I had the following question sent to me:
“Pretend it’s the very first time you tried to paint — could you give me a step-by-step method to get started?”
That’s something many people can relate to. And they added:
“That blank canvas is rather unnerving!”
So let me answer that here, because I’ll bet many of you feel the same way.
First is the preparation of your painting surface. Most of the time this is canvas, but it can also be a wooden panel or even paper. I won’t cover the steps to prepare a canvas here because that is its own very important lesson.
Let’s assume your painting surface is already prepared properly. The very first thing you will most likely want to do is get rid of the harsh white of the canvas.
(There are times when you will want to keep the white — for example, when you are more advanced or want a very high-key, bright painting, like some Impressionists did outdoors.)
Let me first tell you why I want you to start with a toning layer.
The most important reason is that it makes everything easier. The old masters did many things out of logic and necessity. Toning the canvas to get rid of the white was logical.
This tone will play a role in the development of your underpainting. In the beginning stage, when you either leave this tone showing or lightly cover it, it becomes part of the painting.
1) Start With a Monochrome Underpainting
This is the traditional way and it makes things easier for you — and I am all about making things easier for you.
Dividing the painting process like this separates the problems. You don’t have to deal with every part of painting at once. So for a beginner, I want you to start with a dark brown toned canvas. Again, I can’t cover exactly how to tone the surface here; I am giving you the big steps to begin.
2) Squeeze Out White and Black Paint
Use a fast-drying white if possible.
“How much paint should I squeeze out?”
Enough to use. That’s it. If you need more, squeeze more. Don’t overthink something so simple.
Using one of your smaller bristle brushes, mix a light gray. Always start with white and slowly add black. It is much easier to darken a light mixture than lighten a dark one.
The darker tone of your canvas is going to play an important role here.
3) Start Making Your Drawing
Take your smaller bristle brush and lightly place outlines — your “skeleton” drawing. This is just one way to do it. You can also use other transfer and composition methods I demonstrate in my lessons.
A properly prepared surface will make applying paint much easier — much more so than grabbing a cheap canvas from a craft store and painting straight from the wrapper.
I will say this over and over: bad preparation and bad materials lead to bad paintings.
If you need to, dip your brush very lightly into medium to help the paint flow — only if you need it. Don’t use medium blindly because someone once told you to. Think of washing a pot: add a little soap, add water, then judge if you need more.
Do not take too much paint on your brush at this stage. You will build up paint gradually. But don’t be so scared of too much paint that you barely touch the canvas either.
And do not think a single line is final. This is not a paint-by-numbers kit. Nothing is final yet. Adjust openly. You are working with just black and white — you cannot ruin anything here.
You can mix a thin gray so the tone shows through, or place a thicker gray to cover it. Notice how many values you get simply by varying the thickness. Thicker = more coverage. Thinner = tone shows through.
Think of drawing with white chalk on a chalkboard.
The image at the top of this article was done with this exact procedure. If you look at the girl’s cheek and chin, you can see the gray underpainting showing through.
4) Divide Everything Into Light and Dark
Forget color completely right now. Only focus on tone — light and dark.
You can start either way — dark to light or light to dark — and work toward the opposite.
Let the toned canvas show in the darkest areas. Use a darker gray mixture for the next-darkest values. Use your light gray, applied thicker, for lighter areas. For the highest lights, lightly apply pure white over what’s already there.
Do not fear “mud.” You cannot make mud using only black and white.
This is the beginning of your painting — the underpainting, step one.
From here, you would continue by reinforcing the underpainting, then adding color with glazes, veilings, and direct painting. Details come later.
This gives you a solid, dependable way to begin any painting. It removes the intimidation of the blank canvas and gives you a repeatable method you can use again and again.
Step-By-Step Recap
- Prepare your surface (properly primed canvas, panel, or paper).
- Tone the surface (dark brown) to knock down the white and set a middle value.
- Put out paint: fast-drying white + black. Squeeze “enough to use”; add more as needed.
- Mix a light gray by starting with white and slowly adding black.
- Make a loose “skeleton” drawing with a small bristle brush; thin paint; a touch of medium only if needed. Nothing is final — adjust freely.
- Block in values (not color): think light vs. dark. Let the toned ground serve as your deepest darks; use darker gray for shadow masses; use thicker light gray for lights; touch pure white for the highest highlights.
- Strengthen the underpainting: refine shapes, edges, and proportions until the value structure reads clearly.
- Only after that, add color: glazes, veilings, and some direct painting. Save details for last.
Continue Learning
If you enjoyed this and want to learn painting with clear steps and real classical methods, you can study with me inside my online art school.
Visit my art school:
https://ethansemmelartschool.com
Keep learning.