adjusted at any time. Apart from the sky and road, I also
added a little purple into the blues of the shack, the trailer,
and the tree trunks, which unifies as this is the main focus
of the composition.(^3)
Up until this point, the paints were thinned with turps
and used quite dilute. Here I began to work thicker as
I introduced clouds into the sky. The sketch indicated that
the sun was almost directly above and a little over to the
left, so I introduced some stronger shadows and highlights
to suggest this. To add variety, I made the tree on the
right-hand side a different species to those on the left.
The dark shape to the right gave the sense of a turn in
the road, going downhill and towards the viewer.
(^4)
The dark tree formed a good backdrop to the shack,
while the white clouds created a sense of distance
behind the trailer. My intention throughout the painting was
to keep it loose but not out of control, so I started to
sharpen up a few details such as the corrugated iron and
structure of the trees and grass. Some of the foliage was
painted over the clouds to create a degree of perspective.
The dark shadows were a mixture of Phthalo Green and
Dioxazine Purple, which produces a beautifully rich and
intense shadow colour.
(^5)
I wiped away some of the semi-dry paint with a rag to
reveal the brushstrokes of the gesso beneath. I did this
to remove some colour that I didn’t like, but in a happy
accident, it also added to the dilapidated look of the shack.
As the paint was beginning to dry, I made use of the slight
texture by drybrushing colour over the foliage highlights.
(^6)
The bottom of the painting was lacking detail, so I
included some overhead cables and painted the
shadows they would cast across the road. I also added the
lettering to the side of the trailer, and a washing line with
the jeans hanging out to dry. I painted over the top of the
trailer as it didn’t look quite right, adding some more detail
to the wheel. The painting was completed with a few extra
details, such as the dappled sunlight on the trailer. Further
highlights and shadows were painted with flicks of colour,
in keeping with the feel of the whole scene.
http://www.kevinscully.co.uk
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Top tip
ALKYD OIL PAINT
IS USEFUL FOR
PAINTING OUTSIDE
BECAUSE OF THE
SPEED AT WHICH
IT DRIES
Artists & Illustrators 63
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