Josette, Day 1 of 5

Oil on canvas, 20 x 24 inches (51 x 61 cm)

This will be the first time I have worked on a painting from life for more than 2 sessions. Despite my having tried to get the proportions right in this first session, the legs look too long, so I will have to check that situation next time and correct it. This stage is called a "grisaille," or monochromatic underpainting, with which one maps out the image, deciding where everthing is relative to everthing else, getting the proportions right, and establishing the values of the painting, such as where the darkest and lightest areas will be.