Underpainting, beginning again

I've prepared lots of small illustration boards with gesso to practice with
oils. Not using expensive materials helps me make mistakes and learn from
them instead of cringing. Yesterday I began a lot of dog under paintings.

Some of these under paintings are encouraging.

Others are less so.

Turning them upside down for value studies was helpful.

Under paintings are not supposed to look perfect, just provide a value study
fore later stages or layers. It was so absorbing that I had to snap out of it when
the tornado warnings and a neighbor called to warn about the huge
storm that blew through here. Now on to the next stages. I found this book,
101 Textures in Oil & Acrylic, last week. Along with Oil Painting and
 The Oil Painting Handbook  it's all I've needed to paint at my level of skill.

Gillian Lee Smith is offering an online painting/drawing course soon. I'm looking
forward to it!