Knight and big serpent digital painting

Knight and big serpent

This is painted in photoshop to A4 size. It was originally done around april 2011 but not fully completed. Then in nov 2011 parts were reworked, mostly the Knight and the lighting to add drama. It is set in a cave of sorts with lots of darkness abound and fire in the background. The red fire helps to balance the colder colours of the foreground, and makes the shaft of light seem more powerful. The creature is half snake, with a rattle on the tail and dragon details on the face.

from the website...
This is painted in photoshop to A4 size and depicts a battle between a Knight in armour and a snake like serpent. It was originally done around april 2011 but not fully completed. Then in nov 2011 parts were reworked, mostly the Knight and the lighting to add drama. It is set in a cave of sorts with lots of darkness abound and fire in the background. The red fire helps to balance the colder colours of the foreground, and makes the shaft of light seem more powerful. The creature is half snake, with a rattle on the tail and dragon details on the face.

Southampton Bursledon brickworks open day april 2011

Southampton Bursledon brickworks open day oil paintings

Southampton Bursledon brickworks open day 01

Southampton Bursledon brickworks open day 02

These images are based on a number of photographs taken at the April 2011 open day at Bursledon brickworks, Southampton, UK. The brickworks is a heritage center celebrating the industrial past of the area. They are both painted july/ august 2011 in oils on a canvas 20"x16". The two paintings were then displayed at the open day in september and proved popular with the public and organisers. The engine featured in the bottom posting is a Aveling and Porter traction engine, built 1899, registration TA 1063. The tall chimney in the top image is a local landmark but was taller originally.

from the website...
Southampton Bursledon brickworks open day 01
This is a painting of an open day at Bursledon Brickworks, Southampton UK during the early morning startup of vintage traction engines. It is a heritage museum site, based in a old brickworks. This display of traction engines takes place during the spring each year, and this artwork depicts the line up during April 2011. The engine in front is called 'Little Lucy', and is a Wallis Traction Engine. The tall brick chimney seen in the background is a local landmark, although it is shorter than it used to be when the brickworks was in operation. It was fun painting the shining brass, copper and the paintwork on the engines. The woman polishing part of an axle adds extra interest and scale to the scene. Getting the perspective correct in a scene like this is very important. It helps to sell the viewer of the painting the scale and weight of the machinery. Mechanical objects can not be cheated on when trying to ignore perpective, it has to be done right. The ariel perspective (colour fading in the distance) helps to sell the scene and create a smoky atmosphere. The painting is done in oils on a 16" x 20" canvas.  


Southampton Bursledon brickworks open day 02
This is a 2nd painting of an open day at Bursledon Brickworks, Southampton UK . It is a heritage museum site, based in a old brickworks. This is a display of traction engines put on during April 2011. The engine featured is a Aveling and Porter traction engine (TA 1063). It was fun painting the shining brass, copper and the paintwork on the engines. The woman on the right photographing the engine was added later to add extra interest and scale to the scene, as was the boy in the trailer on the left. Getting the perspective correct in a scene like this is very important. It helps to sell the viewer of the painting the scale and weight of the machinery. Mechanical objects can not be cheated on when trying to ignore perspective, it has to be done right. Getting the ellipses right within a painting like this is very important.
The painting is done in oils on a 16" x 20" canvas.

 

swans and boats at Christchurch harbour,UK

Swans and Boats at Christchurch harbour,UK.

This painting was based on a photograph taken back in the summer of 2010 at Christchurch Quay/harbour, in Dorset,UK. It actually took ages to paint, not because on any technical difficulty but because of having to prepare other work for exhibitions, print cards and do commercial computer imagery. So this painting was started back in late july 2011 and left unfinished until the early part of sept 2011. I did not latterly enjoy doing it and found it a battle to get it looking reasonably ok. Maybe it was the composition that was wrong? I have to say that when the painting was photographed it tends to look a lot better, and does seem very sunny. Painted in oils on canvas,16"x20".

from the website...
This artwork was painted in oils on a canvas measuring 16" x 20". The location is the pretty town of Christchurch, Dorset, in the UK, on the popular quay populated with many tourists, and swans and ducks, as it has been for centuries. It was based on a photograph taken back in the summer of 2009, though the actual swans are from other photos taken at the same time and repositioned in photoshop. From this final photoshop composition a drawing is produced and this then becomes the start of the painting. Normally such a painting would take about 4 days, spread over two or three weeks. But on this occassion I became very busy after starting, that it was several months before I finished it. I did not like doing it in the latter stages as my original interest had wained, but was determined to finish it, as I never like to have uncompleted pictures around. Overall it is quite pleasant and it does give the feeling of a sunny day. Other pictures of swans of Christchurch are top be found here on this site.

