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London Street Scene - Work in Progress.
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Message
Posted
Okay, so under some pressure to start using the WIP facility here we go.
Oil on stretched canvas 30 x 24in, from pen sketches and a smaller 20 x 16in oil sketch.
First and foremost, and essential in my book, I paint a turpsy wash over the canvas, for this I wanted a mid grey so I mixed Zinc White, Ultramarine and Yellow Ochre. Like many artist's I can't work on a white canvas, and this mid-tone grey is used as my middle tone throughout the painting. I then work up and down from this to create lighter and darker tones, obviously the lighter tones being further back. it's just a matter then of drawing your grids and transferring as much information across as you think necessary. I personally don't go overboard at this stage, preferring to get just the main points in situ and of course making sure that the perspective is correct.
My aim in the finished work is to create an Impressionistic piece, loose and lively, and with some atmosphere of the general scene, I personally hate anything photographic, but of course it does have its place, but not on my easel.
The next stage will be to block in some of those other tones, and I will use a very limited palette for this, I generally start with the darkest ones and establish some depth to the piece, and I will be posting this second stage later.
I do hope that some of you may find this useful, and perhaps even interesting, many of the experienced painter's in the group will of course be familiar with all this, some will disagree with my methods, that's fine, we all have our own way of painting and it's the end result that matters, but for those with less experience and looking to improve I hope this step-by-step insight into my working practice will help just a little.
Many of you will be aware that I am a prolific painter, and produce some 200 plus paintings each year, always experimenting with new ideas, it's the only way that I can maintain my intense interest in art, and I don't intend to give it up.
Posted
We've corresponded on this, and pleased to see you've sorted it after having some trouble uploading the picture! Well done sir. I've just launched into my weekend dinner pre-prandials, but will re-visit this tomorrow - always interesting to see how different people approach a common problem.
Two hundred paintings a year - good Heavens, you mad fool you.... Very interesting, because I produce nothing like that number, although I do a lot of drawings - I wonder if I could sustain an output like that, but I never have, at any stage.
I have (rarely) worked on a white canvas - and I felt it worked, but I usually employ the turpsy wash option as well. Anyway - let us not waffle, I shall take a more detailed look tomorrow.
Posted
Two hundred !!!!! giddy giddy aunties. Dont suppose you do much washing , ironing , cooking in between times. ! Though I am full of admiration if you do. I often use domesic stuff as an excuse for NOT having been creative.
I find this WIP interesting as knowing your lovely style it always seems so very instantaneous. It is so beautifull planned and executed. I am full of admire and looking forward to the next installment.
Posted
Well Sylvia, yes I do have all these chores as well, although my daughter's do give me some help, particularly as I am not so able bodied these days with knee and hip problems. I must just be one of those quick painters, always have been. Anyway, glad you like the start, it can only get better I hope, will do another hour in the morning, but I am working on another project also so this will probably take me all week to complete - but what's the rush?, there isn't any...
Posted
I look forward to seeing this as it progresses. I was thinking about popping the progress of one of my works on the site but not sure how it would work.
Your work, Alan, proceeds in regular phases and I admire the process which I find fascinating. However my work being predominantly watercolour is done usually in one sitting. I sketch out the scene making sure perspective etc is about right and this usually takes about 10mins or so and then I plunge in with the paint - the whole process is usually done in one sitting in no more than about 3 hours at most.
I supose I could take photos as I go along and then post them over a few days but it would be too late to benefit from any feedback as the work would already be completed.
Posted
Thanks Michael and Malcolm, I appreciate that watercolour is so rapid in its process, and is difficult to stop and take photos, particularly if working wet-in-wet, where every second is vital. Pen and ink would be useful Malcolm, so why not give it a shot, this WIP feature has been set up by request and let's all try and use it.
Like many of us, I also find it interesting to see other artist's progress, so with just a bit of effort we could develop this into an interesting forum page. That's it, off to the studio...
Posted
I'm not normally a contributer to the forum but I'm a great admirer of your work, so wanted to thank you for going to the trouble of starting this thread. I've often wondered about your methods or formula's, of how you begin a painting and I find this very interesting. I know you class yourself as a 'quick' painter, so I was surprised to see the extent of your planning but I also know that you hold to the importance of checking perspectives, scale, etc.
I'm ashamed to say, I don't do any of this preparation. I consider one pencil line to mark the horizon, as detail! That's probably why I have to change and go over things as I progress through the painting, where as if I plan it first, I would save myself lots of paint, time and frustration.
I will follow this WIP and hopefully learn a great deal that I can put into practice.
Posted
Thanks for clarifying matters Robert, it should be ONE new thread per topic/artist, as you say, anything else would end up being so confusing and I for one would not bother to participate, not that that would be an issue for some of you, and I must confess that the interest shown has been poor up to now, possibly people still in church, yes, that's what it will be. Actually, there are so few contributors to the forum that this is expected I suppose, but we carry on regardless with a smile... or not.
Fiona my lovely, it's the end product that matters, we all approach things differently, but if you are having to go back over things, perhaps the time has come to spend a little more preparation time, I know it's the boring part, but it can help. I do know that you do spend time on prep work on your tutor day's, and I think this shows in your work, having produced some good solid work.
Also, it is worth remembering that I am only following guidelines from my college years, this is how we were taught to paint, it is a good method and is tried and tested by some of our current great artist's. It gives a structured approach which can be easily followed, perhaps rather than staring at a white canvas and really not having the confidence to make a start., Probably a load of old flannel, but it's what I like to do, but we all have our own methods, none are wrong.
It is worth mentioning for the less experienced that I only use a grid system when accurately transferring detail from one work to another, I wouldn't dream of using it when painting outside, which you can do with the aid of an ipad with a grid filter, I have seen artist's using this method in the field but I don't find it necessary.
Edited
by alanbickley
Posted
Okay then, here we go with stage 2. and I will be brief. Winsor & Newton Artists' Canvas with Michael Harding oil paints. W&N Distilled Turps.
I've now mixed some Blue Black with Zinc White with a touch of Raw Umber, this has given me the strongest cool tone that I will use, then added some Light Red for a warmer tone and White to create another three tonal values, I won't elaborate, for one, there may be nobody reading this and another reason is that it is self explanatory when you look at the photograph.
Because I used charcoal pencil instead of charcoal which rubs off, some of the grid lines will be visible in the finished piece, as I will be applying the paint thinly. This is no detriment to the work and in fact some artists do like to have these and their working lines visible. I don't mind either way. This will have to dry off now before I can continue with the next stage. At this stage all I am looking for are my tonal values, I have no interest in colour or detail
, that would confuse the issue.
, that would confuse the issue.
Edited
by alanbickley
Posted
Alan profuse utter apologies for invading this thread in my confusion and probably senility. I have deleted it and with Syd's kind help have now got my own.
Also Thanks Robert, I hope you don;t think I was just being selfish.
This looks good already and looking forward to watching the progress
Edited
by DerekSnowdon