Late Afternoon Light Reflections, Albert Bridge, 8" x 10", Oil on Board (Plein air)

This is another one in the reflections series.

My studio is very close to Albert Bridge and every now and then I pop down to do a painting. It's a nice experience, The River Thames never ceases to be one of those spots I just can't get enough of.

Late Afternoon Light Reflections, Albert Bridge, 8" x 10", Oil on Board

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I started this one with a very detailed drawing as can  be seen below. There was so much to see that I needed to be careful to make sure everything was in the right place.

The beginning, my very detailed approach, I sketch with pencil on the board, measuring was vital.

I didn't take much stage shots but I  had a photo of the final stage before I called it quits.

The full set up

SPECIAL QUOTE
"Once we make a decision to do a thing, the means appear......"-Andrew Matthews

Spring Reflections, Oliver's Island- Strand on the Green, 8" x 10", Oil on Board, (Plein Air)

Spring Reflections,  Oliver's Island -Strand on The Green, 8" x 10" , Oil on Board

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I am continuing a series of paintings on reflections and this was painting was done on a wonderful day out with members of the ROI at Strand on the Green, I really enjoyed painting this scene and it was a great experience because I was able to sit down under a shady tree without much distractions but most importantly, the light remain constant for most of the day.

The Scene and the set up.

SPECIAL QUOTE
"Once the painting becomes a burden and you just don't know what to do, don't fiddle, STOP!!"-Adebanji Alade

Summer and Frozen Reflections, 10" x 8", Oil on board,

These are two paintings that deal with the subject of reflections. I really love painting reflections and that's why I'd take my time any day to paint them wholeheartedly!

One was painted outdoor and one indoor!

Obviously the summer one was outdoor and the frozen one painted in the warmth of my studio.

Frozen Reflections

Frozen Reflections, 10" x 8", Oil on Board

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Summer Reflections

 Shady Summer Reflections, Oil on Board, 8" x 10"

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The painting set-up.

SPECIAL QUOTE
Whether you paint indoors or outdoors! Just make sure you paint with your heart!-Adebanji Alade

Urban Shadow Highlights- Series 8-12 (5 paintings) Oil on board

 In all these paintings, the main subject is LIGHT! Once there's light, there's bound to be shadows! I love highlights and shadows!

The effect they have in urban space and settings is what this retrospective series of 5 paintings (mainly of London) is all  about. 

Light has colour, it has atmosphere and it has a life of it's own! The ability to capture this remains the task and duty of the artist, whether he or she paints indoors or outdoors.

Paintings are powerful with light! Especially when the light is glorious!

Hope you enjoy!

8. Urban Shadow Highlights VIII- Morning Light from Wandworth Bridge

Urban Shadow Highlights VIII- Morning Light from Wandworth Bridge , 6" x 8", Oil on Gessoed Card.

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Adebanji painting Morning Light from Wandworth Bridge

My set up with brushes

9. Urban Shadow Highlights IX- Evening Light, The West End.

Urban Shadow Highlights IX- Evening Light, The West End. 8" x 6", Oil on board

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10. Urban Shadow Highlights X- 2 Taxis and a Rickshaw

Urban Shadow Highlights X- 2 Taxis and a Rickshaw, 8" x 10", oil on board

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11. Urban Shadow Highlights XI- Afternoon Light, Lower High Street Harpenden.

Urban Shadow Highlights XI- Afternoon Light, Lower High Street Harpenden, 8" x 10", Oil on board

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Adebanji painting Afternoon Light, Lower Road, Harpenden

The set up for Afternoon Light, Lower Road, Harpenden

12.  Urban Shadow Highlights XII- Evening Light Hampstead High Street

Urban Shadow Highlights XII- Evening Light Hampstead High Street, 8" x 10", Oil on boaord

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SPECIAL QUOTE

"Don't invent little schemes whereby you can get ahead of nature, little schemes to make it look like nature.

