22 artistApril 2021 http://www.painters-online.co.uk
OILS
Adjustments
Once all the colours are in, as in Stage
Four (top right), the long phase of
adjustments starts. I aim to keep the
brushstrokes as loose as possible, while
introducing the subtleties that make the
painting sing. It’s about this stage that
I’ll pick the painting up and move it to
a different place to look at it, as well as
photographing it. Somehow seeing it
in a different spot, and in a photo, can
help give you fresh eyes and notice
LOTTA’S TOP TIPS FOR PAINTING
SHINY OBJECTS
l Be prepared to spend as long on composition as painting – it’s
equally important.
l Be careful where any highlights fall.
l Minimise the use of highlights to focus attention.
l Keep colours simple.
l Keep it loose to allow the viewer’s eye to do the work.
l Be careful not to allow strong contrasts or hard lines in a place
that is not designed to capture the viewer’s attention.MATERIALS
l Oil paints: Michael Harding or Jackson’s: cadmium
yellow, lemon yellow, cadmium red, alizarin crimson,
ultramarine blue, raw umber, alkyd fast-drying white
l Panels: Jackson’s or Belle Arte, or I make my own
using Jackson’s gesso primer
l Brushes: always filberts, usually Jackson’s Akoya
range (synthetic)DEMONSTRATION Persimmon with Teapot
p STAGE ONE
This set up worked for mep STAGE TWO
I used my paint brush to measure distance
between key points in the composition, then
drew the key elements with ultramarine and
raw umber
u STAGE THREE
The dark areas were mapped out and I began
to block in the colours. For colours that I
find tricky, such as the red shadows on the
persimmon, I sometimes leave it and move
onto other colours, as here
what is working and what is not. In the
next phase of adjustments I try to keep
a number of ideas in mind:- I stand back and double-check the
shadowed areas of the painting to
make sure they have maintained an
appropriate level of darkness. - In areas not intended to be the main
focus, I try to make sure the contrast
between colours is not too strong and
crisp and that the paint is thin, or it will
draw attention.- A variety of edges can make a painting
more interesting and alive, as well as
add depth. - Areas of the same tone are often best
with a hardly perceptible edge between
the two.