Alice and the nasty head tree - digital illustration

A young girl called Alice in a fantasy world of her creation, is meeting a 'nasty head tree' monster.

This encounter takes place in a wicked old forest full of twisted, dead trees. The tree in question is able to move about and hangs on its branches, heads of past victims. The tree has a face of sorts. Out of its mouth protrudes a long tongue, used to grab its victims. Alice has so far resisted the efforts of the tree during this terrifying encounter.
Digitally painted in early 2024.

The image can be seen in greater detail on this link.

Plein air painting 100

The New Forest, Hampshire is a large national park in Southern England, and is over 500 years old. It consists of moorland and forests. Blackwater Arboretum has some of the tallest trees to be found in the UK consisting of giant redwood examples. This painting, done on the 23rd May 2023, shows a path through the locality.
Painted in oils on mounting board sized at 12" x 9.5".

Plein air painting 103

A grouping of tree trunks (Redwoods) as found at Rhinefield, New Forest in Southern England. The painting is sized at 12" x 9.5", and painted on mounting board using oils. It was done on the 1st June 2023.

Small New Forest stream in summer - WIP stages

The image above shows WIP on a painting showing a stream within the New Forest, a national park situated in southern England. In the first panel, upper left can be seen the initial drawing, done in brown acrylic paint. This was based on a set of photographs taken a few years before. The second stage is in the upper right image that demonstrates the use of underpainting, which is the basic colours (and no details) applied thinly to give a rough foundation to the painting. The paint is oil paint, part diluted with a spirit like medium and painted over the acrylic drawing. Once this layer is dry (typically a week on) then the painting properly can be tackled. As seen in the 3^rd, bottom left panel the paint is applied thick, in fact as it comes out of the paint tube with the colour mixed to the final desired effect and details placed in using careful painting. Finally the last panel shows the completed painting which included a glazing layer on to of the main painting. This extra layer is like mostly transparent oil colour added to give extra depth to the colours, much like a tint.

This New Forest landscape painting is sized at 20” x 16” and created on mounting board. It can be seen in greater detail on this link.  

Small New Forest stream in summer - oil painting

A quiet, picturesque summer scene from within the New Forest, Hampshire is shown in this landscape oil painting. The stream is near a campsite, itself near to the town of Brockenhurst, and situated in the heart of the forest, a national park.

This painting was created during late summer 2021, and sized at 20” x 16” primed mounting board. Oils were used with a glazed layer on top once dried for stronger colour intensity when seen in person. This landscape art can be seen as a larger, more detailed image by following this link.

 

Working on closeup 88

A small snippet of a New Forest based painting...

Herd of cattle in the New Forest countryside - WIP stages

Four stages of the creation of the New Forest scene.

Painted in late December and through to early January 2021 this painting shows a countryside scene within the New Forest, situated on the south coast of the UK. It is painted in oils on mounting board, sized at 20” x 16”.

The first panel shows the drawing of the countryside scene, done in brown acrylic paint on a lighter brown acrylic wash. The second panel shows where white acrylic paint has been added to indicate areas of a lighter tone, namely the sky area.

Moving on to the third panel shows where oil paint has now been introduced in to the process of creating the artwork. Here paint has been added to indicate the basic colours of forms within and acts as an underpainting, which will be painted over again. This layer of paint is thinly applied, using a medium (similar to white spirit, but more refined) to thin it out. The last panel displays the completed painting. Here the paint is thicker, basically as it comes out of the tube and is applied more carefully. Detail and colour are of the prime concern at this stage. Once the paint was dry (after a week or so) a level of glazing was added. This is when a wash of almost transparent colour, held in a thick, clear oil is applied to help emphasise the colours and make slight alterations to tonal values, such as making the trees darker than originally painted.

The finished forest scene can be seen on this link in greater detail.

 

Working on closeup 84

A small snippet of an oil painting featuring cows...

 

Southampton Common tree by path in Autumn - oil painting

Southampton Common tree by path in Autumn -  oil painting

Completed artwork of tres at the entrance to the common.

