Racing Colours with Martin Williams

Racing colours

Equestrian artist Martin Williams looks for light, atmosphere and a variety of colours in his lively subjects.

A chance visit to Fakenham racecourse in Norfolk on a sunny Easter Bank Holiday Monday 12 years ago changed the path of my career. At the time I was working for a design group and painting was far from my mind. However, that day was to provide the initial inspiration that has sustained an enduring passion for equestrian sport, and particularly horseracing, ever since. The resulting painting was a watercolour of a horse called Kadesh cantering to the start, which was purchased a few years later by the Fakenham course executive after seeing the painting reproduced in a publication called Travelling the Turf.

Unlike many equestrian artists I do not come from a ‘horsy’ background, which meant I had to embark on a steep learning curve about horses, their anatomy and movement. In addition to drawing and ongoing observation, I decided to learn to ride, which helped to speed up the process considerably.

I am most interested in capturing a sense of light, movement and atmosphere in my oil paintings. The majority are based on race meetings, although I also produce portraits to commission and some polo-based work. I aim to represent the horse as an intrinsic part of its environment and not as an isolated element dropped into an arbitrary landscape. All aspects are treated with equal consideration; for example I believe a painting should be a good landscape or seascape regardless of the fact that it also has horses in it. This is also true about representing people in equestrian paintings; they must be painted with the same quality as the horse. I have seen the most wonderfully painted horses accompanied by wooden, lifeless figures. Munnings, generally considered to be the major equestrian artist of this century, not only painted tremendous horses but the people in his paintings and particularly their faces are full of life and bristling with character.

The First Wave, Deauville, oil on board. 18” x 24”

The atmospheric qualities and effects of light play an increasingly important role in my work. Where possible I use the pattern of light to establish the form of the horse and to emphasise movement. In some cases horses can be read visually as just a series of patterns of light. Adopting this attitude tends to avoid the ‘suspended animation’ effect that can occur when trying to capture a horse travelling at speed.

Under Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham, oil on canvas. 16” x 20”

I specifically look, therefore, for locations which offer a variety of light and changing weather conditions. A monotone grey day is a non-starter. The natural amphitheatre of Cheltenham racecourse is a classic example of swiftly changing weather patterns whereas the July course at Newmarket is distinctive for its numerous trees which break, dapple and diffuse shafts of sunlight.

High Summer, Deauville, oil on board. 12” x 16”

Action and activity at race meetings is inherently a colourful business. I always aim to bring as much colour variation into the subject matter as possible by emphasising hints of unexpected colour and subtle reflections. For example, the highlights on a chestnut horse are not light brown but a fascinating range of pinks, whereas on a bay they can be blue, mauve or even green.

Over the years I have been a great admirer of Fred Cuming’s work and have learnt a tremendous amount about colour from his paintings. I am inspired by painters like Michael Andrews, Euan Uglow and David Prentice, rather than specifically equestrian artists.

One of the most difficult aspects of equestrian art is the predominance of green associated with the subject. The variations can be limitless and I constantly experiment with colour mixing and introducing new greens to my basic palette. For this reason I have recently enjoyed producing a number of paintings based on horses exercising in the early morning on the beach of Deauville, simply to avoid grass green for a while.

To the Winners Enclosure, oil on board. 14” x 18”

If I am working on a painting that contains a large amount of greens I tend to contrive reasons to add complementary accents of red or, to a lesser extent, orange – this device is also evident in many of Constable’s landscapes.

Dawn in Deauville, oil on board. 18” x 24”

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Skies are, of course, a fundamental part of any landscape, although there seems to have been a tendency to undervalue their role in equestrian art. I am constantly on the lookout for interesting land formations and colours, from leaden slate greys to subtle blue greens. Dramatic skies can also add interest and colour to a fairly simple composition. I also like to increase atmosphere in a painting by trying to record the nature of light at different times of year, the brightness and clarity of a sunny afternoon at Deauville in August is very different from a sunny afternoon at Longchamp in October.

