Ideally for a portrait demonstration I like to be able to use a ‘rub-out’ technique, in which a canvas or board is prepared a day earlier with a turpsy wash of generally a neutral tone. 

French ultramarine and raw sienna were largely the mix for the overall wash, applied with a 1in decorator’s brush.  On the day of the demonstration this area was still not quite dry, which allowed me to rub out with a slightly turpsy cloth, pretty well back to bare canvas, in order to establish some useful large passages of light tone.  This created the basis for the essential structure and form. 

Then I worked in some sketchy, flowing lines using Nos. 1 and 2 bright bristle brushes, and Nos. 5, 6, 8 and 10 for the larger blocked areas of tone. 

In a very short time the image showed the form and character of the sitter. When demonstrating in front of a large audience, speed is essential and this urgent start helped to achieve a result in just over two hours.

Next, I needed to address some basic colour mixes of mid-tones to tie into the previously stated areas.  These were thinly painted, passage against passage, interlocked to give the basic structure and colour values of the skin tones. 

In this portrait my colours were raw sienna, cerulean blue, cobalt violet plus viridian and cadmium orange in various degrees, with titanium white. 

Colours were swiftly painted together with the connecting areas of background, all in accord with the skin tones, to achieve the necessary sense of colour harmony and closeness of tone. I always feel that the canvas or board should be completely covered by this stage, as this also helps to increase your confidence about the painting.

Importantly, little attention was paid at this point to the finer features and detail, other than an overall statement and positioning of the elements in the broadest sense. 

The whole process was very fluid, of course, and the corrections to the drawing ongoing throughout the progress of the painting.  Often you see students paying far too much attention to details such as the eyes, nose and mouth far too early in the process of a portrait painting; these details may require positional adjustment and a more considered overview as a work proceeds. If these elements are painted in too much detail too soon, there can be a reluctancy to alter things and the final likeness will often be compromised.

Here, further structural work delineated the position of the features, one relative to the next and so on.  A well-practised measuring process was required here, as well as discipline and concentration on the various proportions, whilst the relationships between the elements were gradually firmed up. 

The sitter’s glasses were, unsurprisingly, a great help. They acted as a kind of datum point, and such items really can assist with the measuring process.  Even so, the style of the brushwork was still quite sketchy and not too finely resolved. 

Also, I painted large areas of blocky high-key brushstrokes with Nos. 8-10 bristle hog brushes with broad, slabby strokes to resolve the light-coloured blouse.  Relative purity of mix was required there, i.e. titanium white, buff titanium and either cadmium orange or Indian yellow. 

Further flesh tones were applied to the facial area and the neck using brush sizes 6, 8 and 10.  I was beginning to get a feel for the character and personality of the sitter.

This is an exciting and exacting process, and portraiture is especially challenging and totally absorbing.  Your concentration levels need to be considerable, and consistent, which isn’t quite so easy when you are demonstrating. 

The light source was largely from the right-hand side and as you see it allowed a counterchange effect of light against the dark background (which was treated very simply), emanating to a lighter background on the approach to the left-hand side, and meeting the darker left-hand side of the face.  This was intended to create a three-dimensional, spatial feel. 

At this point the live demonstration ended.

Resuming work in the studio and using various photographs for reference, I addressed the eye detail and the immediate surrounding area, scrutinising very closely to decide on the actual colour and observed highlights.

The centre distance between the eyes and the horizontal ‘lie’ are incredibly important – check these things on an ongoing basis, using a brush as a levelling tool at arm’s length, and at the distance you are from the model.  This simple process quickly ascertains glaring errors as you work on. 

I intended to leave the treatment of the sharply lit right-hand side of the hair area as loosely described as possible.  It had been stated quite early on, and I wanted to retain that broad, free brushwork.  In a way, understated areas like this serve to focus the eye on the facial features and allow the whole painting to have these restful areas of understatement.

By this stage I had just about employed most of my arsenal of chosen portrait colours, including titanium white, raw sienna, cerulean blue, French ultramarine, cobalt violet, cadmium orange, vermilion and viridian.  Also, buff titanium is a very useful addition to many of the mixes and lends a sense of tonal unity to this restrained palette of colours.

At this stage the final modelling and the neck and shoulder subtleties were address.  A little enhancement of the lie of the mouth and nose detail was necessary. 

For these flesh tones I was using titanium white, raw sienna, cadmium red and orange, viridian and cerulean, observing gentle colour and tonal shifts. 

For fine detail in some flesh tones I really like Rosemary & Co’s ivory short flats, Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 6.  I find the filbert shape is very conducive to my approach. I was trying to extract enough subtle visual information about the sitter to enable me to move to a successful conclusion. 

Once the intense period of facial study was completed it was almost a relief to let go and enjoy the looser strokes of the form, the folds of the blouse and the hair.  I was careful to make strokes that sufficiently enhanced the piece without competing too much with the focal point of the facial features. 

The overall aim was to produce a lively, unfussy visual response to the sitter, where the joy of interaction between us is evident to the viewer.  It certainly felt this way between Sally and myself, even in those pressurised conditions – a little adrenalin rush is no bad thing for the creative process.

FINISHED PAINTING

I decided to simplify the background a little to ensure full emphasis on the figure.  Once you get to this stage you need to step back, assess, and re-check measurements by eye and by hand.  So often you will spot a little nuance that might just firm up the final effects of the likeness.