An Autumnal scene is pictured in this scene on Southampton Common, painted during September 2019. The tree is near to the entrance of the common, and has been recognised in this painting. It is the early part of the season so some trees are still green, whereas others have already lost their leaves. Other trees display golden leaves, still clinging on to the branches.

The painting measures 14” x 13”, so is quite smaller than usual, and is done in oil paint on a home made canvas (cotton primed and attached to a home made wooded support frame).

It can be seen in greater detail by following this link.

Working on closeup 67

Working on closeup 67

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

Group of trees in the New Forest - oil painting

Group of trees in the New Forest - oil painting

oil painting of a grouping of trees in the New Forest

This outdoor forest was painted during June 2019. It depicts a view within the New Forest, which is set in the county of Hampshire, of the south coast of the UK. It is a hot day but the densely packed trees offer shade from the hot summers day.

This landscape painting is created in oils on mounting board, sized at 20” x 16”, and can be examined in greater detail on this link.

Working on closeup 60

Working on closeup 60

 A small snippit of a forest based oil painting...

New Forest Path In Summer Evening - oil painting

New Forest Path In Summer Evening - oil painting

oil painted artwork - New Forest Path In Summer Evening

Created in June 2018 this landscape oil painting shows a path in woodland leading in to open countryside. The location is the 'New Forest', situated in Hampshire, on the south coast of the UK. It is based on a photograph taken during a late afternoon one summers day, so the long shadows play a role in the look of the picture. The painting is sized at 28” x 20” and is painted on primed mounting board. It can be seen in greater detail here.

Working on closeup 47

Working on closeup 47

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

Summer New Forest Picnic - oil painting

Summer New Forest Picnic - oil painting

Summer New Forest Picnic - oil painting 20" x 28"

During October 2017 this oil painting was created displaying a common and timeless scene that takes place in the new Forest, Hampshire. It is one with a family gathering together for a camping holiday during the summer. In the background can be seen a camping site. Separating the family and the site is a small stream, hidden in the painting.

Oil paint was used, a sheet of mounting board being used as the support. The image is sized at 20” x 28” and took approximately two weeks to create.

The painting can be seen in greater detail on this link.

 

Working on closeup 37

Working on closeup 37

A small snippet of a forest in the summer oil painting........

WIP summer picnic oil painting

Pines In New Forest Shade - acrylic painting

Pines In New Forest Shade - acrylic painting

Pines In New Forest Shade - acrylic painting

A view of a pine forest is the subject of this painting, completed during June 2017. The forest is located within the New Forest, Hampshire, on the south coast of the UK. It is summer and the sunlight is unable to hit and illuminate the ferns on the forest floor, with just a few dabs of sun making it through in a few places. But it is cool with the tall pine trees giving shade from the heat of the day.

This pine forest view is painted in acrylics on mounting board, sized at 20” x 16”.

The final painting can be seen here.

 

New Forest Trees With Shadows - acrylic painting

New Forest Trees With Shadows - acrylic painting

 

New Forest Trees With Shadows - acrylic painting

The subject of this painting is a section of the New Forest, near to Ashurst and the main railway line between Bournemouth and Southampton. The tall fir trees make a dark scene with the summer light falling across the view, highlighting the trunks and picking out details of the surrounding trees.

It is painted in acrylics on stretched watercolour paper, measuring 16” x 12”. It took a few days to paint but actually took a few months to complete due to other projects, and was not completed until early May 2017. 

The final painting can be seen here.

Pines in New Forest Shade WIP stages

Pines in New Forest Shade WIP stages

'Pines in new Forest' WIP stages art

This painting was completed in June 2017. Shown is a shady scene in the New Forest, Hampshire with tall pine trees and ferns on the ground in the shade.
The first panel shows the drawing created in brown acrylic paint on a yellow ochre  base colour. In the second panel the basic tones have been applied as the under-painting. Moving on in the third panel more detail and lighter tones have been added, with the final panel showing the completed work. The whole painting is done in acrylics on a piece of mounting board measuring 16" x 20". A clearer view of the finished art work can be seen here.

Working on closeup 26

Working on closeup 26

Snippet of WIP an acrylic painting of a forest......