Step One
Firstly I draw in my subject with accuracy but no detail. I use thin willow charcoal because it is easy to rub out. Pencil is difficult to remove and painting directly on to the canvas often means a messy drawing with correction lines. The board I chose is a 51 x 61cm, which I felt suited the subject matter of the Kimberley Eucalypts.
I always begin by blocking in my darks, then mid-tones, then lastly my lights. If I am working on a section of the painting as I am with this one, then the darks of that section go in first. In this case it is the foliage and the darks of the rocks. I have decided to work from the background and the top section of the painting first.
Using a mixture of Sap Green and Burnt Sienna, I block in the foliage, rubbing the edges with a rag so it softens
