Big to Small

Ok here is a quick step by step tutorial painting done with Adobe Photoshop.

This is one is about the painting process of "Big to Small".... i.e: Starting with big block shapes to begin with, and then refining these to smaller details as you carry on the painting.

This process is followed by many artists and works especially well for loose impressionist style paintings.

"Big to Small" is not a total "God" rule of painting, as some artist will work the other way ..."Small to Big". However, that approach is rather rare and you need a lot of experience as artist to do it. "Small to Big" can be risky in the sense that your painting will end up lacking good drawing structure of the basic underlying shapes if not done correctly.

The reference for this painting was this picture I took several summers' back of the River Thames just outside of Oxford in the surrounding city meadows....

As you will see I followed it to point but changed some shapes and colours subtly as doing straight copies can be boring, and I was also doing it rather quick and rushed too.


Here is the step by step screen grabs....

This was all done on one layer with two brushes... a rough edge brush for the big shapes, and then a rectangular chalk style brush to cut in and do the smaller details.

Stage - (A) Put in the very large block colours and shapes with the big rough edge brush first.

Stage - (B) Carry on doing that but also switching to the small brush for some line work.

Stage - (C) Using the Chalk brush completely now to refine things.

Stage - (D) More of the same, using the brush strokes to follow lines of the forms.

Stage - (E) Noticed the top of the sky was too pale so darkened that up, also put some shadows and little details such as the rope in.

I could have carried on refining this picture but didn't think there was much point as it showed all I wanted out of it really, and like I said I was doing it rather rushed and quickly too.

Hope this helps people, and this will be first of many tutorials in the coming weeks.

Lowdown on the Logo

Hello ...

It's been a busy couple of months, lot's going on what with christmas and other things, so sorry that this blog has been quiet. Had some meetings and got some rather cool and exciting projects lined up in the coming months with some companies and events in Liverpool. I am also currently working on some pictures for a proposal for a local football team that want to move and build a new stadium in the city, hopefully my pictures will help sell the plan to the local council for them, so fingers crossed!

I have also drawn up a course structure for some workshops that I will be running. These will be  beginner and intermediate ability drawing classes - looking to do three sessions for each group, with around 6 - 8 people per group. More info will follow with prices and location soon, so keep posted.

I thought I would share this little gem with you. If anyone is wondering where the design of my logo comes from it is drawn from inspiration from my father. My Dad is a talented artist himself and a all round lovely and funny guy. Back when me and my brother were kids he would draw lots of cartoons of us. They were always very cool and had a unique look to them.

So when I was back home over this christmas break I was hunting through all the old family albums and found this....

It was a couple of cakes he made for me and my brother's birthday with the cartoon faces of us iced on. As you can see the face design of me is now adopted as my logo, all be it with the changes that have happened over the 20 odd years since this was done with me loosing some hair on top and gaining some on the jaw line.

I will do a post on my father's art when I next see him and get some more images of his art to show you guys.

I feel honoured and humbled sometimes to have such a great family and also good friends around me. Their support and faith in me is always really appreciated.