Anatomy of a Painting - Whelpstone Crag

Thought I would update the blog with a description on how I built up this painting, although this does differ from day to day, subject, available materials, coffee consumed, boredom levels - you know what I'm on about! So really each painting is different and not (yet) formulaic, so for this one here are the steps I took.

The derelict farm at Whelpstone Lodge exhibits wonderful, dark, foreboding, gristone features unlike some of the lighter, arguably softer limestone farms further up the Ribble Valley closer to home. As a great admirer of Peter Brook and his eye for the tones and moods I set out intentionally with a limited palette to achieve this look. Having a monochrome sketch from which I worked and a couple of reference photos which kind of confused the issue, this was painted in a couple of days of the usual self-appreciation and procrastination. I must really learn to ‘knuckle-down’ and apply myself.

The painting is built up on a grey painted, triple primed MDF board, sanded back to provide a smooth variegated finish. Having sketched in the rough outlines of the features the underpainting was made with some very old System 3 acrylic paints to achieve the desired rough tones.

After about the fourth cup of coffee the first layer of the fast-drying oil paints were applied, building up levels of detail, and applying the highlights where necessary.

Getting into the groove, now I have been able to get back to the studio (the previous stages had me relegated to the office as Mrs B was framing like a demon!), and simply building up more and more 'perceived detail'.

Arguably the finished piece. I was umming and arrring about whether I should put a telegraph pole in on the right hand side, and would this lead to an imbalance? I settled for not and left the composition as-is with the two triangles forming the meat of the painting.