This is not intended to be an art lesson, but I hope people find a little interest in seeing how I paint. It is also a great way to show just what happens if you ask me to paint for you. To ask about a commission just use the Enquiry form.
I start by going to the location and finding a good spot to paint from. If the work is for a commission then I will decide with the consent of the client.
I set up my easel and start to draw the basics of the scene. Depending on the scene I put in as little or as much drawn detail as I feel I need.
Once I am happy with the drawing, I begin to add the basic colours of the scene. These washes are lightly applied to the whole scene.
My paintbox contains my simple palette of colours for the scene. I have had the same paintbox for many years and it has served me well.
After anything from 2 to five hours on location I will have a colour-washed sketch that I can now work on in the studio. I will have notes to myself about features and colours, but the scene is held in memory. I find I cannot work from photographs.
Finally after another 1 to 2 weeks in the studio, working on the painting for perhaps a couple of hours at a time, I have a finished work. We frame it and it is ready for the client.
Finally, take a look at an animation of the process. You can see how the scene evolves from the original location, through the Sketch, the Wash and the Final Image, then back to the original scene.
