5 Steps to put what’s in your head onto canvas

In this post, I will share my process of developing a narrative medicine painting from start to finish. I’ll give you an example of how I created, “My Life as an ER Physician during COVID.” I’ll tell you about each step: coming up with the initial idea, gathering reference images, sketching, exploring color studies, and finally, the final painting.

Step 1: Figure out What You Want to Say

When I first start thinking about a narrative painting, I take notes about the story I want to tell. It’s a lot like writing. Before you start writing, you need a thesis to guide your ideas and emotions. I usually start with words. I usually write the full description of what I envision on paper before I even pick up a brush. At the beginning of the Covid epidemic, I was feeling so many emotions. I remember the nonstop news, the exhaustion, the frustration. I remember so many colleagues leaving medicine, saying they’d had enough. I wanted to capture this feeling in a painting.

Step 2: Gather References

After I decide the exact story I want to tell, I choose reference images. In my post, How to Keep a Sketchbook, I explained my process of keeping an Image journal. It’s a collection of images from magazines, vintage books, and flyers that I often refer to for inspiration. I’m especially drawn to images with strong composition and narrative power. Sometimes I even take notes as to why a particular image works. Is it the color? The facial expression? In her book, The Creative Habit, choreographer Twyla Tharp writes that when someone asks if it has been before, she answers, ‘Honey, it’s all been done before. Nothing’s really original. Everything is a copy of something else.”

Step 3: Sketch Thumbnails

I sketch out a few thumbnails to work on the composition in my sketchbook. Once one feels right, I set up a reference for the painting and ask a model to pose. Here, I asked my daughter to put on my white coat and pose for me. Next, I experiment with color choices, considering which colors go together to capture the piece’s mood. I used to do all of this in my sketchbook, but lately I’ve been doing this digitally. It’s faster, easier, and better for refining my ideas before I move to Canvas.

Step 4: Create a Full Color Study

Then, I expand on the image, add some details, and create a full-color study. I’ll admit that I used to skip this step. But after a few failed paintings that didn’t turn out the way I imagined, I’ve learned my lesson. Now, I never skip this step, even though I can’t wait to start painting. I’ve attended enough art workshops where instructors spend entire sessions on color studies to know how essential they are.

Step 5: The Final Piece

Finally, I move on the the finished painting. This is the fun part. Whenever I look at other artists’ work, I love reading about the ideas and emotions that inspired it. It helps me understand what the artist was trying to express. I try to do the same with my own pieces. I always write a few words about the story or feeling behind each painting. I want viewers to understand what the artist is trying to say. Sometimes artists feel that it is up to the viewer to come up with their own interpretations of a piece.

This painting depicts the collective feeling of healthcare professionals during the pandemic. Notice the stack of books that represent the 12+ grueling years she has spent studying the science of disease. She rests against this stack while her expertise is challenged by rampant misinformation and quackery. Although she has never wavered in her desire to save lives, notice that her stethoscope slowly drops to the ground, she contemplates giving up the practice of medicine.

Take a look at some of my other Narrative Medical Paintings.

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How to Do a Quick Study?

A few months ago, a reader asked about quick painting study sessions. Perhaps when you don’t have time to do a full finished piece. Here’s a few quick tips to illustrate this process.

When I was studying the anatomy of the neck, I asked my daughter to pose for me. She was an avid gymnast. I used her as a reference because her strong muscles were so visible in every pose. I took several pictures of her. Then, I decided on the specific details I wanted to study. I started with a simple under painting, using Gamsol and Raw Umber. From there, I slowly built up layers, using just a few colors (Zorn palette).

Take a read of How to Get Into The Habit of Daily Painting.

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