THE BOTTOM LAYER

For me there are three different ways of starting a layered artwork - using text and/or images, colour or texture.  Sometimes it may be a combination, as in this example. Here are some close-ups of the painting featured in my last post, which you can see if you look at the blog, began with bright yellow acrylic and torn out pieces from a vintage magazine.  I often start by covering the whole surface with my old letters. However, this turns out to be quite time consuming as I cannot resist reading them and bringing back memories of people long forgotten! I like the idea that they are going to be part of my artwork.

I try to take care that this first layer is not totally obliterated by subsequent layers as I like the serendipity of what can be seen, especially the odd word of text or a recognisable bit of an image.   One of my friends once saw her name in one of my pictures!  If you want to control what can be seen, areas can be protected with things such as, paper, masking fluid, tape and petroleum jelly.

I don't often use colour on its own as a bottom layer, but when I do, I put contrasting acrylic paints on top, and partially remove them.  This can be done by scraping with an old credit card or dab them off with a rag and water. Alternatively, stencil, stamp, roll paint or colour wash glazes over the first layer of colour or colours.  The aim is to let some of the colour underneath to show through.  I will often then start collaging paper and adding more semi-transparent layers.

Here is a picture of a textured acrylic painting of the Dorset coastline I did some years ago.  It is 80cm x 30cm and hangs on my landing. It has a bottom layer of texture consisting of tissue paper, packaging and cardboard. This was glued to the canvas which was then primed with a wood primer, a cheaper alternative to gesso for larger canvases, before painting and stamping with acrylics and other mediums.  The thing about using texture as the bottom layer is that, unlike colour and text, the aim is cover up the materials used completely.  The texture can be highlighted by dry brushing white/ black paint or silver or gold gilding on the top.  Alternatively, dilute paint or inks can be rubbed in and rubbed off leaving colour in the crevices. 

There are other ways of creating texture - acrylic modelling and texture mediums, crumpled tissue, stitched and manipulated fabric, glue gun,  thick layer of gesso or paint, to name a few.  Another form of texture can be created with filler, mud rock or plaster.  This is what I used for the artwork below.  The twig-like structure is actually a dried piece of nature which was attached to the canvas with plaster bandages. It is important with all kinds of 'wet' texture that it is allowed to dry thoroughly. I always leave it overnight before priming and then painting.

'Nature reclaimed' (46cms x 36cms)