The Tradesman. Oil 14" x 18"

Taken from Leisure Painter April 1999, explore Ray Elwood's approach to oil painting and 'shout with joy when you get it right'.

Colour theory and the natural world

My understanding of colour theory is one thing; the natural world is another. It is true to say that warm colours – red and yellows – come forward and cool colours – blues and greys recede.

True, that is, until you see the oil painting by Joseph Turner, The Fighting Temeraire. His fiery red and yellow sunset is 100 miles away while the cool, dark greys of the towing tug are at my feet. During a thunderstorm, the sky and sea can merge into a colour of purple-black, yet the water in the middle-distance is translucent green. Observation is more helpful to the artist than theory.

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Inspiration from The Impressionists

During a trip to London in 1995 I went to an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, Landscapes of France, Impressionism and its Rivals.

The show was set out in a very interesting way. A selection of monumental canvases, which would have been acceptable to the Paris Salon in the mid-19th century, was shown alongside work by The Impressionists.

Seen side by side, the paintings had a powerful impact. I was unprepared for the actual oil paint. Every art book containing reproductions should carry a warning: “You are advised to go and see these paintings for yourself”.

Thick oil paint will catch light and cast a shadow, an effect lost in reproduction.

One of the Impressionist paintings, a small boat with yellow sails, by Renoir, danced off the wall, with light and life in the paint.

Working indoors and out

Most of my work is painted outdoors, but many of the great landscape paintings were completed indoors.

Working directly from nature has its problems. With one eye on the weather and the other on the time, we don’t always design well. In my experience, the ever-changing light and weather can create lovely atmosphere, but balance and harmony can suffer. A studio painting can have a much stronger design, especially when figures or animals are introduced.

My working methods

Creating form

When setting out a new canvas at the blocking-in stage, I get great fun out of using thin turpsy paint without white, searching for form and contrast. There are times when I wish that I did not have to finish, for fear of working the painting to death.

Colour palette

If I am happy with the blocking-in stage, I let the painting dry (thin turpsy paint without white will dry quickly) while I set out my full range of colours, including white. I use artists’ quality paints: sap green, Winsor blue, cerulean blue, light red, cadmium red, raw sienna, Winsor yellow, Naples yellow, raw umber and titanium white. With most of the compositional problems behind me, it is nice to look at all that fresh, juicy paint.

Mixing tones

I mix my tones in advance, making sure I have plenty for sky or background. This is important. Once the painting is well under way and I need to sculpture around trees, or roofs, the harmony is retained by using the same colours. If I haven’t mixed enough my progress is hindered.

Using an easel

When painting, I stand at a folding box easel which suits my approach, especially outdoors. If I have to stop the work due to the weather, I can fold the easel without disturbing the palette or the painting, enabling me to work indoors, confident that my colours are unchanged.

Supports

I prefer linen canvas on stretchers as supports and generally use these for studio work. If I am away painting for several days I use boards. I have a box to hold six in different stages of drying.

Brushes

When Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was asked how he managed to paint such a fine beard of an old man he answered: “With the biggest brushes”. It was true then and is true today. I cannot convince some students of this. They struggle through each class with small brushes and, worse still, put out tiny amounts of paint as if there were no more to be had. I put out my full range of colours in abundance.

When painting, look at the effect, mix it, put it down and shout with joy when you get it right. Reading all about theory is more interesting when you have a nice, juicy oil painting to frame up.

The illustrations

Composition

Figure 1 - Knocknarea, Co. Sligo. Oil 12" x 16"

Nature does not always present us with a ready- made composition.

When I chose this subject, above, I was interested in the light. However, the strong horizontal lines at the base of the hill and in the water presented a serious problem.

Far out of the picture, to the right, was a lighthouse. I decided to move it. This gave me a strong vertical and it looked like it should be there.

Then one of those rare strokes of luck – the yachts came out from Rosses Point opposite, and my problem was solved.

The foreground needed interest, so, referring to my sketchbook, I placed the cattle with confidence.

The rising smoke on the left-hand side of the hill was an invention to form the base line of a triangle between it, the lighthouse and the cows.

Put your thumb over the smoke and the harmony is not there – something I learned from looking at Joseph Turner’s work (1775-1857).

Still lifes

Figure 2 - Windfalls Oil 12 " x 14"

I enjoy painting still life and I do not produce as much as I would like to.

The subject will remain in constant north light, and the objects are common and can be found in any home.

I actually bought the apples, but Windfalls is a nice title.

In still life I like the whole canvas to be used. Look at a Greek vase – they knew a thing or two.

Portraits

Figure 3 - Lay-in for 'The Tradesman'

Figure 3a - The Tradesman. Oil 14" x 18"

The first example, figure 3 above, shows what I said about the joy of blocking in with thin paint and no white.

Your first half-hour is the most important. If you fail to get the map of the subject (the overall true shape), all the lovely details in the world will not save it. Spend as long as you need at this stage, constantly putting the canvas in an old frame.

In my first example the eyes are not focused. This is disturbing and, if carried through to the finish, all the work will be wasted.

For the blocking-in stage my colours were raw umber, Naples yellow, Winsor blue, alizarin crimson, sap green and yellow ochre. I make black with sap green, Winsor blue and alizarin crimson.

The linen canvas was previously stained with raw umber.

Symbolism

Figure 4 - The Letter. Oil 9" x 12"

Many great artists use symbolism to suggest a subtle meaning. In The Ambassadors, by Hans Holbein (1497-1543), the skull in the foreground suggests mankind’s temporary existence.

In my still life above, I tried to give the feeling that the note and the rose were not expected, sent perhaps to patch up a quarrel.

I used the red vase to prevent the red in the rose dominating the composition, and the dark green on the top of the vase repeats the colour of the leaves.

Working quickly

Figure 5 Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, Co. Down. Oil 14" x 18"

I can see this hill from my home, but rarely use it as a subject.

On this particular evening in late summer, the warm light on the fields was lovely. I had only two hours before the light would go, so I had to work directly, using large brushes loaded with paint.

A strong vertical, such as the tower, can draw the eye too quickly so I invented the gap in the hedge and the gate post, which forms another strong vertical.

The figure and dog were added the same evening, back at the studio.

Fighting the elements

Figure 6 Bundoran, Co. Donegal; Stom at Sea. Oil 9" x 12"

I painted this small board while sitting in the car. The windscreen wipers were set at intermittent and the wind was so fierce that the vehicle rocked from side to side. Under such conditions, fighting nature brushstroke by brushstroke, you want to surrender. However, I fought on and was thrilled with the painting.

I used a homemade board. A piece of coarse canvas was glued to Masonite and primed with acrylic. If I have to work alla prima, the coarse linen holds the pigment.

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This article is taken from the April 1999 issue of Leisure Painter

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