The painter’s café

 

I love café society. This is such a powerful subject for me – it’s full of intrigue and life, bustle and laughter. The interior of a French café is a great place to paint and makes an evocative subject. Riviera Afternoon was developed from a series of studies on the Côte d’Azur, in a café probably visited by Picasso and Matisse. The inspiration of such a scene comes simply from being part of the drama of relaxed and comfortable surroundings; the challenge is to give the scene mood and depth, not merely recording the customers and waiters, but capturing the essence of the afternoon.

As tables are places where many conversations are held, I have used compositional techniques to link the tables, people and verticals through a series of triangles as the interior recedes into the distance. The contra-jour effect gave me the chance to place my source of light at the heart of the painting. The light is coming from a sunlit terrace beyond the rear window, streaming past the far tables. But there was just enough sun clipping the edges of furniture and silhouetting the figures, to allow me to frame objects and people with strong colour. Gestural marks are vital to bring energy to what could be a static scene – these can be heavy or light depending on what kind of effect you are aiming for. I like to see brushstrokes in a painting – they give it more life. My palette runs from cool ultramarine and grey to olive green, violet, scarlet and yellow. This brings with it the opportunity to keep all related colours in my tonal range bold, in order to compete.
 

Demonstration: Riviera Afternoon

STAGE ONE



Initially I was attracted to the palm framing the figures and leading the eye into the bustle of the café. Here I have established the corridor through the café as it recedes into the picture. The colours range from Winsor green to cobalt blue and violet

STAGE TWO



I developed the major figure, the lady in a pink dress. I also deepened the colour

STAGE THREE



The blue foreground has become more prominent. Compositionally, I used the blue of this table and chair to counterbalance the green arch of the palm that encases the focus of my attention – namely the figures

FINISHED PAINTING

Riviera Afternoon, oil on canvas, 34x32in (86.5x81.5cm)

 

As the painting progressed I used strong ochre and Indian yellow to silhouette my subject and highlight activity and movement in the café. The contrasts were strengthened using vivid colour, which also brings out the energy in the scene. Some repositioning of figures and tables, notably on the right-hand side, helped to suggest depth and perspective in the final painting. As I refine my ideas a studio painting like this can take several months to complete. The key compositional elements that survived from start to finish of the canvas include the two beer glasses in the foreground, the trio of figures just above, and the lady in the pink dress.

 

The full article by Peter Graham can be found in the June 2011 issue of The Artist, and is part of his series 'The Painter's Journey' in which he talks about aspects of his life as a painter