You don't need to know how to do it, all you need is to do it. The things that count and make it look like out of doors are the big differences between the shadow and the light side"-Hawthorne on Painting

Evening Light, Whistler Statue, Chelsea Embankment (The Process)

Evening Light, Whistler Statue, Chelsea Embankment, oil on gessoed mountboard, 6" x 8"

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I was determined to paint on an evening when the light was brilliant around the River Thames and the Chelsea Embankment. I thought I was going to go a bit further in search of a scene to paint when I suddenly got struck by the light hitting the Whistler Statue along the Chelsea Embankment.

I just parked my Pochade Box and decided to give it a real go!

I enjoyed every bit of the process and decided to share the way I go about doing these small paintings in this blogpost.

Adebanji painting Whilster Statue

STAGE 1- Paints all lined up, in order, yes in order, I'm a bit of an order freak when it comes to lining up paint. The shadow is there, I love the light effects, I know it won't last, so I am gonna have to paint FAST! The view is great and I am positioned well. These are all important first things that go through my mind. I am sitting down to paint, this is my preferred position, because it stops me from rushing when my legs start to ache. Also I feel more relaxed when I sit down.

STAGE 2- I don't want to put the statue in the dead centre, so I do a little thing I call "dividing the format into unequal parts". If you notice the shapes that emerge from the division are all unequal but also the line that runs vertically helps me to know where to position the statue off-centre. I am not using the sight size method to paint as many other painters do, I just sketch to suit the surface I am working on, I'm a bit flexible, loads of sketching on a daily basis has helped me judge proportions naturally.

STAGE 3- Here, I quickly sketch the base of the statue and plan to capture the light effects and the shadows as I  know this part would not last as the light is changing quickly.  In a shape-by shape procedure you can see how I have quickly put blocks of colour patches to capture the bottom area of the painting. It's the part that is going to be hardest to capture from memory if the light changes so I handle it first!

STAGE 4- I add a bit more details to the bottom area of the painting, moving shape by shape- I try to finish one section and then move on to the next section. I finish off the base of the statue and then quickly sketch in the main statue parts. The sketching is done in Terra Rosa with liquin, I sketch with a very thin sable brush.

STAGE 5- Once I have completed painting the base of the statue and all the parts on the bottom third of the painting. I leave off completing the main statue and quickly capture the sky, the light is beautiful and the sky plays an integral part so getting the right colours is vital! You can see the patch of mixtures on the right hand side of my palette where the sky colour gradation is planned.

STAGE 6- Once the sky is complete, I then sketch into the sky-wet on wet- to get the tree into the painting. It is possible to paint into the sky as the sky was colour was mixed with a lot of liquin, this helped it in drying fast. The painting is beginning to take shape now!

STAGE 7- Now I concentrate my energies on the main thing, the Statue of Whistler. When hit by the light it looks so dramatic! I had to refer to the images on my digital camera to remember how the light hit some areas of the statue as the light had changed completely while I was painting this part.

FINAL STAGE- I bring everything together by adding a few details here and there and work on a few lamp poles is the background, I didn't want to add the traffic lights as I thought it would ruin the airy space around the statue

SPECIAL QUOTE
"Sometimes it's important to remember how the scene looked when you first got there!"-Adebanji Alade

A Marathon of Sketches on London's Public Transport May I

Enjoy and travel along with me as you go through these sketches all done on either the tube, train, bus or bus stops.

I am always armed with my sketchbook, ball point pen and a grey TOMBOW wash pen.

Anyone that catches my attention gets into my books- Sometimes I get to sketch the same people over and over again!

It's a great experience! I get to talk to people, share what I do and sometimes I end up sending the images to them if they so request!

It's a sort of addiction or should I say passion!

 

  Remember-For tips and tutorials on my sketching techniques, click HERE and sign up!

SPECIAL QUOTE
"The other day I sketched and I put a smile on someones face, another gave me a wink, and one couldn't but hold it back, she said-"you are doing a good job"-Adebanji Alade