There's something that I discovered within the last year that is now a major part of my process... a bright, vibrant underpainting!

 An underpainting is a version of the painting made in all one color; a monochromatic depiction that acts like a template for where all of the elements of the composition will go.  It is great for working out all of the kinks of the composition before adding a top layer of paint.
 
The underpainting is the foundation on which the painting is built.  Having a solid underpainting is like having a strong foundation for a house, it allows everything to fit into place.
 
Some artists like to paint more freestyle, but even freestyle paintings can benefit from an underpainting.  Since discovering the benefits, I have found myself even more free because it lays down the ground work to not have to constantly question what I'm doing as I am painting.  The foundation is there, allowing for faster and more confident execution of the main top layer.
 
My secret is that I like to paint underpaintings with a very vibrant color.  This makes the colors on top vibrate and sing!  It adds a depth to the layers of color that wouldn't happen with black and white, or just painting straight on to the white canvas. 

It's so fun to experiment with the different base colors, and how they compliment or contrast with the top layers. 

 I used to never paint an underpainting, and now I can't imagine not using one anymore!