When we look at a finished painting, it seems that a complete story stands before us. We see flowers, a landscape, the play of light, a mood. But, like an iceberg, a significant part of the work is hidden from view.
Every serious painting begins with an underpainting — the first layer that artists sometimes call the foundation of the work. It is here that composition is born, light is distributed, tonal relationships are built, and the future mood of the piece is laid down.
In subsequent stages the underpainting may almost completely disappear under new layers of paint. The viewer will no longer see it, but will continue to feel it. Like a good screenplay in a film that remains unnoticed while everything works as it should.
Experienced artists know: the beauty of the final layer largely depends on what lies beneath it. Therefore, work on the foundation often receives no less attention than the detailing.
There is also a small life lesson in this. We often admire the result without noticing the many invisible decisions that led to it. In art and beyond, character is always built from what is hidden beneath the surface.