A Light in the Dark

Using a black underpainting, Jed Dorsey shares the advantages and joys of working from dark to light

- By Jed Dorsey

Skyfall, acrylic, 12 x 16 (30 x 40 cm)

I used a gray-toned canvas for this and layered everything over a gradiated sunburst using a lot of negative painting.

About 20 years ago, I finished the first painting I remember really loving. Having just discovered acrylic paints, I was in a workshop with Mike Svob trying to understand this new medium. My background was in watercolor, so being able to paint light over dark was totally new to me. And the day that I painted my first self-described “good” painting I had started it on a canvas that was completely black.

As I look back on that day, I realize that the success of that painting was a combination of a few things. First, it was the last day of the workshop, and I think Mike’s great instruction had finally begun to sink in. Second, I got lucky and produced something that was beyond my experience and skill at that time. I’ve come to think of those types of paintings as gifts. They thrill us and encourage us to continue moving forward in our personal artistic journey.