Finishing

Let’s join Stuart Loughridge as he continues to work on his gouache cartoon on cardboard. He will be working on the third “skin” or layer of paint which is the finishing layer. Using the same color palette as the previous layer he glazes and scumbles over the information he has already established in the previous layers to make slight adjustments. As he says, this layer is “more thinking than painting” as he describes some form within the painting and uses various tones, values, and colors that will help build the focal point and bring the painting to a finish.

He starts, as always, from back to front. He discusses his thought process with every adjustment he makes throughout the painting like softening the edges of the clouds to integrate more in the sky, or changing the value of the trees so that they don’t feel so flat. With every adjustment the painting develops a wider value range and the forms become more and more clarified for the viewer. Because of the nature of the medium, the gouache dries very quickly so he is able to make assessments and adjustments quickly as well. With the final strokes he focuses on the focal point to bring it to a more resolved finish.

Because this is a cartoon, it is not a finished painting. The cartoon is simply a step along the way to a completed oil painting. It’s more of a play and study of color, strokes, and values purposely left unresolved so be sure to have fun along the way.