I paint in acrylic. I like the vibrancy of the colours, the texture and the speed with which acrylic dries. I use a combination of Daler Rowney System 3, Windsor & Newton Galleria and Jackson’s studio range. I mix and match depending on the levels of opacity I need to achieve for a particular colour palette. Paler skin tones often need a few layers to build up the colour over my preferred cadmium red underpainting.
My go-to-brush is a Jackson's No. 5 flat, black hog bristle brush or a Windsor & Newton Monarch Round No. 4. I like to get as far into a painting as I can with one of these chaps before moving to a No. 8 Silver Stick flat shader for a little bit of carefully chosen detail.
Sometimes, things go smoothly from the off and a portrait can be completed in a couple of days. Sometimes, I’m not so lucky and a I can get into a bit of a battle with a painting. I find it helpful to have several works on the go at any time so I can jump between pieces. This way, I can keep painting, yet avoid getting stuck when what you should really do is step away and give yourself the possibility of coming back to it with what feels like a fresh pair of eyes.
Yes, absolutely. This is how I work. It makes things very simple. All you have to do is send me the photo and I’ll get busy. For help on photo reference for a portrait click here.
Yes, if that’s how you’d like them. It’s up to you. I can frame your painting in a 20mm pewter finish frame with a white window mount as standard. Click here to see how it will look. Or, see here for prices. Or I can deliver to you, mounted only and sized to fit into either a 20” x 16” or 16” x 12” standard frame. Click here for help with sizes.