Create a flamenco dancers palette knife painting

Painting with a Palette Knife; it’s going to be a lot of fun!Step 1: Drawing the Image Draw the image onto the Canvas using a grid system. If you are unsure how to use a grid system you can find a lesson on how to draw and enlarge a photo or image on the Mont Marte website. There is an image of the dancers provided on the last page of this PDF for you reference. Step 2: Underpainting the Background background with a gradient of pure Phthalo on the bottom of the Canvas moving to Titanium White at the top. Try to work the paint so by the time you reach the top of the canvas it is almost pure White. Step 3: Underpainting the Dancer’s Paint in all of the areas of skin with Flesh Tint. Then paint in Permanent Red onto the female dancer’s dress, the flower and her lips. Now take the Lamp Black and paint in the male dancer’s suit and the hair. Step 4: Palette Knife Painting the Background Onto the Easy Clean Palette, lay in every colour except Black and Flesh Tint. There is no right or wrong choice of colours to use, just apply the lighter colours nearer the top and the darker colours around the bottom, also I have applied my paint at a slight angle with the Palette Knife. Painting skin tones can be as simple or as complicated as you like!

Step 5: Palette Knife Painting Dancer’s Paint in a base of Red to the dress and rose. Then apply Yellow to the Red on the pleats to suggest highlights and in any dark areas add some Phthalo Blue to suggest shadow. Now lay in some Black over our male dancer’s suit. I have added some Impasto Gel Medium to the Black to create subtle highlights. Now lay a thick coat over the hair area and suggest a hair pattern by dragging the palette knife through the paint. Step 6: Palette Knife Painting the Skin Squeeze out four equal sized amounts of Flesh Tint onto the Easy Clean Palette. To the first spot add an equal proportion of White, to the second spot add half the amount of Raw Sienna. The third spot has one part Flesh Tint to two parts Raw Sienna and the Fourth spot, one part Raw Sienna, one part Burnt Umber to Two parts Flesh Tint. With these four tones we can model the skin. Lay in the darkest shadow areas in first with the fourth tone and then lay the lighter tone in on top and blend them until you are happy. Until next time...