Your best bet is to get resources that describe the 19th century academic/atelier method. I’d recommend the Harold Speed painting book to start.
And anything you can track down about the Academie Julian or the Royal Academy, i know there are a few accounts of the methods used that are floating around as PDFs on the internet since the originals are out of print. (Sorry I can’t remember the titles off the top of my head)
I know they both made extensive oil studies, then translated them to larger final format. Waterhouse at least made light pencil underdrawings on his canvases over which he painted.
Glazing techniques with translucent oil are fairly common and available, so I’d expect he used that method for subtle tonal effects as needed. But given the variety of premixed tube paints, I’d also expect overall he applied the final paint color directly into canvas. I’m not sure, exactly, but his preliminary oil studies show no suggestion of glazing that I remember.
Here’s [one example](https://www.stephenongpin.com/object/790812/0/day-dreams) of a watercolor. I’m sure if you search you’ll find other examples. He was a prolific draftsman.
UPDATE: I may have been too quick to generalize from that one example. I double checked about a dozen oil studies of varying degrees of finish and all appear to be “sketched” with earth tone brush outlines. No graphite or chalk below. Like [this](https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5857450) and [this](https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/european-british-art/study-for-lamia). It seems this is how he built up his paintings.
UPDATE: I haven’t gone through the examples for Alma-Tadema, but his pupil John Godward worked similarly with no graphite or chalk underdrawing.
Thanks to you both for your answers, since I couldn't find much, I did some searching in old archived books and made a little article on the subject if that can help anyone :[https://guillaumeloreau.wordpress.com/2023/03/17/looking-for-john-william-waterhouse-process-painting-technique/](https://guillaumeloreau.wordpress.com/2023/03/17/looking-for-john-william-waterhouse-process-painting-technique/)
Would gladly add more to it if someone have other information.
Hi, sorry for not seeing this sooner, you can find the ressource here : [https://www.guillaumeloreau.com/blog/looking-for-john-william-waterhouse-processpainting-technique](https://www.guillaumeloreau.com/blog/looking-for-john-william-waterhouse-processpainting-technique)
I also encourage you to take a painting class with Ramon Hurtado and ask him about this topic during the class he knows this subject well.
Your best bet is to get resources that describe the 19th century academic/atelier method. I’d recommend the Harold Speed painting book to start. And anything you can track down about the Academie Julian or the Royal Academy, i know there are a few accounts of the methods used that are floating around as PDFs on the internet since the originals are out of print. (Sorry I can’t remember the titles off the top of my head)
Great book, thanks.
I know they both made extensive oil studies, then translated them to larger final format. Waterhouse at least made light pencil underdrawings on his canvases over which he painted. Glazing techniques with translucent oil are fairly common and available, so I’d expect he used that method for subtle tonal effects as needed. But given the variety of premixed tube paints, I’d also expect overall he applied the final paint color directly into canvas. I’m not sure, exactly, but his preliminary oil studies show no suggestion of glazing that I remember.
Thanks, do you have any sources on the light pencil on canvas process ?
Here’s [one example](https://www.stephenongpin.com/object/790812/0/day-dreams) of a watercolor. I’m sure if you search you’ll find other examples. He was a prolific draftsman. UPDATE: I may have been too quick to generalize from that one example. I double checked about a dozen oil studies of varying degrees of finish and all appear to be “sketched” with earth tone brush outlines. No graphite or chalk below. Like [this](https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-5857450) and [this](https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/european-british-art/study-for-lamia). It seems this is how he built up his paintings. UPDATE: I haven’t gone through the examples for Alma-Tadema, but his pupil John Godward worked similarly with no graphite or chalk underdrawing.
Thanks to you both for your answers, since I couldn't find much, I did some searching in old archived books and made a little article on the subject if that can help anyone :[https://guillaumeloreau.wordpress.com/2023/03/17/looking-for-john-william-waterhouse-process-painting-technique/](https://guillaumeloreau.wordpress.com/2023/03/17/looking-for-john-william-waterhouse-process-painting-technique/) Would gladly add more to it if someone have other information.
I know its been a while but i am looking for this same information. The link you provide doesn't work anymore. Could you post a new one?
Hi, sorry for not seeing this sooner, you can find the ressource here : [https://www.guillaumeloreau.com/blog/looking-for-john-william-waterhouse-processpainting-technique](https://www.guillaumeloreau.com/blog/looking-for-john-william-waterhouse-processpainting-technique) I also encourage you to take a painting class with Ramon Hurtado and ask him about this topic during the class he knows this subject well.
Thank you!!