"Sail" by Stephen Higton

For me, its got loads atmosphere.---- Lovely painting

This is so lovely Stephen - well done.

I thought it was watercolour at first glance you have captured the illuminosity in this lovely painting.

A beautiful painting - I could look at this for hours. Stephen, do you do this alla prima or with glazes? I've just started painting in oils and I love your impressionistic style and the colours you use. My hope is that one day, I may be able to paint something half as lovely as this...

Thank you Charles and Debs...pleased you liked it.

Thank you Jennifer and Jane. Much appreciated. Jane if you would like to know more about technique and colours I am only to happy to help.. I also have a web ste shigtonart.co.uk

Stephen, thanks for your response. I've had a look at your website and really love your paintings. I think it's the clarity of the colours and your style which are so interesting and I'd love some help; what are the main colours you've used in this painting, for example, and do you paint at one sitting or lay down glazes?

Hi Jane, The basic palette is French ultra, burnt sienna,Naples yellow,Alizarin Crimson and Titanium white. and Olive green. High light colours for sun are cad. red and indian yellow. I work on canvas primed with tinted gesso..in this case a blue made with ultramarine and burnt sienna acrylic added to the gesso.I work in one sitting..probably no more than 1 to 2hrs for the finished work. I use W N griffin Alkyd quick drying oils and use Turps and drying poppy seed oil as thinning agents...no glazing but I do apply the paint thinly .I doo prepare sketches of each work from real life and photos , this is then transfered to the canvas using charcoal which i fix with a standard fixing spray.

Lovely painting - such clean colour. I've not used Alkyds, but have now added them to my "must get" list; I didn't know they could produce colour of this intensity.

Stephen, thank you so much for taking the time to explain how you work. The tinted gesso is new to me and using charcoal with a fixer before starting to paint. I'll have to start experimenting - and will keep looking back at your website to keep the inspiration going. Please keep posting here; it's lovely to see your work.

Just beautiful Stephen. Beautiful colour, composition and style. I'm off to have a peek at your website now.

Fantastic gallery Stephen, I've put it on my favourites....for inspiration!!

Thank Robert,Alkyds are pretty much the same colours ,they are not quite as buttery as normal oils.

Thanks Fiona...hope you enjoyed the website.

Stephen - I have just seen your comments against my picture Early Morning and had no idea that it owes its roots to your work - I have posted a further comment against the picture which I hope goes some way to redress the balance. I am posting this comment against one of your earlier pictures which I find so appealing and which is probably one of my favourites - in fact having taken the time to look at your work in some detail I mudt say that I am so impressed - I shall look out for your future postings.

Thank you Michael,in fairness to Lionel,he did ask and acknowledge the work. Its hard to be critical when you put yourself on these sites,as by the very nature of them if someone likes a style or a composition,they will want to try it themselves and in some ways it is very flattering. I am glad you like to work,as I do yours.