More railway locomotive paintings

Exbury Gardens Railway 10th anniversary

Leopold de Rothschild driving 'Mariloo'

Exbury Steam Railway 10th Anniversary

During August I was invited to attend the celebrations for the exbury gardens railway 10th anniversary. The above painting was a commissioned work for presentation to Leopold de Rothschild, owner of the garden and railway, and is pictured in the cab. The locomotive is named 'Mariloo' and is pictured in the gardens. The painting is based on a great photo taken by Nigel Philpott, a manager of the gardens. I added the headboard,front of engine and the lord himself.
The painting is done in acrylics on a canvas 20"x16". I usually paint in oils, but due to time constraints I had to use acrylics, but I feel the outcome is successful. 
  

steam engine bulleid merchant navy pacific 30005 study

During the Exbury event I set up my easel and did a small demonstration painting in acrylics,12"x10 on canvas board. It is a detail of a merchant navy pacific express locomotive (30005). The under drawing was done before the event, and the painting was sold during the event.

from the website...

Exbury steam Railway 10th Anniversary 

This is painted on a canvas measuring 16" x 20". It is painted in Acrylics which is very rare for me to use, and this was my first Acrylic painting for decades. Often in my paintings the work will be started in Acrylics and then finished on top in oils. The deadline was very tight for this painting, and there was no time for allowed to let (oil) layers dry. I was suprised at how well the acrylic colours came out, and in addition the image was sharper than usual, perhaps because of the medium or the sharpness of the reflections on the engine boiler. The painting took about 5 days to produce. The image was to celebrate ten years of the existence of the the Exbury narrow gauge steam railway, situated at the Exbury Gardens and steam railway, Hampshire, in the New Forset, UK. The Engine was built in 2008 at the Exmoor steam railway, Devon and is named Mariloo. The driver pictured is owner, of the gardens and railway, Leopold de Rothschild. The railway opened in 2001 and this image is based on a modified photograph taken by Nigel Philpot.

steam engine Bulleid merchant navy pacific 30005 study

This small (10" x 12") acrylic painting was done as a demonstration painting in public at an Exbury Railway open day. It is of a section of a 'Merchant Navy Pacific' locomotive, built in the 1940s by the engineer Bulleid. This actual engine depicted was not at the location, but instead I used an old photograph taken years before. The painting was created in the engine shed at the garden railway, and probably contains a level of soot mixed in with the paint!

boat wreck with sea birds

boat wreck with sea birds oil painting

Boat wreck with sea birds

This was completed in mid July and is painted on a canvas 20" x16" in oils. The boat wreck was situated on the river Itchen, southampton. I was attracted to the textures on the boat, the flaking paint and the rotten wood and the reflection in the water. The birds were added to the composition, though are typical of the wildlife in the local area.

from the website...
This boat wreck is on the River Itchen, which starts in Southampton. I was drawn to the interesting textures on the boat, the pealing paint and the algae gradually taking over the surface of the hull when choosing this subject for a painting. It is based on a photograph and I added the birds in from other pictures I took in the same area on the same day, using photoshop to create a final master drawing/ layout. I think that the textures do come across well through the use of oil paint and the sea birds add interest to the scene, the water reflections finishing off the painting quite successfully. The artwork was completed in 2011. 
 

Bournemouth sea front july paintings

Bournemouth sea front july oil paintings

people on Bournemouth beach:beach groin
people on Bournemouth beach:kids and sand
people on Bournemouth beach:waves and sand

These three paints are painted in oil on canvases measuring 16"x20". They were painted during early June, one after another in a very economical style, taking about one and a half days each to do. They are based on photos but heavily rejigged to get a nice composition. Hengistbury head features in the top painting, a land mark in the local area of Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.
 

Christchurch Priory Dorset

Christchurch Priory Dorset, west view, oil painting

Christchurch priory, west view


This is a painting of Christchurch priory from the west aspect. I did a previous painting which depicted the northgate entrance, and is here.