Gathering reference

When I first started painting horses I used to travel to small racecourses in the UK. However, I now increasingly concentrate on the major courses at Newmarket, Cheltenham, Longchamp and Deauville.

I usually take with me a small hardbound pocket sketchbook, a 4B pencil, a 35mm camera, 400ASA colour print fil and compact binoculars. I do not take any painting materials because it is extremely difficult to paint on location at a busy race meeting – everything happens quickly and crowds are usually too large and intrusive. I usually have a good idea of the compositional material I need before arriving at a meeting. I use my camera selectively, in conjunction with the sketchbook in which I make quick tonal drawings supported by colour and incidental memory-jogging notes.

Back at the studio I consider compositional options from a number of photographs and tonal sketches. I strive to build up a subtlety and range of colour and tone that are beyond the capabilities of the camera. The most important factor about camera use is that you don’t become a ‘slave’ to a photograph by carrying out a glorified copying exercise! This invariably results in a superficial painting. Photographs can also play tricks, particularly with an animal as complex as the horse. You need a very good understanding of your subject and there is no better way to achieve this than to draw extensively and regularly.

Method of painting

Having considered the reference material for a specific painting I make a number of rough pencil sketches to explore compositional options. I then draw directly onto the canvas or board with a sable loaded with a thinnish mixture of French ultramarine and light red. I like the drawing process to be ongoing as the painting develops because this makes it far easier to inject life and movement. Having established the drawing I block in larger areas of colour and tone. I always experience a crisis of confidence at this stage which has to be worked through.

Helissio’s Arc, Longchamp, oil on board. 12” x 16”

Initially paint is applied reasonably thinly, particularly darks, and then as the painting is ‘pulled together’ highlights and detail are added with more of an impasto quality. I have to make a concentrated effort not to be seduced by detail. I’m a great believer in the adage ‘less is more’ – if something can be stated or hinted at with one brushstroke all the better. I also find that allowing some of the bolder, more dynamic brushstrokes of the underpainting to remain adds vibrancy and movement to the completed painting. As a painting develops, the size of brushstroke decreases, moving from various sizes to hog filberts to finer sables – attempting ultimately to suggest the detail of saddles, reins and bridles with single flicks of colour. I try hard to avoid the temptation to ‘fiddle’ and not overwork certain areas.

One of the main reasons I prefer to work in oils is because its flexibility enables scraping out, repainting, overpainting or complete changes of direction, and is therefore ideal for gaining a likeness of horses, riders, owners and breeders when working to commission.

To make best use of available painting time I like to have a number of paintings on the go at once – all ideally at different stages.

Materials and palette

I paint on both board and canvas. I prepare the boards by cutting down sheets of 4mm thick MDF and coating both sides with rabbit skin glue; this seals the surface and prevents warping. I then apply up to four coats of acrylic primer, preferring to allow the brushstroke texture to remain rather than sanding down.

I usually tone both surfaces with either yellow ochre or light red. Winsor & Newton’s yellow ochre is an excellent ground for paintings that contain a great deal of green. I experiment with different brands of oil colour and often like specific colours from different manufacturers.

I use a basic palette to which I add ‘spicy’ colours when necessary, usually to capture the brilliance of jockeys’ silks. My basic palette comprises titanium white, Naples yellow, Winsor yellow deep, yellow ochre, light red, Indian red, French ultramarine, Prussian blue, alizarin crimson, caput mortuum violet and Rowney olive. ‘Spicy’ or guest colours can range from phthalo blue, phthalo green, scarlet lake, ultramarine violet to permanent rose. Caput mortuum violet is a very flexible and useful colour for coping with a number of subtle colour variations in a horse’s coat. I use turpentine to dilute the paint in earlier stages and then add a touch of linseed oil as the painting develops.

After six months I varnish the completed painting using a combination of matt and gloss, although I have recently been experimenting with oils framed under glass which is proving effective.