Tools for the job

There are a wide variety of brushes available on the market. Each brush has a different stroke depending on the piece you are working on (per below illustration). I always include a decorators brush - it's useful for priming canvasses & for covering a large area with colour.

​after 

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The Colour Wheel...

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Good photos = good pics!

I prefer working from a photograph as it's less hassle and stress for the subject to sit. Most of the work I get are presents for special occasions and the intended recipient isn't expecting a caricature or portrait. The quickest, best & most secretive means of getting me images to work from to add to the surprise is to take digital photos & e-mail them to me. Although I am gifted in getting the likeness spot on I do insist on good quality photographs.

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The perfect palette

Some artists get hung up on the correct "sequence" their colours should appear on the palette. I personally do not mind which order I position the colour - as long as it is on there.. The best palette I use is a white dining plate which costs about £2.50 from the local supermarket.
It's white so affords the same colour on the palette that it will be on the white watercolour paper or canvas. It's great for mixing paint & is easy to clean - & if all else fails you can eat your dinner off it when peckish! 

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​Primary, Secondary & Tertiary colours

​Primary Colours: red, yellow & blue
These 3 colours can not be mixed by any combination of other colours. Almost all other colours are made from these 3 colours.

Secondary Colours: green, orange & purple
Formed by mixing the primary colours together.

Tertiary Colours: yellow-orange, red-orange, red purple, blue purple, blue -green & yellow=green
Formed by mixing a primary & secondary colour - which is why tertiary colours are hyphenated two colour names. 

Note the names & colour codes opposite.

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If the face is out of focus your resemblance will not be as good.
This one here is pretty cool of my old mate John.

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​Impression of sound

A word or symbol can be used to convey sound from this-.

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-to this.

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​Inking finishes the piece 

Particularly true of caricatures, inking over the drawn or painted piece completes the picture and adds depth.

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The finished piece is sharper & is more striking to look at.

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​Creating movement

Use indicator lines for air as the subject is moving. This is ideal for caricatures.   

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​ ...& a moving plane 

Other indicators are hair flowing, tassels and so on..

In this picture of my pilot brother, by some triangular shading of the propeller a further impression of movement is achieved.

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​Creating realistic eyes

The focal point of a portrait or caricature is the eyes. I always start a portrait with the eyes. Once you have the eyes right you can really have fun in completing your masterpiece. Without the eyes highlight the entire picture can look flat & cold.

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For more realism add a highlight to the pupil as a point of light. It makes an added feature to "the windows of the soul" whether a per portrait, caricature or portrait of a person.

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​An "All in one"

A recent idea I've had is to incorporate the well wishes usually written in a card on the rear of my paintings on the back of the frame.

It's a nice touch and this could be done for any presentation - be it a retirement, birthday or other special occasion.

You would never need worry about where you put your leaving card again - it's on the back of your masterpiece.

The back of your picture now has another purpose other than holding your painting in the frame (a frame finishes off the picture).

​Different brushes for different strokes!

For step by step stages of one of my pictures click the button opposite.

Stages/Order