Being a piece of complicated architecture naturally meant that some time would be spent drawing it out and getting the details correct. The figures help a great deal to give a sense of scale. The church is in the coastal town of Christchurch in Dorset, UK. The painting is on a 20" x16" canvas, and painted in oils.

from the website...
The town of Christchurch, Dorset, UK boasts a wonderful priory, painted and photographed many times over the centuries. Construction first started in 1094 AD as a norman church. It took several centuries to construct and is a landmark for several miles in all directions. This painting is in oils on a canvas measuring 20" x 16". The original photograph was taken in the summer of 2010. The late afternoon sun helps to pick out the details of the churches architecture. This is a very popular view of Christchurch Priory, photographed and painted countless times over the centuries, even though it never changes its appearance. Buildings are always a welcome challenge but the gravestones are in a way more interesting having many varied colours on the stone due to weathering over the centuries. The people were added later from similar photographs to add interest and scale.  
 

Bournemouth sea front june_set01

Bournemouth sea front, june 2011, oil paintings

People on Bournemouth beach : boys looking
People on Bournemouth beach : Pulling dingy

These were painted in late may one after another. They are on canvas in oil, sized 20"x 16" and painted in a more cruder,quicker method. Some times the brush strokes are quite large and the paint is only lightly applied. But over all they are appealing, particularly the water. There will be others of this type following soon.

from the website...
People on Bournemouth beach : boys looking
This painting is of Bournemouth Beach sea front, showing people on the sandy beach, and the pier, from the 1950s, in the background. The actual drawing for the painting was a composite from a number of photographs taken at the same time. One final image is created in photoshop and this is rescaled and transferred to a canvas for painting. The painting measures 20" x 16" and is painted in oils. More beach paintings of Bournemouth beach can be seen on this site.

People on Bournemouth beach : Pulling dingy
This is a painting of people on Bournemouth Beach, having fun in the sea. The view is looking down from the pier down on to the sandy beach below. Some of these people can be seen in other paintings of the beach. The wet sand, with the reflections bouncing off it was fun to paint, as was the large, green wave, just starting to break down. Painting the white foamy parts on the water is exciting as it fixes the action of the sea within the artwork.
It is based on a number of photographs and rearranged in photoshop to create a pleasing composition. From this a master drawing is created leading on to the final painting. It is painted in oils on a canvas sized at 20" x 16". 

Bournemouth Throop flour mill through trees

throop mill oil painting

Bournemouth Throop flour mill through trees.

This scene is painted in oils on a 16"x20" canvas. It is of the old, grade ll listed flour mills at Throop, Bournemouth, Dorset, during early morning. The buildings were owned by a company called 'Parsons & Sons', but I believe they stopped trading in the early 1970s. They are now awaiting conservation/restoration. The milling equipment was powered by the river Stour,and the water weir equipment can be seen in the front of the building.

from the website...
This landscape painting illustrates the old mill at Throop, located in the suburbs of Bournemouth, Dorset. The Parsons and Son flour mill has been out of use since the 1970s and is located on the River Stour. It buildings dates from the turn of the 20th century and was water powered. It is now a Grade II listed building awaiting renovation. The painting measures 20" x 16" and is painted in oils. It is based on a photograph taken one cold but sunny morning. In front of the building are some of the extensive collection of water weirs and walkways, controlling the water flow in to the mill. The foreground provides a tonally cool framing device to the morning light hitting the building. I hope to go back to this subject and produce more artwork based on this location. 
 

Steam traction engine Ransomes Sims and Jefferies General Purpose Engine

Steam traction engine_02/  Steam traction engine Ransomes Sims and Jefferies General Purpose Engine

This is a picture of the Ransomes Sims and Jefferies General Purpose Engine,built in 1931 in the UK. Its name is the "velfrey queen".
The painting is done in oil and was completed early april 2011, and the canvas it was painted on is 20"x16". I am quite pleased with the result and it looks mechanically correct and solid. There is a technical error, not a painting one, where a certain component has accidentally been left off!
I also like the stark, but colorful background. The brass rims are always fun to paint.


from website...
This is an oil painting of a traction engine at a summer steam fair in Dorset,UK. The engine is a Ransomes Sims & Jefferies General Purpose Engine built in 1931 in Britain. It is named 'Velfrey Queen'. The engine consisted of colourful, shiny deep green paintwork matched with well polished brass and copper fittings. The flags (UK and Wales) were in celebration of a recent football match. Care has to be taken when painting a subject like this. It has to be portrayed correctly with all the right parts there and in perpective as well. The ellipses are difficult to do and there are many to draw and paint on a subject like this. It was fun painting the shiny copper and brass parts and highlights. The painting is in oils on a 20" x16" canvas.

