Step 1 - The Drawing

I always avoid using charcoal or regular graphite pencil, as the eraser/corrections would give a messy look to the surface. Instead, the drawing will be executed using a "sketch and wash"® pencil; it allows clean erasing using a damp piece of paper towel or even a cue tip. To refine the lines, a "Tuff Stuff"® eraser, which can be sharpened with a sharp blade as necessary.

The trick is to "build' the drawing carefully, starting with basic construction lines (see below), keeping the pencil sharp to avoid fat lines, and avoiding pressure on the pencil, which will give a light drawing, easy to correct.

Once the main composition is secure, it is time to add more refined lines and details. Notice that the drawing is kept very light, and as clean as possible.

Finally, after a few hours of patient work, the linear drawing is ready. In general, it is not necessary to finely detail a project, but in this case, there are so many different elements in the composition that I needed to "secure" everything.

Grisaille/Underpainting

Grisaille (pronounced /ɡrɨˈzaɪ, ɡrɨˈzeɪl/; French: gris [ɡʁizaj] 'grey') is a term for painting executed entirely in monochrome or near-monochrome, usually in shades of grey. It is particularly used in large decorative schemes in imitation of sculpture. Many grisailles in fact include a slightly wider colour range, like the Andrea del Sarto fresco illustrated. Paintings executed in brown are sometimes referred to by the more specific term brunaille, and paintings executed in green are sometimes called verdaille.[1] A grisaille may be executed for its own sake, as underpainting for an oil painting (in preparation for glazing layers of colour over it.

1) I execute the underpainting using a mixture of 95% turpentine/5% oil paint, working it as you would a water-colour; Make sure to keep your mixture very liquid at all time. This is the best way to secure your drawing and also to work your tonal scheme, which will greatly help increase the coverage ability of the first coat to follow.

Once the layer of grisaille is dry, you can actually erase part of it like you would a drawing on paper! I do so with different types of erasers, ranging from soft to hard. First, using a fine round sable brush (#0), I go carefully over the drawing line, literally to "ink' and secure the drawing.     

After the lines dried, I apply a light layer of grisaille over the darkest parts of the painting. 

     

Once dry, I repeat the process, covering more areas on the panel, erasing highlights where necessary.

     

Finally, after a few layers, the tonal scheme is established, the drawing is "safe'. Notice that this is still a rough image, without colour nor texture rendering; nevertheless, we are now  ready to paint, and the opaque coverage of the following coat should be optimal.

     

First coat

Once the underpainting is dry (grisaille), it is time for a first coat of actual paint, using little or no turpentine; the main objective is to create an opaque but thin layer over the entire panel. This step will of course take a bit more time than the grisaille, as it is important to control the amount of paint placed on the panel, and required more brush control.

see on: Pic 9 - 9a - 10 - 11. If you still there of course 😉

The paint is applied carefully in a thin layer, but it is important to not "over brush" as it would create an uneven coat with some lack of opacity. For this reason, it is not advisable to work the fine details yet.


     

The first coat completed

Second coat:

Once the first coat is fully dry, a second coat of actual paint is applied, using little or no linseed oil; this time, attention is given to details every element of the painting. This step takes much longer than any previous step, so patience and a strong sense of observation are required.

I don't know what you think so far. But I can smell the leather now


     

Starting with the leather.....

see 23 - 24 - 25