BobBlast 217 - "Why Orange First?"

BobBlast #217 Why Orange First? Welcome Back to Another BobBlast! I decided to do this BobBlast because I received many questions and comments about how I get started with my daily warm-up exercises: How do I prep, measure, cut apart and tape together. So... welcome to my Studio Practices - the Burridge Atelier! Painting these Little Gems can be a very fun exercise to get started in the studio, to experiment and try out new ideas. And - just to see how loose you can get! As a reminder, I am teaching a "Little Gems" class at the upcoming Trade Show - Artisan Expo in Santa Fe, New Mexico. My final trade show of the year is the Art of the Carolinas in November. The links for both are below. In this Blast I start with a full sheet of 300 lb watercolor paper - and the first thing I do is apply gesso, then a mid-tone of orange. Why orange first? Because I was taught that way to paint. In art college, the first day in painting class, we wiped our canvases with an overall warm tone - orange or red. At that time, we painted with short, choppy strokes, á la French Impressionists. The technique was to leave some of the under color peek through. For me, the effect was sparkling! In this video, I apply the first coat of gesso and orange with one product: Holbein's Orange Gesso in their cool package. Generally, this is my preferred color & gesso combo base. FYI - Holbein has 22 different colors of gesso! Of course, you can use a coat of white gesso and brush on orange acrylic paint all over the surface. To start - Precut all the pieces and tape back together. Or - simply mark off the full sheet with the same size painting, this lesson is 10"x10" - all on one sheet. The mid-tone color is already there, so all I have to decide is where the darkest darks and the lightest lights need to be. I sketch with my brush, keeping it fast and loose! By now, I am off and running... and continue painting with more color, building up layers, negative shape painting and re-establishing the contrast - still leaving a bit of orange peeking through. Orange you glad you asked???