Vanessa and the butterfies in progress

I always plan my pictures. I gather background material and scraps of color-aid paper and tack them up where the model should be. I make sure the colors resonate harmoniously and I try to push the color so it is not always the same old trite combinations. I always plan my color- it is neither accidental nor left to chance. I make color studies for large works. Planning your color ahead of time keeps your colors from getting muddy and keeps them fresh and painted with surety.