Meeting Somewhere In The Middle.

After starting with a lot more drawing in my last painting, with mixed results, I decided to meet somewhere in the middle; more drawing than usual, and less initial blocking in. The problem that I'm having with simply blocking in is down to subject matter; I need stronger references for the perspective. Blocking in allows me to feel my way into a painting by layering colours and tones, and enables me to keep it loose It doesn't always allow me to get the suggestion of perspective right. it's a bit like proportions - when they are wrong, they are glaringly wrong. I'm not sure that I have got the balance right yet - I need to paint (& draw) a lot more to really find the best approach for me.
It's all fun.
This painting is of the late afternoon light bouncing around and picking out certain features and surfaces in Coppergate, York.
approximately 60x60 oil on  box canvas.

Coppergate

Struggles

Struggling to get painting, struggling with the rubbish primer (the paint soaks straight in), and struggling with the subject matter. Anyway, I did manage to paint one painting this week; a 30x30cm view of shoppers in York. This is taken from a photograph that I took recently. I like the way everyone is wrapped up in their own thoughts; The mum is weighed down by life, the boy is looking back (for his friends?), the old man is deep in the thought, and the young girl is interested in something,everything just outside the picture.
I approached this picture in a different way to my usual way of blocking in shapes- I drew it all out. I don't do enough drawing, but don't actually like this approach because I find it too restrictive.
I think I need to compromise and meet in the middle, with more drawing than usual, but less than this.

The drawing on primed card.

I decided to start with the figures, again not my usual approach.

Shopping With Mum.

Back On The River.

With all this beautiful weather, I couldn't resist a jaunt on the river with Archie.

We dropped in at Newton-by-Beningborough, and paddlied up to Linton Lock where we beached and spent a little time on a rope swing into the river (Archie).

...fishing on the way back. Archie releases the only thing we caught; a small pike.

Good times.

Just finished invigilating the GCSE exams, and in between fetching paint, ink, acetate, pencils..... I managed to finish off a painting that I started at home about a week before. This is another rainy York scene. this time Monk Bar.
Here it is in stages...

Early stages, blocking in, and a bit more drawing than usual.

Establishing the tones..

..starting to build up details..

..a few more details.

It needs to dry off for a while now.

In school, cleaned up the window and the bar.

Done.

New Shirt

I did my second painting of the holiday today, and the second one of 2012. It feels good to be painting again. Who knows, maybe I'll start running again soon?
It's called The New Shirt, and is a painting of Coney Street, looking towards Micklegate.

It's not finished; I need to tidy up the shop structure, but it needs to dry off before I can do that.

Final bit of detail.

Something old, something new..

Something New.

I haven't painted anything since the first day of the Christmas holidays. I broke my new year 'duck' over Easter; the results are below. It's of St Sampson's Square in York, in the rain. It was a bit of a struggle,but at least I am painting again.

Here it is in stages...

 No drawing, just blocking in.

 Mapping out the main tones...

 A few details, and then time to leave it for a while.

 Getting rid of that pavement on the right.

err..finished?
Here's a picture of my palette, for no other reason than I can!

Something Old

This is an older painting of The Shambles, which I did last year. It's smaller than the one above, but just as rough and ready.

A few of my more recent paintings arranged in the corner of my studio.

Match fitness

Painting can be a little like football; if you don't do it reguarly it becomes a little more difficult. Today was the first time that I have been able to pick up my brushes for a week or two. I am still interested in painting cityscapes, and this one is of Goodramgate in York. It is bigger than my recent paintings and is the first piece that I have done on canvas for a while.

This was an old abandoned canvas from school. After giving it a burnt umber/indian red ground I blocked in the main tonal areas. I didn't take a picture of that stage, so this one is when I start to refine the main shapes.

More refining of shapes and details. The photo that I used for reference (taken on Saturday), was against the light, so the colours are limited.

Finished.

The Cross Keys, Goodramgate.