The First Thing I Do With Every Painting (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)

When I begin a new painting, there’s one step I never skip.

It may not look like much at first, but it’s one of the keys to creating that glowing, luminous quality you see in finished paintings — and it sets the stage for everything that follows.

I’m talking about the underpainting.

A lot of painters rush past this stage, eager to get into full color. But if you take a little time here, you’ll find that you can avoid many of the problems you might run into later.

Before you watch

As you watch this short demo, don’t just focus on the colors. Pay attention to a few specific things:

• How the values are being established early on

• How the surface is unified before details are introduced

• How this first layer quietly sets up depth and atmosphere

This is where the painting really begins — long before you begin applying color.

Watch: The Magic of an Underpainting

If you’d like to watch this on YouTube or join the conversation, you can do that here.

After you watch

What you’re seeing in this stage is more than just a “base layer.”

It’s where structure, value, and mood begin to come together in a way that supports everything that follows.

This type of underpainting also helps you quickly jump start your painting. And it's very forgiving since you're focused on the big shapes and masses, which helps build your confidence.

When this stage is complete, the later steps become more straightforward — and the painting begins to develop that sense of light and atmosphere that’s often hard to achieve otherwise.

How this fits into the bigger process

The underpainting is just one part of a larger, step-by-step approach I use in all of my paintings.

Each stage builds on the one before it, so you’re not guessing your way through the process. You're not jumping around the canvas — you’re developing the painting with intention from the very beginning.

So, if one of your goals is to paint more realistic landscapes, my free workshop is a great next step.

👉Register to watch Secrets to Painting Beautiful, Realistic Landscapes

When you understand the why behind the process, painting becomes a whole lot simpler – and a lot more enjoyable.

This is Part 1 of a 4-part series on painting more believable, luminous landscapes. In my next post, we’ll take a closer look at the next stage — how to paint beautiful clouds.