The first part of the painting process.

Prepping my canvas with black acrylic paint and outlining the image with chalk are the first steps to starting the painting process. Chalk is easy to wipe off with a wet towel or in my case a baby wipe. I bought them in bulk! It makes life a lot easier when it comes to cleaning paint off my hands, or my face and even wiping excess paint off my brushes.

Once I have it laid out, my goal is to put the first layer of paint on. The "blocking in" stage. I mix a drying medium (alkyd or neo megilp) in with my paint to speed up the drying process. Applying wet onto wet in oils can be frustrating. I avoid that at all costs, otherwise it ends up looking like a muddy mess. I'll let the first layer dry over night.

My kitty cat is typically hanging out next to me. In this case, she's lying next to my laptop waiting to be petted! Stop back. I'll have another update with the next layers.

#oilpainting #hollandhospital #bigred #mindifrengdesigns #puttycat #christidreese #healthcaredesign #happyart