 

Small paintings of animals_01

Small paintings of animals/ 01

Spotty grey horse in field
Single mallard duck on lake

These were painted in oils on canvas during late April 2011. The size of both paintings is 12" x9", and both were intended to be simple projects that each could be done within a day. I was successful with this self imposed deadline. Additionally the duck was painted while at an exhibition, not from life but as a demonstration for the crowds attending.

from the website...
Spotty grey horse in field
On a visit to the countryside in Hampshire I came across a field with a number of horses in it. I took a number of photographs and then did this painting based on one of them. I liked the grey, spotty texture this horse had, plus it had a white face with a red bridle, so I thought it would have a lot of interest when art-worked up as an oil painting. The pose is interesting as only three legs are visible.
It is a small painting, measuring 9" x 12".
Single mallard duck on lake
This painting of a single mallard duck swimming along, was done as a demonstration oil painting at an exhibition. It was completed within the day I was there, though I did prepare the drawing and redrew it on to a small canvas before the day. It is based on a photograph and painted early 2011.
 

'Rosemary' narrow gauge locomotive at Exbury Gardens

'Rosemary' narrow gauge locomotive at Exbury Gardens

1 st version
2nd version

This is a new (2001) locomotive, called "Rosemary" which runs on the narrow gauge Exbury gardens steam railway in Hampshire,UK. The first painting was done in autumn 2010 and the second in march 2011. Both are painted in oils on a canvas, size 16" x 20". The figure in the second one was added for extra interest, and was not there at all when the original photo was taken for reference. I got the basic figure off the internet, as a B/W image and then modified it. It does help to give scale within the image. In the first painting the signal helps to give and interesting framing to the composition. On the other hand the pistons cannot be seen in the first on but are visible in the second, and our a part of the character of the locomotive.

from the website...
Exbury Gardens Narrow Gauge Steam Locomotive 1st versionThis is a painting of a locomotive at Exbury Gardens and steam railway, Hampshire, in the New Forset, UK. It is named Rosemary and was built in 2001 at Exmoor works. The engine is a narrow gauge one, and works its way around a small railway in the main gardens, full of tight curves, around its 1 1/4 mile length. It is seen at the main station, Exbury Central. It is based on a photograph taken back in 2001, not long after the railway was opened. The painting was not done until 2010. It is painted in oils on a 16" x 20" canvas. 

In a later post on this blog, a painting is shown of one of the other locomotives at Exbury gardens. It was painted in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the railway.
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2003311065316833483#editor/target=post;postID=1520642581356207220 

 

SS shieldhall at southampton docks

SS shieldhall at southampton docks

This is painted in oils on a canvas that is 20" by 16". The steam ship 'SS Sheildhall' was built during the 1950s by Lobnitz & Co of Renfrew, in the UK. It is now preserved as one of the 'historic ships collection'.
The location is east docks, looking south with the grain silos in the background on the southern tip of the docks.
The combination of the colours of the ship, with the colours of the water made this an attractive view to portray.

from the website...
This is an oil painting of a steam ship called 'SS Shieldhall'. It is painted in oils on a 16" x 20" canvas. She was launched 7th July 1955 and was built by Lobnitz & Co of Renfrew, UK. The ship was withdrawn from service during 1985 and entered preservation. It is the largest working steam ship in europe. It is part of the National Historic Fleet and is based at Southampton docks, where it is moored in this painting. The view is looking south, toward the Solent. The little dingy was added to give the ship scale. The grain silos are a land mark at Southampton docks and can be seen in the background, and are to be seen in some of my other paintings. The colour and reflections of the water were fun to paint, although quite difficult. Painted in 2010.

Southampton River Itchen Northam mudflats

Southampton River Itchen Northam mudflats

This is an oil painting that measures 16" x 20", and was completed march 2011. It is of the river itchen (estury) when the tide has gone out, and reveals a sea of algae and seaweed,as well as the remains of long forgotten boat wrecks. In the background can be seen Bitterne.  The old wood was enjoyable to paint!

from the website...
This painting is of the River Hamble, near to the Solent and Southampton, in the UK. It is based on a view photographed during the spring of 2012, and features a view of the marina, near the town of warsash, packed full of boats. There are a number of marinas down the river. The land is very flat and when the tide goes out the mud flats are revealed, showing a covering of moss and algae, with pockets of water isolated from the river. The River Hamble contains many old shipwrecks of archaeological importance. I was drawn to this scene for my painting by this strong, green landscape, that only appears for part of the day and the way that puddles of water remain creating their own small rivers through the landscape.
This painting is created in acrylic on a canvas measuring 20" x 16".

