inside an element - the surrounding air is as important to show as the shadow and light falling on a face
You must know then too that you need to unify the colour of the picture
You should think of the colour scheme like the colour scheme of choosing an outfit to wear or a look for a day out
You need to have a set of colours that match and harmonise - colours that 'go together'

You need to have a base colour, just as you would choose the main colour for an outfit
The base colour is the one that you start with and work all over the picture - the base underpainting
The other colours you choose will be decided on how they relate to this base colour
Start with a cool colour like blue or purple and not a hot one like red, yellow or orange (you can do that later when you are more confident and experienced)

When you start with the first layers of colour, you must keep the paint thin and watery
You should be using a sponge or large brush for the first layers
You should expect drips and splashes and you will be working on larger areas and bigger shapes
You should cover the entire surface of the picture in one colour

You should use darker and slightly thicker more opaque areas for the darker tones and lighter more stained and watery layers for the lighter tones
Imagine you are making a black and white picture, but instead of using black and shades of grey, you are using one colour and using opaque and transparent strengths of that colour
You could describe this as a 'blue greyscale' image If you are working in blue as your first colour
No area should be left uncoloured - even if you have to use very lightly stained paint for the lightest area
Covering the whole canvas will keep the picture unified and help you to think about the relationship of different elements rather than making the mistake of focusing on one part in isolation

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