Solomon Gamra

I teach students in workshops and online platforms Four Simple Stages that you can use to adapt these principles to anything you paint. This includes Portraits, landscapes and Still Life. The Four Steps are:

1. The Foundation Stage
This is where I teach students the importance of sketching the foundation using straight and rough lines. This helps improve your observational skills, and build up the image starting with simplifying and breaking down the object into shape-like drawing. i will also teach the importance of measuring every corner of the drawing so that angles are right, and even down to how you hold your pencil in this excercise will be important.

2. The Refinement Stage
This is where we tidy up the lines and add more curves and shadows. this part is also crucial because I teach the meaning of underlayer forms.

3. The Color Blocking
Once the previous stages are done, I now show students how to paint layer by layer, using very little acrylic that is watered down, to start painting over the form. The shaded shadows help highlight where you are. depending on the image, students are encouraged to go for 2-3 layers. this stage will start to bring out strong forms.

4. The Final Highlights
This is where the magic happens. I encourage students to focus back on stage 3 if need be, but this is where stronger volumes of acrylic and little water comes in. Highlights and shadows are more emphasized, and provides the cherry to the cake.

NOTE - there are small differences to consider in the process depending on what avenue you draw, but the principles taught above remain the same.