Animal wedding

Animal wedding

Its that time of year! This was painted in photoshop in early march 2011, to A4 size. I suppose many of the characters here have been seen before (with the same treatment) in my work,like the hippotamus,crocodile and horse. I enjoyed the scale difference between the happy couple.

from the website...
Painted in photoshop to A4 size, this is another subject where animals have replaced humans in a very human activity. In this animal wedding we see a large, female hippopotamus getting married to a small and perhaps shifty, crocodile. I liked to show humour within the different scales of the participants interacting, particularly wearing their wedding outfits. The guests were fun to do, and helped to create a focal point in the composition. The church door way is a classic framing device in wedding photography and helps to frame the happy couple. Digitally painted in 2011. 

 

Southampton River Itchen Chapel Tredegar Wharf

Southampton, River Itchen, Chapel, Tredegar Wharf

This is an oil painting of one of the small wharfs,known as tredegar wharf, at Southampton docks. It measures 18" x 16" and was completed in feburary 2011. The green algae is quite prominent, perhaps because the wharf is largely unused,but the green colour is very strong and dominant. The cranes help to add interest in the landscape, and I would expect at some stage to paint the cranes themselves as they are quite interesting in shape.

from the website...
This painting is a view of one of the slipways at the docks at Southampton, along the river Itchen. It is named as the Tredegar Wharf. I was drawn to the interesting industrial landscape, a combination of flats,cranes, warehouses and water. The bright green algae on the slipway was colourful, and the two children standing on the slipway add interest and scale. It is painted on a canvas in oils at a size of 18"x14" during 2011.
 

Bournemouth beach:Pier theatre

Bournemouth beach: pier theatre

This was painted in oils on a 16" x 20" canvas and is of the sunny, sandy beach at Bournemouth, Dorset ,UK.
The pier itself was originally built in the 1800s, but was extensively rebuilt in 1950 and the theatre (or theater) was built in 1960, and shill holds summer shows and plays.
This was painted during late January/early February 2011 when the UK was caught in an ice/snowy grip!
Other paintings of the beach can be seen here .

from the website...
This is a painting of Bournemouth Beach, in the UK, showing the famous pier, with the pier theatre at the end of it, in the background. The artwork is based on a number of photographs, combined and repositioned in photoshop. The final resulting image is then printed out, scaled up and redrawn by hand on to the canvas.

The people and their activities are always fun and interesting to paint. The water is always tricky to do but fun. There is a change of tone in the sea as it changes from one shade of blue/green to a more yellowy green, as the water becomes shallower. The feeling of bright sun seems to come across in the painting. It is painted on a canvas measuring 20" x 16" using oil paints.

Alien beach vacation

alien beach vacation

Alien beach vacation

Painted to A4 size in photoshop,during February 2010. This was fun and easy to do, my favorite part being the child alien who has dropped his ice cream and is now worried by the strange crab coming to it. The spider like aliens are having jelly!

from the website...
This was painted in photoshop to A4 size during 2011. It depicts a fun scene on a beach where life seems normal except that the visiting tourist are aliens, still enjoying the sea, ice creams and listening to an old fashioned transistor radio. The father wears a horrible string vest and is reading a book similar to JAWS. I particularly like the child alien, having dropped a part of the ice cream on the beach is now watching worryingly a crab approaching for the treat. The creatures on the left are having some jelly on a plate!
 

Southampton River Itchen Northam winter afternoon

Southampton River Itchen Northam winter afternoon.

This was based on a photograph I took on a late afternoon in December. It is of the river Itchen at Northam,Southampton. It was a very calm day and the water was almost like a mirror.
It was painted during February in oils on canvas and is 20"x16".

from the website...
This oil painting depicts the area of Northam, Southampton. It is the river Itchen, facing in the direction of Southampton. On the sky line can be seen cranes and in the centre can be seen the tower block that is featured in other paintings of the area. On the left is the Northam Bridge, one of the first pre-strested concrete bridges, built in the 1950s. The view is from the local boardwalk. The image is based on a photograph, and was a very cold and sunny day, quite late, during the winter months. The water was particularly still, like a mirror. The crane has since been removed. The area is quite popular with photographers and although not a pretty location is still visually interesting. Many boat wrecks are in the area, and a painting of one is here.