How to Start a Painting: What Do We Paint First?

How do we start a painting? What do we paint first - the background, the main subject, do we start painting in the back of the painting, the front or where?

What is the common sequence of painting a painting? And what's the best way to start a watercolor or an oil painting?

It's all covered here with a handy checklist you can refer to for your future artwork.

What do we paint first?

What do we paint first?

How to Start a Painting

The logic of what to paint and when:

How to Start a Landscape Painting

Have you ever looked at a blank canvas or paper and thought what do I paint first?

The logic is to start painting things behind or underneath first. Then paint what's in front or on top of them.

Paint from the background to the middle ground, and the foreground last.

It certainly is not the only way to do it, but it makes sense to paint what's behind before painting anything closer to us.

The Sequence of Painting a Landscape

Start painting at the top and paint down to the bottom of the painting.

As a side note - overlapping items is a great way to create depth and distance in our paintings.

The sections of this painting show the progression of what to paint - when.

1. Paint the things farthest away like the sky, distant hills or water.

2. Start painting forward. The foliage is closer, so it overlaps the sky.

Blend the top edge of the foliage softly into the sky to help it recede.

3. The water was painted before the buildings and boat because they rise up out of the water.

4. The buildings were painted. Note how they overlap the foliage of step 2.

5. The boat and its reflection are painted into the water of step 3.

6. The foreground foliage on the sides of the painting was painted overlapping the water.

7. Finish details like highlighting the water and putting shadows at the base of the grasses.

Painting from the top - down (back to front) is a good way to paint landscapes.

After we are more familiar with painting, we may approach each painting differently. For example, the sky may be the last thing to be painted.

It's up to the artist and each individual painting, but this is a logical way to start and paint a landscape.

Look at the painting below and imagine painting in the sequence and why.

1. Start at the top with the most distant items.

2. Paint what overlaps the top things.

3. The water was painted.

4. The buildings were painted.

5. Do the boat with its reflection.

6. The foreground foliage overlaps the water.

7. Finish with the highlights and details.

Paint from the background to the foreground.

How Do We Start Close-up Subjects?

Where do we start a closeup painting like people, a butterfly or an animal?

Paint the subject first. Then paint the background around the main subject.

The butterfly was painted first.

Then the background was painted.

This is my preferred method of painting a close-up subject.

After the subject has been painted, it's easier to see how to use values and color to contrast and highlight the subject.

Many artists do it the other way around. And, sometimes I do paint the background first and the subject second.

Either way is correct - whatever works for each individual painting.

We covered the order of painting the parts of a painting - now in what sequence do we apply the paint?

3 Easy Steps of Painting a Picture

There are generally three steps for painting any subject or any medium.

• First, start with an underpainting or block-in. This establishes the values, composition and sometimes the colors.  
• Second, paint the way things will look in the finished painting. 
• Third, complete the details, do highlighting and any necessary touch-ups.

We can start painting any medium with these three steps. 

An underpainting is often done with Burnt Sienna. It lays in the values and shapes of the composition. 

Blocking-in covers each area with their general color. Both techniques use thinned paint.

After the first step, it's time to relax and experience the joy of painting.

1. The colors were thinly blocked-in.

2. Paint the painting

The belly is shadowed, wings, and legs defined and he got something to stand on.

3. Finish with details

His eye, and beak are painted, chest got more defined and the perch is shadowed.

Let's see how these three steps apply to watercolor and oil paintings.

How to Start a Watercolor

Watercolor, oil and acrylic all use the 3 painting steps, with some variation.

Paint watercolor from light to dark.

• Start watercolor paintings with thin, light layers of paint.
• Add layers and the darken the colors.
• Detail and finish the painting.

In this painting, I painted the hummer before doing the background. 

You may want to start painting the background in this step and work on the entire painting at once.

1. Start with light colors.

2. Continue with more layers.

2. Paint details and darkest colors.

Oil Paintings Steps

Oil, alkyd, and acrylic are painted in the reverse order of watercolor.  

Oils, etc. are painted from dark to light values (colors).

Dark oil colors are difficult to paint over white and other light colors.

• So, start painting oils with the dark values first.
• Then paint the intermediate values.
• Finish with the highlights and details. 

Start with the dark colors.

The same three steps apply to any medium, just variations in the order.

Next, paint the middle values.

Do highlights and details last.