Wasp Woman Insect Drinking Tea Fantasy - WIP stages

Wasp Woman Insect Drinking Tea Fantasy WIP stages

WIP stages of surreal Edwardian wasp woman

Created during August 2018, this illustration features a creature that appears to be have human and half wasp! It, or she, is enjoying a tea in elegant surroundings. The painting was partly influence by Gainsborough and other artists of the same era, although the woman is dressed in attire from the Edwardian era.
The illustration was created digitally. Initially it was drawn and then painted roughly on an android 'galaxy' pro with 'S' pen, as shown in the first two panels. When the design had got to a working solution, the file exported and work then continues on a W10 computer. 'Auto sketchbook pro' is used on both platforms, with final grading done within Photoshop, as shown in the last panel. 
The finished illustration can be seen on this link.

Line Of Trees In Hampshire During Autumn - WIP stages

Line Of Trees In Hampshire During Autumn - WIP stages

WIP stages - Line Of Trees In Hampshire During Autumn

This painting was completed during September 2018 and shows a line up of trees in an field in the county of Hampshire, UK. It is based on a photograph taken some years previously, with the intention of using it to practice painting trees, but it has taken all this time to actually do it. Trees can be very difficult to do because of their complex construction, with all of the separate leaves and fine branches, but it is a pain recreating these items, although some artists do sit and paint every detail.
I wanted to find a way of showing the detail in a more broad and 'impressionistic' way, and not have to take ages painting the subject. As an experiment it was an interesting adventure and I got something out of it which I can put in to new paintings.
The artwork is done in oils, so drying time is also a factor in the painting process. The first panel shows the tonal drawing done in acrylic paint, with the second showing a diluted first layer of oil paint. Detail is added once the previous layer is dried as seen in the third panel, while the forth shows the completed painting, which is done on mounting board sized at 20" x 16".
The painting can be seen in detail on this link.

closeup working progress 06

closeup working progress 06

A snippet of a witch digital illustration...

Southampton Northam summer evening across the Itchen - WIP stages oil painting

Southampton Northam summer evening across the Itchen - WIP stages oil painting

WIP of southampton River Itchen landscape oil painting

This landscape painting features a view in Northam, an area of the east part of the city of Southampton, during a summers evening. It is mainly an industrial area that has been marine based for a number of centuries. The river flowing through the scene is the River Itchen, which goes on to and runs through Winchester, another city a few miles away also based in Hampshire. It is late summer and the tidal river is at low tide revealing the mudflats covers with abandoned boats. In the distance can be seen a small scrap carrying ship, a dry stack for boats, and in the extreme distance is the suburb of Bitterne, with houses going up the hilly landscape.

The painting is created in oils, and the support is primed mounting board, with an image size of 20” x 28”. It was completed during June 2018, and can be seen here.

Working on closeup 51

Working on closeup 51

A small snippet of a woodland based oil painting...

Count And Countess Dracula During Halloween Evening - WIP stages

Count And Countess Dracula During Halloween Evening - WIP stages

Count and Countess Dracula 'cute' illustration in WIP stages

This 'cute' portrayal of  Count Dracula and his Countess wife was completed during September 2018.
It is digitally painted in 'Auto SketchBook pro', on an android tablet with 'S pen' to being with, and after a certain stage of development, it is exported to a W10 computer, running the same software. However at this final stage the artwork is far larger than the initial sketch thus allowing the painting to become more refined. Photoshop is used for the final colour grading. The panels above show the sketch, followed by a colour rough and lastly, the final and finished colour artwork.

The count was based to a point on the Christopher Lee version of the character, in particular the costume. The countess is based on Lily Munster, from 'The Munsters', who with that streak of sliver in her hair has some of the 'Bride of Frankenstein' character, taken from the film of the same name.

The illustration can be viewed at a greater detail here.

Village Of Axmouth On The River Axe - oil painting

Village Of Axmouth On The River Axe - oil painting

oil painting titled 'Village Of Axmouth On The River Axe'

The subject of this 20” x 16” painting is a peaceful and beautiful view of Axmouth, a small village to be found along the River Axe, in Devon, on the southern coast of the UK. 
The church tower, dating from the 15^th century, is the focal point within the composition and other building contained in the village can be seen dotted around. The river in this summer scene is tidal, so it can be seen that the tide is out revealing mudflats and marsh land. The view itself is from the Seaton Tramway, a preserved railway line that runs parallel along the river, and is named after the larger coastal town very close by.

The painting is done using oil paint on mounting board sized at 20” x 16”. It can be seen in greater detail here.

Happy Halloween Witch - drawing vs painting

Happy Halloween Witch - drawing vs painting

drawing vs painting of the Happy witch

This illustration of a happy surrounded by her graveyard friends was done during 2012, and was painted digitally in Photoshop. The drawing it was based on was also done in Photoshop and is shown as a comparison between the sketch and final art. There is no 'refined' sketch or drawing, but instead the painting is done directly from the rough sketch and 'drawn' as it is painted rather than spend time just on a neat drawing.
The final art can be seen here.

closeup working progress 03

 closeup working progress 03

 A small snippet of a surreal Edwardian lady illustration...

Count And Countess Dracula During Halloween Evening - digital illustration

Count And Countess Dracula During Halloween Evening - digital illustration

digital illustration - Count And Countess Dracula During Halloween Evening

This horror character based illustration features Count Dracula and his wife out for an Halloween evening stroll. Their castle can be seen in the background. The characters are designed to be 'cute and friendly'. Inspiration was taken from Christopher Lee, partly with his look and also for the costume. The wife was loosely based on Lily Munster, from 'The Munsters'.

A loose sketch was initially done on 'Sketchbook pro' during September 2018, using an android tablet. The file was later exported on to a more powerful desktop computer running the same software, where the painting was enlarged, repainted and refined.
The final digital illustration can be seen here.