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PAINTING ON BLACK –
Cat Croxford
Reference Image
Materials
Black Canvas
Chalk
Pastel Pencil
Acrylic paint
Range of brushes
Palette Knife
Damp cloth
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Setting up
Choose a reference image that has at least three elements e.g. foliage, hedge, ground. Prepare your black ground using slightly watered down acrylic applied with a big brush. If you like to work using a grid, add one lightly using chalk and do the same on your reference photograph.
Top Tip: Remember to paint the edges for a complete surface
Sketching the Composition
Start sketching out the composition lightly with chalk keeping the shapes vague and brief. You can add brief notes to the canvas chalk to remind you which bits are going where. This keeps you from getting lost in the details later on.
Building up your first layer
Start with your brightest areas first as they will take the longest to build up and create depth. Try mixing your colours on the canvas rather than on your palette to relinquish some control whilst allowing you to adjust to the black steadily. Experiment with your mark making. Using different directions of mark making can add energy.
Top Tip: Use light, feathery strokes for a soft, wispy effect—don’t overblend or you’ll lose the vibrancy!
Move on to other areas of your painting, building up sections of colour. Don’t worry if everything looks a bit muddy at this stage. You will build up the vibrancy as the layers go on.
Painting in detail
When you start to add in details such as trees or branches, resist painting them in in long stretching lines as this will flatten the perspective. Play around with using the exposed black canvas to describe some of the forms instead of painting them in if they are very dark.
Top Tip: For narrower sections twist your brush so that you are using the edge. This will give you lovely control.
Getting to know the properties of your paint
Some acrylics are very transparent, and others are opaquer. Try layering up the transparent pigments to achieve brilliant depth whereas opaque pigments are brilliant for adding pops of light in small areas.
Top Tip: Experiment with introducing the same colour in different stages of the painting to see how they react when placed on top of layers of paint as opposed to directly on the black.
Adding in complimentary colours
To give some warmth to the greens of the trees and branches it can be nice to apply some complimentary colours. Adding some purples into a pathway for example can bring the whole painting together.
Top Tip: Use the edge of a palette knife or the side of a dry brush to add texture without too much effort.
Building up layers
When you have covered the whole canvas go back and start adding in further layers. You are one step away from the black so it will have less influence on the marks you make meaning your marks will be bolder. For sections in the foreground use some lighter tones. Adding marks to the edge of the features will allow them to contrast with the darker areas around.
Top Tip: At this stage it is good to start mixing on the palette to maintain a bit more control.
Final Refinements
Where there are large swathes of one colour, add some pops of other tones to bring the painting together. Look for final pops of light you can add.
