the first day of paint on the panel

finally put paint on the panel

Here is the original panel,

and here is the first bit of painting,

and a detail of the leopard skin that is on Bucephalus that although doesn't look that great in the photo, I like quite a lot.

I used my fingers a lot in this stage which is one reason that I enjoy oils so much.I only used aliz crimson and cobalt blue with white. I thinned everything with a 4:1:1 mix of turps, damar, and linseed oil. I painted really thin at first and then realized that it wasn't covering my grid! yikes! So that is when I started in with fingers!! I will probably continue this way to cover and get in the shapes, darks and lights. Then I will go to brushes and details.

ahhhhhhh I feel such a sense of relief now that I have started. Like I always say, doing art is like laying an egg

Buk buk buk bukkah!!!