About  My  Process 

My overall method is known as indirect painting, one that precedes the direct method of the Impressionists and today's plein air painters.  Indirect painting is done in a series of layers, each one optically interacting with (rather that covering up) the previous one(s).  Since each layer must dry before the next is applied, all my work is done in the studio from images on a digital display.  
I start with digital photos or scanned negatives and spend many hours molding these images, using various software till they become something effective enough on which to base a painting.

1.  First Layer

   Upon the pure white priming of the panel, an initial transparent layer of a cool, slightly violet black (created by a mixture of the complimentary colors red-violet and green) is thinly applied to achieve a middle tone, and allowed to dry; this is referred to as an IMPRIMATURA.

2.  Intitial Statement of Forms

   The composition is first laid in with the same paint as used for the Imprimatura, to create all the darker values; this is also allowed to dry.  This is the first step in making what's called an 'OPEN GRISAILLE'; grisaille is a French term for 'painting in greys'; an 'open' one is where the range of values is created by varying the thickness of transparent  paint rather than mixing a range of opaque greys.  This stage is allowed to dry before continuing to next stage.

3.  Completion of the Monochrome Underpainting

   The full-value GRISAILLE is completed with scumbles of pure white paint, to create all the values above the previous steps.  Scumbling is simply applying  opaque paint in thinner and thicker layers to allow varying degrees of the surface below to show through.  These first two steps result in a complete range of values from black to white without using any mixed, opaque greys.  All the intermediate values are created by the optical effect of the transparent black and transclucent, scumbled white layers interacting with the bottom layer of pure white priming.   This is often referred to as an optical grisaille.

4.  Color as the Final Step

   With all the values of the composition in place (in a higher key than the finished work will be, to allow for lowering of values created by the color layers) the local colors are applied mostly as transparent layers of pure color (GLAZES) and SCUMBLES of translucent color.  Throughout the final painting, the bright white of the initial priming is shining up through all the subsequent layers; only in small areas where the white paint is thickest, is the white priming completely obscured.

The imprimatura.  A transparent stain of cool black over a pure white panel.  This particular 'black' is a mixture of quinacradone red and phthalo green and produces a slightly violet grey when applied thinly.

The initial image layer. Same paint used to create the imprimatura.  All the values below ​the imprimatura are heavier and lighter applications of the transparent 'black'.  This stage is allowed to dry completely.

Monochrome underpainting nearing completion - only scumbles of pure white paint in this step (the 'open grisaille'). The 'black' and white paints are never mixed to grey - all the midtones are where the imprimatura is showing through the thin glazes of 'black' and scumbles of white.  These are referred to as 'optical greys'.