Process: Oil Paint: Still Life 2011

Hello All,

A quick diversion, if you will - to the realms of oil painting...

Here's a process summary of a little still life I finished in-between jobs:

(Above)
The basic set-up in the studio.
An oil decanter, grapes, silver bowl
and a platter.

(Above)
Process.
The bowl feels overworked.
Next painting I'm going to vary the
rendering between looser strokes
and refined areas of detail

(Above)

Still Life, 2011
Oil on Canvas
8"x10"

It was done in one afternoon, approx. 4hrs, in that quick 'alla prima' approach that I enjoy.

The next paintings are a larger format and a more complex subject material - my children!

Until the next time...

Process: Oil Paint: Regent Street 2010

Hello All,

Just a quick process post about an oil painting I recently finished. I wanted to do a contemporary landscape, so I chose Regent Street, London. The aim of doing an oil painting was to re-connect with the notion of being an artist - especially after the busy year that was 2010. I wanted to re-establish those traditional skills that are easy to move away from when you've been working digitally for so long.

After a few sketches and reference photo's were taken, I launched into the painting. Below you can see my process:

(Above)
Regent Street painting in progress

As you can see I used a saturated umber as my ground, mainly because I wanted to get a real warmth to the painting, which would mainly be that rather flat Portland stone colour. Also, I painted it in elements, sky, left side, right - a kind of Alla Prima approach over several days.

The final painting (apologies for the poor quality, will get a better pic when the weather is better)

(Above)
Regent Street, 2010
Oil on canvas
24"x30"

It's exciting for me, as I've been able to acknowledge a more traditional and considered approach that will, hopefully, inform my future work. I've already gessoed a load of other canvases and panels, so I'm looking forward to exploring the posibilities of oil painting, still life and landscapes further.

I've got a few other paintings almost finished which I'll post up as and when they're done - keep those eyes peeled!

Sneak Peek: Warhammer Ancient Battles

I'm now fully immersed in an exciting historical project for Games Workshop, I've been aching to do historical illustration for a long time and now the chance has come up, I'm trying to produce something with a narrative, historically accurate and dynamic. A nod of the hat to the unequalled Angus McBride. Here's a sneaky peek:

(Above)
"Uh-oh, this doesn't look good"

With these pieces I'm getting back to basics, these are straight (almost oil 'effect') paintings done in Photoshop, no fancy lens flares or overlay effects - just good, old fashioned drawing, tones, values and edges. I'm really enjoying it, I want to do more!

I'll keep you posted when they're published and I'll put up all the pieces for your pleasure.

...And now for something completely different: Oil Painting

This is just a quick post covering a little side project of mine.

On the back of recently attempting to emulate an atelier approach to life drawing classes - with some success - I've taken up oil painting as away of complimenting what I'm learning with the life drawing.

(Above)
'Robot'
Oil on canvas, 8"x10"

I've started with some still life studies of my children's toys, and I'm trying what's called an Alla Prima approach, which means 'first strike', you dive straight in and paint the final image immediately, without waiting for the paint to dry or layering on glazes and all those other incredibly classical and respected techniques.

Also, the great thing about it is that it means I can get a fully resolved painting done within a couple of hours, which is always good.

(Above)
'Fairy'
Oil on canvas, 8"x10"

I was inspired by an American artist called John Howard Sanden (whose book on portraiture should be a compulsory educational text!), the artist John Singer Sargent and also the well used technique of lost, soft and hard edges and how they interplay and focus the eye on an image.

I'm interested in how these techniques will apply to my illustration work, I'm already trying them out so I'll let you know how I get on when the pieces are in print.

Oil painting feels a more mature medium than acrylics, which I've always used and which I've really enjoyed. After I finished up these pieces I pencilled up a load of other canvases so I can dive straight into more painting when a free evening crops up - so I'll keep you posted!

Now- Back to the Cursed Earth!