Martin Oates Art Demonstration

Thursday 8th February 2024

Martin demonstrating his painting technique and use of colour.

Martin sets out his materials. He uses solid colour from tubes of watercolour paints and pre- mixed colour in small jars. He prefers to use colours separately and keeps his brushes and water clean. Oil brushes are used for solid paint straight from the tube, watercolour brushes for the premixed colour.

His watercolour paper is high quality Milford. The paper is kept dry and not stretched.

Martin plans painting the sky first, then hills and lastly foreground.

Using Prussian blue, he starts on the sky.

Marks of aurelium yellow is applied to areas of the sky. Prussian blue, turquoise blue and Antwerp blue is then added to the sky and blended together before the paint dries to avoid a hard edge. Martin adds water and blends paint to lighten the sky.

Distant hills are outlined using watered down turquoise then painted. Dark hills are painted with violet. A hairdryer is used to dry off the painted area.

While Martin is painting the hills he leaves blank the shape of the building which is left white. 

More detail is added to the area in front of the hills.

The roof of the building is painted with cobalt blue. Using lemon yellow and Prussian blue, the foreground area is painted. Brush strokes are made in the direction of the painting. Martin uses different brushes for different colours. Cadmium yellow, medium and dark is applied as well as cadmium red light.

More cadmium red light, magenta and violet is added. 

More dry colour is applied to bring vibrancy to painting. Marks are made with magenta.

Water is sprayed on the foreground and areas of interest are worked on.To finish painting, the foreground is dried off. Colour is then lifted off and more colour is applied.

The finished painting within a mount.