Often I think people shy away from a challenge. I know I sometimes do myself. I see a possible picture and think, “Too much to take on…” and paint something less difficult but probably not as good. I have several pictures that have been in my “to do” folder for quite while just because they are a lot of work with quite a high risk of failure as well. I am writing this post as a sort of kick up the backside for myself to prevent me shying away from ambitious pictures. I tend to imagine people saying, “He bit off more than he could chew here…”. Some of them of course you think , ” How the hell would I paint that?” When you just think the painting requires more expertise than you have.
All the usual homilies spring to mind, “Aim high and even if you miss you will attain more than you would have than if you hadn’t tried.” True, true, but a miss is a miss and an almost but not quite painting is a bit of a neck albatross… they hang around and haunt you! In the final calculation though it is best to try and fail think. I see many painters who essentially paint and repaint pictures they have done before with slight variations. I hear my own advice about life drawing echoing in my ears, “If it starts to feel comfortable then shift the goalposts.”
Oil painting is my biggest challenge at present. There is something wrong with the way I am laying the paint and the balance of hard and soft. There is nothing for it but to start again and rethink my method. Prepare yourself for some pretty grim paintings as I try to change direction! The first move is to reintroduce more drawing. It is very seductive to try to paint in general areas and then pick out details with deft strokes. The trouble is the result is all surface and not enough substance. I want, I suppose, to catch more than just the moment. At the moment I have areas of tone that tell you about atmosphere and hue etc but not enough about texture and structure. In part I think my problem is that I don’t have enough variety of marks.
When doing pen drawings I use a wide variety of strokes to add colour and description. In oils my repertoire is considerably more narrow, so first I need to consider adding knife work and more rubbing back to establish unifying textures. It is the sheer breadth of possibilities with oil painting that causes me trouble, I need to narrow it down. I have decided to alter the method initially to softly blocking in and then doing a layer of tightly observed drawing in a very reduced palette. I shall have to try hard not to backslide as it is easy to start with good intentions and then find your feet leading you down the same old paths.
I am enjoying my re-engagement with pen drawing tremendously, such a lovely medium.
I am delighted to say I was elected as a full member of the Wapping Group of Artists at their agm. So will be painting most Wednesdays with them which should keep me on my mettle!
A few watercolours to start. This is the Hare and Billet on Blackheath. We got up early to get the low light. I really struggled with this. It looked hopeful at first, then looked dreadful and finally settled down to being just about adequate! 10in by 20in watercolour.
This one went much better. We painted later to catch the evening light. This is Telegraph Hill in Sth London, where in Napoleonic times stood the Semaphore tower that brought news of triumph or disaster to the Admiralty. 9in by 14in watercolour.
Before painting from the hill as the light was not right we marked time by sketching on my allotment. 5in by 7in, watercolour.
This is Isleworth. I was somewhat distracted by knowing that the Wappers were in the pub deciding whether to make me a member so painted two pretty grim watercolours. But the steady progressive nature of pen drawing was just the thing!
This is Romsey Abbey in Hampshire. Slightly scary perspective as I could not get as far away as I would have liked.
Romsey again. As a complete contrast I next did a drawing of a flower stall. I must do more of the incidental views as they are great fun. The hatching on the shop fronts was a bit of hard labour though! The trick with pen drawing I find is not to put too many lines around edges but just let the hatching finish to define the edge. Also if you do add lines dont make them unbroken a line that skips and jumps is much more expressive.
This is South Kensington. I’m going to pencil the figures a bit more carefully in future they can become a little bit too generic and architecty… a fate worse than death!
Last of the current crop of pen drawings. This is Gillingham church in Dorset. A classic subject that suits the media very well.
This is Battersea, and the first of three rather underwhelming oils. There are good bits as well as less good but the whole thing doesn’t quite gel into a whole. Mind you a difficult day to paint. 12in by 12in.
Battersea again. Slightly better maybe but just not the surface quality I am after. 12in by 20 in oils.
This is South Kensington. I nearly didn’t post this but as I try to make this a “warts and all” blog I felt I should. I managed to simultaneously get too much and not enough in which is quite a feat. That is of course too much of the wrong scrappy stuff and not enough, or indeed any, of the loose but elegant. 12in by 16in. Oils
