Life Drawing at West Norfolk Arts Centre.

Last weekend , I taught a life drawing course at West Norfolk Arts Centre. It was my first visit there and I am pleased to say it was a great success.
Situated in the heart of Castle Rising, a delightful conservation village bordering the Sandringham estate, the centre is in an ideal spot for painting landscapes. Close by are nature reserves and the North Norfolk coast, as well as a multitude of architectural gems.

During the two day course, however, we understandably stayed indoors. Subjects I covered were anatomy, proportion, tone, and perspective as well as explaining and demonstrating various techniques and the different materials that can be used.




It was a very full day, starting with rapid sketches and moving on to numerous exercises to challenge the students' normal way of working. Finally, on to longer and more detailed studies.



Richard and Ros Cartwright ,our hosts, made everyone welcome and provided a superb lunch and endless refreshments. It was a most enjoyable experience for all and one which will hopefully be repeated in the future.

I will also be teaching the following courses there later in the year. "The Art of painting in Gouache" 23rd/24th July and "Portrait Painting Made Easy" 28th-30th October.

For details of these and all other courses, telephone Richard or Ros on 01553 631 689

Watercolour portraits

To attempt portraits in watercolour is not for the faint hearted! Watercolour is a notoriously difficult medium to work in, and is, in comparison to other media, fairly unforgiving. Whatever technique one is using, whether it be wet into wet or a more considered approach, careful planning is required if your painting is to be a success

The above sketch was done in about one hour using a wet into wet technique. No preliminary drawing was done. Although initially it looked chaotic to the group I was demonstrating to, I was, even at the earliest stage, planning and allowing for my highlights to be preserved. If things go wrong there is still the possibility of lifting out with a sponge or tissue.

The same approach was used in this sketch. Having established the position of the features I started to build up the depth of tone. At various points I dried the painting and went in with a dry brush technique, as in the eyes.

The above was a preliminary sketch I did for a more finished portrait. Again this was completed in less than an hour.

“Mary.” A portrait in watercolours.
This more finished portrait took considerably longer, requiring as it did layer upon layer of transparent glazes to achieve the detail I wanted.
I find watercolour the most amazing medium and one which offers a luminosity and delicacy unrivalled by others.
In a later blog I will demonstrate a watercolour portrait from start to finish and will describe the materials, techniques and colour mixes I use.

Sketching in gouache

Gouache is a marvellous medium for doing quick sketches. I often use it when working on portrait commissions and wish to present a series of ideas . In a previous blog, I showed a portrait of Tony Langford, Managing Director of John Smedley Ltd. (2003-9)
This was only arrived at after various other alternatives had been considered.

Whilst it was great fun to paint , this was not really a portrait suitable for the Company Boardroom.
Tony is also a passionate sailor, so I was taken on board his motor launch and given a trip along the Orwell. Fortunately, it was a calm day as I am no seafarer! This voyage resulted in the following sketch.

One of the previous Chairmen, however, also had a nautical theme as background, so this alternative was rejected.
Finally, we decided on a Cambridge setting as Tony grew up there,went to University there and now lives there. Hence the idea of having his old College, Clare, as the backdrop. A couple of alternatives were considered

Also

This second version was chosen as the design for the finished portrait. Whilst indicating the Cambridge connection the pose was also intentionally relaxed and casual. As such it was a good foil to previous portraits now hanging in the John Smedley Boardroom.

The finished portrait.

“Tony Langford, Chairman, John Smedley Ltd. ( 2003-9)
oils 38″x 30″
The advantages of gouache as a sketching medium.
It is water based and dries instantly but remains soluble if you wish to work back into it. You can paint with a thick impasto or using a wash technique. It is opaque so you can paint light over dark . As such it is a very forgiving medium. It is much underrated and is well worth experimenting with if you’ve never tried it before.

How to create a charcoal portrait 3

Thanks Simon for your comments. These are usually fairly quick exploratory sketches, not worrying too much about either likeness or expression - they are mainly about pose and composition. If I did however, chance to get the "perfect expression", I would hope to recognise it and be able to replicate it in the final painting. The client and I both agreed that sketch 2 was not the "correct" one; the sitter is a very lively 92 year old who despite her physical frailty is mentally very alert, enjoys talking to people and is very aware of what is going on in the world. We both felt that sketch 3 expressed this better.