Roger Dellar interiors in oils

I attended a workshop with Roger Dellar on Saturday I found an interior subject by looking through my sketch books. The image I choose was of a pre-fab building at the Chiltern Open Air museum. I had already worked out the details in the sketch and produced a colour sketch, this is the way I was taught at school. I find this approach easier than using a reference photo that I have never seen before.

The workshop was to be in oils but my water based oils, which I have never used, felt a bit dry and the linseed oil medium had turned to a solid lump. Roger uses only white spirit and linseed oil with both water based and traditional oils. For the workshop I worked in acrylic.

Roger started the workshop by demonstrating his way of working establishing a dark abstract design that he checked by moving his canvas round and checking from all angles for interesting shapes. He checked the perspective of lines and looked for ways to move the viewers eye round his picture. He then moved on to apply grey colours which he mixed by using the colour he wanted plus a complimentary colour to grey it.

I started my picture well and I managed to create my abstract design before I came a little unstuck. I prefer to work from black and white images with no colour reference So I found it hard to mix greys. I took a break from my work and made everyone a drink. While I was standing in the kitchen I had a good view of my work and I found a way to continue, plus Roger also helped by reminding me that I would need to add some green to the image to bring the view from the window into the picture.

Once the grey stage was complete the painting became easier to complete and after watching a bit more of Rogers demo I learnt that his technique is to look for colour and shapes within the image. On close inspection of my picture you will see abstract marks of colour that when you pull back create the shapes that make up the picture.

I was impressed with the final image. I think there are areas that I could improve as I painted myself into a corner with the dark shape on the right. I added some interesting dark shapes to this to suggest movement and to help the eye round the picture. There are areas within the picture that I think I would develop more in a future oil painting.

Rumour has it that Roger will be returning to the Woodley and Earley arts group to do an open air session next year...something I am looking forward too.

Below are the sketchbook drawings.

 

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Before the Evening Tide

This painting was produced at a workshop with the talented Chris Forsey. It is a mixed media technique using watercolour, acrylic and pastels. The composition was taken from a site sketch I produced while on holiday in June 2012.

I went on to produce a more stylised version of this painting using techniques from Neil Meacher. The image can be viewed here.

This was created on a very wet day after a visit to Tintagel Castle. I can remember visiting this area in the 1990's and I sat eating an ice cream on the harbour wall. During the flood of 2004 this harbour was left littered with cars some of which were washed out to sea. Read the story here. The afternoon was sunny and hot but there was a stiff breeze blowing from the sea and this was where I got the idea to produce the picture Blue Fisherman.

The various steps to achieve this image and it's sister Blue Fisherman

River at Boscastle

I created this painting from a sketch I drew outside the national trust visitor centre in June 2012. I was struck by the way the afternoon sun had lit up the buildings on the opposite bank. It had just rained and the sky behind the houses and above the hill in this view was black with stormy clouds.

I used this sketch to create a stylised contemporary art work. I love the art of Neil Meacher a member of the Royal Watercolour society and I have tried to create a work in my style using his techniques. The image can be viewed here.

It was hard to imagine the devastation that was witnessed by the flood of 2004. The house in the centre of my image was completely destroyed and rebuilt to with-stand future flooding. The rebuilt car park was also raised 12 foot to help with-stand a future flood.

This is the second time I have been to Boscastle I recorded my first visit back in 1990. You can read about it here.

Below is the original sketch book sketch and studio painting

A Christmas Gift or Special Occasion?

Are you looking for something different for a Christmas present?  Why not challenge me to produce a cartoon for you?

Do you have a family story which could be illustrated?

Let me know and I'll produce a cartoon for you. I use watercolour and the images fit within a normal A4 frame.

Here is an example of my work plus a recommendation.

 

I'm dead chuffed that I managed to keep quiet beforehand (it was a struggle). And, when he saw it, Husband was also dead chuffed. It's not often I've managed to give him a complete surprise or something that's unique. At least, not something he's liked. Helen Gazeley read the full review here

Afternoon Stroll through Boscastle

Afternoon Stroll though Boscastle is inspired by our holiday to Cornwall. We were walking back towards the town from the docks and having come out from the National Trust information centre the sun made a last desperate attempt to pick put the buildings on the opposite side of the river.

This watercolour painting (400mm by 300mm in a light oak frame) is for sale £110.

Blue Fisherman

 Blue Fisherman is inspired by a trip Boscastle, Cornwall. The harbour was busy with boats and there were people fishing from the banks. Although the sun was out there was a harsh wind cutting though the valley.

