Painting Lessons: Learning from unfinished master paintings

Learning to paint well takes years of practice. You may have visited a museum and been totally amazed by the works of a particular painter. Just remember that paintings, even those of great artists, aren't created by magic. All great painters have a method. Something I've done that has helped me learn about painting methods is to study the unfinished works of master painters. Here are some images from Wikimedia Commons Image Database. First is a painting of Anders Zorn by the Swedish artist Bruno Liljefors.

As you can see Liljefors started on a toned ground (possibly a mix of Naples yellow, white and a little black).

Although the head is fully rendered you can still see that the painting was started very simply using loose areas of color painted in without any real underdrawing. This is a form of what is known as 'direct painting' which means that it is worked up from the beginning using full color to establish the shapes and values. Notice the red reflection on the jawline and how a band of cool background color is used along the head just before the light areas turn towards the shadow side.

Next is a painting by Thomas Gainsborough. In his painting the canvas is tinted with a darker umber or sienna and an under drawing is sketched in using this brown along with black. Even the face is only rendered by the addition of white. A monochrome underpainting of this sort is used to work out the values and composition first, leaving the other more intense colors to be added later . 

Study the unfinished works of other painters and see what you can learn about their technique.

The more you learn about different techniques the more you will be able to understand and develop your own style.

How to Paint: Starting with the Basic Shapes

For all the painting methods I've discovered from college instructors, private teachers, books, videos, etc.
there have always been a few common ideas that have been a great help to me. One of the most helpful of these is to start with the general and work towards the specific.

Back in art school a painting instructor helped me understand the value of this concept.
An image of a painting from a famous artist was projected against the far wall and we students were required to paint what we saw. The image however was projected out of focus. this removed the subject and its details forcing us to see and paint only the large areas of color. Slowly the image was put into focus and we gradually worked our paintings up.

Reducing what you see into its broader simpler forms is an invaluable aid, not just in terms of painting what you see but also in arranging your composition by making sure your subject is the right size, placed where you want it, etc. I've learned through experience that the more time you invest in making this basic framework right the easier it is to finish your painting.

Here are two examples from a self portrait that I'm currently working on using a mirror as a guide:
The first picture shows how I've started to block in and adjust the basic color shapes, A good idea is to squint while putting in these shapes, it really helps you to see things in terms of flat colors and values.( I can't stress enough how important it is to really take your time at this stage).
The second picture shows how I've started working the basic shapes up, refining them, working from large to small until I've gotten a reasonable likeness.
If you are a beginner, there's nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of a painting, thinking you are making some progress, then suddenly realizing your composition is way off, or when you paint a standing figure by starting with the head and working your way down only to realize there isn't any room for the feet!

So remember, a good way to work is to start with the general and work towards the specific. Block in your basic shapes first, arrange them how you want them, then start working everything up.