Painting Process

Technique

I paint in very thin layers of oil paint using stand oil and odourless solvent to dilute the paint - the first layer is transparent and has a watercolour quality. I then build up the density of the paint. I drag a dry brush over the surface to blend what I've painted and to give an even finish. Each painting takes between 4 and 8 layers of paint for the skin and up to 15 for the features. I paint at least four paintings at once to allow drying time between layers. A painting generally takes three months complete.

I am continually fascinated by the idea of taking a split second of time from a film or television programme and painting it in this incredibly slow and labour intensive process.

The colours I use are a mix of muted, pastel colours for the skin with stronger colours for the features, hair and background. I often use pale green for the skin, to reference old master painting techniques (in which green was an undercoat giving luminosity to the surface colour) or pale blue, to imply the glow of a cinema/television screen on someone watching.