Leisure Painter — June 2017

Developing a personal approach to

colour can be a key to developing

your style.

Light, shade and texture

We’re well on the road now so let’s

have a think about tone, light and

shade. Do you prefer to produce dark

pictures with a touch of light in them

or the reverse? Even-toned paintings

can be a bit boring; all those sunny

landscapes with never a storm cloud

or a belt of rain moving across the

subject. Take a look at Rembrandt’s

paintings and appreciate his wonderful

use of light and shade, which often

feature a dark feeling throughout with

a flash of light drawing our attention

to a key area in the composition.

Develop your own approach to light

and shade, but learn from a master.

One formal element that tends to be

forgotten is texture. Frank Auerbach

and Leon Kossoff use texture in both

paintings and drawings and it is a key

element in their style. I am not

suggesting that you would want to

imitate their approach, but be aware

of this element and see if you can put

it to good use in your own work.

If you are a watercolourist, you can

imply texture by painting wet in wet

or using dry-brush technique, by

letting the paint run and splash, and

by using bristle brushes and sponges

rather than sables. Equally, if you use

acrylics, there are a range of textural

http://www.painters-online.co.uk JUNE 2017 47

t

Still Life by the Window, oil, 23^1 ⁄ 2 x28in. (60x71cm). A traditional still life but set against a window looking out to sea. Any objects can

be used for still life; indeed they can be used again and again. Like the Italian artist, Morandi, you could develop your own still-life style.

Experiment with placements before settling on a final arrangement.

t

Autumn Leaves, water-soluble coloured pencils, 5x7in. (12.5x18cm). This is interesting

stylistically in the choice of medium and subject matter. These pencils are great to work with

and blend well together, especially if moistened with a wet sable brush. Subject matter can be

anything you like. Here I was attracted by the colour as I was out walking the dog in woodlands.

Keep your eyes open when you are out and about.

t

LP06 46-49 Mitchell_Layout 1 05/04/2017 14:57 Page 47