This watercolour painting is for sale £110.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Lazy Sunday Afternoon is inspired by our holiday to the Isle of Wight where we spent a lot of time on the beach near Applby Park in Ryde. There were rows of beach huts along the seafront and people sat outside them

This painting  (watercolour 400mm by 300mm in a white frame) is for sale £110 Please contact me if you are interested in this image.

Lollies and hats

Having a sketch book is a liberating experience in my opinion. You can sketch anything without having to worry about spoiling expensive papers. In the next 2 sketches I have attempted to create portraits of Sam and my mum at Woodcote steam rally.

 

The final sketch with all the finished detail. From the initial painting below I have looked to create impact by strengthening the light and dark passages.i have added darker tones next to the highlights and added detail to the shadow areas. This helps to enhance the contrast an drake the image appear to have depth.

Initial washes to establish main colours and tones.

While this sketch is not an accurate representation of my mum it has given me some valuable information that I can use to create a painting in the future.

 

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Pimms at Woodcote Steam Rally

What's better than a pimms on a hot summer day? A pimms served from a converted mini van.

Initial wash of watercolour.

The original pen sketch.

 

 

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Parrots and bouncy castles at Woodcote Steam Rally

The parrot man is the UK's only travelling parrot show. I forgot to make a note of his website but he was very entertaining, especially when his untrained parrot bit him. On a more serious note the parrot man owns a parrot sanctuary where he re-homes birds. He goes round schools and entertains the children.

So with an airshow, classic cars, traction engines and the parrot man, what did Samuel like the most at Woodcote steam rally? The bouncy castle.

There were 2 bouncy castles and for a few quid you got 15 minutes but a notice quite clearly said that everyone must pay with no exceptions. I over heard one parent say, 'I'm not paying 3 quid to get my son off of that and the bloke knows it, he's on to a good thing.'

Samel enjoyed the bouncy castles and it did prove difficult to get his attention to get him off. And no I didn't pay. I waited patiently for half an hour. The I bribed him with an ice cream.

 

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Woodcote steam rally

Years ago I used to visit the woodcote steam rally as an exhibitor with a traction engine that my dad built. In recent years I have become a regular paying visitor. There are 2 types of weather at woodcote, hot and wet. This year I was lucky that the weather was hot. Too hot.

At the same time as the steam rally there is usually an airshow that is kind enough to do a fly past over the woodcote rally. This year was the turn of spitfires and a Lancaster bomber. Samuel was a bit concerned that the planes would be too noisey and actually hid under a table at lunch to avoid the noise.

More interesting, from my point of view, than the planes was the expressions on people's faces and the way people were using their phone cameras to take pictures. It would seem gone are the days when people shield their eyes from the sun to watch the action, it's now who can take a picture and put it on Facebook first!

 

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Little and large

Sketched from a photo this is the first stage of a painting I may attempt in the future. I find it is always worthwhile making quick sketches (this one took 10minutes) so that when I'm in the mood to paint a watercolour I have something to paint. Too many times in the past I have been in the mood to paint but I have wasted time looking for inspiration.

The original photo was taken on Ryde beach on the isle of wight and when I use photos I generally only use pictures I have taken of places I have been. That way I can try and capture something of the mood when the picture was taken.

 

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Appley Tower, IOW

This is a sketch of Appley tower on the Isle of Wight.

 

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Buckets of water

Using my three experimental colours (quinacridone red and gold plus Windsor violet), I aimed to find the lights and darks in my sketch of Samuel on the beach at Ryde. The nice thing about these colours is, they are all transparent and rarely, for me, produce muddy colours. I used a layering technique to get the darks and the final colour I layered in was q.gold to add brightness around the image - particularly on the back of Sams jacket to enrich the orange.

 

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Worlds littlest strongman

 

We took Samuel for a walk through the local woods. Like most little boys he likes to pick up sticks and crash through the bracken. While we were resting on a seat admiring the view Samuel found himself the biggest log and started to lift it over his head. Rather than take the stick home we confined him to hid it so that we could use it next time we went to the woods. Perhaps it's still there!

 

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Beach huts at Appley Park, Ryde

Sometimes when I need creative inspiration I buy new art materials. This sketch of Appley Park in Ryde uses quinacridone red and gold plus Windsor violet. The colours mix in interesting and unexpected ways producing an unrealistic but bright result. The lights and darks will help me to produce a finished watercolour.

 

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Digger

Quick sketch ready for a watercolour of Samuel on a toy digger from our holiday in Cornwall.

 

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