Most of the paintings I have completed since I started painting last year have been small canvases measuring from 8”x10” to 11”x14”. Someone recently asked me to paint a 24”x36” landscape featuring a gate in a Japanese garden in Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island off the coast of Seattle. While that is certainly not a huge canvas, it is certainly bigger than what I am used to, so it required a different approach and more planning before I started. I learned a few things about painting on a large canvas that I thought I would share in this forum. I posted a small study of this painting here a few weeks ago. I’ll also share my process photos that helped me translate what I learned from painting the small version onto the large canvas shown below.

Lessons Learned

1. Do a small study first.

Paint a small version of the subject first where you can work out color mixing, values, and other issues before you get to the big canvas. My reference photo seen below had a few areas where it was really dark and other areas where the midday sun was so bright that it washed out all the color. There was also a part of the garden that was dug up so I had to figure out what to put there since I didn’t want to paint dirt. It is better to figure out how you will deal with these issues on a small scale before you waste a bunch of time and paint on the large canvas.

2. Get a good drawing before starting

With a larger canvas, it is good to make sure you are accurately drawing your subject before starting to paint. It is easier to correct before you start applying loads of expensive oil paint. This is especially important if there is architecture in the painting, I always draw it out first to ensure proportions look correct. You can see in the photo below where I had to erase and redraw some parts that weren’t quite correct. Some may argue the artist may lose some spontaneity and creativity when drawing out to this degree, but at this point in my artistic journey, starting with a good drawing works for me.

3. Mix a lot of paint

Unlike a small study where I mix small amounts of paint as I go, I realized it would be easier to mix a lot of paint at once so I could match the paint across the large areas that needed to be covered on the larger canvas. This was especially important in the block in phase seen below.

4. Determine Level of Detail

On a larger canvas, you’ve got a lot more room for details you didn’t have on the smaller canvas. Determine if you will use that space to add texture and detail or if you will go for the same level of detail as on the smaller canvas. A lot of this is determined by personal style and taste or the wishes of the client if you are doing a commission. With this piece I was going for a more photo realistic look so I added a lot of details that weren’t included on my small study. You can see the difference in the two photos below.

Small study detail

Large version detail

Summary

As someone who just started painting a little more than a year ago, I won’t offer myself up as an expert, but I hope sharing these lessons I learned from my experience are helpful to you. The most important lesson I’ve learned in the past year is that if you want to learn to paint better, paint often. Painting every chance you get will give you the experience and problem solving skills to get more enjoyment out of your art whether you it is a hobby or profession for you. So go get busy!