Paintings

Self portraits

Posted on by williamjefferies

Oil on canvas paper – 40 x 50cm

This is the second oil painting I’ve tried since I was at school. With the encouragement of Andy Pankhurst at the Royal Drawing School it was the obvious progression to learn how to paint. I’m learning much about the new media: better colour retention and the ability of the wet paint to be reworked.

Below is a sequence of other attempts at trying to capture myself. This is difficult and raises many questions. Do I wear my glasses to be able to see what I’m doing? Do I take them off so I can see my face and eyes properly? As I concentrate my eyes freeze staring at my own reflection – can I try to hold a smile?

Towards Walberswick

Posted on by williamjefferies

Acrylic paint on canvas board – 50 x 40cm

This is the fourth time I’ve tried to capture this view. The colours look too bright, as if I’ve applied my recent colour theory tuition to the extreme. As a reminder, please see the earlier versions below:

Summer School: Life Painting

Posted on by williamjefferies

Vanessa, acrylic on canvas – 61 x 76cm (day 4 & 5)

I’ve just concluded a week’s painting at the Royal Drawing School. It was another excellent course tutored by Andy Pankhurst introducing me to colour theory, temperatures and tone, subjects I vaguely knew about but had never learnt how to apply or understand.

The challenge was to paint a single pose in three days after two preparatory days with other life models to explore figure drawing and painting. It was hard but very rewarding. I learnt about Jean Antoine Wattau, a 17th century French artist, the power of Phthalo Blue pigment and the wonderful work of Euan Unglow, a 20th century British painter.

Below is some of my preparatory work which shows my development during the intensive five days.

Acrylic sketch on canvas paper – 40 x 73cm (day 3)
Acrylic sketch on canvas paper – 40 x 51cm (day 3)
Acrylic sketch on canvas paper – 80 x 51cm (day 3)
Adrian, acrylic sketch on canvas paper – 40 x 51cm (day 2)
Conte pencil on paper – 59 x 83cm (day 1)
Charcoal on paper – 64 x 90cm (day 1)